H Y A 



H Y A 



ami appearance; but it is smaller, and differs in 

 having the leaves more linear or less lanceolate, 

 and more erect ; the raceme is more nodding; 

 the corollas flesh-coloured, not blue, rounder, 

 with the sides of the petals less spreading, flat at 

 the base, not marked with a raised line on the 

 back, and less rolled back (though still reflex) 

 than in that. It is a native of Spain. 



The fourth species has an ovate-conical, solid 

 bulb, covered with brown skins: the scape 

 single, a foot high, and smooth: the leaves 

 channelled, sheathing the scape at the base, 

 shorter than the scape, sharp at the end: the 

 flowers in a raceme, all pointing the same way, 

 drooping a little ; each on a short peduncle, with 

 an awl-shaped bracte at the base: the corolla is 

 of a dull greenish red colour. When the flowers 

 first appear, they arc of a light blue, but fading 

 to a worn out purple colour. It is a native of 

 Spain ; flowering here in June. 



In the fifth the root is the size of a small 

 olive, covered with a brown skin : the leaves 

 five or six, longer and narrower than in the first 

 sort, striated and keeled, lying mostly on the 

 ground : the scape slender, a long span in height, 

 round, smooth, glaucous, having six or seven 

 flowers at top (sometimes twelve or more), 

 nodding, on pedicels half an inch in length ; 

 they are bright blue, smaller than those of the 

 first sort, without any scent. They are smaller 

 and of a deeper blue than the above. 



Most of these have white stripes and edges ; 

 and they vary to pure white, and a fine pale 

 red colour, with deeper-coloured veins running 

 along the three outer segments. Jt was for- 

 merly known by the name of Coventry Blue 

 Hyacinth by gardeners. It is a native of Spain, 

 flowering in April and May. 



The sixth species has pretty large, oval, bul- 

 bous roots, from which arise several leaves, which 

 are about eight or nine inches long, and half an 

 inch broad; incurved a little on their sides, and 

 end in obtuse points; these embrace each other 

 at their base; out of the middle of these, the 

 stalk which sustains the flowers arises ; it is naked 

 below, but the upper pkrtS arc garnished with 

 small flowers growing in a spike ; these have 

 ovate pitcher - shaped petals, which are re- 

 flexed at their brim, and are of an ash-coloured 

 purple, seeming as if laded, but have an agree- 

 able rimsky scent : the stalks do not rise 'more 

 than six inches high. Where they are in quan- 

 tity, they perfume the air to a considerable di- 

 .stanee. It is a native of the Levant, flowering 

 in April. 



There are varieties with the same coloured 

 flowers on the lower part of the spike, but larger, 

 and morcof the purple cast ; and those on the vtp- 

 1 



per yellow, with a very grateful odour, and with 

 very large yellow flowers. 



The seventh has a large bulbous root, from 

 which come out several plain leaves a foot long, 

 and about half an inch broad at their base; they 

 are smooth, and end in obtuse points : the 

 flower-stalks rise near a foot and a half high ; 

 are naked at the bottom for about seven or eight 

 inches, above which the panicles of flowers" 

 begin, and terminate the stalks : the flowers 

 stand upon peduncles which are more than an 

 inch long, each sustaining three, four, or five 

 flowers, whose petals are cut into slender fila- 

 ments like hairs ; are of a purplish blue colour, 

 and, having neither stamina nor germ, do not 

 produce seeds. It is a native of the south of 

 Europe, flowering in May, after which the stalks 

 and leaves decay to the root, and new ones arise 

 in the spring following. 



The eighth species has the root bulb as large as 

 a middling onion, which is ovate, solid, and 

 white, covered with a purplish skin : the leaves 

 five or six, a foot (or eighteen inches) long, and 

 three quarters of an inch broad at the base, di- 

 minishing gradually to a blunt point; (linear, 

 channelled, bright green) : the flower-stalk rises 

 about a foot (or eighteen inches) in height (round, 

 upright, smooth, glaucous green) : the lower half 

 is naked, but the upper part has a loose raceme 

 of flowers, frequently for a foot in length : the 

 lower flowers are further asunder ; before they 

 flower they are upright, but while they flower, 'and 

 afterwards, they stand out horizontally on pedi- 

 cels half an inch in length ; their colour yellowish 

 green, with blue or purple at the end : these 

 are fertile. The upper ones smaller ; leaves stand 

 upright, forming a corymb, and are blue or violet, 

 as also their long pedicels. It is a native of the 

 South of Europe, flowering the end of April and 

 beginning of May. 



There are varieties, with white and with blue 

 flowers. Mr. Curtis terms it the Two-coloured 

 or Tassel Hyacinth. It is distinguished more 

 by its singularity than beauty. 



The ninth has the leaves three lines wide, 

 straight on account of their short petioles: the 

 spike has from twenty to thirty flowers : the teeth 

 of the corolla are white, and the uppermost 

 are small : and the leaves are rolled into a cylin- 

 der: the raceme (or spike) an inch long ; the 

 flowers nodding, sweet-smelling, scarcely longer 

 than their upper pedicels. It grows naturally in 

 the vineyards in France; and where once plant- 

 ed in a garden, it is not easily rooted out, as the 

 roots multiply greatly. 



There are varieties with blue, with white, and 

 with ash-coloured flowers. 



The tenth species has a small bulb : the leaves 



