222 THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 



The character of these plants recalls one of the 

 most eloquent pages of the journal of poor Margaret 

 Fuller, afterwards Marchioness D'Ossoli, in which she 

 exhibited that rare union of deep sentiment with a 

 conscientious study of nature. She is speaking of a 

 man to whom society is no longer open, and who, 

 like the illustrious prisoner of Fenestrella in the 

 touching story of Picciola, had given himself up en- 

 tirely to the study of nature, animals and plants. 



" I had," said this person, " kept two specimens 

 of Yucca filamintosa during six or seven years with- 

 out their ever having come to nower I did not know 

 the flowers of this plant, and had no idei of the senti- 

 ments which they might call forth. 



In the month of June last I discovered a bud 

 upon the plant that had the best exposure, and two 

 weeks afterward, the second plant, which stood more 

 in the shade, also began to bud. I iirigined I was 

 about to have an opportunity of examining the 

 blooming of the one after the other ; but no, the 

 most favored of the two waited for his companion, 

 and both of them bloomed together just at the time 

 of the full moon. This coincidence struck me at first 

 as uncommon, but when I saw the flowers by the 

 clear light of the moon, 1 comprehended it. This 

 plant is created for the moon, as the heliotrope is for 

 the sun. It is not acted upon by any other influence, 

 and does not unfold its beauties by any other light. 

 The first night that I saw it in flower I felt a special 

 delight, I might even say ecstasy. Many white 

 flowers show to the greatest advantage in broad 



