lilBEETIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



LILIUM 



and purple flower-heads, each about 

 2 ins. across {Bot. Mag. t. 1709 ; Bot. 

 Reg. t. 1654). 



L. spicata. — A handsome and well- 

 known species 2 to 3 ft. high, having 

 lance-shaped pointed leaves fringed 

 at the base, and bright purple flower- 

 heads in spikes 6 to 15 ins. long {Bot. 

 Mag. t. 1411). 



L. squarrosa.— A fine species 2 to 3 

 ft. high, with stiffish leaves and 

 bright purple flower - heads, the 

 involucre of which is composed of 

 elongated leafy bracts. 



LIBBRTIA (after Marie ci Libert, 

 a Belgian lady botanist). Nat. Ord. 

 Iridese. — There are several species in 

 the genus, but the best is — 



L. formosa.— A beautiful Chilian 

 perennial with a creeping root-stock, 

 from which arise deep green, narrow, 

 sword-shaped and more or less 

 recurving leaves about 1 ft. long. 

 The pure white flowers appear in 

 May and June, and open from . the 

 bottom upwards on the spikes about 

 2 ft. high. (Bot. Beg. t. 1630; Bot. 

 Mag. t. 3294.) 



Other species of Libertia, all with 

 white flowers, are L. grandiflora, L. 

 ixioides, L. pauiculata (Bot. Mag. 

 t. 6263), and L. pulohella. 



Libertias are fairly hardy in the 

 milder parts of the Kingdom, and 

 should be planted in bold masses in 

 the border or rock-garden in warm, 

 sheltered nooks. They prefer a 

 compost of rich sandy peat, and 

 might therefore be associated with 

 such Ericaceous plants as Ehodo- 

 dendrons, Azaleas, Kalmias, and 

 Heaths. The plants are most easily 

 propagated by severing the root- 

 stocks with a sharp knife in spring 

 just as growth is about to commence. 



LILIUM (from leirion, the Greek 

 name of Lily ; or from the Celtic li, 



white), Lily. Nat. Ord. Liliacese.— 

 A large genus of ornamental flowering 

 plants, usually having large ' scaly 

 bulbs and erect stems bearing lance- 

 shaped leaves, and one or more showy, 

 more or less drooping or horizontal 

 flowers. The funnel-shaped or bell- 

 shaped perianth has six distinct, 

 erect, spreading or recurving seg- 

 ments or petals, the three inner ones 

 being usually larger and broader than 

 the three outer ones. Stamens six, 

 vdth large brown, red, or orange 

 versatile anthers at the end of long 

 slender filaments. 



The Liliums are natives of the 

 northern hemisphere, and are found 

 in a wild state in the New World in 

 Canada, California, and other parts 

 of the United States, and in the Old 

 World in Central and Southern 

 Europe, Siberia, the Caucasus, Asia 

 Minor, extending eastwards to Nepal, 

 the Himalayas, Burma, China, the 

 Philippine Islands, and Japan. With 

 such a wide range of distribution, it 

 is natural that Liliums should be 

 found growing under different condi- 

 tions as to soil, climate, temperature, 

 and elevation. To show at a glance 

 various habitats of the species, 

 Liliums may be classed into Old- 

 World species and New- World species 

 as follows : — 



(i.) Old-Woeld Liliums. 



* L. Alexandrae. Japan, 

 t L. auratum. Japan. 



L Bakerianum. Burma. 



* L. Batemarvnim. Japan. 

 + L. Browni. Japan. 



* L. hidhiferum. Europe, 

 t L. callosum. Japan. 



* L. candidum. Europe. 



* L. carnioliciim. Carniola. 



* L. chalcedonicum. Europe, 

 t L. concolor. China. 



M L. coi'difolium. Japan. 



* L. croceum. Europe. 



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