168 FLORA'S CLOCK. 



covers the hedgerows with its white blossoms, is 

 wafted to us on the earliest gales of spring. The 

 mignonette, or little darling, the polyanthus, stocks, 

 wall-flowers, roses, and many others, shed their 

 fragrance through our gardens, whilst others are 

 found in all our spring and summer walks, through 

 every lane and "alley green," affording a constant 

 source of delight. 



A very curious thing about flowers is, that many 

 of them close their petals punctually at certain 

 hours of the day, and others at the approach of rain. 

 This periodical shutting of flowers has been called 

 Flora's clock. The yellow and purple star of Je- 

 rusalem closes at noon ; the purple goat's beard 

 shuts at twelve o'clock, and has from this circum- 

 stance been named go-to-bed at noon, whilst the 

 evening primrose opens its petals at sunset and 

 closes them at daybreak. During summer the 

 dandelion opens about half past five in the morn- 

 ing and shuts at ten, when the sun is becoming 

 powerful; the flower of the garden lettuce spreads 

 its petals at seven, and collects them together at 

 ten : the cat's-ear closes at three in the afternoon, 

 the mouse-ear at half past two, and the prince's 

 leaf at four, and hence is called the four o'clock 

 flower. 



The pimpernel, or, as it is familiarly called, the 

 poor man's weather-glass, is an excellent guide as 

 to the weather. If its petals are seen fairly open- 

 ed, it is almost sure to be fine, and if closed, rain is 

 certainly near. Linnaeus, the celebrated botanist 



