tes, from the Greek T*^, meaning principality, (or Tagos, 

 a commander,) which shows the rank these plants held in 

 the parterre. [See Flora Historical 



MARVEL OF PERU. 



Mirabilis. 



The Spaniards applied the appellation Mirabilis del 

 Peru, the Marvel of Peru, to this plant, on account of the 

 great diversity of colour in its flowers, on the same root. 



The French call it Belle de Nuit, because the flowers 

 expand and smell sweet, at night only. And because its flow- 

 ers seem too timid to expand their variously coloured corollas 

 to an European sun. 



Sous le voile mysterieux 

 De la craintive modestie, 

 Tu veux echapper a nos yeux, 

 Et tu n'en es que plus jolie. 



On cherche, on aime a decouvrir 

 Le doux tresor que tu receles; 

 Ah ! pour encore les embellir, 

 Donne ton secret a nos belles. 



JH. Constant Dubos. 



The flowers of this genus have a talyx inferior, five-cleft; 

 corolla funnel-shaped, its base inflated and permanent; nec- 

 tary a gland surrounding the germen. Plant perennial, in its 

 several species. 



MEADOW SAFFRON. 

 Colchicum Jlutumnale. 



Colchicum, supposed to be so called from Colchis, where 

 it is said to grow in great abundance. 



According to fabulous history, this Autumnal flower owes 

 its origin to some drops being spilt in the fields, of the magic 

 liquor, which Medea had prepared to restore the aged .3t!son 

 to the bloom and vigour of youth ; and, on this account, the 

 Colchicum was anciently regarded as a preservative against 

 all sorts of maladies. It is suggested, also, that, as Medea 

 is sometimes called Colchis, it was the Colchicum that re- 

 lieved JEson from his infirmities. 



The foaming juices, now, the brink o'erswell; 

 The barren heath, where'er the liquor fell, 

 Sprang out with vernal grass, and all the pride 

 Of blooming May. 



Tate's and Stonestreet's Ovid. 



The moon shines bright * * * * * 

 * # # * # i n suc h a night * * 

 Medea gathered the enchanted herbs 

 That did renew old jEson. Shaks. 



Meadow Saffron. Saffron, E.; Welsh safrwn, safyr; 

 Fr. safran; Dutch saffraan; Turkish zafran, to be yellow, 

 to be empty; the root of cipher. Webster. 



The root of Colchicum is bulbous, nearly as large as the 

 Tulip, and is, unquestionably, poisonous. The calyx a spathe ; 



corolla monopetalous, tubular, very long, six-cleft; the tube 

 springing immediately from the root. There are three spe- 

 cies of it, purple, reddish, and variegated with purple spots: 

 natives of Europe. 



Darwin remarks of the C. Jlutwmnale, or Meadow Saf- 

 fron, that " the germ is buried within the root, which thus 

 seems to constitute a part of the flower . These singular flow- 

 ers appear in the Autumn, without any leaves; whence, in 

 some countries, they are called naked ladies: in the March 

 following, the green leaves spring up; and, in April, the seed- 

 vessel rises from the ground: the seeds ripen in May, con- 

 trary to the usual habits of vegetables, which flower in the 

 Spring, and ripen their seeds in the Autumn." 



The defoliation of deciduous trees is announced by the 

 flowering of the Colchicum; of these the Ash is the last that 

 puts forth its leaves, and the first to lose them. 



[See Darwin's JVbtes.] 



Then, bright from earth, amid the troubled sky, 

 Ascends fair Colchicum, with radiant eye, 

 Warms the cold bosom of the hoary year, 

 And lights, with beauty's blaze, the dusky sphere. 



Darwin. 



MIGNONETTE. 



Reseda Odorata. 



Reseda, a name which occurs in Pliny, and is evidently 

 derived from resedo, to allay or mitigate the second syllable 

 long. 



Pliny reports, that this herb is known in the neighbour- 

 hood of Rimini, and was used for dispersing tumours, and all 

 kinds of inflammations. 



The Reseda Odorata first found its way to the South ef 

 France, where it is called -Mignonette, Little Darling. 

 Cowper calls it " The Frenchman's Darling." 



Mignonette is said to be derived from the Italian mi, and 

 nonnette, my young nun. Spanish, JVLinoneta. 



Linnteus observes, that there is scarcely any genus whose 

 character is more difficult to determine there being such a 

 diversity of shape and parts, in different species. 



The Reseda Odorata, Sweet Mignonette, is a native of 

 Egypt; a hardy annual, blooming all the year round, if pro- 

 perly sheltered. Its Jlowers are deliciously fragrant, resem- 

 bling that of the vine-blossom, or fruit of the raspberry. The 

 petals several, unequal; segments all very deep, of a pale 

 buff colour, prettily contrasted with the red anthers; calyx 

 equal to the corolla, inferior, of one leaf, deeply divided; 

 leaves flat, undivided, or three-lobed. 



No gorgeous flowers the meek reseda grace, 



Yet sip, with eager trunk, you busy race, 



Her simple cup, nor heed the dazzling gem, 



That beams in Fritillaria's diadem. Evans. 



MIMOSA; or, SENSITIVE PLANT. 

 From JWimus, an actor or imitator its motions imi- 

 tating the sensibility of animal life. 



The plants of this genus, naturally contract themselves 



