AMARYLLIDACE^E. 163 



Tlie Narcissus of the Greeks is no doubt the Narcissits poeticus, which has a 

 flower with a very powerful scent, and was attractive even to the gods, according 

 to ancient song. Proserpine, when carried away by Pluto, was said to be occupied 

 in gathering 



" Daffodils 

 That come before the swallow dares, and taJce 

 The winds of March with beauty." 



The Narcissus was consecrated to the Furies, who stupefied their victims with it3 

 scent ; hence Sophocles called these flowers 



" Grarlands of the infernal gods." 



The fable of the youth Narcissus, after whom the plant is named, is well known to 

 everybody, — how he fell in love \\Hth his own image reflected in the water, and pined 

 away until he was changed into the pale flower which rightfully bears his name. 



The Chinese regard the Narcissus as worthy of a place in the decorations of the 

 shrines of their household gods, and place large china dishes of its blossoms before 

 them on the first day of the new year, for which purpose the roots are planted ia 

 pots filled with pebbles and water, just in time to cause them to blow for this festival. 



A handsome double variety of this species is sometimes found in gardens, as also 

 some with purple or deep yellow cups. 



Tribe II.— AMARYLLEiE. 

 Perianth without any crown or petaloid tube in the throat. 



GENUS II.—L E U C O I U M. Linn. 



Perianth coloured, petaloid, regular; tube not extending beyond the 

 ovary; limb cupshaped-funnelshaped or -bellshaped, of 6 ovate or 

 elliptical-oblong divisions, which are free to the base, all similar, 

 ascending, the three inner as long as the outer, but rather narrower. 

 Crown absent. Stamens 6, inserted on the epigynous disk of the 

 ovary; filaments very short; anthers connivent, not aristate, opening 

 by longitudinal slits. Ovary adhering to the tube of the perianth, 

 green, ovoid ; style filiform-clavate ; stigma undivided. Capsule ovoid, 

 herbaceous, loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds few, subglobular, with a 

 black and crustaceous testa; or subglobular or ovoid, with a pale and 

 somewhat fleshy testa: in the last case furnished with an enlarged 

 cai'uncule. 



Herbs with coated bulbs and linear-lorate or linear or semicylindrical 

 green leaves. Spathe of one or two leaves, scarious, with one or two 

 herbaceous stripes where it is of one piece. Flowers solitary or 

 several in an umbel, pedicellate, pendulous, rather large, white or tmged 



Y 2 



