262 THE NARCISSUS. 



spathe, and most conspicuously in its corona a cup-shaped 

 appendage crowning the open flower. 



The Corona arises from the perianth just above the 

 throat, and includes the 6 unequal stamens and the 1 style. 

 In the plant before us known as the Poet's Narcissus, in 

 which the spathe is one-flowered, the corona is saucer- 

 shaped, much shorter than the white perianth, sulphur- 

 yellow, and edged with vermilion. 



The Name. Narcissus, the generic name, comes from 

 the Greek, narkao, meaning to become numb ; for the sup- 

 posed effect of its fragrance. N. poeticus is the Poet's Nar- 

 cissus, or the species which Ovid intended in his fable of 

 the youth Narcissus, who pined away with love for his own 

 image reflected in the fountain, and at death was changed 

 into a flower. * Among the numerous species are 



N. Pseudo- Narcissus (False Narcissus), the Daffodil, 

 having the large, yellow flower solitary like N. poeticus, but 

 the corona is large, bell-shaped, with a notched margin. It v 

 is often double. In this state the petals become numerous, 

 each- bearing a fragment of the broken corona ; but the 3 

 outer leaves the sepals are free. 



N. Jonquitta, the Jonquil ; very narrow leaves, 2-5 small 

 yellow flowers on each scape, short corona, and very fragrant. 

 The name is a diminutive of Juncus, a Kush. 



N. Tazetta, Polyanthus ; leaves linear, flowers 5-20 white 

 or yellow, crown yellow. 



Classification. By Narcissus and Hypoxis the order of 

 the Amaryllids AMAKYLLIDACE^E is introduced, number- 

 ing 68 genera and 400 species, characterized as follows : 



Bulbous herbs with scapes and linear leaves. 

 Flowers showy, perfect, not woolly nor scurfy. 



* The ancients used the Poet's Narcissus as a funeral flower, and it was conse- 

 crated to the Furies who are fabled to stupefy their victims before punishing them. 



