DUTCH LILIES. 



367 



At present numerous varieties of Lilium speciosum varying in colour 

 from the purest white to delicate rose, and through all the shades of pink 

 to fiery carmine, are grown in large quantities in the Netherlands and 

 exported all over the world. Of later years some general trade varieties 

 are also being yearly imported from Japan. 



The variety known as ruhrum is considered to be the type, although 

 already in the first importation three different varieties were sent to 

 Europe at the same time, and Kaempfer also had already found three 

 . forms cultivated in Japan, so that it cannot be said with any certainty 

 if, indeed, this variety is rightly considered the type. (Fig. 189.) 



The colour is a vivid carmine pink, and comes very near to that of the 

 speciosum roscHin, which, however, is a shade lighter. The stems of 

 ruhrum, moreover, are brown, those of roseum green. The third of the 

 standard varieties is the white one {album), which also has a brown stem. 

 Besides the above, there is a nearly white one with soft rose dots 

 (punctatiim), another with very dark flow^ers with a small light border on 



Fig. 189. — L. speciosum. 



the petals (' Melpomene '), and a form with broader petals {Schrymahersi)y 

 and indeed many others. 



Monstrous forms with fasciated stems have been fixed and are known 

 in the trade as corymbiflorum or monstrosum, in three colours. The 

 number of flowers on each stem has much increased in consequence of 

 the fasciation, but as a rule the individual flowers are small, too crowded, 

 and very inferior to the other varieties. 



Real improvements on the older forms are those newer varieties which 

 produce more branching stems, and consequently an increased number of 

 flowers of better and refined size and intense colouring. Such varieties 

 are : — 



Whites. 



Album novum, pure white with yellow anthers ; 



Album, ' Crown Princess,' very abundant bloomer, fine pot plant ; 



Album multiiiorum, very floriferous ; 



Album Kmctzeri, large white flowers, dark orange anthers. 



