NAT. ORDER. 



Liliacece. -^,. 



TULIPA SYLVESTRIS. TURK'S-CAP, OR WILD TUJ.IP 



Class VI. Hexandria. Order I. Monogynia. 



Gen. Char. Petals, six. Stamens, six. Stigma, tliree-lobed. 



Spe. Char. Stem, one-flowered. Leaves, tapering to a point. 



This beautiful exotic plant rises about two feet in height ; its 

 ■flowers are large, yellow, roundish, and very beautiful to the eye ; 

 the stalks, or stems, are generally one, and one-flowered ; thepetals 

 are six in number, of a whitish color, but tipped with yellow ; the 

 stamens are six, — three longer, and three shorter ; the stigma is 

 three-lobed ; the leaves are inserted at the base, sword-like, fleshy, 

 and firmly ribbed. It increases by throwing out a long fibre, at 

 the extremity of which a bulb is produced, which shoots forth a 

 new plant the next season. It is said to be a native of Holland, 

 where it has been cultivated for four centuries. 



The name Tulip, originated from the Turkish word, Tulipan, 

 which is the name the Turks give their Head-tyres, or caps ; and 

 we in English, in conformity with this name, call it the Tulip, 

 which somewhat resembles the Turk's cap. By modern writers 

 upon the subject of Botany, but little can be gathered respecting 

 the history and origin of this rare plant, although it is well 

 known to have been cultivated for more than four hundred 

 years ; yet, from a want of knowledge, or from some other 

 imknown cause, this family of plants has been most wonder- 

 fully neglected. Salmond, an ancient, but distinguished botanist, 

 in his Herbal, describes three hundred and sixty-one different 

 varieties of the Tulip Tribe, most of which were extensively 



Vol. u.— 187 



