ANSONIA ANTIRRHINUM. 91 



AMSONIA. 



Aimonia latifolia. Broad-leaved Amsonia. Amsonia 

 saUcifolia. 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 greene, 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, mot tied, Clipped, &c. It 



