PEITILLAEIA 



LILY OBDEB 



FBITILLARIA 859 



F. lutea. — A Caucasian species 6-12 

 in. high, with alternate linear lance- 

 shaped leaves, and solitary drooping yellow 

 flowers more or less tinged with purple, 

 produced in April and May. The variety 

 latifolia has broader leaves than the type, 

 the upper ones being opposite, and the 

 flowers vary in colour from plum-purple 

 to pale green chequered with brown or 

 yellow. 



Culture So. as above. 



F. Meleagris {Snake's Heacfj.-^This 

 distinct and pretty species grows wild in 

 parts of England in moist meadows. It is 

 12-18 in. high, with flat linear leaves 6-8 

 in. long, and usually solitary flowers 1^ in. 

 deep, drooping from the summit in April 

 and May, and beautifully chequered with 

 light or dark purple or a yellowish-white 

 ground. There are white, rosy, and pur- 

 plish forms, and also one with double 

 flowers. Nigra, major, pallida, flavida, 

 are other names relating to colour or size. 



Culture dc. as above. The Snake's 

 Head Fritillary is excellent for natura- 

 lising in grass — indeed that is its natural 

 place — but in the garden it should be 

 planted in places where it will not require 

 moving until the leaves begin to fade. 

 The plants may also be grown in the 

 rockery and flower border. In Christ- 

 church meadows at Oxford, which are 

 often flooded by the overflowing of the 

 Cherwell, some thousands of Snake's 

 Head Fritillaries appear year after year, 

 and have a wonderful effect when in 

 blossom. 



F. pallidiflora. — A beautiful and dis- 

 tinct Siberian species about 9 in. high, 

 having large glaucous-blue leaves and 2-3 

 yellow Tulip-shaped flowers nodding from 

 the end of the stem, and beautifully 

 chequered with rose or purple within. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



F. persica. — A distinct and curious 

 Persian species about 3 ft. high, with 

 slightly scented deep violet-blue flowers. 

 The variety minor has smaller flowers and 

 protruding stamens. 



Culture do. as above. 



F. pudica. — A handsome little species, 

 4-6 in. high, native of the Eocky Moun- 

 tains. It has erect linear glaucous leaves, 

 and produces one or two bright yellow 

 drooping flowers about 1 in. deep in 

 April and May. 



Culture dc. as above. A pretty plant 



for warm nooks in the rockery, or grown 

 in pots it is useful for cold greenhouses. 



F. recurva. — A distmot Calif ornian 

 species with slender purplish stems about 

 2 ft. high, remarkable for its bright orange- 

 scarlet flowers, with reflexed segments, 

 the inner surface being yellow and blotched 

 with purple. The drooping flowers appear 

 in April and Maj', and sometimes as many 

 as rdne are borne on one stem. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 is rather tender and requires protection 

 with leaves, straw &c. in winter. Warm 

 sunny spots and rich sandy loam appear 

 to suit it best. 



F. Se'werowi [Korolhoviia Sewerowi), 

 A curious species about 18 in. high, native 

 of Turkestan. It has round glaucous 

 stems and oblong leaves, rather glaucous 

 when young. The drooping flowers are 

 borne in loose racemes, and are of a lurid 

 or plum-purple outside, with a glaucous 

 hue, and greenish-yellow within, without 

 any markings. There is a variety called 

 bicolor, with pale olive-green flowers 

 having a brownish crescent-shaped blotch 

 at the base of each segment. 



Culture dc. as above. 



F. Walujewi. — Also a native of Turke- 

 stan, about 1 ft. high, with linear leaves 

 tapering into a tendril like those of F. ver- 

 ticillata, and large solitary silvery-grey 

 flowers, washed with purple-brown or 

 blood-red within and spotted with white. 



Culture dc. as above. 



The following less sho-\\y species and 

 varieties are in cultivation, and a list of 

 them may be useful for reference. 



Acmopetala, purple and greenish. 

 Asia Minor ; Armena, soft yellow. Ar- 

 menia ; Atropurpurea, maroon, spotted 

 yellow. N.W. America ; Biflora, yellow, 

 marbled black. California ; Bommiilleri, 

 golden yellow. Asia Minor ; Bucharica, 

 white, tinged with green or purple. Bul- 

 garia ; Burneti, brownish-red chequered 

 with white. S. Europe ; Californica, 

 maroon-yellow, flaked crimson. California ; 

 CoOTaMcMZdia, purple. Kurdistan; Citrina, 

 green, shaded citron-yellow. Asia Minor ; 

 Contorta, remarkable for having the petals 

 united instead of free, white; Dasyphylla 

 and Ehrharti, purple and yellow. Greece ; 

 Qrceca, dark rose, edged green. Greece ; 

 HericauUs, dark purple. Asia Minor ; 

 InvoVucrata, plum-purple. Maritime Alps ; 

 Lanceolata, purple, chequered yellow. 



