who was esteemed a prodigy of literature even at the early age of ten years.

The Bignonia radicans, rooting or ash-leaved Trumpet flower, is a native of North America. It is a favourite covering for walls, etc. striking into the mortar of the joints, so as to support the branches. The flowers are produced at the end of the shoots of the same year, in large bunches, with long swelling tubes, shaped somewhat like a trumpet, whence its name. The corolla is of an orange red, monopetalous-blooming during mid

summer.

B. Crucigera, another species of the Trumpet flower, is a more useful plant. The people of South Carolina chop the vines, with sassafras roots, sweet potatoes, china briar roots and other ingredients, to make a kind of beer, which proves an agreeable and wholesome beverage.

It derives its trivial name crucigera from a section of the stem, which represents a cross. Its flowers are large, and tubu

lar-outside, of a dark red or rusty colour, inside, yellow. Also a climbing plant.

Fame's bright star, and glory's swell,

In the trumpet flower, is pictured well.

The common representation of Fame, exhibits her in a flying attitude, sounding a trumpet, to denote the surprise, attention, and discourse she occasions.

Thund'ring by night through heaven and earth she flies,
No golden slumbers seal her watchful eyes:
On tow'rs, or battlements she sits by day,
And shakes whole towns with terror and dismay;
Alarms the world around, and perch'd on high
Reports a truth-or publishes a lie.

Virgil's Æneid.

Polyanthes, a name given by Linnæus, and we must therefore accept his own explanation of it, which is

From two Greek words POLIS, a town, and ANTHOS, a flower, because this plant is generally cultivated, and sold in towns, for the sake of its elegance and fragrance.

The French know it by the name of Tubereuse-the English call it Tuberose-both words taken from the Latin appellation which it first obtained of Hyacinthus tuberosus.

Some write it Polyanthes, as Linnæus originally printed the generic name; and suppose the etymology to be from a Greek word POLUS, many.

Tuberose, originated in the old appellation of Tuberous Hyacinth, Hyacinthus tuberosus, alluding to the tuberous root, and the resemblance of the flower to a hyacinth.

It is usually supposed to be a native of the East Indies. More recently, it has been believed to have come from S. America.

The colour of the flower is white, sometimes tinged with a blush of pink; its odour rich and delicious, most powerful at night, resembling the flavour of ginger, with great sweetness, several in a terminal, oblong, bracteated spike. No calyx, Corolla monopetalous, funnel-shaped, incurved; its limb in six equal segments. Leaves scattered, linear-lanceolate, taper-pointed, sheathing, smooth, pale, and rather glaucous. Stem simple,

A

erect, round, leafy, sometimes a yard or more in height. Root perennial, tuberous, somewhat creeping.

Eternal spring, with smiling verdure here
Warms the mild air, and crowns the youthful year;
The tuberose ever breathes, and violets blow.

The tuberose, with her silvery light,
That in the gardens of Malay

Is call'd the mistress of the night,
So like a bride, scented and bright,

She comes out when the sun's away.
And the jasmine faint, and sweet tuberose,
The sweetest flower, for scent, that blows.
And all rare blossoms from every clime,
Grew in that garden in perfect prime.

Class 6. HEXANDRIA.

Nat. Ord. Linn.

CORONARIE.

TULIP. TULIPA.

Garth.

Lalla Rookh.

Shelly.

Order. MONOGYNIA.

Nat. Ord. Juss. LILIA.

Tulipa, an acknowledged barbarous name, said to be of Persian origin, and to signify a turban. Nor is this article of dress, in a Persian of rank, unlike the swelling form of a tulip.

It is supposed to have been brought from Persia to the Levant. So late as the year 1554, the Turks charged a high price for these flowers, which would not have been the case had the tulip been then growing spontaneously in that country. Plzy makes no mention of the tulip, which is corroborative of this inference.

Moore alludes to the similarity of the tulip to the turban, in his "Veiled Prophet."

