it is supposed to be the flower dropped from the chariot of 

 that god in his flight with Proserpine." 



Shakspeare, in his Winter's Tale, alludes to this story, 

 as well as to the early season in which the Daffodil appears. 



" O Proserpina 



For the flowers now, that frighten'd, thou let'st fall 

 From Dis's wagon; Daffodils, 

 That come before the swallow dares, and take 

 The winds of March with beauty." 



Drayton, in his Pastorals, makes Daffodillies and Li- 

 lies the same: 



See that there be stores of lilies, 

 (Called by shepherds, daffodillies.) 



The Daffodil, and Jonquil, are varieties of the JVarcis- 

 sus, though the names are often used indiscriminately. 



Narcissus Major, is a native of Spain. Common, with 

 double flowers in gardens rarely seen single. It is the 

 largest of the genus, and has the most magnificent flowers, 

 bearing its fine golden chalice, amidst petals of the same 

 colour, on a stalk two feet high. Cup of the nectary bell- 

 shaped, erect, the length of the oblong oblique petals; its 

 margin spreading, lobed, (divided) and crisped. Leaves, 

 twisted, somewhat glaucous. 



DAHLIA. 



Dahlia. 



Dahlia, named by the late Professor Cavanilles, in ho- 

 nour of Andrew Dahl, a Swedish botanist, author of a little 

 volume of botanical observations. 



There are several species of Dahlia, all natives of moun- 

 tainous parts of the Spanish settlements in South America. 

 Their flowers are large and handsome, something like those 

 of a Sun-flower, but the rays mostly red, or purple, like the 

 China-Aster, and likewise variable in this respect. The 

 herbage is coarse and rank, with compound leaves. 



It is an autumnal flower; first introduced into England 

 by Lady Bute, who procured it from Madrid in the same year 

 that it had arrived from America but lost sight of till re- 

 introduced by Lady Holland, in the year 1804. The first 

 introduction marked the year when France became revolu- 

 tionized, the second, that which saw Napoleon made Em- 

 peror of the French nation. 



By cultivation these flowers have had their petals dou- 

 bled and quadrupled, until they have become as full as the 

 China-Aster, whilst their colours have been even more in- 

 creased than their petals. 



Gen. cha. a double Calyx; the outer of many leaves. 

 Corolla, radiant, compound, its rays equal in number to the 

 segments of the calyx; ovate, three-toothed; receptacle chaf- 

 fy; stigmas downy. 



DAISY. 

 Bellis. 



Sellis, Latin formed from lellus, pretty or handsome. 

 English, Daisy. R, E. 



Fabulous history informs us that it owes its origin to 

 Belides, grand daughter to Danaus, one of the nymphs 

 called Dryads, that presided over the meadows and pastures, 

 in ancient times. 



Belides, whilst dancing on the grass with Ephigeus, (a 

 rural Deity, whose suit she encouraged,) attracted the admi- 

 ration of Vertumnus, (the Deity who presided over the 

 spring and orchards,) and to escape from him she was trans- 

 formed into the humble plant bearing her name. 



Chaucer affirms that the fair queen Jllceste, (wife of Ad- 

 metus, king of Pherae, in Thessaly,) who sacrificed her own 

 life to preserve that of her husband, was, for this admirable 

 proof of unbounded affection, transformed into this beautiful 

 flower, the Daisy. 



The English name of Daisy is derived from a Saxon 

 word, meaning Day's eye, in which way it is written by Ben 

 Johnson. And Chaucer calls it the " ee of the dale ." No 

 doubt from the habit of the flower of closing its petals at 

 night; which it also does in rainy weather. 



Star of the mead ! sweet daughter of the day, 

 Whose opening flower invites the morning ray. 

 From thy moist cheek and bosom's chilly fold, 

 To kiss the tears of eve, the dew-drops cold. 



Sweet Daisy. Leyden. 



When smitten by the morning ray, 

 I see thee rise alert and gay, 

 Then cheerful flower! my spirits play 

 With kindred gladness: 



And, when at dark, by dews opprest, 

 Thou sink'st, the image of thy rest 

 Hath often eased my pensive breast 

 Of careful sadness. Wordsworth. 



The little daizie, that at evening closes. Spencer. 



O'er waste and woodland, rock and plain, 



Its humble buds unheeded rise; 

 The rose, has but a summer reign, 



The daisy, never dies. James Montgomery. 



The gen. cha. of the Daisy, is, a common calyx; Co- 

 rolla, compound radiate; corollules, tubular, numerous in the 

 disk. 



DANDELION. 

 Leontodon taraxacum. 



Leontodon, L., derived from the Greek J.SMV, XESVTO;, a 

 lion, and e J:u,-, a tooth, and so called from a similarity in the 

 shape of its jagged leaves to the teeth of a lion. 



The English name Dandelion, which is a corruption of 

 dent de Lion, is expressive of the same idea, and might, pos- 

 sibly, have given rise to its botanical name. 



f- The specific name, Taraxacum, or Taraxacon, is 

 a name used by the Arabians, supposed by Ambrosini to have 

 been derived from the Greek T e a>jAf, eatable, because the 

 plant to which it was applied (our Dandelion, or something 



