356 POPULAR GARDEN FLOWERS 



The Wallflower is the Cheiranthus (kyer-an'-thus) 

 cheiri of botanists. The generic name comes from 

 cheir, the hand, and anthos y a flower, in allusion to 

 the general use of the flowers as nosegays. 



There are flowers, as there are people, which, 

 without possessing remarkable beauty, have a dis- 

 tinctiveness and force that cause them to stand out 

 from their fellows ; and the Wallflower is assuredly 

 one of them. Without exceptional vigour of habit or 

 brilliance of colour to recommend it, it nevertheless 

 holds a sure place in the affections of flower-lovers. 

 We may attribute its popularity partly to its being 

 evergreen, partly to its habit of blooming freely in 

 spring, and partly to its powerful perfume. Retaining 

 its foliage throughout the winter, it gives life and 

 colour to what would otherwise be bare soil ; blowing 

 in spring, it gives brightness at a season when flowers 

 are none too plentiful ; diffusing delicious fragrance, it 

 adds an unfailing charm to the neighbourhood of a 

 house. 



Belonging to the Cruciferae, or cross-shaped flowers, 

 the Wallflower is a member of a large order, which 

 comprises 172 genera and 1200 species, and consists 

 of flowers with four sepals, the same number of petals, 

 six stamens, four of which are long and two short, with 

 glands at the base, and an ovary divided into two 

 sections. The seeds are borne in a long pod (siliqua). 



The common Wallflower is a native of Southern 

 Europe, but has become naturalised in Great Britain, 

 where its orange-yellow flowers bedeck the crumbling 

 walls of many an old fortress. Its success in shallow 

 limestone crevices, and on chalky cliffs, should warn 

 the flower gardener that it does not require rich soil. 

 Larger plants can be grown in such ground, but they 



