62 NOTES ON LILIES 



nothing but cbaff, others had a few imperfect seed, while others gave a 

 fair supply of seed as good as could be desired. It was sown in pans, 

 germinated in due time, and produced several hundred young bulbs, but 

 when these came into bloom not a single flower of them all was in the 

 least distinguishable from the pure Superhiim. Of eight different male 

 parents not one had impressed his features on his hybrid offsjjring. Not 

 only in their flowers, but in their leaves, stems, and bulbs, the young 

 plants showed no variation from their maternal parent. In the following 

 year I set some of them apart from the rest, and applied to them, as to 

 their mothers before them, the pollen o'i several species of Lilies. This 

 time the seeds were extremely .scanty, a few, however, Avere produced, but 

 the plants and flowers that resulted from them, were to all appearance 

 JSi(perhum^ pure and simple. 



" Another subject of experiment was Umbellatum, which I fertilised 



with the pollen of Auratnm. Seed was i^roduced in abundance, and the 



young plants began to bloom in the second year. Many of them were 



not to be distinguished from the pure L'mbcllatiim, others showed 



unmistakeable marks of their hybrid origin in the defective condition of 



the organs of reproduction, the anthers being abortive or Avholly wanting, 



as were also, in a few cases, even the pistils. In some instances the 



corolla was deformed, some of the petals being absent, and others small 



and ill shaped ; but while the influence of the alien pollen was shown in 



these defects, no features of the male parent appeared, either in form, 



colour, scent, or manner of growth. No Lily seems to offer l)etter 



prospects to the hybridiser than Longijioruin. The species itself is not a 



good seed bearer in our climate, but one of its varieties, known as 



LongiJloTum Takesima, bears seed very freely. This variety is also 



distinguished by superior vigour of growth, and by the dark markings of 



its stem ; the pure white of the large trumpet-shaped flowers seems 



peculiarly fitted to receive impressions of colour from an alien parent ; 



I therefore fertilised it with the pollen of a deep variety of Speriosurn. 



The operation was jierformed under glass, and with the greatest care. 



The seed was abundant, and being soivn immeiJiately it all germinated in 



the following spring {see page 12). When the flowers oj^ened, two 



years after, they showed no sign wliatever of the male parent, the pure 



white was without tint or spot, neither did the foliage and stem show the 



slightest trace of foreign influence ; the plants were in pots. I removed 



a number of them to the greenhouse, and, having no pollen of Speciosum. 



at hand, I fertilized them with that of Auratum ; several refused to bear 



seed, while others produced it freely. The young plants resulting- from 



this last experiment bloomed in the spring of 187-4.. Neither Spcciosuni., 



their grandfather, nor Auraluni, their father, had pi'oduced any effect 



wliatever on the pure white of their petals; they showed differences of habit 



among themselves, some being very tall and vigorous and others compact 



and bushy, with a tendency to bloom in clusters, but these may have been 



mere seedling variations with which the hybridisation had nothing to do. 



Yet distinct evidence could be seen of the action of the alien pollen: 



some of the anthers were small and abortive, and some of the pistils 



were imperfect, but what was more to the purpose, was the changed 



