LILIUM 



LILY OBDEB 



LILIUM 849 



stem ; Alice Wilson, a rare and beautiful 

 form with clear lemon-yellow flowers ; 

 citrinum is very similar ; aurantiacum 

 is an unspotted form of the type with 

 large citron-yellow blossoms ; hicolor 

 grows about 18 in. high, each stem 

 ending in a large orange-red flower flamed 

 with yellow ; brevifolium, about the same 

 height, with light orange -red flowers pro- 

 duced earlier than those of other forms ; 

 flore plena has deep red semi-double 

 flowers ; Horsmanni is an attractive 

 variety with large well-shaped flowers of 

 a rich crimson-mahogany colour ; ful- 

 gens is a very variable form, like atro- 

 sanguineum, having deep blood - red 

 flowers, more or less spotted with black ; 

 with this may be classed samguvneum, 

 having similar flowers flushed with gold ; 

 marmoratum aureum (or robustum) is 

 a tall early form with orange - yellow 

 crimson-spotted flowers ; ornatum similar, 

 with black spots ; Prince of Orange, 

 apricot-yellow ; Van Houttei, a fine 

 crimson-flowered form ; Wilsoni grows 

 about 2 ft. high, bearing large erect 

 cupped flowers, apricot - yellow spotted 

 with purple, and having a yellow band 

 down the centre of each segment ; venus- 

 tuin, a distinct variety with downy stems, 

 narrow leaves, and 1-10 bell-shaped 

 flowers of a clear orange-yellow, borne 

 rather later than the others in pyramidal 

 trusses, and having orange-red stamens 

 with purple anthers ; the form known as 

 macranthii/m is similar, but has larger 

 blossoms ; Wallacei grows about 2j ft. 

 high, and has rich orange-red flowers 

 spotted with black. In fact there are 

 now so many shades of colour being de- 

 veloped in this species, and each one 

 receives a name, that it will be difficult to 

 keep pace with them. Beautiful Star, 

 Beauty, and TJie Sultan are among some 

 of the later additions. 



Culture amd Propagation. — L. elegans 

 and its varieties are remarkable for their 

 dwarf habit, freedom and brilliancy of 

 flowering, and perfect hardiness. They 

 are excellent planted in masses in borders 

 and shrubberies in a soil composed of 

 sandy loam, peat and leaf-soil. On the 

 fringes of thin Ehododendron and Azalea 

 beds, and other Ericaceous plants, where 

 there is plenty of sun and air, they flourish 

 and look charming. They may be readily 

 increased by offsets taken at the end of 

 summer or early in autumn, and replanted 

 immediately, or if more convenient in 



spring the bulbs and offsets should be 

 stored in sand or dryish soil. 



L. giganteum. — A magnificent Lily, 

 native of the Himalayas, and like a 

 glorified form of the Japanese L. cordi- 

 folium. It has large conical bulbs fi:om 

 which arise stout erect stems 6-10 and 

 sometimes 14 ft. high, furnished with 

 large heart-shaped oval leaves, having 

 long stalks, and gradually becoming 

 smaller and more shortly stalked as they 

 approach the immense raceme, 1-2 ft. 

 long, of large nodding trumpet- or funnel- 

 shaped flowers. These appear in summer, 

 5-6 in. long, and are of a pale greenish- 

 white outside, washed with violet-purple 

 in the throat, and emit a sweet perfume. 



Culture and Propagation. — L. gigan- 

 teum flourishes in a deep thoroughly 

 well-drained soil composed of rich sandy 

 loam, peat and leaf mould. Warm 

 sheltered positions facing south-east or 

 south-west arei preferable to others. 

 Grown in thin Azalea or Ehododendron 

 beds, or on lawns in the midst of dwarfer 

 plants, a few plants of L. giganteum, pro- 

 duce a very picturesque effect not only on 

 account of the great height, but also by the 

 distinct character of the bold foliage and 

 immense trusses of fragrant flowers. 



This fine Lily may be regarded as 

 hardy and easily grown in most parts of 

 the country. It is nevertheless prudent, 

 especially in cold bleak parts of the 

 kingdom, to protect it during the winter 

 with a heap of straw, dry leaves, litter 

 &c., or a handlight or inverted tub. This 

 precaution vsdll also ward off cold drench- 

 ing rains, which are injurious during the 

 winter when the bulbs are at rest. In 

 the mild parts of the south of England 

 and Ireland protection from frost is 

 scarcely necessary, but too much mois- 

 ture should be avoided. 



The best time for planting the bulbs 

 of L. giganteum is about April and May 

 according to the weather. Unlike most 

 other kinds the bulbs need not be com- 

 pletely btiried in the soil. Only the base 

 of the bulb and a few of the lower scales 

 are placed in the soil, the remaining 

 portion being left imcovered. In the 

 event of spring frosts it will be wise to 

 protect them with some dry leaves or 

 litter until all danger is past. 



L. giganteum may be increased by 

 offsets, seeds, or division of the clumps, 

 which somtimes increase quickly. The 



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