HEXANDRIA. 137 



succession of colors to any variety, nor can the florist be 

 sure, even of changing the colors at all, since some varieties 

 have been known to continue of the same color for more than 

 twenty years, though constantly exposed to the same process 

 by which others are broken in a year or two. 



The varieties of this flower are numberless, and may be 

 constantly increased. In a late London catalogue, there 

 are advertised 30 kinds of double, and 600 varieties of 

 single Tulips, all with their appropriate names, or descrip- 

 tions annexed. 



GENUS Allium. Garlic. Onion. Allium is said to be 

 derived from the Celtic word all, which signifies hot, or 

 burning. This is a large genus of strongly scented, bulbous 

 rooted plants, all of them esculent, and some of them known 

 in the days of Moses and Aaron. The number of known 

 species are about ninety, of which our common onion, (Al- 

 lium cepa,) is the tallest, most valuable, and most exten- 

 sively cultivated. The Shallot, (Allium ascalonicum,) grows 

 eight or ten inches high, has a small bulb, seldom flowers, 

 and is the mildest of all the cultivated species. This is 

 eaten as a salad. 



GENUS Hyacinthus. Hyacinth. Name, from the fabled 

 Hyacinthus, who was said to have been killed by Apollo, and 

 changed into this flower. This genus contains only two 

 species, but a vast number of varieties have been produced 

 by art and cultivation. It is a native of the East, and is said 

 still to grow wild in abundance, about Bagdad and Aleppo. 

 The Dutch, who first cultivated this bulb for sale, for many 

 years made a considerable article of commerce of it. In 

 about 1720, the florists of Haarlem, it was said, had 2000 

 varieties of the Hyacinth for sale. The fundamental varie- 

 ties are double, semi-double, single, red, white, purple, blue, 

 and yellow, in many difTerent shades. These are known by 

 different names, such as that of the florist who raised them, 

 or his friends, or patrons, public characters, or some cele- 

 brated name of history, or antiquity, &c. 



ORDER II. DIGYNIA. Stamens 6. Styles 2. 

 GENUS Oryza. Rice. Oruza, the origin of this term, is 

 a Greek word, said to be derived from the Arabic. Com- 

 mon Rice, (Oryza sativa,) is the only species belonging to 



What is the origin of the name hyacinth ? What is said of the vari 

 eties of the hyacinth ? 

 12* 



