The Crimson-winged Pea, or L. Tetragonolobus, is a 

 hardy annual, with deep crimson velvety flowers. The pods, 

 also, esculent. This species has been celebrated, as having 

 first called the attention of Linnaeus to the sleep of the 

 plants. He observed its flowers to close up in the evening, 

 and open again in the morning. 



Common Bird's-foot Trefoil, L. Corniculatus,* usually 

 found in open grassy pastures, where it is conspicuous in the 

 Autumn, with flowers of a golden yellow, more or less stain- 

 ed or striped with dark red: the stem clothed with close- 

 pressed hairs: pod or seed-vessel of a shining brown or cop- 

 per colour: roots perennial has been recommended for fod- 

 der and hay, by the name of Milk-vetch. 



The essential character of this genus, is Legume cylin- 

 drical, straight, wings cohering longitudinally above: calyx 

 tubular; filaments dilated upwards: corolla papilionaceous. 



BOX. 

 Buxus. 



Buxus, L. from the Greek iruj-i;, a box, and TruS-o;, the 

 tree. Sax. box. 



The Box, sacred to Cybele, because the pipes used in 

 her sacrifices were made of it. 



(See Tooke's Pantheon.) 



The Arborescent Box, or Buxus Jlrborescens, (Semper- 

 virens, Linn.) a shrubby tree, from twelve to sixteen feet 

 high; is a native oF most parts of Europe, from Britain south- 

 ward, and in the temperate parts of Asia and America. It 

 was much admired by the ancients, on account of its being 

 easily clipped into the shape of animals, and other fantastic 

 appearances. The younger Pliny gives a florid description of 

 the pleasure grounds at one of his country seats; in which, 

 among other curious devices, the letters of his own name, and 

 of other words, were orderly expressed in rows of shorn box. 



The Dwarf Box, or Buxus Suffruticosa, never rises to 

 a greater height than about three feet, and grows in thick, 

 much-branched tufts. It is found wild in many parts of 

 France, by the road sides, about villages, and in stony, waste 

 places, and is said to be truly indigenous. 



It is used in gardening, to divide beds from the walks of 

 flower-gardens, and has great durability. R. E. 



The Box is too well known to require a botanical de- 

 scription. 



BROOM. 



Genista. 



Genista, either from Genu, a knee in allusion to the 

 bending of the twigs; or from Geno, to produce: because it 

 grows wild in abundance. Not a very clear etymology. 



Bees' Encyclopedia. 



Broom, E. Sax. brum, so called from its being made 

 into brooms to sweep with. 



Genista, Green-weed, Dwarf Broom, Scotch Broom, 

 8tc. A genus of shrubs almost entirely European, with tough 

 angular stems and branches, either ternate or simple leaves, 

 and yellow flowers : calyx a perianth inferior, of one leaf, 

 small, tubular, two-lipped, the upper lip with two teeth, lower 



* Corniculatus, Latin Horned, like the Moon. 



with three. Corolla papilionaceous, standard oblong, bent 

 backwards from the rest of the flower. 



Sweet blooms Genista in the myrtle shade, 



And ten fond brothers woo the haughty maid. 



Darwin. 



In allusion to the ten stamens being united at the bot- 

 tom into one brotherhood, and with the single pistil inhabit- 

 ing the same flower. 



In France, the Broom is regarded as the emblem of 

 Humility. Garland of Flora. 



The Encyclopedia states, that the term Plantagenet 

 lias given infinite perplexity to the etymologists and antiqua- 

 rians. It is allowed to have belonged to the house of Anjou ; 

 and was brought to the throne of England by Henry the Se- 

 cond, where it was preserved by his posterity, till the time of 

 Henry the Eighth, a space of above four hundred years. 



Skinner tells us that " the house of Anjou derived the 

 name Plantagenet from a prince thereof, who having killed 

 his brother, to enjoy his principality, afterwards repented, 

 and made a voyage to the Holy Land to expiate his crime; 

 disciplining himself every night with a rod made of the plant 

 Genet, Genista, broom." And we are told, elsewhere, that 

 he became nick-named Planta-genet, from the use he had 

 made of the Broom, or Genista. 



Lemon, in his English Etymology, says: "It is very 

 observable, that fourteen princes of the family of Plantagenet 

 have sate on the throne of England for upwards of three hun- 

 dred years, and yet very few of our countrymen have known 

 either the reason of that appellation, or the etymology of it: 

 but history tells us, that Geofry, earl of Anjou, acquired the 

 surname of Plantagenet from the incident of his wearing a 

 sprig of Broom in his helmet, on a day of battle. This 

 Geofry was second husband to Matilda, or Maud, empress 

 of Germany, and daughter of Henry I., of England : and from 

 this Plantagenet family were descended all our Edwards and 

 Henrys." 



Of the Broom there are three varieties the yellow, vio- 

 let, and white flowering. 



Their groves of sweet myrtle let foreign lands reckon, 

 Where bright beaming summers exalt the perfume; 

 Far dearer to me yon lone glen o' green breckan, 

 Wi' the burn stealing under the lang yellow broom. 



Burns. 



The wilding broom as sweet, which gracefully 

 Flings its long tresses, waving in yellow beauty. 



Landon. 



The humble Broom and osiers have their use, 

 And shade for sheep, and food for flocks produce. 



Dryden. 



The broom and the furze are perpetually associated. 

 They both bear papilionaceous flowers. The furze is some- 

 times called, by botanists, Genista Spinosa, and also Ulex 

 Europceus, provincially Whin or Gorse. This grows abund- 

 antly in England: and it is recorded of Linnsus, that when 

 he visited England, in 1736, he was so much delighted with 

 the golden bloom of the furze, which he then saw for the 



