September 17, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
739 
Notes on the Illustrations in this Issue. 
Lilium elegans Wallacei. 
When the above Lily was first flowered in 1877 it produced 
no small amount of doubt in the minds of cultivators as to 
its proper place in the group and its affinities. Them and even 
now there are many who entertain the opinion, that it is a 
Japanese hybrid. A close study of the flower still leaves a 
little doubt as to this point, owing to peculiarities of structure. 
If judged by the foliage alone there can be no doubt as to its 
being properly placed under L. elegans. 
In all typical forms of this Lily, however, the flower should, 
be perfectly upright. In the several flowers which we 
examined, some of them were very nearly uptight, bub prac- 
tically all had their tendency to be nodding, or directed upon 
one side. In some pictures we have seen of it this feature 
is veiy much emphasised. Then,, again, the style is more 1 or 
less decidedly bent,, amid the stamens often, show the same 
tendency, both being in fact what, is usually described 
by botanists as decimate. The ovary itself is also 
very often curved as if it, too, were inclined to follow 
the course of the bending style. Below the flower- 
bead the peduncle is always, or nearly always, more 
or less bent or curved. 
When it, first flowered, it, was surmised to be a 
hybrid bet,ween L. Leichtlinii Maximowiczii and L. 
concolor. There is some evidence of the first-named 
parent—namely, in the various curvatures of the re¬ 
spective parts of the flower we have just, mentioned. 
Another very important feature of the flower is that 
the segments arei broadest below the middle, and 
that would suggest L. L. Maximo,wiczii as one of the 
parents. If, then, we are to regard this Lily as a. 
hybrid, we should suggest L. elegans x L. Leichtlinii 
Maximowiczii. It is certainly most closely allied to 
L. elegans, whether it, has been affected in the least 
by hybridisation or otherwise. We know that L. 
elegans is very variable, and several forms that were 
at one time considered distinct have been placed 
under it. Supposing, them,, that we must regard this 
as a merei variety of elegans which belongs to the 
section Isolirion, then, we are confronted with the 
fact that the various parts of the flower have under¬ 
gone! curvature to a greater or lesser extent, thus 
showing affinity with Lilies belonging to' the group 
Mart agon. 
The colour of the flower isi of a, rich dark orange, 
with a, shade of cinnabar ini it, rather thinly but dis¬ 
tinctly spotted with maroon on the lower half, the 
spots being seated on slight elevations. It, is cer¬ 
tainly a handsome Lily measuring 5 in. to 5| in,, in 
expanse and 3 in. to 3J in. in the length of the 
segments, and is valuable from the fact that it comes 
into bloom much later than any of the other forms, of 
L. elegans coming under our notice, with the exception, per¬ 
haps, of L. e. Batemanniae. The specimens from which our 
photograph was taken were furnished us by Messrs. Barr and 
Sons, King Street, Covent Garden, on August 23rd. 
Begonia Venus. 
The flowers of this handsome tuberous Begonia are perfectly 
double, and the numerous petals are arranged round a single 
centre, forming a bloom somewhat similar to a, Camellia. . In 
colour’they are of a beautiful orange-salmon. The variety 
turned up in the collection of Mr. A. LI. Gwillim, Begonia and 
seed grower, Cambria Nursery, New Eltham, Kent,, who has 
recently shown some fine exhibits of it ait tire meetings of 
the Royal Horticultural Society at the New Hall, previously 
at the Drill Hall, and at the Crystal Palace. 
Fritillaria camschatcensis. 
The Black Lily, as this is sometimeis called, is by no means 
a common plant, although introduced from Northern Asia a 
good few years ago. Botanists lia,ve been by no means agreed 
as to the proper place of this plant, though the consensus of 
opinion is that it should be placed amongst the Fritillarieis. 
The bell-&ha,ped flowers are of a, very dark maroon or almost 
black, and vary in number from one to three or more on the 
top of the stem. The leaves are mostly in whorls of five on 
the lower part of the stein, but towards the top this often gives 
place to four 1 and three, while the uppermost ones or bracts 
are alternate. These leaves are of a light green. 
It is not always easy to find a suitable place for the Black 
Fritillary in the garden, but, we have seen it, flowering beauti¬ 
fully in a situation which, while shaded from the midday sun, 
was exposed to the north and the sun during the early part 
of the morning. Here the bulbs were always, quite cool, while 
the plant was a,t the same time well exposed to diffuse light 
and not overhung by trees. The specimen from which our 
illustration was taken was handed to us by Mr. Amos Perry, 
Hardy Plant- Farm, Winchmore Hill, at the end of May last. 
Iris aurea. 
During the first and second week of July the above Hima¬ 
layan Iris! is a, highly ornamental subject, and comes in for 
more notice, seeing that the bulk of the Irises have passed 
out of bloom. It may be compared to a giant, form of the 
common yellow Flag of our river banks, but differs in detail. 
The stems grow about 3 ft. high, each bearing about, three 
very large golden-yellow flowers. The falls: have an oval lamina, 
without any beard. The standards of the petaloid styles are 
paler than the falls, and the styles lie upon, the lamina of the 
claw somewhat, similar to, what wei meet with in some of the 
Oncocyclus Irises. The leaves are so shaped, glaucous, erect, 
and just fall somewhat short of the stems. The whole plant, 
therefore, has a bold and majestic appearance', and might well 
be utilised for planting on the edgesi of ponds and lakes, as wall 
as in moist situations in the ordinary herbaceous border. The 
flowers themselves are handsome, and they come into' bloom 
at a time when they have little or no competition, except for 
the Japanese Irises^ which are totally different in appearance. 
w 
Lilium elegans Wallacei : Flowers rich orange. 
