T. Oculus Solis (which, however, belongs to quite a different section of the 
genus). It has not, at least m :wild state, the fine yellow edging of the eye of 
Oculus Solis. Filaments and anthers black. 
No. 1. T. scabrisc. var. mixta. This varies from the state of strangulata, 
with the addition of a few yellow dots, to the pied condition well represented in 
the plate. But it is remarkable that although an evident variety, the plants 
brought from their native soil have never varied back into the pure states of Nos, 
4 and 3. nor are those two varieties found in the same locality with this. It 
multiplies the most readily of all by offsets, and is a sure flowerer, but one of the 
latest. It is the only one of the wild tulips cultivated in Florence for beauty. 
In its wild state it is slender, but becomes stronger and larger by cultivation. It 
has only been found in olive grounds east of Florence, and south of the Arno, 
between Villa Rusciana and the Bosco Rondinelli, well known to the botanists of 
Florence. 
No, 2. T. scabrise. var. Buonarrotiana. This is in many respects the 
most remarkable of the four. Itis much the largest and stoutest plant, has a 
uniform tawny buff colour, not bright enough to be called orange, and has a 
faint but heavy and honeylike smell. In this respect, as well as its tendency (in 
cultivation) to become variegated in blots and patches like Gesneriana, and not in 
dots or specks like the three former varieties, it might be taken as the wild 
original of the well known Van Toll or Dutch sweet-scented Tulip. That too 
has pointed petals and a rough stalk, and I have no doubt is naturally connected 
with or derived from this division of Tulips in some way or other. But it is a 
dwarf to T. sc. Buonarrotiana. This was discovered some years ago by M. 
Reboul, in the olive-grounds of the Villa Buonarroti, at Settignano, four miles 
east of Florence on the north side of the Arno. He named it in honour of the 
great Michael Angelo Buonarroti,* and described it as it is, “coloro vitellino,” in 
a single sheet descriptive of the wild Tulips of Florence as far as then investigated, 
which he printed several years ago. It is certainly the scarcest of the four 
varietles. 
These four Tulips agree in the form of their flowers, which are elegantly cup- 
shaped, well expressed in the figure No. 3, petals pointed, though less so than in 
O. Solis; germen prismatic, stigma overhanging, not so large as in Gesneriana, 
bulb smooth, scape rough, pubescent, or even hairy in strong plants, in which 
they differ from all other Tulips. The petals of all have two strong furrows down 
the middle. Their leaves are glaucous, more or less undulated. They may 
ibly be the original stock of a tribe of second rate garden tulips, neglected 
or the more showy varieties of T. Gesneriana, which are met with in some of 
our gardens, and which betray their origin by their pointed petals, honey smell, 
and more or less pubescence on the stalk. 
Of these garden varieties the Van Toll has been noticed ; those that are in 
cultivation at Florence are either the improved No. l. mixta, or a large very 
double sort, of a mixture of white, pink, and green pointed petals, short scape, 
smooth as far down as one or two green or partly coloured leaves like bracte®, 
and rough below them, where the true scape begins; the upper smooth part 
with its leaves (detached petals) being in fact a monstrous, elongated flower ; 
also some English or Dutch, pink or lilac, and white with pointed petals, and 
stalks pubescent towards the base ; that called the early Edgar is one of this set. 
In cottage gardens in the West of England are often seen two varieties that can 
only be referred to this class of Tulips: one is exactly the strangulata of Flo- 
rence with a perfectly smooth stalk ; the other a handsome variety of the same, 
having the black and yellow eye of O, Solis, from which, however, it differs in 
every important character. ; 
These pointed petaled Tulips are frequently introduced into Italian paintings : 
and in the gallery Gualtieri at Orvieto are six oblong pictures of flowers, with the 
date 1614, in which many of these tulips are represented ; besides other flowers, 
with the Italian names of that time.” 
* This villa still remains in the Buonarroti family ; and there is a spirited sketch of 
a Satyr, drawn with a hot iron upon a d ithi ich is attributed to the 
sae, Michael ee pon a door within the house, whic 
