98 FJ.VrilAS CfAMUEX FlOWEltS. 



Parkinson in five forms : the " white-haired iacinth/^ the 

 " Turkie faire-haired/' the " great |inrph/,'' the " faire- 

 haired branched," and the " faire eurld-haire/-" 



Grape hj-acinths are liliaceous plants of very distinct 

 character, and highly interesting. The}' have bulbous 

 roots, which increase in number yearly, and offer a ready 

 and simple means of augmenting the stock. This is 

 especially the ease with the beautiful Jliisctiri racemonum, 

 which will spread about the garden like a weed, and 

 is not at all j)articular about the soil, provided it is 

 not pasty. Their flowers are peculiar in their exceeding 

 smallness, in form being more like pouches or eggs tlian 

 bells. The leaves are like those of the vernal sc^uill, but 

 narrower and neater, owing to their stouter texture. 



The many varieties to be found in the books may be 

 referred to fi"\-e species at most. The one before us is well 

 known for its hardiness and exceeding beauty, although it 

 is far from a showy plant. Its leaves are held in an erect 

 position. Its little Howers are like a cluster of tiny berries, 

 on which remain the white teeth of the calyx of the Hower 

 that is gone. But the resemblance disappears when it is 

 seen that the imitation l.ierries are really tubular flowers, 

 and the white teeth are the so-called petals which the 

 botanists call the perianth. Of this sweet little plant 

 there- are several varieties, the best of which are .1/. Hd- 

 dreicki, which is of larger size in all its parts; jjallul ii m , 

 which has sky-blue flowers; and ul/jnin, white. 



The branched grape hyacinth (J/. racei/io>:iiiii) is occa- 

 sionally met with as a wilding in the southern cminties, 

 but is usually regarded as an escape from gardens, this and 

 other species being natives only of Southern Eurojie and 

 Asia Minor. This has long, prostrate leaves, from amidst 



