LILIACE.^. 287 



latest flowers to appear in our beds and borders out of doors. 

 The flowers appear alone, without leaves, and consist of six 

 lance-shaped somewhat spreading petals, rosy-purple in colour, 

 and supported only an inch or two above ground. The leaves 

 begin to grow after the flowers cease, and reach their fullest 

 development the following spring and early summer. They 

 are lance-shaped, dark olive-green, and about 9 to 12 inches 

 long, and i or i^ inch broad. Flowers in September, 

 October, and November. Native of moist pastures in Britain 

 and many other countries of Europe. There are several varie- 

 ties, amongst which the double-flowered and the white are 

 the most useful for gardens ; and there is another with varie- 

 gated flowers, the variegation consisting in deeper and lighter 

 shades of purple, which sometimes does duty as a species under 

 the name C. variegatwn. 



C. Bivonae {Na?'ro7u-kaved Meadow Saffro?i). — This species 

 has the same habit of flowering without the leaves as the last ; 

 but the leaves are narrower and shorter, and the divisions of 

 the corolla are broader and blunter, and are marked by pro- 

 minent veins. The flowers appear about the same time as 

 those of the last. Native of Sicily and Sardinia. 



There are several other forms of Meadow Saffron in cultiva- 

 tion, but as they all resemble each other more or less closely, 

 and flower nearly about the same time, the above are all that 

 need be described here. The following are desirable when the 

 collection is large: — C. byzantiman^ veiy free - flowering, and 

 with short broad leaves; C. montanum^ the leaves narrow, 

 lance - shaped, appearing with the flowers, and much more 

 spreading than is usual with those of the other species. 



Convallaria majalis {Lily of the Valley). — This deliciously 

 fragrant and elegant plant is a very old and still popular favour- 

 ite with all lovers of flowers. There are few cultivated plants 

 that yield so much gratification at so little cost of trouble and 

 expense. It grows and flowers well in nearly every kind of 

 soil that is not subject to severe drought \ and once it is planted 

 it may be left a lifetime to itself without suffering any diminu- 

 tion of vigour, if a little annual top-dressing of old manure and 

 fresh loam be sifted on to the surface of the bed. It is essen- 

 tially a plant for furnishing material for bouquets and room- 

 decoration, and in no sense can it be regarded as a good 

 border ornament ; it should therefore have some handy spot in 

 the garden devoted to itself, which may always be accessible to 

 the ladies of the establishment. It prefers shade, being a native 

 of woods and bushy pastures and moist valleys, but will do well 

 fully exposed to the sun if the soil is not extremely dry ; and 



