118 WILD FLOWERS OF 



succession, the gardens will be studded with the early 

 vernal flora, the primaveral being hardly yet gone 

 out. Wall-flowers, Anemonies, Early Tulips, Kanun- 

 culi, Narcissi, Jonquils, Hepaticas, Grentianellas, and 

 other hardy herbaceous plants, being in full bloom 

 by the middle of the month. In the rustic garden 

 the Crown Imperial (Fritillaria Imperialis), and its 

 varieties, now claim a passing attention with its pen- 

 dant coronals ; and what a beautiful appearance is 

 presented on looking WITHIN the flower, and per- 

 ceiving a lovely milk-white globule in the nectary, at 

 the base of each petal, which retains its place till the 

 flower begins to wither, when it dries up, unless some 

 bird has previously quaffed the delicious draught, 

 leaving only a depression to mark its former position. 

 It is said that if the petals are deprived of this 

 delicate fluid, the anthers and stigma soon wither, 

 and no seed is produced, so that it seems intended to 

 act as sustenance for the embryo progeny contained 

 after fecundation in the seed-vessel. PHILLIPS in his 

 " Flora Historica," calls this specious Persian plant 

 the " Lilv of the Turbaned countries, which towers 



* 



above all the flowers of our vernal parterres, throwing 

 up its tall stem amidst the dwarf flowers of April, 

 like the tall Palm amongst trees, or a pagoda arising 

 out of a Chinese town." He observes further, that 

 " this imperial, flower is not without its body-guard, 

 to keep its admirers at a proper distance ; for it 

 posesses so strong a scent of the fox, combined with 

 that of garlic, as to ensure its protection from med- 

 dling fingers, and its safety from the saloon vase. It 

 is the same property of the plant, we may presume, 

 that defends it from being rifled of its nectareous 



