THE ICE PLANT. 



THE ICE PLANT {Mesembryanthemum crystallinum). — 

 Your Looks freeze me. 



This singular plant is much admired. It needs the 

 warm atmosphere of a hothouse, except in summer, when it 

 flourishes in the open air. The leaves are covered with 

 transparent vesicles filled with water. When the plant is in 

 the shade, it has the appearance of being sprinkled with 

 dew ; when exposed to a burning sun, it seems to be heavy 

 with icy crystals, which give it great brilliancy. On these 

 accounts it has received the popular name of Ice Plant. 

 Cowper, alluding to it, says, — 



" the spangled beau, 

 Ficoides, glitters bright the winter long." 



THE IRIS.— Message. 



Milton speaks of " Iris all hues," on which account this 

 plant received its name at a very remote period. These 

 colours are very brilliant, and are as various as the colours 

 and shades of the rainbow. Iris has ever been the bearer 

 of good tidings to mortals. When Priam mourned the death 

 of Hector, and longed sore to ransom his body, dragged 

 about by the relentless Achilles, she was sent by Zeus to the 

 heart-broken old man to say, — 



" Fear nothing, Priam, son of Dardanus, 

 Nor let thy mind be troubled ; not for ill, 

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