126 RESE'DA: MIGNONETTE. 



tribes of plants that I have told you of, besides 

 being so regular in the number and situation of 

 the different parts, upon which the classes and 

 orders are founded, have a general and natural 

 character that distinguishes them. 



The genus Rese'da, of which the Mignonette is 

 a species, belongs also to the class Dodecandria ; 

 and Linnaeus himself says, that there is scarcely 

 any genus which it is more difficult to determine ; 

 the number and shape of the parts of the flower 

 varying considerable in different species. Two of 

 these species grow wild in England, Rese'da lu'tea, 

 or wild Reseda; and R. Lute'ola, Dyer's weed. The 

 latter is made great use of in woollen manufactories 

 for dyeing yellow ; and it gives the colour also to 

 the yellow paint called Dutch pink. The Lute'ola 

 flowers in July; and Linnaeus observes that the 

 spike of flowers follows the course of the sun, 

 turning towards the east at sunrise, towards the 

 west as the sun declines, and at midnight towards 

 the north. 



The garden Mignonette, Rese'da odora'ta, which 

 has its name from the delightful odour of the flower, 

 is a native of Egypt; but was introduced into 

 France about the year 1725, and thence into Eng- 

 land in 1740. It blossoms from June till the be- 

 ginning of winter, and the flowers when dried 

 retain their scent for several months. 



These three species of Rese'da are all annuals ; 

 but the odora'ta, if the blpssoms are cut off as fast 



