276 AUTUMN AND AUTUMNAL FLOWERS. 



T&getes is also cultivated in China, Cochin-China, and many parts of 

 India ; but he remarks that it is not indigenous in those countries. 

 Hernandez mentions it as a native of Mexico, in his history of that 

 country, and the plants of the Tagetes, which flowered in the Eltham 

 garden as long back as 1727, were raised from seeds sent direct from 

 Mexico. 



The students of botany will find these plants placed in the second 

 order of the niueteeutii class of Linnseus's sexual system, on account of 

 the flowrets of tiie disk being bisexal, and those of the radius containing 

 only female organs, whereas those of the Marigold, Calendula, stand 

 in the fourth order of the same class, the flowrets of the disk in the 

 latter containinyj only anthers, and those of the margin only stigmas. 

 The Mexican flower also differs from the European Marigold in not 

 closing its petals at night, a gift of nature so frequently noticed by our 

 poets : — 



" The Mary-budde that shutteth with the light." 



" The Marigold, that goes to bed with the sun, 

 And with him rises weeping." 



" See the day is waxen olde, 

 And 'gins to shut in with the Marigold." 



It is remarked by Linnaeus that the Marigold usually opens its petals 

 about nine in the morning, and closes them again at three in the after- 

 noon; but we observe that it depends more upon the state of the 

 atmosphere than on the hour of the day. 

 Keate says — 



" Open afresh your round of starry folds, 

 Ye ardent Marigolds ! 

 Dry up the moisture of your golden lids, 

 For great Apollo bids." 



The African and French Marigolds usually begin to flower in July, 

 and continue to give out a succession of blossoms until the branches are 

 destroyed by frost ; on which account they are considered rather an 

 autumnal than a summer flower, and when judiciously planted they add 

 considerably to the gaiety of the parterre during the later months of the 

 vear; the tall African Marigold forming a brilliant back-ground to 

 clumps of Cliina Asters, or displaying its golden corollas amongst the 

 evergreens of the shrubbery ; wliilst the more richly painted petals of 

 the Tagetes Patula, or French ]\Iarigold, is well calculated to contrast 

 with the blue or purple stars of the Aster, since no plant displays a 

 richer colouring of carmine and gold. 



The French Marigold sports considerably in varying its corolla, 

 some being single, semi-double, quadruple, or full ; whilst Flora seems 

 to have given the petals as many changes as can be wrought in two 

 gay colours, one flower displaying petals of a rich carmine, slightly 

 edo-ed with gold, others exhibiting yellow flowers, so fancifully striped 

 or dashed with crimson that it is difficult to find two plants with flowers 

 alike. 



These flowers have only their gaiety to recommend them, since their 



