466 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



new Lilies, in addition to his namesake, some 

 of which, in the way of L. Browni, have flowered 

 at Kew. Two or three distinct new species 

 have also been found in California. 



Lilies are now an important article of com- 

 merce, hundreds of thousands reaching this coun- 



fcE^v-^a 





Fig. 57.:.— Lilium Dalhansoni 



try every year from Japan and Bermuda, to say 

 nothing of the thousands that are shipped to the 

 United States. From Bermuda something like 

 two million bulbs, worth about £15,000, are 

 annually exported, whilst from Japan last year 

 some four or five million bulbs of L. longiflorum 

 were exported; these would be worth £25,000 

 or more. These are nearly all forced for the 

 various flower-markets during the spring and 

 early summer, chiefly for Easter. One large 

 grower for Covent Garden cut 1400 dozen 

 blooms during one Easter week. Hundreds 

 of thousands of L. auratum, L. speciosum, and 

 several others are annually exported from Japan; 

 and many thousands of North American species 

 are annually sent to Europe. 



The species and varieties in cultivation are : — 



L. Alexandra;. — Flowers up to five on a stem, large, 

 pure-white, widely expanded, of great substance. Japan. 



L. auratum (fig. 568). — This magnificent Lily is so 

 well known that it needs no description. No garden or 

 greenhouse is complete without it. Japan. 



L. auratum, var. pictum, a fine, bold, beautifully- 

 spotted variety, with crimson -tipped petals. 



L. auratum, var. platyphyllum (macranthum). — The 

 largest and best of the forms of L. auratum. Stems 

 stout, leaves very wide. Its enormous flowers often 

 exceed 12 inches in width, richly spotted. A form called 

 virg incite has a golden band down the centre of each 

 petal, which is slightly spotted with yellow. 



L. auratum, var. rubro-vittatum, a magnificent red- 

 banded variety. 



L. auratum, var. Wittei, a beautiful variety with white 

 unspotted flowers with a central band of yellow, the 

 ends of the petals in some cases tinged with reddish- 

 brown. 



L. Batemannice. — A form of L. elegans. Colour rich- 

 glowing apricot, unspotted, four to six flowers in an 

 umbel. Japan. 



L. Bolanderi. — Stems H foot, flowers like L. Grayi, 

 deep- crimson, with dark spots. California. 



L. Browni (fig. 569). — One of the finest; immense 

 trumpet-shaped flowers. Inside pure- white with brown 

 anthers, exterior deep reddish -brown. Japan. 



L. bidbiferum. — An old favourite, with bulbils in the 

 axils of the leaves. Flowers red. Japan. 



L. Burbanki. — A hybrid between L. pardalinum and 

 L. Washingtonianum, said to be very vigorous and free- 

 flowering; colour of flowers orange - yellow with purple 

 spots. 



L. callosum. — Slender stems, about 2 feet high, carry- 

 ing numerous pendulous orange-red flowers. Japan. 



L. canadense. — Quite distinct from L. superbum. 

 Flowers varying from yellow to orange, bell - shaped, 

 heavily spotted inside, very graceful and pretty, likes 

 plenty of moisture. N. America. 



L. canadense, var. flarum. — Golden - yellow, thickly 

 spotted with purple. 



L. canadense, var. rubrurn. — Exterior red, interior 

 yellow, spotted black. 



L. candid am. — The beautiful common white Madonna 

 Lily. Europe, &c. 



L. carniolicum. — Very early, flowers red, recurved 

 like L. chalcedonicum. S. Europe. 



L. chedcedonicum. — The old scarlet Martagon or Turk's 

 cap. One of the most beautiful, with slender stems, 

 each bearing from five to eight flowers of an intense 

 scarlet hue. S. Europe. 



L. columbianum (nitidum). — Bright golden - yellow, 

 spotted red ; tall and graceful, like a small L. Humboldti. 

 N. America. 



L. concolor (sinicum). — Bright-scarlet, with dark-red 

 spots; dwarf; each bulb produces several stems. China. 



L. concolor, var. coridion. — Flowers citron-yellow. 



L. cordifolium. — The dwarf variety of L. giganteum; 

 white flowers. Japan. 



L. croceum. — The beautiful orange Lily. S. Europe. 



L. Dalhansoni (fig. 573). — A hybrid between L. Hansoni 

 and L. dedmaticum; height 5 feet, bearing numerous 

 flowers of a dark-brownish purple. 



L. dauricum. — Often confounded with L. umbellatum : 

 a very pretty Lily ; flowers three to six in an umbel, 

 yellow flushed with red, black spotted. Dahuria. 



L. elegans (Thunbergianum). — A splendid group of dwarf 

 early -flowering Lilies belong to this species. They have 

 stems from 1 to 2 feet high, producing upright cup-shaped 

 flowers of large size and brilliant colour. Planted in 

 groups amongst low-growing shrubs, the effect is most 

 telling, whilst as pot-plants for the conservatory they are 

 invaluable. A strong bulb will produce three or four 

 stems carrying from three to five flowers on each. Japan. 



L. elegans, var. Alice Wilson. — Clear lemon-yellow. 



