BEAUTIFUL LILIES

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22661, 16 March 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

BEAUTIFUL LILIES

(By Winifred Chapman)

This title, beautiful lilies, is the true translation of the correct botanical name for the lovely pink and white lilies known as Llllium speciosum. The descriptive name is apt, speciolsus meaning beautiful. Lovely as all lilies are, there are few more artistically coloured than these, which with the tiger lilies are most often seen in, gardens. They add to beauty a sound constitution and seldom fail or succumb to disease.

The original type was found in Central China and there are three distinct forms frequently grown. The specific names, alba, rosea, and rubrum distinguish them —the white, the pink (this is the most 'familiar), and the variety called rubrum of a deeper shade; the latter is less often seen. The white form is very lovely, a bridal white untouched by any other colour. The pink variety has numerous spots of a deeper shade at the base of the petals, which adds distinction to the flower and may be intended to direct insects to the nectar. This can be seen glistening in the green lane on each petal. If you look at an upturned flower, you will see that these green lanes form a sixpointed star. The form of the beautiful lilies is much the same as that of the tiger with partly - reflexed petals. From the centre the slender filaments of the stamens arise with the style. The characteristic boatshaped anthers laden with rust-col-oured pollen. tremble at the ends of the stamens. The anthers of lilies are always lovely, the rich colour of the pollen completing the beauty of the flower. Sometimes inexplicable and wonderful things happen among flowers, and a season or so ago I was thrilled to find what is known as a “sport” among my pink lilies. As the bulbs were old there were several stems to the clump and among them was one which bore flowers of a much richer and deeper hue. This is a rather unusual happening and all things being favourable it might be possible to “fix” the new colour. In this case, alas, an accident befell and I have only the memory. These beautiful lilies have a way of increasing themselves by means of little bulblets which cluster round the stems just below the surface of the soil. They are known as stem-rooting lilies which means that the'stems rising from the bulb deep in the soil make more roots at this point; by the new roots they feed and grow. These roots also

help to support the stems which are seldom' broken by wind. It also means that they will be hungry because of extra mouths to fill. So if you want to grow beautiful pink and white lilies you have to be gen-erously-minded and feed them copiously. There is one kind of food lilies like best and that is found in half-rotted leaves above the soil where they grow. This is their natural food and covering in their native haunts. Give it to them, anti they will grow fine and strong and have large families to give you a wealth of bloom. This variety of lily is one of the most useful for house decoration, as the perfume is delicate and not overpowering. The stems actually seem to grow in water, and the buds open.