AND THEIR CULTURE. 23 



The pale loosely scaled ovoid bulb is generally found at a depth of from 

 12 to 20 inches. The height of the stem, the number of whorls and of 

 flowers on a sinjrle stem, vary very much according to the soil, exposition, 

 and age of the bulb. Much has been said about the difficulty of cultivating 

 this beautiful species. I willingly confess that I have also met with many 

 reverses, until I paid proper attention to its habits and habitats. If the 

 bulb is planted at a depth of from 8 to 12 inches in a loose somewhat 

 gravelly soil, having perfect drainage, there is no difiBculty in obtaining 

 satisfactory results. Although there is jDositively no specific difference 

 between bulbs and plants collected either on the Sierras or on the coast 

 ranges, yet I found that bulbs from the coast ranges would always bloom 

 more readily in San Francisco (in cool-houses) than those from the Sieri-as. 

 The reason is obvious, but it would be interesting- to know if the same 

 holds good at other places than San Francisco. The flowers are very 

 fragrant, and change gradually from a pure white to various shades of 

 purple or lilac, the purplish red spots are rather minute.* The figure in 

 Mons. Louis Van Hoiitte's Flore (Vol. XIX.) is a very correct represen- 

 tation of this species." 



2. L. Humholdtii (Roezl), L. Bloomcrianum (Kellogg). 



" This large species has apparently a far less wider range than the pre- 

 ceding. It occurs mainly on the more elevated portion of the foot hills 

 of the Sieri'as, from 2,500 to nearly 3,500 feet altitude, evidently requiring 

 a greater amount of heat to develope its full size and beauty than the 

 first named species. The soils in which its bulbs are found are of a rather 

 compact character, consisting of clay with an admixture of broken rocks, 

 and a small portion of vegetable mould growing in open park land, or 

 land entirely cleared off, and therefore exposed to a hot and burning sun, 

 and surrounded by a dry and exsiccating air ; we find its bulb also at a 

 considerable depth. Its ovoid bulbs are very large and strongly built, its 

 outer scales are the largest, imbricated, lanceolate, tinged with purple, and 

 very fleshy, well calculated to hold a large supply of moisture. A short 

 time ago, this species was also found by Mr. Harford on the Island of 

 Santa Rosa,t opposite Santa Barbara. As far as I know it has not been 

 found on any part of the coast ranges belonging to the mainland. The 

 plant fomid on Santa Rosa Island, differs but slightly from that on the 

 foot hills of the Sierras. Its leaves are of a brighter green, accuminate, 

 and its whorls are dense and more regular ; while the leaves of plants 

 from the Sierras are rather spathulate, and terminating with a blunt 

 point ; their green is also of a less vivid colour. The former is exposed 

 to sea breezes and fogs ; the latter to a dry exsiccating* air. It may be 

 stated in connection with the above remarks, that bulbs from Santa Rosa 

 Island do far better with us here, than those from the Sierras ; the reason 

 is plain. The figure in the Flore of Mons. Louis Van Houtte (Vol. XIX.) 

 represents the Santa Rosa Island form as truthfully as a representation 

 can be made. In the notes on Lilies and their culture by Dr. Wallace 

 (1st portion), I find this species wrongly enumerated as one of the 



* This is the description of IVasliingtonianum rurpurcum, ■which lias a coast range, 

 not of the true Washingtonianum which comes from the Yosemite Valley. 

 t This form is the one known as Bloomcrianum Ocdlatum. 



