548 LILT FAMILY. 



its narrow linear leaves, and a scape (5' -7' high) bearing a dense raceme of 

 globular deep blue flowers which are barely ^' long, resemoling minute grapes, 

 scentless. 



M. racem6sum, less common in gardens, is more slender, with flaccid 

 leaves and ovoid faintly scented flowers. 



M. mosch^tum, is glaucous, and has larger and ovoid-oblong livid musky- 

 scented flowers, and linear-lanceolate shorter leaves. 



M. combsum, is larger, 9' high, with violetrcolored oblong flowers, on 

 longer pedicels in a loose raceme, the uppermost in a tuft and abortive : the 

 monstrous variety most cultivated produces, later in the season, from the tufted 

 apex of the scape a large panicled mass of abortive, contorted, bright blue 

 branchlets, of a striking and handsome appearance. 



29. HYACINTHUS, HYACINTH. (Mythological name, the plant 

 dedicated to the favorite of Apollo. ) 



H. orient&lis, Common H., of the Levant, with its raceme of blue flow- 

 ers, is the parent of the numberless cultivated varieties, of divers colors, single, 

 and doable : fl. spring. 



30. AGAFANTHITS. (Of Greek words for amtafife^oioer.) One species, 



A. umbell&tus. Cult, fi-om Cape of Rood Hope, a handsome house-plant, 

 turned out blooms in summer; leaves large, bright-green, l°-2° long; scape 

 lJ°-2° high, bearing an umbel of pretty large blue flowers. 



31. FUNKIA. (Named for one Funk, a German botanist.) Ornamental, 

 large-leaved, hardy plants, cult, from Japan and China : fl. summer. For- 

 merly united with the Day-Lily. 



P. subcordilta. White Day-Lilt, is the species with long, white, and 

 tubtilar-fannel-form flowers. 



P. ovata, Blue D., the one with smaller, more nodding, blue or violet 

 flowers, abruptly expanded above the narrow tube. 



32. HEMEROCAIiLIS, BAY-LILY. (Name, in Greek, means bamtu- 

 of-aday, the large flower ephemeral.) Cult, from the Old World, especially 

 in country gardens ; the first species esca.ped into roadsides : fl. summer. 



H. fdllva, CoMMOK Dat-Lilt. A familiar, rather coarse and taU plant, 

 with broadish linear leaves and tawny orange flower, the inner divisions wavy 

 and obtuse. 



H. fl&va, Yellow D. Less coarse, with narrower leaves and light yellow 

 flowers, the inner divisions acute. 



33. TBITOMA. (Name in Greek means tkrvx cut, supposed to allude to 

 the three sharp edges of the tapering apex of the leaves, viz. the two margins 

 and the keel.) Flowers unpleasantly-scented, showy, in autumn. 



T. ITv^ia, from Cape of Good Hope, planted out, is ornamental in autnmn, 

 the scape rising from the thick clumps of long grassy leaves 3° or 4° high, the 

 cylindrical spike or raceme producing a long succession of flowers, which arc 

 at first erect and coral-red, soon they hang over and change to orange and at 

 length to greenish yellow. Roots half hardy N. 



34. YUCCA, BEAR-GRASS, SPANISH-BAYONET. (American ab- 

 original name.) Wild in sandy soil S., extending into Mexico, &c. Cult 

 for ornament, but only the nearly stemless species is really hardy N. ; fl. 

 summer, large, and whole plant of striking appearance. Under various names 

 and varieties, the common ones mainly belong to the following : 



* Trvmk short, covered with leaves, rising only a foot or to^ above the ground : 

 /lowering stalk scape-like ; pod dry, 



Y. fllamentdsa, Commoit Beab-Gbass, or Adam'8 Needle. From E. 

 Virginia S. : leaves lanceolate, l°-2° long, spreading, moderately rigid, tipped 

 with a weak prickly point, the smooth edges bearing thread-like filaments ; scape 

 3° -6° high ; flowers white or pale cream-color, sometimes tinged purplish. 



