It has always been a question whether L. Japonicum and L. Brownii are but varieties of the same plant. Certainly there is a great similarity between them, but there are points in which the two plants differ and these differences are very constant.
In Dr. Wallace’s little book on lily culture the differences between these two lilies are detailed in tabular form, and for ourselves we are fully convinced that L. Brownii and L. Japonicum are distinct but very nearly allied species.
The bulb of L. Japonicum is white or yellowish, but never brown. The scales are narrow and are very loosely connected with the base. The bulb is always rather loose and the scales divergent, but good bulbs have a very firm centre. The bulb of L. Brownii is usually reddish and the scales are broad. The base is very small, and the whole bulb has a curious and very characteristic shape.
The shoot of L. Japonicum is greener and blunter than that of L. Brownii. The shoot of the latter lily very much resembles thick asparagus.
During growth it is easy to distinguish between these two lilies, for the stem of L. Japonicum is green, while that of L. Brownii is brown.
There is not very much difference in the flowers of these lilies. L. Brownii often bears three blossoms, and in one case, recorded in The Garden, five blossoms upon one stem. Two blossoms are very frequently present on the same stem. We have never known L. Japonicum to bear more than one blossom on each shoot.
Lilium Longiflorum.
The flowers of L. Japonicum are a rich custard yellow while they are opening, but in the fully expanded blossom the colour of the interior is a rich creamy white. The pollen is reddish brown. The exterior of the perianth is thickly streaked with chocolate colour. The scent of this flower is very strong, resembling that of the Jasmine.
The flowers of L. Brownii never show the deep yellow colour which is present in the partially opened buds of L. Japonicum. The pollen is deep brown and the exterior of the blossoms is more streaked with brown than are those of L. Japonicum. We cannot recognise any difference in the smell of these two lilies, but Dr. Wallace contends that the smell of L. Brownii is only moderately strong, like that of L. Longiflorum; while other authors have denied to L. Brownii any scent whatever!