366 JOUKNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The type of this group is Lilium dauricum, a Siberian Lily, described 

 by Gawler. It has the same habit as the well-known Lilium croceuvi, 

 and flowers at the same time, viz. in June, with dark brown-red flowers. 

 It is one of the earliest Lilies to open ; most of its garden hybrids, how- 

 ever, are a fortnight later and more. (Fig. 188.) 



The umhellatum varieties of gardens are taller than Thunhcr- 

 gianum, and are more abundant bloomers. The colours vary between 

 the same limits, viz. pale orange and deep crimson. What is said about 

 the easy cultivation of the Thwihergiamim Lilies exactly applies to 

 the umhellatum varieties, which want the same treatment in every 

 respect. 



The standard varieties of this section are very limited in number, 

 but the assortment has recently been enriched by some valuable addi- 

 tions, being crosses between itmbellatum and elegans varieties of Dutch 

 origin. 



The old varieties are : erectum, scarlet, with somewhat yellow shad- 

 ing ; incomparahile, rich crimson, very showy ;.and ' Sappho,' scarlet with 

 orange-tipped petals. 



The new set of hybrids contains the following very showy varieties : — 



Aurantiacum, inside orange-yellow, tips of petals orange-red. 



Compactum multifiorum, very dwarf ; same colour as L. croceuvi. 



' Cloth of Gold,' nankin, almost unspotted. 



Semiplenum, light orange-yellow, mottled black ; half -double. 



' Sensation,' very fine shape, elegant petals ; vivid orange-red. 



Superbum, medium-sized flowers of a clear orange-red, almost 

 unspotted. 



3. The Speciosum Group. 



Lilium speciosum was found as a cultivated plant first by Kaempfer,, 

 and afterwards by Thunberg, in the gardens of Japan, its native country. 

 Thunberg called it speciosum, by which name it is also at present best 

 known, although it used to be generally called lancifolium, a name given 

 by Mussche, the Curator of the Botanic Gardens at Ghent (Belgium)^ 

 where it flowered for the first time in Europe in the summer of 1832. 



Two years before Von Siebold, a surgeon attached to the Netherlands 

 Embassy in Japan, to whom we are indebted for the importation of many 

 beautiful Japanese plants, had introduced it for the first time in living 

 bulbs into Europe, where it had only formerly been known from an un- 

 satisfactory description by Thunberg, and from a drawing by Kaempfer, 

 published by Banks. 



When Lilium speciosum flowered in Ghent for the first time it created 

 such a sensation that a well-known Belgium amateur at once offered 

 2,000 francs for the mother bulb, which ofi'er, however, was declined. 

 Mussche presented a very few offsets to horticultural friends, and so the 

 Lily came into other hands. The prices for small bulbs were, in 1834, 

 200 francs each ; in 1836, 150 francs ; and in 1838 the stock was entirely 

 sold out. No bulbs could be offered before the next year, when the price 

 went back to 200 francs each. 



