208 FLORA DOMESTIC A. 



" And from the nectaries of hollyhocks 

 The humble bee, e'en till he faints, will sip." 



H. SMITH. 



HONESTY. 



LUNARIA. 



CRUCIFEB^E. TETRADYNAMIA SILICULOS.l, 



French, la lunaire [moon- wort] ; satinee, satin-blanc [white-satin] ; 

 passe-satin [slip satin] ; medaille [the medal] ; and herbe aux lu- 

 nettes [spectacle herb]. Italian,^ lunaria. German and Dutch, a 

 variety of names, most of which have a signification equivalent to sil- 

 ver-bloom. English, Honesty; Moon- wort; Penny-flower; Money- 

 flower ; White Satin-flower ; and Silver-plate. 



THE Italian name Lunaria, and the English name Moon- 

 wort, were given to this plant from the form of the seed- 

 vessel, which resembles that of the full moon. Honesty 

 has a reference to the transparency of the partition of the 

 seed-vessel ; Silver-bloom, Satin-flower, &c. to its smooth- 

 ness and glossiness. The French name, Herbe aux Lu- 

 nettes, is very appropriate, for this part of the plant is cer- 

 tainly very like the oval glass of a pair of spectacles. 



The lower flowering stalks of this plant have few flowers 

 and some leaves ; but the upper ones have many flowers 

 and not any leaves. The plant is chiefly remarkable for 

 the partition of the seed-vessel from which it is named ; 

 and, when this is perfectly ripe, the branches are frequently 

 dried, and placed with Amaranths, Xeranthemums, &c. 

 over the chimney-piece in the winter-time. 



The Perennial Honesty grows naturally in many parts 

 of Europe : the biennial kind is a native of Germany. 

 They flower in May and June ; the blossoms are purple 

 or white, usually without scent ; but there is one variety of 

 which the scent is very agreeable. The annual species is 

 a native of Egypt. 



