Lily of the Valley. 317 



rolla, six-cleft ; berry-spotted, three celled. Specific characters : 

 Flowers on a scape. 



Sweet flower o' the valley wi' blossoms of snow, 



And green leaves that turn the cauld blast from their stems; 



Bright emblem of innocence, thy beauties I lo'e 

 Above the king's coronet encircled wi' gems. 



There's nae tinsel ahint thee, to make thee mair bright 



Sweet lily! thy loveliness a' is thine aim, 

 And thy bonny bells dangling sae pure and sae light 



Proclaim thee the fairest o' flower's bright train. 



J. L. S. 



The flowery month ot May, says Philips, produces no plant 

 of more exquisite fragrance or more delicious form than the 

 Lily of the Valley. In floral language it is made to represent 

 a Return of Happiness, because it announces by its ele- 

 gance and its odor the happy season of the year. The grace- 

 ful manner in which the perfumed bells are suspended on the 

 stem, and the agreeable contrast which their broad leaves of 

 bright green afford to the snowy corollas could not escape the 

 notice of the poets. Prior says : 



Take but the humblest Lily of the field ; 

 And if our pride will to our reason yield 

 It must by sure comparison be shown 

 That on the regal seat great David's son, 

 Arrayed in all his robes and types of power, 

 Shines with less glory than that simple flower. 



This elegantly modest plant has had the name of Lily very 

 improperly given it, as it has not the least affinity with the 

 Lily in its root, fruit, or flower. We presume it was called 

 Lily from the purity of its white corolla, for even at the pres- 

 ent time, notwithstanding we have orange and scarlet Lilies, 

 we attach an idea of delicacy to their very name. As it 

 grows spontaneously in shady valleys it is natural to call it the 

 Lily of the Valley. 



The proper situation of this plant in the garden is its most 

 rural and rustic part, where it is partially shaded by shrubs 

 ;ind trees; and it flowers even better in a north aspect than 

 when fully exposed to the noonday sun. It will grow in almost 



