16 FLORA DOMESTIC A. 



Bind their resplendent locks enwreathed with beams ; 

 Now in loose garlands thick thrown off, the bright 

 Pavement^ that like a sea of jasper shone, 

 Impurpled with celestial roses smiled." 



The following occurs in Shelley''s Rosalind and Helen : 

 " Whose sad inhabitants each year would come. 

 With wilhng steps climbing that rugged height. 

 And hang long locks of hair, and garlands bound 

 With amaranth flowers, which, in the clime's despite. 

 Filled the frore air with unaccustomed light. 

 Such flowers as in the winter y memory bloom 

 Of one friend left, adorned that frozen tomb." 



In Portugal, and other warm countries, the churches 

 are, in winter, adorned with the Globe Amaranth. Cowley 

 and Rapin, in their Latin poems on plants and gardens, 

 make honourable mention of the Amaranth; but the trans- 

 lations of those poems are too unworthy of their originals 

 to admit of quotation, and a friend who would have sup- 

 plied me with better is on a distant journey. 



The Cock's comb Amaranth is a very showy and remark- 

 able plant. The appellation was given it from tlie form 

 of its crested head of flowers resembling the comb of a 

 cock. Sometimes the heads are divided like a plume of 

 feathers. It is said that in Japan these crests or heads of 

 flowers are often a foot in length and in breadth, and 

 extremely beautiful. The colour of the scarlet varieties 

 is highly brilliant. 



The Amaranths are all annual, must be raised in a hot- 

 bed, and may be had from a nursery when strong enough 

 to bear removal, which, for the last three kinds, will not be 

 earlier than the middle of June : the others may be placed 

 abroad earlier. In dry weather they should be watered 

 every evening. Such flowers as are intended to be pre- 

 served should be cut before they run to seed ; and should 

 be observed daily after they are blown, that they may be 

 taken in full beauty. 



