JULY* 155 



purple kind, and is -wild in the corn-fields of 

 the same countries. 



The tall flower, termed yucca, or Adam's 

 needle, ( Yucca gloriosa,) with its pyramids of 

 large pendent bells, is now very conspicuous. 

 Its blossoms are greenish- white, and its ever- 

 green leaves, like those of the aloe, are long 

 and pointed. The natives of St. Domingo call 

 the plant yicca. It grows both in these islands 

 and on the continent of America. Its pointed 

 leaves have been compared to a needle ; but, 

 as Dr. Lindley observes, it better deserves the 

 name of needle and thread plant, for "by soak- 

 ing in water, the fibres of the leaves may be 

 separated from the pulp, without being torn 

 from the hard sharp point, so that when pro- 

 perly prepared, the leaves do really become 

 needles, ready provided with a skein of thread." 

 Two other hardy species of yiicca are com- 

 monly cultivated in England. They flourish 

 well by the sea-side, and are very suitable 

 ornaments to the grounds of marine dwellings. 

 The dark rich velvet zinnias unfold their 

 stars. They are annuals. The red zinnia 

 {Zinnia miiltijlora,) is a native of North Ame- 

 rica, and its purple- red blossoms seem as if a 

 shower of gold had alighted on its petals. The 

 whorl - flowered zinnia, {Zinnia verticillata.,) 

 and the elegant zinnia, {Zinnia elegans,) are 

 both wild flowers of IMexico. The former 

 species has double red blossoms, and the latter 

 has red flowers, which change as they decay, 

 to a deep violet hue. The zinnias have very 



