APRIL 49 



I know what white, what purple fiitillariea 



The grassy harvest of the river-fields 



Above by Ensham, down by Sandford yields. ' 



— Thyrsis. 



In some meadows, especially near Cricklade, nearly all 

 the flowers are white, and near Cirencester a curious 

 variety has been found, in Avhich the white flowers and 

 the leaves and flower-stalks are so t'wisted as to have 

 gained for the plant the name of F. contorta. As a 

 garden-flower for April the fritillary is a most desir- 

 able plant ; however much it spreads and increases it 

 never is in the way : and the leaves and flower-stems 

 die away so soon after the flowering is over that it 

 may be allowed to remain undisturbed in any garden. 



The other fritillary of which I must speak as one of 

 the grandest of April flowers — I might almost say one 

 of the grandest flowers of the year — is the great fritil- 

 lary, the Crown Imperial. It is a native of Persia, 

 Afghanistan, and Cashmere, and was introduced into 

 England from Constantinople about the middle of the 

 sixteenth century, and at once took its place as the 

 * Emperor of Flowers ' (Chapman), as the plant which, 

 ' for its stately beautifulnesse, deserveth the first place 

 in our garden of delight ' (Parkinson), and George 

 Herbert called it 'a gallant flower, the Crown Imperial.' 

 Perdita put it among her choicest garden flowers ; 

 Gerard described it at great length, and with all terms 



D 