"What triumph crowds the rich Divan to-day, With turban'd heads, of every hue and race, Bowing before that veil'd and awful face, Like tulip-beds, of different shape and dyes, Bending beneath th' invisible west-wind's sighs." Skinner gives the same etymology as the above, and says that the tulip is the "ily of Solomon."

What in common language is called a bulbous-root, is by Linnæus termed the hybernacle, or winter-lodge of the young plant. As these bulbs in every respect resemble buds, except in their being produced under ground, and include the leaves and flowers in miniature, which are to be expanded in the ensuing spring. By the careful dissection of a tulip root during the winter, cautiously cutting through the concentric coats, longitudinally from the top to the base, and taking them off successively, the whole flower of the next summer's tulip is beautifully seen by the naked eye, with its petals, pistil, and stamens.

The method of making a tulip variegated, or striped with divers colours, is by transplanting from a rich soil to one meagre and sandy. The plant is weakened when this effect is produced, and loses almost half its height. See Darwin.

And sure more lovely to behold
Might nothing meet the wistful eye,
Than crimson fading into gold,
In streaks of fairest symmetry.

Dr. John Langhorn.-Fables of Flora.
Its leaves were dressed in a rich array,
Like the clouds at the earliest dawn of day,
When the mist rolls over the valley.

Percival.

The tulip has no calyx. Corolla bell-shaped, of six petals, ovate-oblong, concave, erect, deciduous, inferior. Seeds numerous. The common garden tulip is called T. Gesneriana. Native of the country bordering on Mount Caucasus. In a wild state,

the petals are crimson, yellowish at the base-now called the parrot tulip.

There are three species of this tulip, the Cappadocia, Turkey, and Gesneriana. The last, is named after the great Conrad Gesner, mentioned in the note on Poppy, and it is distinguished from the others, by its pubescent scape, spreading, sweet-scented corolla, smallness of its size, and early flowering.

The tulip has always been considered as the rival of the rose, displaying a more gorgeous and varied tinting of colours, to balance the superior fragrance of her compeer. The Turks regard this flower with so much favour, that in addition to their "Feast of Roses," their "Feast of Tulips" is celebrated annually in the Grand Seignor's gardens, with a magnificence of splendour and pomp, that can only be compared to the fairy scenes of the Arabian Night's Tales.

Sir Robert Boyle amused himself occasionally, with moralizing upon the objects presented to his observation. The tulip and the rose, chancing to come under his review-after giving due praise to each, he adds, "tulips whilst they are fresh, do indeed by the lustre and vividness of their colours, more delight the eye than roses; but so soon as they have lost that freshness, and gaudiness, that solely endeared them, they degenerate into things, not only undesirable, but distasteful; whereas roses, besides the moderate beauty they disclose to the eye, (which is sufficient to please, though not to charm it,) do not only keep their colour longer than tulips, but when that decays, retain a perfumed odour, and divers useful qualities and virtues, that survive the spring, and recommend them all the year. Thus, those unadvised young ladies, who have beauty enough, despise all other qualities, and so soon as they have lost their youthful freshness, quickly pass from being objects of wonder, and love, to be so of pity, if not of scorn;-whereas those, that were as solicitous to enrich their minds, as to adorn their faces, may by the fragrancy of their reputation, and those virtues and ornaments of the mind, that time does but improve, be always endeared to those, that have merit enough to discern and value such excellencies; and whose esteem and friendship is alone worth their being concerned for. In a word, they prove the happiest, as well as the wisest ladies."

The tulip is made the emblem by which an oriental lover makes a declaration of love—presenting the idea, that like that flower, he has a countenance all on fire, and a heart reduced to a coal.

"Whose leaves, with their ruby glow,

Hide the heart that lies burning and black below."

Liriodendron, from the Greek LIRION, OF LEIRION, a lily, and DENDRON, a tree; the tulip-tree. The encyclopedia has it Liriodendrum. Nuttall, and other botanists, write it Liriodendron.

The L. Tulipifera, American tulip-tree, or yellow poplar, bears flowers resembling a small tulip, variegated with pale green, yellow, and orange-standing solitary at the end of the buds of the branches. The flowers have a calyx of three leaves, inferior. Corolla, bell-shaped, of six petals.

