in the Vicinity of Boston. 413 



claw or petal stem variesfated with green, yellow and white, 

 and veined with purple. Inner petals erect, varying in 

 shape from spatulate to lance-formed, usually paler than the 

 outer, and often notched at the ends. — Wet meadows, &c. — 

 June. 



LlATUIS. 



Lidtris scariosa. A very beautiful native, from two to four 

 feet high. Stem unbranched, somewhat hairy. Lower 

 leaves lance-formed, tapering to both ends ; upper ones grass- 

 formed. The leaves are rough on the margin, and a little 

 pubescent. Flowers about fourteen, appearing, in form and 

 color, almost like small, purple, thornless thistles, and grow- 

 ing in a raceme (several inches in length), which might pass 

 for a proper spike, were not the flower stems too long. Scales 

 of the calyx paddle-shaped (Dr. Torrey says ovate), and 

 having membranous, purplish margins. The seed, like that 

 of other plants of the same genus, has an egret or crown of 

 purple hairs, each of which, when examined by a microscope, 

 appears to be a feather. — Woods, and sandy hills. — Water- 

 town, in the woods north of the Arsenal. — August. 



LiLIUM. 



Lilium canadense Drooping Lily. A frequent embellish- 

 ment of our meadows. Stem from two to four feet high, 

 sometimes simple, sometimes branched. Leaves lanceolate, 

 arranged in whorls or circular rings. Flowers commonly 

 from one to about three, yellow trumpet-bell shaped, termi- 

 nal, and pendulous. Petals turned outwards, and internally 

 spotted. I once found a plant of this kind, five or six feet 

 high, suspending thirteen lilies from its branches and branch- 

 lets, and looking almost like an inverted chandelier. — Mead- 

 ows, &c. — June, July. 



Lilium pJiiladelpldcum Red Lily. About one foot (Dr. 

 Torrey says two feet) high. The Red Lily, says Dr. Bige- 

 low, is a less showy, but equally beautiful species with the 

 Drooping Lily. Leaves whorled, a few sometimes standing 

 desivately. Flowers bell-shaped, one, two, or three in num- 

 ber, upright, of a dark vermillion, spotted. Petals supported 

 on long claws or stems, giving the flower an appearance pe- 

 culiarly open and unique. — About the margins of fields, or 

 among bushes, &c.; in a dryer soil than the Drooping Lily.-- 

 June, July. 



Lilium superbum Superb Lily. One of the most magnifi- 

 cent of our native plants. It grows from four to six feet high. 

 Leaves linear-lance formed, three nerved, and arranged in 

 horizontal rings ; but the upper leaves do not stand in reg- 

 ular order. Flowers bright orange, spotted, having the 

 petals rolled outwards, and growing in a large, drooping, 

 pyramidal raceme, containing from three to twenty lilies. — 



