THE PICOTEE 33 



PlCOTEES 



"The same qualities as to size, petal, crown, and 

 clear white ground as the Carnations, edge of petals 

 smooth and well rounded. Those flowers which are 

 free from blotch or stripe down the petal below the 

 coloured edging are greatly to be preferred to those 

 which are marked and pouncy." 



A perfect white or yellow ground Picotee should 

 have no spots or marks of any kind upon the pure 

 white or clear yellow ground except the colour on 

 the margins of the petals. This is sometimes in the 

 form of a fine line like fine wire ; sometimes there 

 is a broad margin of deep red, rose, scarlet, or 

 purple. 



In the year 1839 there was a list of no varieties 

 of white ground Picotees. None of them are in 

 existence now, but they were doubtless very fine 

 varieties, and a few years later coloured plates of 

 Picotees were published by Mr. Andrews of the true 

 type in form and colour. Probably none of them 

 were free from exaggeration, as most of this artist's 

 flowers were highly coloured. 



VARIETIES 



The yellow ground Picotee was a favourite flower 

 early in the nineteenth century, and Hogg in his 

 book on the Carnation informs us that the Empress 

 Josephine had an admirable collection of yellow 

 ground Picotees at Malmaison, and adds that Queen 



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