HOLLYHOCK. 329 



these plants, in his work on husbandry, as late as 

 the year 1707, wherehi he says, " Ilolyocks far 

 exceed Poppies for their durableness, and are very 

 ornamental.'"' Turner spells it Holyhock ; and 

 Gerard, and after him Parkinson, call it Ilolli 

 hocke. 



The French, who consider this plant as a native 

 of Syria, call it by several different names, as Rose 

 tremiere, Rose cVoutre-mer, Rose de mer, Rose de 

 Damas, 



Botanists have named it Alcea, from the Greek 

 word A>.xr/, on account of its supposed medicinal 

 strength in curing the dysentery, &c., for which it 

 was formerly held in great repute. 



In floral language the Hollyhock is figured as 

 the symbol of Fecundity, and its extreme fruitful- 

 iiess seems to justify the device. 



These plants grow naturally in various eastern 

 parts of the globe. It is common in China, from 

 whence the seeds of the tall, as well as the dwarf, 

 Hollyhock have been frequently received. Phny 

 speaks of this flower in the fourth chapter of his 

 twenty-first book, where he describes it as a rose 

 growing on stalks like the Mallow; and Miller 

 says he received seeds of these plants from Istria, 

 where it was gathered in the fields; but these 

 seeds produced single red flowers only, whereas 

 from the seeds procured from Madras he raised 



