of a pink or stock. leaves ovate, lanceolate, finely toothed; 

 calyx of four leaflets, cohering, longitudinally, incumbent at 

 the top, opening at the bottom, deciduous, having two of its 

 leaves gibbous at the base; corolla of four cruciform, oblong 

 petals, bent obliquely, with attenuated claws, the length of 

 the calyx. The whole plant clothed with short hairs. There 

 is a variety with white flowers, 



That keep 



Their odour to themselves all day; 

 But when the sun-light dies away, 

 Let the delicious secret out 

 To every breeze that roams about. -Moore. 



RAGGED ROBIN. 



Lychnis. Flos Cuculi. 



(For Lychnis, its generic name, see Scarlet Lychnis.) 



Flos Cuculi, or Cuckoo-flower, Meadow Pink, Ragged 

 Robin, is a species of Lychnis which has had the last witty 

 name given to it, on account of the finely cut or ragged ap- 

 pearance of its petals. And Cuckoo-flower, in common with 

 several other plants that blossom about the time this welcome 

 and merry messenger of spring begins to sing. 



The root is perennial; stem about eighteen inches high, 

 with rough angles, viscid above; leaves narrow; panicles 

 forked; corolla of five petals, in four deep linear segments; 

 pink, very delicate, with a brown, angular, smooth calyx of 

 one leaf. There is a double variety, as also a white one. 



(For Ranunculus, see Butter-cup.) 



ROCKET. 



Hesperis inodora. 

 (See Queen's Rocket.) 



Hesperis inodora, the common English garden Rocket, 

 or scentless dame's violet, resembles the sweet-scented Italian 

 Rocket H. Matronalis, in all except its fragrance. It is a 

 biennial plant, which thrives well in fresh unmixed earth; 

 stable litter does not suit it. 



The English name Rocket, seems to have come to us 

 through the Lacin Eruca, which signifies canker-worm, as 

 well as the name of this plant. And this may have been sup- 

 posed applicable to it, from its often perishing, without any 

 known or visible cause. 



Which, on the white rose, being shed, 

 Made it for ever after red. 



Herrick. 



In rival pomp, see either rocket blow 

 Bright as the sun, or as the new-fallen snow. 



Evans. 



ROSE. 

 Rosa. 



Rosa, derived, with most probability, from the Celtic 

 ros, or rhos. De Theis remarks, that the Celtic rhodd or 

 rhudd, red, is the primary root of these words, the rose colour 

 being almost synonymous with redness- 



The Rose was consecrated to Venus: and, according to 

 ancient fable, to her may be traced the red colour of the rose. 

 When flying to the relief of her beloved Adonis, a thorn 

 pierced her delicate foot, causing the blood to flow. 



Its beautiful tint is poetically traced to another source, 

 by a modern poet: 



As erst, in Eden's blissful bowers, 

 Young Eve survey'd her countless flowers, 

 An opening Rose of purest white, 

 She mark'd with eye that beam'd delight, 

 Its leaves she kiss'd, and straight it drew 



From beauty's lip the vermil hue. 



J. Carey. 



Since first it bloomed in Eden's bowers, 



The Rose is termed the queen ofjlowers. Ba\four. 



Their smell divine, their colour strangely red. 



Cowley. 



Its breath 



Is rich beyond the rest; and when it dies 

 It doth bequeath a charm to sweeten death. 



Flood of Thessaly. G. of Flora. 



The genus is too extensive for an attempt at description, 

 in detail, and I find it necessary to suppress the appropriate 

 notice of each, in their turn, of those before me; confining 

 myself to only a few of the most interesting species. Among 

 these I cannot forbear to notice the JVfoss Rose, if only for 

 the purpose of introducing the fanciful origin of its pre-emi- 

 nence in beauty. 



The Angel of the flowers one day, 



Beneath a Rose Tree sleeping lay; 



That spirit, to whose charge is given, 



To bathe young buds in dews from Heaven : 



Awaking from his light repose, 



The angel whispered to the Rose, 



"Oh! fondest object of my care, 



Still fairest found where all are fair, 



For the sweet shade thou'st given to me, 



Ask what thou wilt, 'tis granted thee." 



" Then," said the Rose, with deepening glow, 



(< On me another grace bestow :" 



The spirit paused, in silent thought, 



What grace was there that flower had not? 



'Twas but a moment o'er the Rose, 



A veil of J\to88 the Angel throws; 



And, robed in Nature's simplest weed, 



Could there a flower that Rose exceed? 



Monthly Anthology- G. qf Flora. 



There is another strongly marked variety in the Thorn- 

 less Rose. Lemaistre, in his touching tale of the "Leper 

 of Jlostj' tells us that the thorns are produced by cultiva- 

 tion this is, I believe, contrary to the received opinion: 

 his theory, however, naturally suggested the emblem of in- 

 gratitude, which has been adopted. This too, it must be 

 confessed, is a wide departure from the ideas usually asso- 



