56 FLORA HISTORICA. 



should be well filled with them. The petals 

 should be regularly disposed alike on every side, 

 imbricating each other in such a manner as that 

 both their respective and united beauties may cap- 

 tivate the eye at the same instant : they should be 

 nearly flat, however, a small degree of concavity 

 or inflection at the lamina, or broad end, is allow- 

 able ; but their edges should be perfectly entire, 

 that is to say, free from notches, fringe, or inden- 

 ture. The calyx should be at least one inch in 

 length, terminating with broad points, sufficiently 

 strong to hold the narrow bases of the petals in a 

 close circular body. Whatever colours the flower 

 may be possessed of, they should be perfectly dis- 

 tinct, and disposed in long narrow stripes, broadest 

 at the edge of the laminae, and gradually becoming 

 narrower as they approach the unguis, or base of 

 the petal, there terminating in a fine point. Each 

 petal should have a due proportion of white, i. e,, 

 one-half, or nearly so, which should be perfectly 

 clear and free from spots. Bizarres, or such as 

 contain two colours upon a white ground, are 

 esteemed rather preferable to Flakes, which have 

 but one, especially when their colours are remark- 

 ably rich, and very regularly distributed. Scarlet, 

 purple, and pink, are the three colours most predo- 

 dominant in the Carnation ; the two first are seldom 

 to be met with in the same flower, but the two 



