SWEET-SMELLING PLANTS 



27 



by the desire to introduce so great a curiosity to his native land. 

 He used every possible means, fair or foul, to accomplish his pur- 

 pose, but all his efforts coming to naught, he gave up in despair. 



The fair daughter of the court gardener was loved by a young 

 artisan, but lacked the dot which the family considered necessary 

 in a bride. One day, chancing 'to break off a spray of Orange 

 blossoms, the gardener thoughtlessly gave it to his daughter. 



Seeing the coveted prize in the girl's hair, the wily ambassador 

 offered her a sum sufficient for the desired dowry, provided she 

 give him the branch and say nothing about it. Her marriage was 

 soon celebrated, and on her way to the altar, in graceful remem- 

 brance of the source of all her happiness, she secretly broke off 

 another piece of the lucky tree to adorn her hair. 



Whether the poor court gardener lost his head in consequence of 

 the daughter's treachery the legend does not state, but many lands 

 now know the wonderful tree, and ever since that wedding day 

 Orange blossoms have been considered a fitting adornment for a bride. 



All the tribe take some years to reach maturity, and require the 

 experience of an expert to grow them properly in the British climate. 



' Odour of Orange flower and spice 

 Reached tliem from to time, 

 Like airs that breathe from Paradise, 

 Ui)on a world of crime.' — Longfellow. 



Clausena heptaphylla. — A small shrub, the leaves of which when 

 bruised emit a most agreeable fragrance, like that of anise-seed. 



Clematis. — A popular and highly ornamental genus of deciduous 

 climbing or shrubby plants, that produce a large quantity of 

 beautiful flowers, elegant alike in form and colour. It is unfor- 

 tunate so few of them possess scented attractions. The favourite 

 species in this respect is the variety flammiila, better known as 

 Traveller's Joy, Old Man's Beard, and Virgin's Bower. 



This sweet-scented Clematis, with flowers embroidered like pale 

 stars over the whole plant in summer, is the very type of elegance 

 and grace, with a perfume which is the most spiritual, impalpable, 

 and yet far-spreading, of all vegetable odours— a perpetual pearl of 

 simplicity intermingled with fragrance. In spite of these delight- 

 ful scented attractions, none of our poets appear to have noticed it 

 from this point, although Bishop Mant may have intended to record 

 its beauties in this direction when he says : — 



' The Traveller's Joy, 

 Most dainty when its flowers assume 

 Their antnmn form of feathery plume.' 



C. campanijlora, the Bell-flower Clematis, is a Portuguese variety, 



