IRIS. 59 



and June, worthy a place in the border in large collections of 

 plants, nine inches high. 



The Grape Hyacinth, Muscari moschatum, is a pretty, 

 hardy, bulbous-rooted plant, with dark, light blue, or white 

 flowers, having a strong smell of musk. M. monstrosum, or 

 Feathered Hyacinth, is a most ornamental, hardy border flower; 

 the bulb is large, ovate and solid ; the leaves narrow, a foot 

 long, with obtuse points ; the flower-stalks rise nearly a foot and 

 a half high ; they are naked at the bottom for about seven or 

 eight inches, above which the panicles of flowers begin, and 

 terminate the stalks. The flowers stand upon the peduncles, 

 which are more than an inch long, each sustaining three, four, 

 or five flowers, whose petals are cut into slender filaments, like 

 hairs ; they are of a purplish-blue color, and, having neither 

 stamens nor germs, never produce seeds. M. botryoides is 

 another pretty species, with varieties of blue, white, and flesh- 

 colored flowers, all small, bulbous-rooted plants, obtained from 

 Holland as species of Hyacinths, with solid bulbs, producing 

 spikes of pretty, bell-shaped flowers a foot high, flowering in 

 June. All are hardy, and may be planted in any good garden 

 soil, about three inches deep, five or six roots in a group ; they 

 need not be taken up oftener than once in three years, and then 

 should not be kept long out of the ground. 



IRIS. 



Flower-de-luce. 



" The Flower-de-luce, and the round sparks of dew, 

 That hung upon their azure leaves, did show 

 Like twinkling stars, that sparkle in the evening dew." 



The Iris is a very extensive and beautiful family, claiming 

 the whole world as her country. Some of the species have 

 very large flowers, which, from their being very vivid, and 

 several uniting in the same blossom, are extremely showy. 



