Yellow to Orange Flowers 337 



folded in funnel- form, rarely expand, and are held up in 

 green calyx-cups, which in their turn are cleft into four 

 narrow slender divisions. 



COMMON EVENING PRIMROSE 



CEnothera biennis. Evening Primrose Family 



Stems: erect, stout, wand-like. Leaves: lanceolate, acute, narrowed 

 and sessile at the base, repand-denticulate. Flowers: spicate, terminal, 

 leafy-bracted ; calyx-tube slender, the lobes linear, reflexed. 



The Evening Primrose, whose bright yellow blossoms 

 open in the twilight, somewhat resembles the Yellow Wil- 

 low-herb, whose paler flowers bloom at the bidding of the 

 sunshine. Seen in the daytime, the Evening Primrose ap- 

 pears faded and uninteresting; but viewed at night, its 

 fragrant flowers are exceedingly attractive. The plant 

 grows to an average height of three feet, and has alternate 

 lance-shaped leaves and erect buds. No sooner has the sun 

 set than the buds begin to expand, the closely closed calyx 

 suddenly bursting open with a loud pop, and then one by 

 one the petals slowly unfold, until the whole sulphur-col- 

 oured flower is wide-blown and sends forth its sweet fra- 

 grance to scent the evening air. 



" A tuft of evening primroses 

 O'er which the mind might hover till it dozes, 

 But that it's ever startled by the leap 

 Of buds into ripe flowers." 



A single summer night suffices to consume the vitality 

 and beauty of this flower, which at evening is fresh and 

 fair and newly blown, and by noon looks faded and most 

 dejected. It is strange how very fragrant and lovely are 

 many of these " flowers that blow when the heat of the day 

 Is o'er," such, for instance, as the Night-blooming Jessamine, 



