■fcerbaceous plants. 373 



Solomon's Seal, Polygonaturn multijforum. — A graceful 

 plant with recurving, leafy stems two or three feet high, 

 with oblong, stem-clasping leaves, alternate, in two rows ; 

 flowers on slender pedicels, several in a bunch in the 

 axils of the leaves, long cylindrical, milky white. Flowers 

 early in summer. P. officinale is considerably smaller but 

 equally desirable. The American P.giganteum sometimes 

 grows to a height of five or six feet with axillary peduncles 

 of from two to eiirbt flowers. All are fine for naturalizing 

 in thickets and shrubberies. They thrive best in rich veg- 

 etable soil and may be treated in the same way as Orchis. 

 May also be used with fine effect in moist places in a 

 rockery. 



Lily, Lilium. — Lilies are without exception the most 

 beautiful of all bulbous-rooted plants. The flowers are 

 large and showy, while the habit is graceful and elegant. 

 Many are exceedingly fine border plants, while others may 

 be grown in rockeries or naturalized in woods or on moist 

 lawns to produce the most charming effects. The best 

 are : White lily (L. catuUduvi), stems simple with numer- 

 ous lanceolate leaves; flowers many in a thyrsoid raceme, 

 pearly white, inclined ; summer. Bulb-bearing lily (L. bnl- 

 Iiifi rum), stems three or more feet high ; leaves lanceolate, 

 scattered, very numerous ; flowers large, erect, reddish- 

 orange with a few dark spots inside, disposed in large 

 umbels ; one of the best for naturalizing in rich woodland 

 soil in half-shady positions ; spreads rapidly. Orange lily 

 (i. croct win), similar in habit to the preceding kind, but 

 more elegant ; leaves linear, scattered, slightly woolly, as is 

 the slender terete stem ; flowers rich orange-yellow, erect 

 in a large umbel. Tiger lily {L. tigrinum), stem three feet 



