308 Evening Primrose. 



extensively known — was very much liked, and great pains 

 were taken to naturalize it, so at the present time it grows 

 wild in Europe. Its flowers generally burst open and expand 

 between six and seven o'clock in the morning. 



The Evening Primrose slums the day, 

 Bloraoms only to the western star 

 And loves its solitary ray. 



Langhorxe. 



Phillips tells us that he has frequently stood over this plant 

 to watch the expansion of its flowers, the petals of which are 

 confined together by means of the calyx, the ends of which 

 meet over the corolla, and clasp each other as by a hook. As 

 the corolla swells in its confinement, the segments of the calyx 

 separate at bottom and discover the primrose corolla, which 

 appears to be gradually inflating with a gaseous fluid until it 

 acquires sufficient expansive force to burst the hooks of the 

 calyx. When its petals are thus freed they expand instanta- 

 neously to a cup shape, and in about half an hour after they 

 progressively spread until they become quite flat ; by the mor- 

 ning the flowers become flaccid, so that the impregnation must 

 take place after sunset. It is made the emblem of Incox- 

 stancy, and is therefore seldom worn by the fair, excepting 

 by those fray belles who love to coquette with and teaze their 

 smitten swains. 



These biennial plants are raised by sowing the seeds in 

 autumn, on a border, where they should remain until the fol- 

 lowing autumn, when they may be removed to situations in 

 which they are intended to flower the following summer. In 

 removing them care should be taken to avoid breaking the 

 roots, which run deep into the ground. This common kind 

 will o-row in almost any soil or situations, but the Grandiflora, 

 being more delicate, requires a south aspect and a light free 

 'earth. 



(Enothera Odorata — Sweet Scented Primrose, has 

 such a delightful fragrance and hardy nature as to make it 

 likely to succeed the other species, and banish them from the 

 best gardens. It was first obtained from Patagonia. It proves 

 to be a tolerably hardy perennial plant, growing freely in most 



