[ 948 ] 



Narcissus Orientalis (/3). Cream-Coloured 

 Narcissus of the Levant. 



JHHfHfHf* $ %■ $■ #■ $• %■ %■%■ ijHfc $*$ $ $ 



CAt/> j;zi Order, 



Hexandria Monogynia. 



Generic Character. Vide N os - 924 Sz 925. 



Specific Character and Synonyms. 



NARCISSUS orientalis. Fid. N™- 940. 



(|3) 2 — 4-florus ; laciniis pallide Iuteis ; corona lutea pro- 

 fundius trilobatim fifla. G. 



In plants that have been long cultivated in gardens, it will 

 often be a queftion not readily decided, whether certain indi- 

 viduals are mere varieties, arifing from the adventitious cir- 

 cumftances of culture, or originally diftinft (pedes, or hybrids 

 deriving their origin from intermixture. It may throw fome 

 light upon thefe queftions to obferve, 



1- That whilft the induftry of Florifb, by means of long 

 culture in appropriate foil and under nice management, (in 

 fome cafes offering a too profufe nutriment, in others fub- 

 traciing the due proportion), can produce an almoft endlefs 

 variety of appearances in the individuals of the fame fpecies, 

 efpecially in Mature, colour, and multiplication of parts, yet 

 amidft this numerous hoft, the fcrutinifing eye of the Botanift 

 will find little or no change made in the eftential characters ; 

 thefe moftly remain the fame in all. For although, by a multi- 

 plication of the petals or other parts, the fmaller and more 

 efien.ial organs are fuffocated ; yet thefe changes affect the 

 generic more than the fpecific diftin&ion. And notwithstanding 

 the immenfe number of thefe artificial varieties, fuch is the 

 tendency of nature to maintain, a uniformity in the individuals 

 °f the fame fpecies, that a few years neglect i^ fufficien? to 

 reduce the thoufand gaudy inhabitants of the Florift's border 

 to the ftate of their original parent. 



2. i he fame induftrious fpirit, when any particular flower 

 happens to be in fafhion, will feek far and near for clofely- 



related 