The young bark of this tree is very aromatic; and the remarkable shape of the leaves cannot fail to strike the most careless observer; they seem as if cut off with scissors at the ends. The elliptical obtuse deciduous stipules, which curiously enfold the young leaves, are also remarkable. The tree is celebrated for its size and beauty. Botanists indicate two varieties of it. Our attention has lately been drawn to this tree by the public prints, which tell us, the root has been discovered to be a sovereign antidote to the venomous bite of snakes. The bark to be chipped from the root and made into a decoction; of which half a pint is to be drunk every half hour-the wound frequently bathed with the fluid, and the bark applied in the form of a poultice to the part.

Of this genus there are two other species in China, and one in the mountains of Amboina.

Speculum, Looking-glass, a name bestowed upon it, as some suppose, on account of the glossy nature of the seeds; others, from the corolla seeming to reflect the rays of the sun.

The flowers are purple, inclining to violet, solitary. Calyx, perianth, superior, five-cleft, its segments the length of the corolla. Corolla, monopetalous, flat, wheel-shaped, deeply divided; segments egg-shaped; valves of the nectary scarcely discernible. Leaves small, sessile, oblong, slightly scolloped. Stem, from six to ten inches high. Root, annual. A native of corn-fields in the south of Europe, common in English gardens. Towards evening the corollas fold up into a pentagonal figure, and open, again, with the rays of Aurora.

Verbena, De Theis derives it from the Celtic ferfaen, to remove; alluding to one of its supposed medicinal virtues.

Some derive verbena from verro, to sweep or cleanse. The Greeks called it the sacred herb-and it was with this plant alone that they cleansed the festival table of Jupiter, before any great solemnity took place.

Verbena, among the Romans, was the name of some evergreen aromatic shrub, esteemed sacred, and employed in various solemn ceremonies.

It was, also, one of those plants dedicated to Venus. Venus the victorious, wore a crown of myrtle interwoven with vervain. The Roman ambassadors, or heralds at arms, were crowned with vervain, when they went to denounce war.

A wreath of vervain heralds wear,

Amongst our gardens named,

Being sent the dreadful news to bear,
Offensive war proclaimed,

Drayton.

From its reputed medicinal and divine properties, it was sometimes worn as an amulet around the neck; and the Romans, in the beginning of the year, made a present of this herb to their friends.

The common Verbena officinalis, grows wild in England--seldom found above a quarter of a mile from a house, which occasioned its being called simpler's joy, because it denoted a house to be near, for the relief of the weary traveller. This species is without fragrance.

The general character of the flower of the Verbena is a calyz with five teeth, inferior. Corolla, funnel-shaped, rather unequal, curved; limb spreading, cloven half way down into five, more or less, unequal rounded segments.

Violet, Latin, viola, is, by Ainsworth, derived from via, a way where men go: so, he says, the Greek for the violet, which is ION, is derived from the Greek verb IENAI, which signifies to go: possibly, from its being found wild on road-sides.

Some etymologists trace the name of this flower to Ia, daughter of Midas, who was changed by Diana into a Violet, to hide her from Apollo. And the beautiful modest blossom still retains the bashful timidity of the nymph, partially concealing itself amidst its foliage, from the gaze of Phoebus.

The trembling violet, which eyes

The sun but once, and unrepining dies.

H. Smith.

This lovely flower, is forced into rather invidious comparison with the "Queen of Flowers"-by Sir Henry Wotton, an accomplished scholar, the devoted friend and admirer of the amiable but unfortunate Queen of Bohemia, Elizabeth, daughter of James I. of England. He was sent by James on an embassy to Germany, upon which occasion, having received from the Emperor Ferdinand, a jewel, valued at a thousand pounds, but failing to reconcile the differences between Bohemia and the Emperor, in the enthusiasm of his friendly zeal, he gave away in disgust, the precious gem, "because it came from an enemy of his royal mistress," (as he styled Elizabeth.) The second verse of the sonnet, is the one alluded to

Clematis, L. from the Gr. KLEMA, a vine-shoot, tendril, twig. The flowers of this genus have no calyx. Petals four, five, or six, sometimes eight, oblong, lax, pubescent. Seeds tailed. There are many species of them scattered over the globe; several indigenous to America.

