MARVEL OF PERU. 



Not the sunny plain, 



But where the grass is green with shady trees, 

 And brooks stand ready for the kine to quaff." 



AMARYNTHUS. 



MAEVEL OF PEKU. 



MIRABILIS. 



NICTAGINEJE. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



So named from the wonderful diversity of colours in the flowers. 

 " Every thing from the New Continent," says Mr. Martyn, " was at 

 first esteemed wonderful." French, belle de nuit [beauty of the 

 night] ; admirable de Perou ; merveille de' Perou ; jalap faux [false 

 jalap] . Italian, fior di notte [night-flower] ; maraviglia del Peru ; 

 bel di notte, gelsomino di bella notte; sciarappa. Spanish, Don Diego 

 de noche. 



THE Marvel of Peru, though first brought to us from 

 that place, is also a native of Africa, China, the East and 

 West Indies. The colours vary from white to red, purple, 

 yellow, red and yellow, purple and yellow, purple and 

 white, &c. ; sometimes all these colours are seen in the 

 same plant ; which, being very full of blossoms, has a hand- 

 some appearance. It flowers in July, August, September, 

 and, in mild seasons, October. In warm weather the flowers 

 do not open till the evening; but when the weather is cool, 

 or the sun obscured, they will open in the daytime; its 

 hours of rest being exactly the reverse of 



" Those flowers that turn to meet the sun-light clear, 

 And those which slumber when the night is near." 



H. SMITH. 



The Japanese ladies prepare, from the meal of the seeds, 

 a white paint for their faces. 



The Forked Marvel of Peru is a native of Mexico ; it 

 is very similar to the former species, but the flowers are 

 smaller, and do not vary in their colour, which is a red- 



