AFRICAN

See also:

• LILY

LILY (Agapanthus umbellatus)  , a member of the natural order Liliaceae, a native of the Cape of Good Hope, whence it was introduced at the close of the 17th century . It is a handsome greenhouse plant, which is hardy in the south of England and Ireland if protected from severe frosts . It has a short stem bearing a tuft of long, narrow, arching leaves, z to 2 ft. long, and a central flower-stalk, 2 to 3 ft. high, ending in an umbel of bright blue, funnel-shaped flowers . The plants are easy to cultivate, and are generally grown in large pots or tubs which can be protected from frost in winter . During the summer they require plenty of water, and are very effective on the margins of lakes or running streams, where they thrive admirably . They increase by offsets, or may be propagated by dividing the root-stock in early spring or autumn . A number of forms are known in cultivation; such are albidus, with white flowers, aureus, with leaves striped with yellow, and variegatus, with leaves almost entirely white with a few green bands .