The ForgetMe-Not. 



This general favorite must be sought by the banks of rivers 

 and in marshy situations. Its little blue eyes peeping up on 

 every side, will assure the solitary traveller that he is not alone, 

 but, on the contrary, undergoing the inspection of more optics 

 than Argus possessed. It belongs to the class Pentandria (five 

 husbands), and order Monogynia (one wife). The generic 

 name Myosotis (mouse-car), is owing to the hairy character of 

 their leaves, and their growing longitudinally together like the 

 ear of a mouse. Linnaeus erected these rough-leaved plants into 

 an order by themselves, the Asperifolia (rough-leaved). These 

 plants have single petalled corollas, with five stamens and five 

 naked seeds. It is remarkable that most of the blue flowers in 

 this class are pink in the bud, the sudden change of which, from 

 a bright red to a vivid blue, as the flower expands, is apparently 

 caused by the loss of some acid principle. There are many 

 species in this genus, but none of any considerable importance. 

 The M. Arvensis or Field Mouse Ear, is an annual plant, covered 

 with grey down, half a foot in height. Leaves oblong, rather 

 acute. Flowers very small, white, on short pedicels; calyx 

 acute ; seeds smooth and shining — it abounds on dry hills. The 

 M. Palustris, the only interesting one of the number, and which 

 is represented in our plate, is so called on account of its growing 

 in swamps or marshes. It is perennial ; seeds smooth ; calyx 

 subovate, without hair, nearly as long as the tube of the corolla ; 

 stem slightly branched, leaves spear-shaped. The southern bank 

 of the Fairy bath at the Luxembourg in France, is covered with 

 a thick tapeslry of this flower ; they sparkle in July, clad in as 

 bright a blue as that of the cerulean sky. Presenting inferior 

 claims to admiration, on account of any superior merit or use, 

 this species is celebrated through the world. It owes this noto- 

 riety to a foolish and impossible story, that has taken wonderfully 

 with the public. About the best version is the following: — It is 

 related that a young couple who were on the eve of being united, 

 while walking along the delightful banks of the Danube, 

 saw one of these lovely flowers floating on the waves, which 

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