THE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY— continued. 
foliage-leaves. These are sheathing at the base, with a long slender petiole widening 
into the ovate-lanceolate or elliptical acute blade, which is three or four inches long, 
in addition to an even greater length of stalk. The leaves take an erect or ascending 
direction, and there is but little difference between their two smooth surfaces. 
Though translucent when young, showing the varying, but always graceful, 
curvature of the many longitudinal veins, which, diverging at their base, converge 
once more at their apex, the leaves soon become dull and opaque. 
The flower-stalk rises from the axil of the uppermost leaf-sheath, alongside of, 
but not between, the sheathing bases of the leaves. It is angular or semi-cylindrical 
in section, and rises, with a graceful droop, some six to ten inches in height, bearing 
from six to twelve pendulous blossoms. These are on slender curved pedicels, each 
arising in the axil of a lanceolate, membranous, deciduous bract. The perianth 
forms an almost hemispherical bell, about one-third of an inch in diameter, with six 
minute recurved lobes. The six stamens are attached to its base and their arrow-like 
anthers are enclosed within the bell, while the style and three-angled stigma project 
slightly below it. Anthers and stigma either mature simultaneously or the former 
somewhat in advance. In spite of their attractive perfume, the flowers excrete no 
nectar ; but their position and form suggest pollination by hovering insects, which 
may not only come for pollen but may pierce the delicate perianth and suck some of 
its sweet and fragrant juice. If not visited by insects, however, the flowers seem 
generally capable of self-pollination ; and they are succeeded by globose, scarlet, 
berry-like fruits which may reach half an inch in diameter. 
Owing to the transfer of the Solomon’s-seals to the genus Polygonatum , the 
Lily-of-the-valley is now the only species in the genus Convallaria ; but it has 
several varieties in cultivation, such as some with doubled perianth, and one with 
reddish flowers which was grown, as far back as 1596, by John Gerard in his garden 
in Holborn. None of these, however, are so well worth growing as are some of the 
larger-flowered pure white forms. 
Lilies-of-the-valley are extremely popular as cut flowers, so that they are grown 
in every garden and, either by being forced or retarded, can now be obtained almost 
all the year round. They are not difficult to grow, but prefer a rich sandy well- 
drained loam, to which manure and especially leaf-mould have been added, and a 
shaded position, such as under the lee of a north or west wall. They should be 
planted, or lifted, separated and replanted singly, in September, and not be again 
disturbed for three or four years ; but the bed should be manured every winter. 
In picking leaves it is important not to gather more than one from each crown, as 
otherwise the storing up of food in the rhizome is prevented. 
Plants are forced in the dark at 80-100° Fahrenheit ; and retardation is effected 
by keeping the crowns in sand, in refrigerators kept a few degrees below the freezing- 
point, until a few weeks before they are wanted to flower. 
