104 Some Wild or Common Fragrant Plants. 



Artemisia which is fragrant, and all of the genus known to me 

 have more or less of this virtue. It varies greatly, and among the 

 species are two or three with rather a camphordike fragrance or 

 odour. The Woodroof, or Asperula odorata, is nother common 

 plant with a delicate aromatic fragrance, and much used at one 

 time among cut flowers, and placed in bags. Its flowers infused 

 in wine aff'ord a fragrant liquor in Germany. Everyone knows 

 the fragrance of the Balm, Melissa officinalis, which it is unneces- 

 sary to dwell upon. It is noticeable, however, that the leaves 

 are less fragrant after the flowers open, and that the variegated- 

 leaved variety is less odorous than the self -green one. The 

 Wood Hyacinth, Scilla festalis or nutans, has sweet-scented 

 flowers, but is not otherwise fragrant. Not many people have 

 observed the odour of the Box, Buxus sempervirens, which has 

 so attracted the attention of Oliver Wendell Holmes that he 

 spoke of it as "breathing the fragrance of eternity." The 

 Carnation is well known as a fragrant flower, and its ally the 

 Pink .shares this virtue. The odours of these flowers vary greatly, 

 from a distinct Clove scent to a softer and more delicate fra- 

 grance. It is rather curious that many of the modern Carnations 

 seem to be deficient in fragrance. Many of the wild Dianthuses, 

 or Pinks, have little or no scent, but the Maiden Pink, which is 

 wild in one or two places in Scotland, has a delicate odour, which 

 gave rise to the line " The Maiden Pink, of odour faint." In the 

 genus Cheiranthus or ^\"allflower we have a number of plants with 

 sweet odour. The best known of these, of course, is Cheiranthus 

 Cheiri, the common Wallflower, which again \-aries much in its 

 fragrance. The old dark-coloured Wallflowers have the strongest 

 odours, and the varieties with purplish flowers seem to ha\e the 

 least of this perfume. The Chrysanthemums are almost all 

 sweet-scented, the odour being more or less aromatic, this being 

 specially noticeable in the foliage of the garden Chrysanthemums 

 so popular in winter. It is, however, present in the annuals, and 

 in such species as C. maximum, although in some it is rather 

 unpleasant. The Hawthorn is ever associated with its fragrance, 

 although this is rather overpowering when the flowers are in the 

 dwelling, especially when passing off. I have not had an oppor- 

 tunitv of studying the fragrance of any of the genus but our 

 common one, Crataegus Oxyacantha. In Fennel, Foeniculum 

 ofiicinale, we have anothef'strongly aromatic plant in all its parts. 



