LILIES OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES cSc BRITISH COLUMRIA. 85^ 



Sierra Nevada Mountains of Central and Northern California, the typical 

 L. Uumholdtii is to be found. It is very stout and leafy, 4 to H feet 

 high, many-flowered, a rich orange throughout, spotted with maroon. 

 The bulbs are large and solid when mature, 7 inches to 20 inches in 

 diameter, and weighing from six ounces to a couple of pounds. The 

 scales are never jointed. Except at one point they are to be fovmd in the 

 lower Yellow Pine belt (P. j^onderosa) at 1,400 to B,oOO feet altitude, 

 growing in open Avoods among low undergrowth, in a more or less rocky 

 red clayey or volcanic soil, perfectly drained, and not at all rich in mould. 

 The finest wild specimen I ever saw, however, was where a mass of 

 debris had filled a space close to the side of a mountain stream. (Fig. 188.) 



At one point in the Sacramento Valley, miles from the nearest hill, 

 L. Humholdtii is scattered for miles along the river in the oak woods, 

 which form a broad timbered fringe. The soil there is from a heavy 

 loam to a sticky black clay. 



In cultivation I find that under the most favourable conditions the 



typical L. Humholdtii] seldom flowers the first year. A 10 per cent, 

 bloom from large bulbs would be a good showing. 



I grow it perfectly at my Lyons Valley Lily garden in all soils except 

 a damp soil, rich in mould. There it rots. At the Stanford University 

 Palo Alto, California, it was planted in adobe, a black sticky clay, and the 

 most trying of soils for most Lilies, and it thrived admirably. 



My recommendation for its culture would be to give perfect drainage, 

 even if rubbled underneath ; let the soil be of moderate strength, sandy, or 

 loamy, but made porous with charcoal or grit, and, lastly, the friendly 

 shelter of low-growing shrubs or perennials, also rather deep planting, say 

 8 or 10 inches. 



la. L. Humholdtii var. magnificum is the form in the San Bernardino 

 Mountains of Southern California and along the coast as far north as 

 Santa Barbara ; also on the islands off the coast. In size it is the equal 

 of the type, the foliage is darker, and the stem dark. The tiowers are 

 orange, spotted with maroon, each spot oculated with crimson. The bulb 

 becomes a rich purple after a short exposure. The scales are more 



Fig. 183. -L. Humboldtii. 



