The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. XX, No. 1025, August 19, 1899Various
General
The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. XX, No. 1025, August 19, 1899
Various
Children's literature -- Periodicals
The last group of lilies, Notholirion, contains two or, as we
have it, three species which are not very well known, and it is a
little doubtful whether they are lilies at all. Formerly they were
considered to be fritillaries, and certainly they bear more superficial
resemblance to those plants than they do to the lilies.
Most authors include _Lilium Oxypetalum_ among the Archelirions,
because its flowers are widely expanded. But as in every other
particular it differs completely from that group of lilies, we have
separated it from _L. Auratum_ and _L. Speciosum_, and placed it among
the Notholirions, to which it bears considerable resemblance.
This little-known lily was formerly called Fritillaria oxypetala, and
bears more resemblance to the fritillaries than it does to the lilies.
The bulb is oblong, with but few lance-shaped scales. The stem grows to
the height of about fifteen inches, and bears about twenty or thirty
leaves, resembling those of our native snake’s-head fritillary in
every particular. One or two blossoms are borne on each stem. They
are pale lilac, star-like blossoms, with numerous little hairs on the
bases of the segments. The petals are acutely pointed. The anthers are
scarlet.
This plant is a native of the Western Himalayas. It is very uncommon in
gardens. We have never possessed it, and know nothing of its culture.
The two lilies _Lilium Roseum_ and _Lilium Hookeri_ are now included in
this genus, but they have been referred first to the lilies, then to
the fritillaries, then back again to the lilies, and so on. And it is
very doubtful if they are even now in their last resting-place.
The bulbs of these lilies are invested in dense membranous tunics like
those of the daffodil. _Lilium Roseum_ grows to about two feet high;
_L. Hookeri_ rarely reaches half this height. The leaves are said to
bear bulblets in their axils. Six to thirty little nodding bell-like
blossoms of a deep lilac colour are produced by _L. Roseum_, but _L.
Hookeri_ rarely produces more than eight blossoms. But little is known
of these lilies. They are both natives of the Himalayas, and are said
to be somewhat tender. They may be grown in a mixture of rubble, old
bricks, sand, and leaf mould.
We have never grown them ourselves, as it is practically impossible
to obtain bulbs. We have seen _L. Roseum_ in blossom, and were not
particularly impressed by it.
Had we been describing roses, chrysanthemums, hyacinths, or any other
flowers which are highly cultivated, we would have dismissed the
natural species with a very brief description, and turned our chief
attention to the artificial varieties and hybrids.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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