258 SYLVA FLORIFEKA. 



The Dutch name it Guelder, after Guelder- 

 land, from whence they first procured it, as 

 the additional sche (from) denotes. The gene- 

 ric name Viburnum is thought to be from vieo, 

 to bind; because some species of these shrubs 

 have twigs, fit for bands. Aiton notices 

 twelve different species of viburnum, some of 

 which have numerous varieties. 



It rarely occurs, that flowers growing in 

 their natural state and habits, become double ; 

 and when this adventitious circumstance takes 

 place, it arises principally from an excess of 

 nourishment, from the effect of cultivation, or 

 of some occurrence of natural circumstances 

 analogous to it. It is one of the principal 

 objects of the florist, to double the petals of 

 flowers as much as possible, because great 

 rarity is more sought after than pure beauty ; 

 and in general estimation, the beauty of a 

 flower is augmented in proportion to the 

 number of its petals ; but the botanist turns 

 from such flowers with disappointment, be- 

 cause he sees one of their parts unduly aug- 

 mented, to the diminution or total exclusion 

 of some of the rest ; for the anomaly most 

 generally consists in the multiplications of 

 the divisions of the corolla, by the conversion 

 of parts of the stamens into petals ; but in 

 the guelder rose, the corollas are increased, 



