360 APPENDIX. 



Thus, too, with the leaves, which have burst asunder suddenly 

 like the fan-palm, to make way for the stalk, their edges in 

 the day-time look ragged and unfinished, as if nature had left 

 them in a hurry for some more pleasing task. On the day after 

 the evening when I had thought it so beautiful,.! could not con- 

 ceive how I had made such a mistake. But the second evening 

 I* went out into the garden again. In clearest moonlight stood 

 my flower, more beautiful than ever. The stalk pierced the air 

 like a spear ; all the little bells had erected themselves around 

 it in most graceful array, with petals more transparent than sil- 

 ver, and of softer light than the diamond. Their edges were 

 clearly but not shurply defined; they seemed to have been made 

 by the moon's rays. The leaves, which had looked ragged by 

 day, now seemed fringed by most delicate gossamer, antf the plant 

 might claim, with pride, its distinctive epithet of filamentosa,. 

 I looked at it till my feelings became so strong that I longed to 

 share it. The thought which filled my mind was, that here 

 we saw the type of pure feminine beauty, in the moon's own 

 flower. 



" I have since had further opportunity of watching the Yuca, 

 and verified these observations that she will not flower till 

 the full moon, and chooses to hide her beauty from the eye of 

 day." 



WHITLAVIA GRANDIFLORA. 



An elegant new annual, from California, with blue, bell-shaped 

 flowers. It produces its flowers in continued succession, from 

 June to October. In habit the plant resembles theEutoca tribe, 

 but the flowers are more like the Campanula ; of a very rich 

 dark blue. In heavy, wet soils, this plant does not succeed well, 

 but flourishes in light, sandy loam, 



ZAUSCHNERIA CALIFORNICA. 



An elegant herbaceous perennial plant, from California, where 

 it is found in very sandy soils. The plant grows in bunches ; 



