LILIACEiE. 



57 



tiful than ever. The stalk pierced the air like a spear ; all 

 the little bells had erected themselves around it in most 

 graceful array, with petals more transparent than silver, and 

 of a softer light than a c^amond : they seem to have been 

 made for the moon's rays. The leaves, which had looked 

 ragged by day, now seemed fringed by the most delicate 

 gossamer, and the plant miglit claim with pride its distinctive 

 epithet of filamentosa. I looked at it till my feeling became 

 so strong that I longed to share it ; the thought which filled 

 my mind was, that here we saw the type of pure feminine 

 beauty in the moon's own flower. I have since had further 

 opportunity of watching the Yucca, and verified these obser- 

 vations, that she will not flower till the full of the moon, 

 and chooses to hide her beauty from the eye of day/' 



The following species belong exclusively to the green- 

 house : — Y. aletriformis, from the Cape ; spinosa, gracilis, 

 longifolia, serratifolia, grandnifolia, Icetevirens, and jpit- 

 cairnifolia, from Mexico. They require a loamy soil. 



LILIUM. (Lily.) 



Gen. Char. (Hexandria Monoggnia.) Divisions of flower six, 



