Flowers and Gardens 



the points of the three outer and narrower 

 sepals, thus clearly distinguishing them 

 from the three inner broader and blunter 

 petals, whose tips were directed inwards. 

 The corolla was not large, and therefore 

 required no stout stiff stem to support 

 it ; the stem had, in fact, just that slight 

 amount of curvature which would redeem 

 it from the appearance of formality. The 

 colour was a fresh honey yellow, beautiful 

 in itself, and well adapted to the form. 

 It is difficult to recognise species in these 

 garden plants ; but I think that this is 

 very likely to have been one of the com- 

 mon May Tulips amongst which it grew : 

 yet in the highest beauty, and in character 

 what a difference ! ^ Such flowers may not 

 be fitted for display in a bed, but scat- 

 tered here and there in twos and threes 

 amongst the other plants, they will im- 

 press us as no other Tulips can. I believe 

 that this kind of Tulip is common in our 

 cottage gardens, and therefore I have 

 noticed it. 



The cultivated form of Gesneriana is 

 often exceedingly fine when well rounded 



' [The Tulip so accurately described is T. retroflexa, 

 certainly one of the most elegant of the family. The re- 

 curved petals suggest a connection with the wild Tulip, 

 T. sylvestris, but it is not ajlied to it, and its origin is 

 unknown. — H. N. E.] 



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