CYCLAMEN. 133 



three years ; but they must not remain more than three. 

 When it is not intended to remove them every year, more 

 room must be allowed them for the growth of the offsets. 



Virgil speaks of the Crocus as one of the flowers upon 

 which bees love to feed : 



" pascuntur et arbuta passim, 



Et glaucas salices, casiamque, crocumque rubentem, 

 Et pinguem tiliam, et ferrugineos hyacinthos." 



VIRGIL, GEORGIC 4. 



" They feed also at large on arbutes and hoary willows, and cassia, 

 and glowing saffron, and fat limes, and deep-coloured hyacinths/' 

 MARTYN'S TRANSLATION, p. 372. 



CYCLAMEN. 



PRIMULACE^. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



This name is of Greek origin, and signifies circular. It alludes 

 either to the roundness of the leaves, or of the roots. The familiar 

 name among the country people is Sow-bread. French, pain du por- 

 ceau; in the village dialect, pan de pur, both signifying sow-bread. 

 Italian., pane porcino ; pane terreno [ground bread.] 



THE common Cyclamen is an Austrian. The flowers 

 are purple, drooping, and sweet-scented. The Ivy-leaved 

 species is Italian: the flowers appear in August or Sep- 

 tember, soon after the leaves come out, and continue 

 growing till May, when they begin to decay, and in June 

 are quite dried up. There are two varieties; one with 

 white, and one with purple flowers. 



The Round-leaved Cyclamen is a native of the South 

 of Europe : it has purple flowers, which blow late in the 

 autumn. 



The Persian Cyclamen, which is the most popular, 

 flowers in March or April : it is sweet-scented, and varies 

 in colour from a pure white to white and purple, or some- 

 times to a beautiful blush-colour. It is, as the name im- 

 plies, a native of Persia: it has also been found in the 



