cel 
April. 
at. 31. 
_ Fig. 4. but this for its peculiar Afpeét, and early Flow- 
: ering, demands a feparate Notice. Tho’ far from 
: bro purpureo, and Fritilaria purpuro fufca. 
OF GARDENING. 
that Colour; but in Gardens, the Variety of Co- { 
louring is endlefs. 
In the moft perfect and elegant State, the three 
Petals which fall down, are of a fine yellow, 
tho’ not without fome Tinge of brown, and 
they are veined with the moft glowing violet pur- 
ple: the three upper Ones have the fame ground 
Colour, but they are clouded and painted with 
a more lively purple ; in a wild and pleafing Irre- 
gularity. 
Nature {ports and wantons without Bounds, in 
The Clafs of the Plant is obvious in this Exa- 
mination: the three Filaments refer it to the 
Triandria, the Third in the Linnaan Syftem, 
and its fingle Style fhews it one of the Monogynia. 
Culture of this Ir1s. 
The common Way of propagating this Plant, 
is by parting the Roots; but the Gardener who 
values himfelf upon his Art, fhould always 
raife it from Seeds. The Method we fhall lay 
the Difpofition of thefe Colours: and there are. down at large ina fucceeding Nurinber. 
three other broad Parts, refembling {maller Pe- 
tals in this Flower; which tho’ naeapally pale, 
will receive alfo from Culture various Degrees of 
Colouring. 
To explain thefe, we need refer only to the 
Characters of the Iris Flower, laid down in a pre- 
ceeding Number : this Species fhews the fame. 
In the Place of a Cup, there are a few 
vague and light Films: the fix Petals, various 
in Form and Difpofition, are united at their Bafes : 
| the Filaments are three, and they lie upon the Pe- 
tals, which turn down; and from the Rudiment, 
which ftands below the Receptacle of the Flower, 
rifes a fingle, and very fhort Style, crowned 
with a vaft Stigma, divided into three broad 
Parts; thefe are the Baftard Petals of which 
we are treating. 
The ‘Tike for parting the Roots, is when the 
- Leaves begin to change Colour, which i is ufually 
in Auguft. 
The Pieces fhould not be too fmall ; and they 
fhould be planted in a fhady Border, at two Feet. 
and a half Diftance, and watered often. 
The Bed fhould be fhaded from the Noon-day 
Sun, but open to the Eaft, that it may have its 
Influence in the Morning, and the beft Soil is an 
equal Mixture of rich meadow Earth, and Pond- 
Mud. 
We fhall in a fucceeding Chapter lay before 
the Reader many other Beautifal Flowers of the 
Iris Kind ; and take that Occafion of delivering 
the Method of pas sa them from Seed rope 
| ther. 
a DUSKY FRITILEARY, 
We fhall have Occafion to explain hereafter, 
many of the Fritillaries to the curious Reader, 
the moft elegant of the Kind, ‘it is to the atten- 
tive Eye, full of a fingular Beauty ,; and it pre- 
ferves this longer, than moft of the more {pe- 
cious Flowers. . 
It is one of the many Varieties we fee from 
the common Fritillary Stock, and to that origi- 
nal Species, the Student is to refer it. | 
The Authors who have confidered it as a dif- 
tinét Species, have called it Fritillaria flore ex ru- 
wn @us characterifes the Species to which it belongs, 
by the Name fritillaria foliis omnibus alternis , 
diftinguifhing it by this Name, Fritillary, with all 
the Leaves placed alternately, from the {mall flow- 
er’d Pyrenean Kind, in which the lower Ones ftand 
in Pairs: the Varieties from this latter Species 
are fingular, tho’ few; thofe from the other, 
which C. Bauvuine calls, Fritidlaria precox pur- 
purea variegata, are almoft innumerable, when 
produced from Seeds. 
Some Plants of this dufky Kind isfiraltle rife 
among them, and they fhould be feparated and_ 
preferved with Care.’ The Plant in this Condition, 
makes but a poor Appearance among the ‘gaudy 
Colours of the more ufual Varieties ; but in fome 
eee 
Nod at. 
Lin- 
other Place, it will be confidered more according 
to its Worth. 
_ The Root is a folid Bulb, divided into two 
Parts, whitifh and juicy ; and furnifhed with a 
few white Fibres. | 
The Stalk is réund, upright, firm, and ten 
Inches high ; toward the Bottom, it is purplith, 
upwards, of a pale green; but often ftained 
a little with red, at the Infertions of the Leaves. 
The Top droops with the Weight of the Flower. 
The Leaves are ufually four: They ftand at 
two Inches diftance, and they are narrow, of a 
dead green, not very long, pointed at the End, 
and hollow’d. 
The Flower, whofe Weight bends down the 
Top of the Stalk, terminates it fingly, and is of 
the Bignefs of a {mall Tulip. The Ground Co- 
lour, is a deep, but dufky Purple; and on this 
365 
April: 
are placed oblong and oblique Lines, of a yel-- 
lowifh green : 
Chequer-work we fee in many of the other Fritil- 
laries, but their Form and Difpofition is ici 
pleafing. 
There is at the Bafe of every Petal of the Flow. 
er, a greenifh Tinge ; and this is continued down 
its Length, in three or four faint Lines ; 
terminate the oblique and fhort Ones, which 
make the general Variegation ; and when view- 
ed near, they add.not a little to its Luftre. 
are Thefe 
they do not make the regular — 
thefe 
