February 3, 1912 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



91 



LILIUM AURATUM AND ITS 



VARIETIES. 



During the winter season bnlbs of the 

 Coklen-raved Lil}^ of Japan are importeJ 

 in immense numbers, and are frequenily 

 offered in tens of thousands at the auction 

 sales of l)ulf)s ]ield in London. This alone 

 furnishes a guarantee of its present-day 

 popularity, for it is, as a matter of fact, 

 nniversaliy grown, despite its, at times, 

 erratic behaviour. The Queen of Lilies is 

 a popular name applied to this Japanese 

 representative of a noble family, and I do 

 not think anyone will dispute the correct- 

 ness of this title. 



It is now nearly fifty years since Lilium 

 aaratum unfolded its earliest blossoms is 

 this country. As a matter of fact, it was 

 iirst shown by Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons 

 at a meeting of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, on July 12, 1862, the bulbs having 

 heen collected bv the late Mr. John Gould 

 Veitch when travelling in what was then 

 the comparatively unknown country of 

 Japan. It was some years after this be- 

 tt)re it became generally cultivated in this 

 country, as all the early importations were 

 from bulbs collected in a state of Nature. 

 After a time, hoAvever, it became evident 

 to the Japanese that its culture would 

 prove to be a remuneratiA e one, and now 

 it, and, in fact, many other lilies, are 

 ;rown, and sent to this country in immense 

 lunnbers. What is more, they are now 

 sold so cheaply that their beauty can be 

 eiijo\-ed by prince and peasant alike. 



A notable feature of Lilium auratum is 

 the great amount of individual variation 

 which is to be found when it is grown in 

 quantity. I do not refer to the generally 

 lecognised and well-marked vai'ieties, but 

 what may be regarded as members of the 

 1 iuik and file. Some are comparatively 

 <l\varf, the sturdy stem being clothed with 

 'inmerous thick-set pointed leaves. As a 

 ide, the flowers of these are of good shape, 

 ^\ith the spotting and golden rays clearly 

 defined. The direct opposite to^liis is a 

 form much taller in growth, with fewei- 

 and broader leaves, and flowers borne on 

 l*>ng, rather weak stalks, so that they i)ar- 

 tially droop, and are consequently ' much 

 i unposing than the others. In some of 

 tliese the segments are too narrow to form 

 •in ideal bloom. 



b>rms there are many intermediate ones, 

 tlijit even out of a large batch it is 

 ^ton difficult to pick two alike, as the 

 !' \J'its of difference are to be found in 

 '*''^ht, foliage, size, and shape 

 ^^''wtTs, and markings. The bulbs also 

 ^'H v greatly, but I have never succeeded 

 ^\ith Ldium auratum, as I have done with 

 I'ihuni speciosnm. in selecting the forms 

 ;''th a certain amount of accuracy from 

 '"dl)s ah)ne. 



Beside these two extreme 



of the 



l^ho fully-recognised varieties tliat 



can 



' pmvliased true to name are L. a ])laty- 

 !'*^>llum a noble grower with a u^assive 

 '^^wer. It differs from the ordinary L. 

 ;';|atuni in the scale of the bulb being 

 •^'^^<*h broader and thicker, while the stem 

 stouter, and the loaves wider. 



- To ' - ^^^''^"^ saucer-shaped. 



are everv 



winter sent here from that 

 country. Beside the varietal name of pla- 

 typhylhim it is also known by that of 

 macranthum. 



L. a. rnbro-vittatum, sometimes called 

 cruentum, is a particularly striking form. 

 The l)ulbs that reach this countrv are, as 

 a rule, smaller than those of the average 

 L. aiu'atum, but they usually flower well. 

 In this variety a rich glowing crimson- 

 coloured band extends down the <'entre of 

 each segment. When the flowers are first 

 expanded this band is exceedingly bright 

 and attractive, but before long it changes 

 to a chocolate tint, and is then not nearly 

 SO effective as at first. This change is 

 hastened if the weather happens to be hot. 

 Sometimes the margins of the segments 

 have a crimson suffusion. 



from whatever standpoint it is viewed it 

 must I>e set down as a decidedly erratic 

 lily, for, wdiile in some cases it will thrive 

 w it bout any special attention , in others, 

 whatever care be taken, it is not a success. 

 We have been told bv travellers in its 

 native country that Lilium auratum 



V 



thrives on the outskirts of woods, where 

 the amount of shade is just sufficient to 

 break the hottest of the sun's rays, espe- 

 cially on the lower part of the steni and 

 surrounding ground. This has proved to 

 be the most satisfactory mode of treat- 

 ment luider cultivation in this country, 

 where the practice frequently ])revails of 

 ]>lanting this lily in beds of rhododendrons, 

 or associated with other shrubs, that stive 

 to shade the base of the stems. The ])eaty 

 soil in which rhododendrons thrivt^ is a 



A direct contrast in colour to this is good substitute for the vegetable humus 



L 



-if 



-a 



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1 



5 



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r 



- r 



-L 



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.'4 



A FINE POT SPECIMEN OF LJ^LIUM AT RATIM. 

 Grown by Harry Simpson, Esq., F.R.H.S., at Waiulswortli 



The 

 In 



another small-bull)ed variety, namely, L. 

 a. virginale, or L. a. Wittei. In this the 

 petals are thick, ^vax-like, and of a pine 

 unspotted white, with a golden sti ip*^ down 

 the centre of each. The flowers of tliis 

 remain fresh and bright longer than those 

 of rubro-vittatum. In L. a. pictum we 

 have a variety more densely spotted than 

 the typical L. auratum, w^ith a slight suspi- 

 cion of the <Tims()n !)and of rubro-vittatum. 

 It (pictum) IS iinw not often imported, and 

 'lit home from a small it varies snnu^what in marking, being, a])- 



' o ring the variety platyphylhun varies 

 what the blo<nns being; as a rule, not 

 <^^^potte<l, and with a clearly defined 

 ;>hen stnpe down the eentre^of each 

 ^ tai Oo^,,,,,^, a iluwer may be met 



-n eti ^'^"^^^^ *^^^^i'-^'ly white, and 



ft" ? ^^7^ -spotted than usual. This 



, '* ^vas hrst S( 



-'H tl.o M.ntlw.st of Japan bv'MV: 

 ''^ -llanos, wl.on travollin. in-lhoso 



^ >!' Japan, anci larj^e nnmhers 



in which it grows in its native ccuintry. 

 In any case, effective drainage is \^ ry 

 ne<*essary. 



Not oidy is Lilium auratum looked uj.on 

 as a plant for tlie open groinid, but it is 

 also extensively grown in pots, and em- 

 ployed for various decorative purposes. 

 For grouping its grand flowers and ucble 

 pro|H)rtions stand it in good stead, the one 

 draw^back lieing that, in Confined places 

 at least, its perfume is too powerful. It 

 is one of the lilies now retarded l)y keeping 



parent ly. a sehu-tion from seedlings of L. the bidbs in ref rigerat(»rs, so that the hlos- 



auratuni itself. ^K)m% may be had at various periods of the 



Vohunes have been written regarding the year. It does not, however, prove to be 



cultural requirements of L. auratum, but so amendable to retardation as Lihum 



