34 The Broom. 



Among the loose and arid sands, 



The humble arenaria creeps; 

 Slowly the purple star expands, 



But soon within its calyx sleeps. 



And those small bells so lightly rayed 

 With Young Aurora's rosy hue, 



Are to the noontide sun displayed, 

 But shut their plaits against the dew. 



On upland slopes the shepherds mark 

 The hour when, as the dial true, 



Chiconium to the towering lark, 

 Lifts her soft eyes serenely blue. 



And thou, "wee, crimson-tipped flower," 

 Gatherest thy crimson mantle round 



Thy bosom at the closing hour, 

 When night-drops bathe the turfy ground. 



Unlike silene, who declines 

 The garish noontide's blazing light ; 



But when the evening crescent shines, 

 Gives all her sweetness to the night. 



Thus in each flower and simple bell, 

 That in our path untrodden lie, 



Are sweet remembrances which tell 

 How fast their winged moments fly. 



Smith. 



The Broom. 



There is sometimes a little confusion in classing the Brooms, 

 which arises from not paying sufficient attention to the generic 

 distinctions between the Genestaand Spartium. The Spartium 

 Scoparus — Broom, is a common European shrub, from three to 

 eight feet in height, with numerous five-cornered branches, which 

 are of a bright green color; the leaves are hairy, quite small, of 

 an oblong shape, and hang either separately or in threes. The 

 flowers, which are very numerous and showy, are supported on 

 short axillary foot-stalks, separate, and of a golden yellow, con- 

 tinuing in blossom from July to October, which are able to 

 convert, as Mr. Martyn observes, the most barren spot into an 



