Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-05-18
The Lily Family.

! THE order Of Lilyworts is large, en-
bracing somewhere near / 800 different
species, the greater part Of which are ma
tives of temperate climates. 1t includes
many of the most beautiful exotics in our
gardens and greenhouses. The gaudy
! Tulips which decorate our borders in
spring time, the stately Crown Imperial,
the various-hued Day-Lilies, the sweet
| Lily of the Valley, the Aloes, the Tube
rose, the Hyacinth, the Yucca, and the
| Star of Bethlehem, are all members of the
! lovely tribe. And so, too, are the Aspara-
gus, the Onion, the Garlic, the Chive and
the Shallot; the II plant, which forms the
main article of the diet Of the Sandwich
| Islanders, and the great Dragon Tree,
which is the giant of the order, and is
named among the largest of the forest
trees that tower above their brothers.
Among the useful members of the family
! is the Ph0rDajuna tenGr, or Flax Lily, OF
| New Zealand, a perennial plant, with
| leaves like the Iris, from two to six feet
| long, and a tall, branching panicle of
brownish yellow flowers The fiber Of
the leaves is fine, strong and silky, and
was manufactured by the New Zealanders
into cloth and ropes before they ever
| learned any arts from the white man. The
| fiber has since been imported into Europe
| for making Irvine and ropes, but the
plant itself is too delicate to thrive, ex-
cept in the Southern portion of the CONT
nent. In It's native country it is largely
cultivated.
In Liberia and Kamtschatka the bulbs
Of certain species of the Lily are grown
for use the same as potatoes; and, in Eu-
rope, the young shoots of the P0ZyGon0tlta
| (SolomOn's SeaD are eaten as substitute
for asparagus. The Tartars are said to
derive part of their food from the bulbs of
the Dog's-Tooth Violet (Ergtbr0nium)
The base OF the tender inner leaves of the
| Grass-Tree (Hant7borred) of Australia is
eaten by the abOrigines, and when roast
ed, forms an agreeable diet The plants
Of this peculiar genus have shrubby stems,
| sometimes four feet high and q foot in
| diameter, which terminate in tufts OF
| long, why foliage, from the center of
which rises a dense cylindrical spike of
| flowers. The Grass-Trees have a slow
growth, and it is computed that one spe-
cies, the II. hdstlIis, requires centuries to
reach its full dimensions.
From the Lilyworts we derive the we'll
known drug called Aloes, which is the
dried juice of various species of Hoe
growing in torrid countries. A species
cultivated at the Cape of Good Hope
yields the largest quantity and the best
quality; yet the drug is obtainable from
| several individuals Of the genus that grow
in the Barbados. Some of the AJ0es are
highly ornamental plants. Their leaves
are thick and large, often attaining the
length of eight feet and more, and are
prolonged into a hard, claw-like point,
one-half or three-fourths of an inch in
length Hedges made of these plants are
| impenetrable to cattle. A fiber is obtained
from their long, tough leaves that is serv-
| lceable for making ropes, nets, etc. In
Jamaica it is woven into stockings.
Many other of the Lilyworts are used
in medicine in different parts Of the
world, as the order abounds in an acrid or
nauseous principle, and, in some species,
in violent poison. The fetid bulb of the
Crown Imperial secretes deadly juices,
and even the honey distilled from it's
flowers is said 80 be enetic. The Squ5U
na0rGtinaG, so much employed i'll phar-
macy, grows wild in the southern coun-
tries of Europe, and It's bulbs not uncom-
monty attain the size of mans head.
| The AspbOd0E also contains bitter princi-
pie; yet IN Apulia, where a species covers
the plains with its foliage and flowers, the
sheep f1rd it excellent grazing, and the
swine are ravenously fond of the bulbs.
The sWeet-scented Tuberose possesses
the wonderful power of emitting sparks
of fire III sultrY evenings. From the fad
ing blossoms the discharge is most fre-
Quent, and sometimes these dart out scin-
tillations of flame III great abundance
when the atmosphere is laden with cleo
tricity. 1t is in the evening hours that
the TUberose exhales most strongly its
delicious fragrance, showing that Nature
is then most actively at work in the mys-
FERROUS laboratory secreted in the heart of
the Ker.-C'h5oqg0 Tribune.
|