BULBOUS PLANTS. 



281 



are visible above ground (except in the case of the 

 common White, Lilium candidum) till the spring, when 

 the flower-stem makes its appearance. The flowering 

 season of Lilies extends over a period commencing 

 from the beginning of June, when L. umbellatum and 

 numerous varieties expand their blossoms, till the 

 autumnal frosts clear off the last flowers of L. 

 speciosum, tig rinum, and auratum, the latest being the 

 Indian, L. Xeilgherrense. 



Lily-bulbs vary greatly in size and shape. The 

 greater number are more or less globular, but several 

 of the North American kinds, notably L. superbum, 

 pardalinum, and Canadense, have bulbs in the form 

 of creeping underground rhizomes. 



Culture. — As many Lilies begin naturally to root 

 directly the flower-stems have died down, it is 

 obvious that autumn is the best time for planting, 

 providing always that good bulbs are to be obtained 

 then, but imported bulbs seldom reach this country 

 before the end of the year. The common White Lily 

 should be transplanted by the beginning of August, 

 as growth re-commences soon after. Imported bulbs, 

 when received, should be examined, and any decaying 

 matter removed, and then placed in a spot sheltered 

 from frosts or heavy rains, and just covered with 

 sandy soil or fibre refuse kept slightly moist. Leave 

 the bulbs in this state till the roots at the base start 

 into growth, when they should be planted. 



Pot-culture. — The kinds principally grown in pots 

 are : L. auratum, L. candiclum, L. longiflorum and 

 its varieties, L. umbellatum, the varieties of L. 

 speciosum, and L. elegans or Thunbergianum. The 

 pot-culture of these different kinds is about the 

 same in all. The bulbs are potted in good soil, con- 

 sisting of loam, decayed manure, and sand. They 

 are afterwards either placed in a cold frame or 

 plunged out of doors till growth commences. They 

 may then be either placed in a little heat, or not, 

 according to the time their flowers are required. 

 Copious supplies of water must be given when the 

 pots are filled with roots. To this mode of treatment 

 exception must be made in the case of L. candidum, 

 as it needs to be grown in pots one year before 

 flowers can be expected. 



Propagation, — Lilies are propagated by various 

 means, sometimes by breaking up and dividing the 

 bulbs after flowering, and sometimes by the bulblets, 

 which in some kinds are produced freely in the axils 

 of the leaves. These bulblets root and grow when 

 brought in contact with soil. The kinds producing 

 long, fleshy, underground stems can be increased by 

 cutting the long creeping root, or stem, into pieces, 

 each of which will grow. Another mode, and one 

 by which most Lilies are artificially propagated, 

 is to detach some of the scales from the outside of 

 the bulb, which is not in any way injured if the 



operation be carefully performed. Thtso scales are 

 then placed in a frame, or in the opei. ground, and 

 covered with soil after the manner of sowing seeds. 



Species and Varieties. 

 The fifty odd species of lilium at present known 

 to botanists are arranged into five groups. First, 

 Cardiocrinum, characterised by broad heart-shaped 

 leaves, as in L. giganteum and cordifolium. Secondly, 

 Eulirion, or True Lilies, including about a dozen 

 species, the common White Lily (Z. candidum), and 

 longiflorum, being in the group. Thirdly, Archeli- 

 rion, numbering some four or five species, including 

 auratum, speciosum, and tigrinum. Fourthly, number- 

 ing about a dozen species, among which are the 

 common umbellatum, croceum, and elegans. Fifthly, 

 Martagon, the Turk's Cap Lilies, which is by far the 

 largest group, and comprises the whole of the spe- 

 cies not included in the other four groups. The 

 common Martagon Lily is the type of this group, 

 and such as pomponium, Chalcedonicum, pardalinum, 

 Canadense, and superbum are also included in it. 

 The cultivator groups them according to their 

 requirements. Thus, he has shade-lovers, sun- 

 lovers ; those that thrive best in peat, others best in 

 loam ; those that like a dry situation, and those that 

 delight in moisture. 



L. auratum — regarded as 

 the queen of Lilies — is 

 imported in large quanti- 

 ties every year from Ja- 

 pan. The large bold 

 flowers have usually a 

 white ground, with a gol- 

 den stripe on each petal, 

 and studded more or less 

 with rich crimson dots. 

 Omentum has deep crim- 

 son stripes instead of 

 yellow, and pictum is 

 similar but inferior to 

 cruentum. In virginale 

 the flower is wholly white, 

 except a pale golden 

 stripe, while Wittei is 

 spotless white, and platy- 

 phyllum has leaves twice 

 as broad as tbe ordinary 

 type, and bears large mas- 

 sive white blooms, banded 

 with yellow. 



L. Batemannse — a Japanese 

 kind growing about a yard 

 high, having clusters of 

 cup-shaped blossoms, of a 

 bright apricot tint ; pro- 

 duced in July. 



L. Brownii — a very beauti- 

 ful Lily, producing large 

 solitary trumpet-shaped 

 blooms ; pure white inside 

 and chocolate without. 

 This Lily requires a well- 

 drained sheltered spot. 



L. bulbiferum — has cup- 

 shaped, deep red blooms ; 

 very hardy, and one of the 

 earliest to flower. E urope. 



L. Canadense — the Cana- 

 dian Lily — is of slender 

 growth, and bears turban - 



shaped blossoms. They 

 vary in colour from yel- 

 low (flavum) to red (ru- 

 brum). 



L. candidum — the spotless 

 purity of its blossoms, and 

 their fragrance, make this 

 Lily a favourite of every 

 one. It succeeds best in 

 good stiff loam, and should 

 be allowed to remain un- 

 disturbed.. The varieties 

 are spicatum, a monstro- 

 sity in which the blooms 

 are replaced by a spike of 

 greenish - white bracts ; 

 striatum, with the flowers 

 tinged with purple, and a 

 variegated-leaved kind. 



L. Chalcedonicum— the vivid 

 vermilion of this Lily ren- 

 ders it one of the showiest 

 of all. It is very hardy, 

 and thrives well in any 

 garden. Like the White 

 Lily, it will often grow 

 but little the first season 

 after planting. It flowers 

 about the end. of July. 



L. croceum — the Orange 

 Lily — bears large clus- 

 ters of erect orange-co- 

 loured flowers, about the 

 beginning of July. It is 

 a native of Central Eu- 

 rope, and for the open 

 border or shrubbery mar- 

 gin is one of the best. 



L. elegans— an early-flower- 

 ing Japanese Lily. The 

 stem is not more than a 

 foot high, and in some 

 varieties much less, and 

 is terminated by several 



