228 PROSERPINA. 



appearance is thus botanically explained. I do not myself 

 understand the description, but copy it, thinking it may be of 

 use to somebody. " The' apex of the carina is expanded into 

 a two-lobed plain petal, the lobes of which are emarginate. 

 This appendix is of a bright rose colour, and forms the prin- 

 cipal part of the flower." The describer relaxes, or relapses, 

 into common language so far as to add that ' this appendix ' 

 " dispersed among the green foliage in every part of the shrub, 

 gives it a pretty lively appearance." 



Perhaps this may also be worth extracting. 

 "Carina, deeply channelled, of a saturated purple within, 

 sides folded together, so as to include and firmly embrace the 

 style and stamens, which, when arrived at maturity, upon 

 being moved, escape elastically from their confinement, and 

 strike against the two erect petals or alse by which the pollen 

 is dispersed. 



" Stem shrubby, with long flexile branches." (Length or 

 height not told. I imagine like an ordinary heath's.) 



The term ' carina,' occurring twice in the above description, 

 is peculiar to the structure of the pease and milkworts ; we 

 will examine it afterwards. The European varieties of the 

 milkwort, except the chamsebuxus, are all minute, and, their 

 ordinary epithets being at least inoffensive, I give them for 

 reference till we find prettier ones ; altering only the Calcarea, 

 because we could not have a ' Chalk Juliet,' and two varieties 

 of the Kegina, changed for reason good her name, according 

 to the last modern refinements of grace and ease in- pronunci- 

 tion, being Eu-vulgaris, var. genuina ! My readers may more 

 happily remember her and her sister as follows : 



16. (i.) Giulietta Regina. Pure Blue. The same in colour, 



form, and size throughout Europe, 

 (n.) Giulietta Soror-Reginse. Pale, reddish-blue or 

 white in the flower, and smaller in the leaf, 

 otherwise like the Regina. 



(m.) Giulietta Depressa. The smallest of those I can 

 find drawings of. Flowers, blue ; lilac in the 

 fringe, and no bigger than pins' heads ; the 

 leaves quite gem-like in minuteness and order. 



