ANSONIA ANTIRRHINUM. 91 



AMSONIA. 



Amsonia latifolia,. Broad-leaved Amsonia. Amsonia 

 sahcifolia. Willow-leaved Amsonia. Natives of our south- 

 ern states. These two species resemble each other some- 

 what, except one has long, broad, peach-shaped leaves, and the 

 other willow-shaped ; both are hardy perennials, with pretty 

 blue flowers, two feet high, in June ; easily cultivated in almost 

 any soil. 



ANTIRRHINUM. 



Snap-Dragon. 



This is a curious, as well as an ornamental, genus of plants, 

 mostly perennials or biennials. The word Antirrhinum is 

 derived from words in Greek which express "similar to a 

 nose." The flower bears a perfect resemblance to the snout or 

 nose of some animal ; by applying the thumb and finger to the 

 side of the corolla, it opens and shuts, as with a spring. It is 

 described by Gerarde in his Herbal, thus : " This purple Snap- 

 Dragon hath great and brittle stalks, which divideth itself into 

 many fragile branches, whereupon do grow long leaves, sharp- 

 pointed, very green e, like unto those of wild flax, but much 

 greater, set by couples and set one opposite against another. 

 The flowers grow at the top of the stalkes, of a purple color, 

 fashioned like a frog's mouth, or rather a dragon's mouth, from 

 whence the women have taken the name Snap-Dragon. The 

 seed. is black, contained in round husks, fashioned like a calf's 

 snout. whereupon some have called it Calf's snout, or in 

 mine opinion it is more like unto the bones of a sheep's head 

 that hath been long in the water, or the flesh consumed clean 

 away." 



Since Gerarde's day, the Snap-Dragon has sported into many 

 varieties, not only purple but rosy, crimson, yellow, red and 

 yellow, red and white, white striped, mottled, tipped, &c. It 



