92 FLORA HISTORICA. 



Gerard, who wrote on plants in Spenser's days, 

 also calls them Daffadowndillies. They were also 

 called Chalice flowers, from the nectary, or cup, 

 being shaped like the chalice used at the commu- 

 nion table. They are likewise called Lent-Lilies, 

 from their flowering at the season of Lent. 



The Daffodil which flowers the earliest is the 

 Spanish Daffodil, Narcissus minor. Parkinson, 

 notices this species as long back as 1620 ; yet it 

 remains nearly a stranger in our gardens at the 

 present day, although it stands the severity of our 

 winters in almost any soil and situation, and pro- 

 pagates very fast by the roots. Notwithstanding 

 the flowers are of a diminutive size, in comparison 

 to other Daffodils, yet it makes a pleasing variety 

 with the Snowdrop and other early -flowering plants, 

 and gives a gaiety to the walks of the shrubbery, 

 w T hen planted in large clusters. 



Our native Daffodil, Pseudo Narcissus, is the 

 next in succession, which also blossoms in March, 

 to embellish our wet pastures, the banks of orchards, 

 the borders of woods, and cottage gardens. We 

 have many varieties of this species of Narcissus, all 

 of which are important to the early decoration of 

 our flower-garden, but more particularly so to the 

 adornment of the shrubbery, as clumps of these 

 gay yellow flowers enliven the plantation beyond 

 those of any other flower which blossoms so early. 



