189 



2. Lilium Martagon. Among the several species of the genus 

 Lilium, there are some which are mentioned in the literature as 

 having whorled leaves. In Engler und Prantl^, we find three of 

 such species, viz. L. Martagon, L. canadense and L. superbum. 

 Out of thèse three I hâve studied L. Martagon L. of which suf- 

 ficient material grows in the Groningen Botanic Gardens^; as 

 we shall see below, the two other species, as judged from the 

 figures and tables in the literature^ generally show the same con- 

 ditions. 



The shoots of L. Martagon are not throughout verticillate in ail 

 their parts. First the axis bears above the soil some singleplaced 

 leaves; then corne nearly always two whorls of large crowded leaves; 

 above thèse there are again some smaller scattered leaves, which 

 are in their turn succeeded by the still smaller bracts subtending 

 the flowers. 



The leaves of the two whorls, which are largest and most numer- 

 ous, hâve obviously so much impressed the descriptive botanists, 

 that very often the whole plant is said to hâve folia verticillata, in 

 other cases however the scattered leaves above the whorls are also 

 mentioned. 



The number of whorls in the Groningen plants was constantly 

 two; or in very weak and not-flowering shoots occasionally only 

 one; in Curtis* we find that one to three whorls may occur. The 

 number of leaves in a single whorl may differ considerably; accord- 

 mgto Curtis there may be from four to twenty leaves in a whorl. 

 Two succeeding whorls in most cases do not contain the same 

 number of leaves; they are in no respect regular, alternating whorls. 

 On nine stems I counted in the two whorls : 



^ Engler und Prantl, Die natiirlichen Pflanzenfamilien II, 5, p. 60. 61; 

 Leipzig 1888. 



" Number 6844 of the Garden Catalogue. 



3 For L, canadense: Curtis's Botanical Magazine, London XXI, 1805, tab. 800, 

 XXII. 1805. t. 858, CI 1875, t. 6146. L. van Houtte. Flore des Serres. Gand. 

 XI, 1856, t. 1 174, XXI. 1875. t.2191. 2192. For L.superbum Curtis XXIV. 1806. 

 t. 936, van Houtte X, 1855. t. 1014/5. 



* 1. c. C. 1874. text to t. 6126. 



