125.For the church the white lily (Lilium candidum) is in great demand, with which the Madonna, or Madre di Dio, is decorated, as an emblem of her virginity. The tpyha (T. latifolia) is much used when in seed, to put into the hands of statues of Christ; being considered as the reed on which the soldiers handed to him a sponge of vinegar. In Poland, when the typha cannot be easily procured, we have seen leeks in the flower-state used as a substitute. Lachenalia pendula, which is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, is cultivated in Sicily as the common hyacinth is in Britain. It is planted in November, and its fine coral red flowers, which appear in the middle of December, last till the end of January.
