1S8 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



a group of flowers having direct relation to the species 

 known to botanists as Narcissus pseudo-narcissus. As 

 the varieties of this group go out of bloom the varieties 

 of Incomparabilis present their charming flowers. These 

 always appear in a nodding attitude, and they are distin- 

 guished from the group of true Lent lilies by the shorter 

 crown, which, as Parkinson truly describes it, is fashioned 

 like the chalice in which is held the wine at the Lord's 

 table. Here again we have abundant variety in respect 

 of colour, and several double flowering kinds that are 

 exquisitely beautiful. These incomparable daffodils, or 

 " Nompareilles/' as the old writers called them, are scarcely 

 out of bloom ere the first flowers appear on the daffodil of 

 the poets, the Narcissus poeticus, which we are to suppose 

 sprang from the watery grave of the beautiful and vain 

 boy whose fate is told in the story of Ovid. The trumpet 

 daffodils may be described as glorious, the incomparables 

 as beautiful, and the poets as delicate. Here in place of 

 a trumpet or a cup we have a cymbal or ring in the centre 

 of the flower. All the varieties of this group are pure 

 white, and the central ring is red, or orange, or rich yellow. 

 Lastly, to wind up the daffodil season, we have the 

 polyanthus group, or' Narcissus tazetta, which are produced 

 in clusters, or umbels, each flower having in the centre a 

 small neat cup, which is often of a different colour to the 

 perianth, or leaves that form the circumference of the 

 flower. These are much valued for pofc-culture and 

 forcing. 



The Corbularia group must have a paragraph to itself. 

 This group comprehends the species commonly described 

 as Narcissus corbularia (or bulbocodium) , and the several 

 varieties thereof, including one with white flowers, and 



