MAY AND JUNE. 



49 



Bermvdiana. 



Houston, an English physician, who was interested 



in the flora of Mexico. 



Blue-eyed Grass. ^ ought to liave said blue-eyed grass 

 was the only flower daintier than 

 bluets, if one is to speak from his 



own point of view ; yet this is hardly fair, because 



the blue-eyed grass is a bolder and 



larger flower, just reminding one of 



a violet. Unfortunately, it shuts up 



at once on being picked, and unless 



there is plenty of sunlight it refuses 



to open its eye at all; its color is 



purplish ultramarine blue, darker to- 

 ward the center, where there is a 



touch of pure gold. There is a curi- 

 ous notch in each one of the six di- 

 visions of the perianth, from which 



protrudes a little point, in shape like 



a thorn. The leaves are narrow, 



and look like blue Kentucky grass. 



The flower stands about ten inches 



high, and is generally shut in the 



afternoon ; sometimes there are three 



buds on a stalk, but I never found 



more than one open at a time. The flower grows 



in clumps on the meadow, in the pasture, and at 



the edge of the wood, but generally inmoist places. 



Blue-eyed Grass. 



