Agave. CXLVII. AMARYLLlDACEiE. 539 



± NARCISSUS. 



Or. vupKrj, stupor; from the ell'ecU |.ro.Iuce<l by the nmell of some of the species which are poiBonouB. 



Perianth regular ; corona nionopliyllous, funnel-form, consisting of 

 a whorl of united sterile stamens, within which the fertile ones are 

 inserted. 



ahs.—\ well kiu)\vii, popular genus, uhowe species are easily cuUivutcd. many of them very fragrant 

 and beauliiul. Tlu-y have bulbous roots, eiisilbrm leaves, and usually yellow flowers, with a long, rxym- 

 pressed spiiihe, opening on one side, and deciduous. 



1. N. JoNauiM.A.— 6Vr//?f 1— 3-fluwered; scumients reflexed, .spatulate; cup 

 (corona) nuich shorter than the segments, saucer-shaped, spreading, crenate.— 

 Native of Spain. Scape a loot high, round, slender, bearing at the summit a 

 few flowers ot a rich yellow, and very fragrant. May, Jn. 



2. N. POKTicus. Pod's Narcissus. — Scape 1-flowered ; sei^ments imbricate at 

 base, rellexed; nrrona expanded, flat, rotate, erenulate; 3 antk. shorter than the 

 tube.— Native of S. Europe. Scape about a foot high, leaves of the same 

 length. It bears a single flower, which is mostly white, but having the crown 

 singularly adorned with circles of crimson, white and yellow. Jn. 



3. N. Pseudo-Narcissus. Daffodil— Scape 2-edged, straight, striated ; seg- 

 tiunts sulphur color ; canma with a serrate-crenate orifice. — Native of England. 

 Root bulbous. Leaves linear, a foot long, striate, veined. Scape a foot high, 

 bearing at the top a single, very large flower, with a very long cup or corona. 

 April, May. 



4. N. Tazetta. — 5j!?a/Ae many-flowered ; caro7tacampanulate, truncate, shorter 

 than the petals ; /(\s. flat.— Native of Spain. Root a large bulb. Leaves smooth, 

 sv/ord-shaped. Scape naked, striate, a foot high, with 10—12 flowers. Corolla 

 white, cup a strong yellow, not fragrant. April, May. 



3. GALANTHUS. 



Gr. yaXa, milk, aj/-S-oj; on account of the delicate whiteness of the flower. 



Flowers spathaceous ; sepals 3, concave ; corona formed of 3 small, 

 emarginate segments: stigma simple. — Ornamental, bulbojis exotics. 



G. nivalis. Snow-drop. — Lis. linear, radical, keeled, acute; scape 1-flowered. 

 —Native of the Alps, well known in gardens, flowering early in Spring. It is 

 a small plant, half a foot high, arising from a perennial bulb, bearing a single, 

 large, nodding flower white as snow. Stem usually furnished with 2 long, nar- 

 row leaves towards the top. 



4. AGAVE. 



Gr. ayavos, admirable ; a term eminently applicable. 



Perianth tubular, funnel-form, adherent to the ovary, 6-parted ; sta- 

 mens 6, exserted ; anthers versatile ; capsule ovate, attenuate at each 

 end, obtusely triangular, 3-celled, many-seeded. — A sple/idul Ameri- 

 can genus. Root sometimes ligneous. Stem herbaceous. Lvs. mostly 

 radical^ rigid, channeled, often spiny. Panicle large, pyramidal. 



1. A. ViRGiNiCA. False Aloe. 



Acaulescent, herbaceous ; lvs. linear-lanceolate, fleshy, glabrous, with car- 

 tilaginous serratures on the margin ; scape snnple, glabrous, with leaf-like .scales 

 and sessile flowers. — Roclcy banks, Penn. to Ga. Root premorse, tuberous. 

 Scape ij'L high, terete, glabrous, loosely spicate above. Radical leaves long, 

 acute. Flowers greenish-yellow, very fragrant, tube longer than the acute seg- 

 ments. Capsule roundish, obscurely 3-angled, 3-furrowed, 3-valved, 3-celled. Sept. 

 2. A. Americana. American Aloe. Century Plant. — Acaulescent; lvs. spi- 

 nose-dentate, lanceolate, coriaceous and fleshy ; scape branched, lofty and arbo- 

 rescent ; cor. tube contracted in the middle ; pedicel as long as the corolla. — The 

 largest of all herbaceous plants, native of tropical America, often cultivated. 

 It is a popular notion that it flowers but once in a hundred years, but it is known 

 to flower much oftener, according to the culture it receives. Leaves radical, 

 thick, 3—6 or 8f lon£?, 4—12' wide. The scape arises from the centre of the 

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