166 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE, 



JAPAN LILY. 



(FUNKIA ALBA.) 



This Lily is a beautiful border plant, and has passed un- 

 der the cognomen of " Japan Lily," until lately, when bota- 

 nists have discovered it does not belong to the Hemcrocallis 

 tribe of plants. It is a native of China, and has been 

 much esteemed for. its fragrant flowers. The roots are 

 tuberous, and of easy culture, being quite hardy, throwing 

 up a stem in July, with a number of white fragrant flow- 

 ers. Its fragrance is equal to the common White Lily. 

 The leaves are a light green, deeply ribbed ; foot stalk of 

 about four inches, which is generally cut down with the 

 first frost in the fall. 



This plant is easily propagated by seed, or dividing the 

 roots in the spring or fall ; if by seed, they should be sown 

 in a pan, or box, and be protected through the winter, and 

 brought forward in May. In the fall they should be potted 

 and treated the same as full grown plants. It does not do 

 go well by pot culture, as in the open ground, as the plant 

 sends its root fibres deep into the soil. As a border plant 

 it is desirable, and delights in a rich, sandy loam. There 

 is a blue variety, but the flowers possess no fragrance, or 

 particular beauty ; it is therefore not so desirable as F. 

 Alba. 



