460 LILY FAMILY. 



42. PHORMIUM, NEW ZEALAND FLAX. (Greek; basket, from 



the use made ut the liber.) 



P. tenax, Linn. Nearly hardy N., but does not flower; the very firm, 

 finely nerved, linear, evergreen leaves (a variegated variety) tufted on 

 matted rootstocks, strongly keeled, conduplicate below, nearly flat above, 

 yielding a very strong fiber for cordage. New Zealand. 



43. KNIPHOFIA. (Johann H. Kniphof, a German physician of the 

 last century.) Flowers unpleasantly scented, showy, in autumn. 



K. aloldes, Moencli. (or Trit6ma UvXria). Red-Hot Poker Plant, 

 or Flame Flower. Ornamental in autumn, the scape rising from the 

 thick clumps of long grassy leaves 8° or 4° high, the cylindrical spike or 

 raceme producing a long succession of flowers, which are at first erect 

 and coral-red ; soon they hang over and change to orange and at length 

 to greenish yellow. Roots half hardy N. Cape of Good Hope. 



44. FIJNKIA. (Named for R. Funck, a German botanist.) Orna- 

 mental, hardy plants with large cordate-ovate ribbed leaves in clumps, 

 cult, from Japan and China ; flowers summer. 



F. subcordata, Spreng. White Day Lily. The species with long, 

 white, and tubular-funnel-form flowers. 



F. ovata, Spreng. Blue D. (F. ccERtrLEA). With smaller, more nod- 

 ding, blue or violet flowers, abruptly expanded above the narrow tube. 



45. ASPHODELUS, ASPHODEL. (Ancient name.) The A. Lt- 

 TEus of gardens is Asfhodeline LtTEA, Reichb., from Eu., distin- 

 guished from the true asphodels chiefly by the leafy stem and yellow 

 flowers. The ones seen in gardens are : 



A. fistutosus, Linn. Leaves hollow, striate and awl-like ; stem 16'-20 

 high. Eu. 



A. dibus, Willd. Leaves linear and keeled ; peduncles clustered. Eu. 



46. SCHCENOLIRION. (Greek: rush lily.) We have two species 

 in Georiria and Florida. 



S. cr6ceum, Gray. Stem 1° high, very slender ; raceme l'-4' long, 

 simple ; bracts ovate and somewhat obtuse, purple ; flowers yellow tinged 

 with red, the segments narrow. 



S. Ellidttii, Feay. Stouter, 2° high ; racemes mostly panicled, each 

 becoming 2 '-4' long; bracts ovate or acuminate; flowers white, the seg- 

 ments oval and 5-nerved. 



47. PARADISEA. (Paradise, of which this very ordinary plant is 

 supposed to be a fit inhabitant.) The genus Anthericum (including 

 PhalIxgium) differs from this in its rotate perianth, 4-8-ovuled cells, 

 often angular pod, and the anthers attached between their basal lobes 

 (in Paradisea, attached on the back). There are two or three species 

 sometimes found in gardens, chiefly the European A. LiliXgo, Linn., 

 with stem sparingly branched- iarge white flowers (I'-l^' across) and 

 curved style ; and A. ram6sum, Linn., with more branching stems, 

 smaller flowers and a straight style. 



P. Lilidstrum, Bertol. St. Bruno's Lily. Stems or scapes simple, 1°- 

 2° high, bearing 10-20 white, bell-like, fragrant flowers, nearly or quite 



