36 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



garet: may they not rather mean to call it the Queen 

 Daisy — marguerite being their name for the daisy, which, 

 this flower much resembles in form, though it is of a much 

 larger size, and of more brilliant colours? 



The Amellus, or Italian Starwort*, has a large blue and 

 yellow flower. The leaves and stalks being rough and 

 bitter, are not eaten by cattle ; and thus remaining in the 

 pastures after the grass has been eaten away, it makes a 

 fine show when in full flower. This is supposed to be the 

 Amellus of Virgil : 



" The Attic star, so named in Grecian use. 

 But call'd amellus by the Mantuan muse." 



Gardiner's Translation of Rapin. 



" Est etiam flos in pratis, cni nomen amello 

 Fecere agricolae ; facilis quierentibus herba ; 

 Namque uno ingentem tollit de cespite silvam. 

 Aureus ipse ; sed in foliis, quae plurima circum 

 Funduntur, viola sublucet purpura nigrae. 

 Saepe Deum nexis ornatte torquibus arse. 

 Asper in ore sapor : tonsis in vallibus ilium 

 Pastores, et curva legunt prope flumina mellae. 

 Hujus odorato radices incoque baccho ; 

 Pabulaque in foribus plenis appone canistris." 



Virgil, Georgic 4. 



" We also have a flower in the meadows which the country-people 

 call amellus. The herb is very easy to be found; for the root, which 

 consists of a great bunch of fibres, sends forth a vast number of stalks. 

 The flower itself is of a golden colour, surrounded with a great num- 

 ber of leaves, which are purple, like violets. The altars of the gods 

 are often adorned with wreaths of these flowers. It has a bitterish 

 taste. The shepherds gather it in the open valleys, and near the 

 winding stream of the river Mella. Boil the roots of this herb in 

 the best flavored wine ; and place baskets full of them before the door 

 of the hive." — Martyn's Translation, p. 390. 



* Called in France I'oeil de Christ [Christ's eye] ; in Italy, amello, 

 or astero affico di fior turchino. 



