Re: Madonna lily hybrids

Joe Seals wrote:

> I checked my "Index of Garden Plants" and noted that
> Lilium x testaceum is, as YOU know, a hybrid between
> -- get this -- Lilium candidum (as noted here) and
> Lilium chalcedonicum (one of those other
> almost-Mediterranean lilies)!

Hi Joe

Was just clearing up my letter file and found this posting which I
couldn't resist replying to even at this late stage.
> 
> It's known as "Nankeen Lily" (odd, I thought "Nankeen"
> was an Asian reference).  

Nankeen does indeed have Asiatic connections, being the name for a
particular  cotton cloth obtained originally from Nakin (Funny how the
British could never bother to pronounce foreign words correctly
-possibly a form of arrogance)

Anyhow, the cloth is buff-coloured and maybe someone with an odd colour
sense imagined the lily resembled it.

Apparently the entire offspring of original cross eventually became
virus-infected, but the modern re-creation Trevor mentioned(which has
apparently produced a whole pallet of colours from white to red) is
perfectly healthy and consequently more vigorous than the original. I
wonder if the plant shown in the Phillips and Rix book is one of these,
as it does appear too pale to be the original hybrid. It is certainly a
very handsome plant.

Moira

-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand, SW Pacific. 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Time
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