A GROUP OF AURICULAS. 



LiNN^us makes the Auricula a species of Primula (Primula Auricula). Tournefort con- 

 stitutes it into a separate genus. Being a native of the Alps, hence, in our Picture, it is seated 

 near a chain of tremendous mountains. It is called by old Parkinson the Mountain Cowslip, also 

 the Bears-ear\ the latter name from its leaves, which are fleshy, and round at top, being thought 

 to resemble the ear of that animal. Its flowers are in an umbel, placed upon a fleshy, upright, 

 scape ; and Nature, in her bounty, has provided here a general involucre, which is a strong ser- 

 rated leaf, often raised aloft like a banner, at the back of the flowers, so as to receive the shocks 

 from the winds, which otherwise would dash them against the mountain's side. The proper calyx 

 is tubular, and five-toothed, shorter than the corolla, which is also a tube gradually widening 

 upwards, spreading out into an extensive border. This border has a round white circle 

 surrounding the neck of the tube. In this circumstance all Auriculas agree. It is the other 

 half of the border that constitutes the varieties in this flower. In some this is of an uniform 

 purple, or yellow, the most common kind, and of little value; these sorts are by florists called 

 selfs ; the purple one in our Picture is Redmans Metropolitan, the yellow the Egyptian ; some- 

 times this is not of one uniform colour, being found of a bright purple, with lighter dashes 

 intermixed, and the edge of an apple green, when it has the appellation of Cockufs Eclipse, 

 from the florist who first raised it ; and when this strikes into a deeper ground colour, almost 

 inclining to black, with more of the green, and the edges more emarginate, the former being 

 more completely circular, and this less so, it is called Grimes s Privateer,* In its wild state 

 these flowers are much smaller, and have five stamina. The Auricula was cultivated in our 

 gardens so early as 1597. It comes under Class V. Pentandria, Five Males, Order Mono- 

 GYNiA, One Female, ofLiNN^us. 



Queen of the snowy Alps, in glittering pride 

 She rears her palace on the mountain's side; 

 There, as bright sun -beams light her spangled throne, 

 Attendant sylphs the aerial Empress own. 

 Expand their purple plumes, and raised in air. 

 Wave their green banners to protect the fair. 

 Imperial Beauty with resistless sway 

 Tames the rude hears, and bids their tribes obey, 

 Roar round each crystall'd cliff and moss -girt plain, 

 And guard in shaggy troops her bright domain. 

 Delighted Boreas views her from afar. 

 And drives in stormy state his ebon car; 

 Low at her feet the boist'rous Monarch bows. 

 And breathes his passion 'mid descending snows. 

 While timid Zephyr flies through fields of air. 

 Scarce daring to approach the hill -encircled fair; 



Shaw. 



* For a plant to he fine, or a flower for Florists, the scape, or leg, must be strong, upright, and rise one half above the foliage; the pe- 

 duncles, or fingers, must not be less than seven, and properly spread the flowers; the cluster, or truss of flowers, should be close and 

 regular, forming together a kind of ball, and, though close and compacted, each flower should, as near as possible, be distinct from each 

 other. With respect to the flowers themselves, the tube, or cup, should be lemon-coloured ; the stamina, or thrums, strong, and numer- 

 ous enough to fill properly the cup and conniving; the inner margin, or eye, a clear distinct white; external to this circle, the ground colour, 

 rich and bold, the edge nearest the eye determinate, the outer part running into the edging, pencilled into the lacing, the green clear, some- 

 what emarginate, which part is called the Z^cmg-. I hese should be all proportionate, nearly equalHng one another. 



