SWALLOW-WORT. 3SS 



women hauc named it Silken Cislic," from the 

 seeds being surrounded with a white substance 

 resembling silk. 



These plants flower from June to September ; 

 they have no great beauty to recommend them to 

 the parterre, but it is curious to observe the irri- 

 tability of these flowers, which is such that when 

 a fly enters the calyx to search for honey in the 

 nectary, the petals are immediately contracted, 

 and the insect remains imprisoned for life. At 

 other times they may be seen caught by the leg 

 in such a manner as not to be able to extricate 

 themselves without paying the loss of a limb as 

 a price for their ransom. 



The Variegated Swallow- wort, Asclepias Vari- 

 egata, was one of the earliest American plants 

 brought to this country ; and as Gerard wrote his 

 Herbal at the interesting period when colonies 

 were first sent out to the new world, we cannot 

 refrain from giving extracts from his History of 

 Plants, to show what interest was then taken by 

 the English in forming these settlements, and the 

 general idea entertained of the native Americans 

 and their country. Gerard says the savages call 

 this plant Winsanc/c. '' It groweth in the coun- 

 tries of Norembega, and now called Virginia, by 

 the H. Sir Walter Raleigh, who hath bestowed 

 great summes of monie in the discouerie therof. 



