Skip Whitcomb (American, B. 1946) "Summer Garden Flowers - Lily" Signed lower left. Original Mixed Media painting on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the 29c Lily stamp issued April 28, 1994. Included in the Liliaceae family are about 250 genera and more than 3,700 species. In addition to a bevy of beautiful flowers, this group also contains onions, asparagus and yams. However, the true, garden-variety Lilies are from the genus Lilium. This category is typified by bulbous plants with leafy stems and large blooms, such as the Tiger Lily. A lovely species characterized by fiery-gold petals flecked with deep purple, this plant has been grown for centuries in China, Korea and Japan for its edible roots. In America, Tiger Lilies fill gardens throughout the summer months. Another cultivated species is the popular Easter Lily. A native of Japan, this variety bears fragrant, trumpet-shaped blooms of pure white. Lilium speciosum, also indigenous to Japan, is distinguished by white blossoms speckled with crimson. This stunning species emits a heavy perfume as well. Since the 1830s, when English nurseryman Henry Groom began hybridizing Lilies, gardeners have had a wealth of varieties from which to choose. Today, by producing these flowers under carefully-controlled conditions, hybridizers can now offer the public a wide array of high-quality, virus-free bulbs. Image Size: 15.25 x 13 in. Overall Size: 18 x 15 in. Unframed. (B14709)