352 breck's new book of flowers. 



red. It is a native of Ireland. For some reason it does 

 not succeed well in this country. 



SCABIOSA.— Mourning Bride. 



[From Scabies, a skin disease, in which this plant was said to be useful.] 



Scabiosa atropurpurea. — Mourning Bride. — This is a 

 handsome species, and has been cultivated as a border 

 annual so long that its native country is unknown. Lin- 

 naeus and Miller consider it a native of India. It is some- 

 times called Indian or Sweet Scabious ; it is chiefly valu- 

 able for its exceeding sweetness ; yet its colors are often 

 extremely rich. It is sometimes of a pale purple, some- 

 times so dark as to be almost black ; hence, I suppose, the 

 common name, " Mourning Bride ;" but its finest hue is a 

 dark mulberry red. Some of the dark varieties are ele- 

 gantly tij^ped with white. 



S. candidissima. — An entirely new variety of Sweet 

 Scabious, and being j)ure white, is very desirable for a 

 contrast with the other kinds in such very general 

 cultivation. 



" The Scabious blooms in sad array, 

 A mourner in her spring." 



The flowers are produced in heads, upon stems nearly 

 two feet high, and continue to bloom from July to Octo- 

 ber. A bed of Mourning Bride of the diflferent varieties 

 is very fine. 



SCHIZANTHUS. 



[From Greek words to cut, and a flower, in allusion to the numerous divisions 

 of the petals.] 



Tender annual plants, with finely cut j^ale-green leaves 

 and terminal panicles of elegant flowers. 



SchizanthllS pinndtUS. — Pinnate-leaved Schizanthus, is 



