H Y A 



H Y A 



into larger pots, and sparingly watered in the 

 winter season. 



When thus managed, they will attain twelve 

 or fifteen feet in growth in this climate, and 

 often afford flowers. 



They afford ornament and variety in the stove 

 collections. 



HYACINTHUS, a genus containing plants 

 of the bulbous-rooted flowering perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class ancT order Hexandrla 

 JMonogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Liliacece. 



The characters are : that there is no calyx : 

 the corolla is monopetalous, campanulate: bor- 

 der six-cleft, reflex : nectary, three honeyed pores, 

 at the tip of the germ : the stamina have six 

 awl-shaped filaments, shorter : anthers con- 

 verging : the pistillum is a superior germ, round- 

 three-cornered, three-furrowed : style simple, 

 shorter than the corolla: stigma obtuse : the pe- 

 ricarpium is a roundish capsule, three-sided, 

 three-celled, three-valved : the seeds in pairs 

 (generally), roundish. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . H. orientalis, 

 Eastern or Garden Hyacinth; 2. H. non 

 scriptus, Common Hyacinth, or Hare-bells ; 

 3. H. cernuus, Bending Hyacinth; 4. H. se- 

 rotinus, Late-flowering Hyacinth ; 5. H. ame- 

 thysthucs, Amethyst-coloured Hyacinth; 6. H. 

 muscari, Musk Hyacinth; 7. H. vwnstrosus, 

 Feathered Hyacinth ; 8. H. comosus, Purple 

 Grape Hyacinth ; 9. H. botryoides, Blue Grape 

 Hyacinth ; 10. H. racemosus, Clustered Grape 

 Hyacinth. 



The first has a large coated bulb, viscid, and 

 of a sweetish taste, from the bottom of which 

 spring the roots, which are long round fibres, 

 of a middling thickness; from the middle of it 

 a single naked stem or scape ; and from the top 

 six, seven, or more leaves : the leaves are broad- 

 ish, keeled, pale green at bottom, but of a darker 

 green towards the end : the scape is a long span 

 in height, smooth, roundish, pale green below, 

 but tinged with brown towards the top : from 

 the middle of this to the top come out the flowers 

 one above another, not pointing the same way, 

 as in the Harebell, but standing on different sides 

 of the stalk; three,four, orfive, to twelveormore 

 in number,each nodding on pedicels, half an inch 

 in length, usually of a very dark green colour, 

 and having a pair of small bractes at the base : 

 the corolla is near an inch in length, almost cy- 

 lindrical except at the base, where it swells or 

 bellies out, and at the top the segments are turned 

 back a little : these flowers have a very sweet 

 smell, and are much valued for the variety of 

 their colours, as pure white, white tinged with 

 blue, all shades of blue from these to the dark 



violet, and all shades of red purple from the 

 faint blush to the deep red ; they are also some- 

 times yellow. It is a native of the Levant; 

 flowering in March and April. 



There are varieties with single white flowers, 

 with double white flowers, with red single and dou- 

 ble flowers, with flesh-coloured single and double 

 flowers, with blue single and double flowers, with 

 purple-blue single and double flowers, with flesh- 

 coloured single and double flowers, with yellow 

 flowers, with double while flowers, with red eyes 

 or middles, with double white with purple eyes, 

 with double white with flesh-coloured eyes, with 

 double white with yellow eyes, with double agate- 

 blue, with double and singleporeelain-blue/with 

 double and single violet-coloured flowers. 



There are also many intermediate varieties 

 which have been obtained from seed, and by 

 which many new ones of the above principal sorts 

 are annually gained ; each variety being distin- 

 guished either by the name of the place where 

 first raised, the person who raised them, or that 

 of illustrious personages, as the greatest kings, 

 the bravest generals, the most famous poets, The 

 celebrated antient historians, and gods and god- 

 desses. 



It is this species and varieties that are com- 

 monly esteemed and cultivated by florists. 



The chief properties which distinguish the 

 good Double Hyacinth are, that the stalk be tall, 

 strong, and upright : the flowers or bells suf- 

 ficiently numerous, each suspended by a short 

 strong peduncle, in a horizontal position ; the 

 whole having a compact pyramidal form, with 

 the crown or uppermost flower perfectly erect : 

 the flowers should be large, and well filled with 

 broad bold petals, appearing to the eye rather 

 convex, than flat or hollow : they should extend 

 to about the middle of the scape or stalk : the 

 plain colours should be clear and bright, strong 

 ones being in general preferred to pale colours, 

 and such as are mixed should blend with ele- 

 gance. 



In the second species the root is roundish, 

 about the size of a nutmeg: the scape from six 

 inches to a foot in height, upright, round, 

 smooth, and solid, bowed down when it begins 

 to flower: the leaves are four, six, or sometimes 

 more, only half the length of the scape, and 

 about half an inch broad, keeled, hollow, smooth, 

 shining, grass green, flaccid, bending downwards, 

 ending in an acute point: the flowers are in a 

 long raceme or spike, from eight to twelve, often 

 more, all pointing one way, pedicelled, pendu- 

 lous, sweet-smelling, blue or violet colour, 

 varying to white and flesh-coloured, six-parted 

 to the very base. It is a native of France. 



The third agrees with the first sort in habit 

 302 



