AMARYLLIDACER. 163 
The Narcissus of the Greeks is no doubt the Narcissus poeticus, which has a 
flower with a very powerful scent, and was attractive even to the gods, according 
to ancient song. Proserpine, when carried away by Pluto, was said to be occupied 
in gathering 
* Daffodils 
That come before the swallow dares, and take 
The winds of March with beauty.” 
The Narcissus was consecrated to the Furies, who stupefied their victims with its 
scent; hence Sophocles called these flowers 
“ Garlands of the infernal gods.” 
The fable of the youth Narcissus, after whom the plant is named, is well known to 
everybody,—how he fell in love with his own image reflected in the water, and pined 
away until he was changed into the pale flower which rightfully bears his name. 
The Chinese regard the Narcissus as worthy of a place in the decorations of the 
shrines of their household gods, and place large china dishes of its blossoms before 
them on the first day of the new year, for which purpose the roots are planted in 
pots filled with pebbles and water, just in time to cause them to blow for this festival. 
A handsome double variety of this species is sometimes found in gardens, as also 
some with purple or deep yellow cups. 
Trine IJ].—AMARYLLEE. 
Perianth without any crown or petaloid tube in the throat. 
GENUS 1.—LEUCOIUM. Linn. 
Perianth coloured, petaloid, regular; tube not extending beyond the 
ovary; limb cupshaped-funnelshaped or -bellshaped, of 6 ovate or 
elliptical-oblong divisions, which are free to the base, all similar, 
ascending, the three inner as long as the outer, but rather narrower. 
Crown absent. Stamens 6, inserted on the epigynous disk of the 
ovary; filaments very short; anthers connivent, not aristate, opening 
by longitudinal slits. Ovary adhering to the tube of the perianth, 
green, ovoid; style filiform-clavate; stigma undivided. Capsule ovoid, 
herbaceous, loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds few, subglobular, with a 
black and crustaceous testa; or subelobular or ovoid, with a pale and 
somewhat fleshy testa: in the last case furnished with an enlarged 
caruncule. 
Herbs with coated bulbs and linear-lorate or linear or semicylindrical 
green leaves. Spathe of one or two leaves, scarious, with one or two 
herbaceous stripes where it is of one piece. Flowers solitary or 
several in an umbel, pedicellate, pendulous, rather large, white or tinged 
x¥2 
