158 GAllDEN FLOWERS. 



cane, {Arundo donax,) and which they use for 

 fences, for supporting the graceful festoons of 

 the vine, or for fishing-rods. In Spain and 

 Portugal it forms an important part of com- 

 merce, being used in those countries in looms, 

 and for numerous piu-poses. The striped vari- 

 ety of this plant is well known by the name of 

 ribbon-grass, and in Scotland is called garden- 

 ers' garters. The roots of several species of 

 arundo are used in dyeing. And now as the 

 soft wind blows, and the beautiful plumes of 

 the feather-grass (Stipa pinniita) wave up and 

 down, we do not wonder that the Eussian poet 

 celebrates it in his songs, and finds comparisons 

 to it in the movements of feminine gracefulness. 

 It grows freely on almost all the steppes of 

 Eussia, and waves to the winds which play 

 around some alpine rocks of our native land. 

 Ladies of former days wore it as an ornament 

 to the hair, and it is now often used to adorn 

 the mantel-piece, but, unless gathered just be- 

 fore the seeds ripen, it will fall into shreds ; nor 

 can its beauty be long jjreserved under any 

 circumstances. A species of stipa is one of the 

 grasses so much used by the Spaniards, under 

 the general name of esparto. 



The large handsome flowers and magnificent 

 foliage of the sweet-scented or Virginian to- 

 bacco plant, (^Nicotian tahocum,) may be seen 

 • in many gardens. The tubular flowers are of 

 a purplish rose-colour. It grows wild in the 

 West Indies, as well as in some countries of 

 America. 



