Pteris argentea.— Adiantum formosum. Sarracenia Drummondi.— Adiautuiu cultiatum. Pteris macrophyUus. Daria diversifolia. 



FLOWERS AND BOTANICAL NOTES. 



BY W. S. COLEMAN. 



Here spreads a range of level plots, 



Of box-fringed beds, where lurking knots 



Of buried flowers repose, to bring 

 Kind greeting to the early spriug. 



The brightest flower of the winter garden— the very gem, nntil the 

 crocus (iomes to rival it — is the winter aconite. The old writers 

 called it yellow or winter wolf's-bane. Clare well describes this 

 flower — 



The winter aconite. 

 With buttercup-like flowers, that shut at night ; 

 Its green leaf furling round its cup of gold, 

 Like tender maiden muftied from the cold. 

 The fern tribe may certainly claim our attention as possessing the 

 qualities most worthy of interest ; many of the species being ever- 

 greens, they give a fresh, verdant appearance to the conservatory 

 when it is forsaken by the gay flowers of summer; or, if grown 

 under a glass shade, or " temple," they form a delightful ornament 

 to the dwelling-house at all seasons. 

 In the above group a variety of these graceful forms are given, 



and, as their attraction lies principally in their form and trans- 

 parent texture, our descriptions of each individual will be very 

 brief. 



The large-leaved brake (Pterin mncrophyllus) is a very fine spe- 

 cies. The leaves are almost entirely surrounded by a thickened 

 margin containing the organs of fructification. 



Adiantum furmomim and A. ctiUratum, two species of maiden- 

 hair, have the glossy black stems and delicate leaves so well 

 known in the British maiden-hair fern. 



Pterix nrgenlea (the silver brake), and Daria diversifolia, are 

 the other two species represented. 



The largo centre ooject is a most remarkable species of side- 

 saddle flower {Sarracenia Drummondi). In the summer it bears 

 curious purple flowers, but its cliief interest lies in its wonderfully- 

 formed tubular leaves: they have somewhat the shape of a post- 

 man's horn, are about two feet in heiglit, and of a vivid green 

 color, except at the upper expanded end, where they are most 

 beautifully marbled with red, green, and white. This plant re- 

 quires a very high temperature for its cultivation, as much as 

 from SO to 100 degrees. 



