MAT. 87 



in those happy days, when " the desert shall 

 rejoice and blossom as the rose." It is well 

 known now to the Arabs. 



May and the three following months, are the 

 season at which the different species of the 

 evening primrose tribe make their appearance. 

 Only the yellow and white kinds truly deserve 

 the familiar name, but these seem to give wel- 

 come to a cloudy day, or to the evening 

 twilight, by opening just at the period when 

 other flowers are closing. The common even- 

 ing primrose {CEnothera hiemiis) expands its 

 pale yellow flowers at about six o'clock in the 

 evening. It was termed by Parkinson the 

 primrose of Virginia, aTid is now often called 

 evenino; star. Its roots are eaten in the same 

 way as olives, and make; wine more agreeable, 

 thereby adding drunkenness to thirst. In 

 many coimtries the plant is cultivated for these 

 roots, Avhich are boiled and eaten at table. 

 The great flowered species {G^nothera grandi- 

 florcC) is delightfully fragrant. It was intro- 

 duced into England from America, by Dr. John 

 Fothcrgill, and has also pale yellow blossom.s. 



The evening primroses are annual, luennial, 

 or perennial plants, and there is a great variety 

 of them in common culture. The purple flow- 

 ered kinds, still called by gardeners (enothera, 

 are by botanists now termed godetia: some of 

 them are showy tall plants, the handsomest of 

 which are the annuals, introduced from Cali- 

 fornia. Their colours are most brillinnt wlicn 

 grown in a poor soil. 



