| William Bartram, a notable, early
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| | big around as a large leg. When these
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| American botanist, extensively explored
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| | stems are cut off and replanted in the
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| the Island of St. Simons in Georgia;
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| | soil, they will root easily and quickly
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| describing vividly the landscape, animals
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| | will develop to form another bulb at the
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| and plants in the area, along with his
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| | base with roots about the diameter of
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| personal encounters with islanders, and
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| | fingers that extend out from the bulb,
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| in most cases, their generous offers of
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| | like spokes on a bicycle wheel. A large
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| food, shelter and conversation and
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| | Crinum will eventually form small offset
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| hospitality to him in March of the year
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| | bulbs that can be removed from the parent
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| 1774.
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| | bulb for increasing the numbers in a
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| Near present day Fort Frederica,
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| | planting. Occasionally, the bulb will
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| beautifully described by Bartram, as near
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| | divide itself into two, large equal sized
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| a "venerable grove of live oaks, under
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| | plants. The Crinum is very easy to
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| whose spreading boughs opened a spacious
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| | transplant in any kind of soil and hardly
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| avenue leading to the former seat
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| | ever shows any dramatic or stunting shock
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| (Headquarters) of General Oglethorpe, but
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| | after replanting.
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| now near the property of Capt. Raimond
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| | Some modern botanists feel that although
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| Demere" (the ancestor of many descendants
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| | William Bartram's original name of
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| still living on the Georgia Islands).
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| | 'Lilium superbum' is not acceptable to
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| After leaving this town he went 5 miles
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| | replace with, Crinum asiaticum, that the
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| to south St. Simons where; "the lively
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| | name, Crinum asiaticum may not be
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| breezes were perfumed by the fragrant
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| | acceptable either, because the habitat
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| breath of the superb Crinum, called by
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| | and the colonization of this lily was
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| the inhabitants, 'white lily'...the
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| | firmly established into mature colonies
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| delicate structure of its spadix
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| | along the coast of the Eastern U.S. in
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| (flower), for its broad green leaves and
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| | the month of March during the year, 1774,
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| the texture and whiteness of its flowers
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| | when Bartram discovered and described it
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| at once charmed me".
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| | as growing there in a pure and
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| In William Bartrams book, Travels, he had
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| | naturalized state. It seems impossible
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| discovered the Crinum asiaticum that he
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| | that Crinum asiaticum could have migrated
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| named "Lilium superbum" and wrote that it
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| | to the Eastern coast of the United
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| represented pride and vanity, a puzzling
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| | States, except by seed, which
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| statement. This population of Crinum has
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| | understandably can float in salt water
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| greatly multiplied after two centuries
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| | and germinate later, after it has been
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| and is cultivated on an extensive scale
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| | washed ashore. This remote possibility of
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| throughout St. Simons Island and nearby
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| | seed floating from the Pacific Ocean to
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| at the Cloister Hotel on Sea Island, the
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| | the Atlantic to the Eastern seaboard does
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| famous tourist, five- star resort, where
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| | not seem likely, since seed could only
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| all Presidents of the United States since
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| | migrate through the southern limits of
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| Calvin Coolidge and many Kings, Queens
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| | Brazil and Argentina at the bottom of
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| and Heads of State have visited and
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| | South America - against strong
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| vacationed. Giant clumps of these 6 foot
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| | trans-ocean currents and in water so cold
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| tall lilies can be viewed publicly at the
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| | that the seed would not survive exposure
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| old slave cabins at the edge of St.
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| | of the frigid temperatures through the
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| Simon's present day airport. The lily,
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| | Drake Passage near Cape Horn, Argentina.
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| Crinum asiaticum, produces giant clusters
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| | There is an early botanical historical
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| of fragrant white flowers on sturdy stems
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| | description of Crinum americanum, a lily
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| up to six feet tall, and the plant can
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| | that is reported to be native to the
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| bloom any month of the year, but most
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| | Eastern U.S., however, this Crinum does
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| prolifically during late spring and early
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| | not fit the William Bartram description
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| summer. After blooming the flowers can
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| | of "broad" leaves, since Crinum
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| produce giant green seeds, the size of a
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| | americanum has very narrow leaves and
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| quarter that can be planted on top of the
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| | Crinum asiaticum has very "broad" leaves.
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| soil immediately while green to produce
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| | Additionally, Bartram observed that the
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| small bulbs that eventually develop into
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| | Crinum, 'Lilium superbum', produced: the
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| large plants. These lilies are evergreen
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| | "fragrant breath of the superb
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| in zones 8-11, but usually will re-sprout
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| | Crinum....and whiteness of flowers at
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| from the bulbs after killing freezes that
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| | once charmed me". He recorded these
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| are often experienced in zone 7.
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| | Crinum flowers as blooming during the
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| These Crinum plants develop into small
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| | month of March of the year, l774, which
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| tree- like umbrellas in Hawaii, with
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| | could only be the flowers of Crinum
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| trunks up to 8 ft. tall topped by a
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| | asiaticum, since Crinum americium only
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| rosette of 6 inch wide leaves
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| | blooms in late summer and during the fall
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| spectacularly perched at the top of the
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| | - and never in the month of March. These
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| stump. In the U.S. these lilies do not
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| | facts prove that the description of the
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| often exceed 6 ft in height, however, the
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| | lily as described by William Bartram was
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| stem of the Crinum asiaticum can be as
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| | Crinum asiaticum.
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