During the fall and winter of 1947-48, the distinguished explorer, Dr. Joseph F. Rock, sent us from southwestern Yunnan bulbs and seeds of various lilies he had collected.
Some of these bulbs were sent to England to prevent losses, and a few were given to Mrs. J. Norman Henry of Philadelphia.
The balance was planted here, where they grew well and most flowered in the summers of 1948 and 1949.
This article attempts to describe and assess them in terms of their garden value only.
Since they have not yet been systematically described nor properly identified, the names applied to them must be considered tentative only.
First Lilies to Flower
The first of these lilies to flower was in a group that was labeled L. stewartianum and/or L. bakerianum and varieties.
They were unquestionably a form of L. bakerian um and seemed to conform closely to Wilson’s description of the Yunnanese stocks of this lily.
This lily averaged a height of 3′ to 4′ feet, and the erect wiry stem was well-covered with shortish dark green leaves.
The blooms were sharply pendant, bell-shaped, reflexed at the tips, and slightly fragrant.
The color was distinctly variable but, on the whole, not unlike our native Jack-in-the-pulpit.
The individual plants ranged from a peculiar shade of tan through soft yellow greens to a clear lime-yellow that the modistes of this world would probably label chartreuse.
The flowers were variously spotted with purplish brown, some almost solidly, others more lightly spotted.
From the specialist’s standpoint, this is an attractive and exciting lily to have. The color is unique, the plant’s habit is excellent, and from all appearances to date, it may well prove to be an easy lily to handle.
From the landscape-gardener point-of-view, it may have lesser value for the color, making it a plant that is not showy.
The color so blends into the surrounding greens that it is necessary to look several times to be certain that it is in flower.
Two Promising Rose-Colored Lilies
There were two promising rose-colored lilies. Both are martagon in shape, and for garden purposes, they are not too dissimilar from each other.
One of them is almost certainly L. lankongense, which is cultivated in New Zealand and Australia and a few private gardens in the United States. The other may be either L. papalliferum or a new species.
The color of both lilies is clear raspberry-rose flecked with violet, deeper on the reverse of the petals than on the inside.
Both of them have ivory-yellow throats, and this color extends in a stripe up the center of each petal.
Flowers in Mid-July
The color is deeper and more pronounced than in L. wardi. There is a difference of approximately three weeks in the flowering period.
One of them flowered in mid-July, the other in early August, and pronounced botanical distinctions make them obviously different species.
From the gardener’s and the specialist’s point of view, both are full of promise. The plants are graceful, and the color and shape of the blooms are exceedingly beautiful.
It remains to be seen how generally adaptable they are to cultivation. If manageable, they will be a major addition to the members of the genus that are grown today.
Two Other Lilies Of Special Interest
Two other lilies in the collection are of special interest and promise. One of these could be L. taliense, but it probably is a new species; the second will probably be finally classified as L. papilliferum.
The lily that might be L. taliense flowered generously in mid-August. It did not grow to more than inches tall, but the plant was exceedingly handsome.
The stems were stoloniferous, and many small bulblets formed on the underground section.
The blooms were larger than our native L. canadonse though somewhat similar in shape.
They were pure white or white flecked with violet in various degrees. The throats were emerald green, the anthem a clear light yellow. This is one of the most attractive lilies the writer has ever seen.
The lily that the taxonomists feel is L. papilliferum, was consistently of such an evenly dwarf stature that this would seem to be a characteristic of the species. None of the foot-high stems bore more than a single bloom.
Color and Size
The flowers were relatively small, about the size of L. pumilum sharply re-flexed, and deep reddish-brown overlaid with a purplish sheen on the interior of the petal.
The throats were white, and a greenish-white stripe ran up the center of each petal.
Before opening, the buds were a bright moss-green, and this color maintains when the blooms open, leaving only a narrow margin that is the same deep red as the interior. It is a fragrant lily, and it flowers in late August.
This should be a valuable garden addition because of the color, the season, and the stature if it proves manageable.
Flowering Stem
There was only one flowering stem of what is probably the Yuannanese form of L. ochraceum.
The plant had a limber stem reaching 4′ feet and scattered short, broad leaves of a good deep green. The blooms were approximately four inches across,
Turk’s cap was in shape, and the color was a soft greenish-yellow overlaid with a rose on the tips of the petals, solidly splashed with deep-reddish-purple towards the center. It is a handsome and exotic lily that is apparently going to “grow” and grow well.
Cultivation of Other Lilies
Lilies included in the lot that have not yet flowered were L. duchartrei, L. taliense (not currently in cultivation), L. sargentiae or myriophyllum, and several others that cannot yet be identified.
There were also Itwarvillea lutes, Aconitum volubile, and Delphinium lildangense seeds.
All of these are coming on very well, and the aconite may be especially valuable. The Winter of 1948-49 in Vermont was the most trying the writer can remember.
Temperature of the Ground
The ground was bare until late Winter. It was bitterly cold and warm by spells – so we had constant freezing at 30° degrees Fahrenheit below followed by soggy warm spells at 40° degrees Fahrenheit above – all without our usual snow cover.
It is worth noting that, despite this Winter, the Yunnanese lilies survived without protection.
It is also true that, almost without exception, all of them came up so late in the Spring that there was very little damage from frosts – this in a year when frosts raised havoc with most of our plantings. Bulbs are not yet available in trade.
44659 by Alan Macneil