The C. Cirrhosa, Evergreen Virgin's bower-called in England sometimes traveller's joy, wild climber, bride's wreath, virgin's bower, etc. Is a native of Andalusia-quite hardy, first cultivated in England by Gerard, plants of which have stood more than fifty years, in the Chelsea garden. It has white flowers, petals large, elliptical, pubescent on the outside. Peduncle, or flower-stalk, scarcely an inch long, lateral, axillary, oneflowered. Stem, woody, resembling that of the vine, sending out branches from every joint, which renders it a thick bushy plant. Leaves, on the same plant, both simple and ternate.

C. Viorna, native of Virginia and Carolina, Root perennial; has purple or bluish-violet flowers, petals with a whitish cottony border. Anthers terminated with a tuft of hairs. Leaves, compound and twice compound, opposite, petioled; leaflets from nine to twelve, three on each pinna, generally entire, Seeds with long plumose tails.

Cheiranthus, comprehends Gilly flower, and Wall flower. Wall flower is the Keiri, of the Arabians. The modern name Cheiranthus, for wall-flower, and the stock, was given by Linnæus, who derived it from the Arabic.

C. Cheiri, named by Gerard, Yellow Stock, and Wall Gillyflower, is one of the cruciform flowers, having only four petals,

So named, by Mr. Brown, in honour of Thomas Hoy, F. L. S. an experienced botanist, and cultivator of flowers.

Hoya, is a genus of twining or decumbent shrubs, with opposite fleshy leaves, and many-flowered umbels, standing between the foot-stalks. The corolla, wheel-shaped, five-cleft. Only a few species have been defined. H. Carnosa, and H. Prunea, have flowers of the most delicate blush colour. That of H. Viridiflora, are green and scentless.

None of the species can bear exposure to the direct rays of the sun-their susceptible leaves, become blotched, if subjected to its withering heat.

The song of the willow, introduced by Shakspeare into his Othello, is said to have been taken from an old ballad, to be found in "Percy's Reliques of Ancient Poetry," entitled “A Lover's Complaint."

"DESDEMONA.-My mother had a maid call'd Barbara;

She was in love; and he she lov'd, prov'd mad,
And did forsake her: she had a song of willow,
An old thing 'twas, but it express'd her fortune,
And she died singing it."
Act 4, scene 3.

The illustrious author varied his song, somewhat, and made it the plaint of a fair damsel. From the original ballad, I shall transcribe a few lines

"Come, all yee forsaken, and sit down by me,

He that 'plaines of his false love, mine's falser than she;
The willow wreath weare I, since my love did fleet,
A garland for lovers forsaken, most meete:

Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland.

Salix, according to some etymologists, derived from salio, to rise or spring up. In allusion to the quick growth of these plants.

The Greek synonyme, ITEA, derived from IENAI, to go, because it grows fast. De Theis deduces salix from the Celtic sal, near, and lis, water; applicable to the ordinary situation of the willow tribe. The weeping willow is usually planted near the water, over which its drooping foliage has an appropriate and picturesque effect, yet we are told that it thrives best in a dry gravelly soil, being then less apt to split or decay.

While with the poplar, on the mazy shore

The willow waves its azure foliage hoar. Vir. Geo. b. 2.

It received its name Salix Babylonica from Linnæus, in allusion to the 137th Psalm.

Triticum, an old Latin name, derived from tritum, ground or rubbed-in allusion to the manner in which grain is prepared for the food of mankind.

Wheat, E. Sax. hwate; Gothic, hwit; Dutch, weit, wheatgrass, or corn.

of

Corn is a term applied to all sorts of grain fit for food, particularly wheat, rye, etc. These also belong to the grand division grasses, which are distinguished from other plants by their simple, straight, unbranched stalk, hollow, and jointed, commonly called straw, with long narrow tapering leaves, placed at each knob or joint of the stalk, and sheathing or enclosing it, as if by way of support. The T. Caninum or bearded-wheat grass, is that which most pleases the eye on account of the greater length of its beard, or arista.

