LILIES. 225 



LILIES. 



LILIUM. 



LILIACE^E. HEXANDR1A MONOGYNIA. 



French, le lis; lys. Italian, giglio: in the Brescian, zei. 



ALTHOUGH we usually associate the idea of extreme 

 whiteness with the lily, so that it is common to express a 

 pure white by comparison with this flower, as with snow, 

 and as white as a lily is an old and common proverb, yet 

 lilies are of almost every variety of colour : perhaps there 

 is no other flower that varies so much in this respect. 



" The Common White Lily," says Mr. Martyn, " has 

 been cultivated in England time immemorial." The stem 

 is usually about three feet high. The flowers are bril- 

 liantly white, and glossy on the inside. It is from the 

 East; and in Japan the blossom is said to be nearly a 

 span in length. This Lily flowers in June and July. 

 The roots, which are mucilaginous, are sometimes boiled 

 in milk or water, and employed in emollient poultices ; 

 but they have not much reputation. An oil for the same 

 purpose was also prepared by infusing the roots in olive 

 oil. 



There are several varieties of the White Lily: as, that 

 with the flowers striped or blotched with purple ; that 

 with the leaves striped or edged with yellow ; one with 

 double, and one with pendulous flowers. The double 

 flowers are less fragrant than the single ; and the common 

 kind is generally held in higher estimation than any of 

 the others. 



This Lily may easily be increased by offsets, which the 

 bulbs furnish in great plenty. They should be taken off 