The Romans cultivated only the bearded wheat, its bristles serving to protect it from birds, etc.

The flower of triticum, consists of a calyx of two valves, common receptacle zigzag, elongated into a spike. Glume (the

Chiron, and to have used this plant for the cure of wounds, etc. The A. Millefolium, or Yarrow, is reputed to have great medicinal virtue.

The Farrow, wherewithal he stopt the wound-made gore. Drayton. We find in medical books, that the green leaves of yarrow pounded, and applied to a bruise, dissipate it in a few days. Millefolium, of the two Latin words, mille, a thousand, and folium, a leaf.

Yarrow, Skinner derives it from the Anglo-Saxon Gearewe, etc. and adds, that Minshrew derives it from arrow, because it is the best healer of wounds, and was, therefore, in former times, happily applied to wounds made by arrows-or, perhaps, says he, it comes from the Saxon gear, the year, because it retains its foliage almost through the whole year.

The common yarrow, A. Millefolium, is mixed instead of hops, in their ale, by the inhabitants of Dalekarlia, in order to give it an inebriating quality.

It is generally esteemed a troublesome and noxious weed in pastures. Its white blossoms, nevertheless, beautify our fields, and could not well be spared by the lovers of flowers. Their pearly blossoms have sometimes been seen, at this day, forming a beautiful ornament for a lady's hair.

Artemisia, is possibly derived from ARTEMIS, the Greek name of Diana, in honour of whom, yearly festivals, called Artemisia, were observed throughout Greece, particularly at Delphos. Possibly, the goddess, who is represented, as somewhat severe in her exactions, may have required of her votaries, the chewing of this bitter herb, as a preparation for sacrificing to her divinity, as did Apollo, of the priestesses who officiated at his celebrated temple of Delphos, the chewing of laurel leaves.

This genus of plants, includes wormwood, southernwood, mugwort, etc. The common wormwood, A. Absinthium, grows wild in temperate latitudes, but it is also cultivated in gardens. It is not easy to distinguish it from A. Abrotanum, southernwood; both having a pale hoary green foliage, with an indeterminate stalk, branching out into many small shoots, with spikes of naked flowers, hanging downward. All the species have an acrid bitter taste.

Zinnia, named by Linnæus, in honour of Dr. John G. Zinn, professor of physic and botany at Gottingen, etc.

There are many species of Zinnia, native of warm climates; many of them indigenous in America. The common red Zinnia, or Z. Multiflora, is found on the banks of the Mississippi. Rays, yellow, orange, or brick dust colour. The flowers stand each on a hollow, deeply furrowed, terminal stalk, from one to two inches long, much thicker than the stem, and gradually swelling upwards. The disk is conical and acute, composed of reddish or tawny florets, accompanied by the prominent, darkgreen, or blackish, scales of the receptacle; the radius of this compound flower, consists of ten or more broad, elliptical, usually emarginate florets, of a deep brick-red, and very smooth above; pale greenish, and rough beneath; reticulated with veins, and finally becoming rigid, or membranous. Calyx imbricated, somewhat ovate, with numerous obtuse, erect, permanent scales.

Zinnia contains plants of the annual flowering kind, of which the species cultivated are the North American plant just noticed. The Z. Pauciflora, yellow Zinnia, with a less hairy stem, and greater breadth of leaf, somewhat heart-shaped, at their base. Native of Peru. Z. Verticillate, whofl-leafed Z. Flowers, a multiplied radius of deep scarlet, the disk broader, and less conical, than either of the others. Z. Elegans, purple-flowered Zinnia. And Z. Tenuiflora, slender-flowered Z. The flowers being the smallest of their genus, and distinguished by their bright red narrow revolute radiant florets, very rough at the edges; the tubular florets are yellow, The three last named are natives of Mexico.

"The zinnia's solitary flower,

Which blooms in forests lone and deep, Are like the visions fresh and bright, That faithful, absent hearts will keep."