THE LILY FAMILY. 



155 



arranged in heads, umbels, spikes, racemes, panicles, &c. 

 Flowers generally large and showy. Fruit a capsule. 



Onion {Allium cepa). Leek (A. Porrum), Garlic {A. sati- 

 vum). It is scarcely necessary to describe these useful and 

 well-known esculents. They are extremely ancient, for we 

 read* that leeks, onions, and garlic were cultivated in Egypt 

 in the time of Moses, and in course of time found their way 

 to western nations, although it is not improbable they were 

 originally natives of Southern Europe. The leek is said to 

 be wild in Switzerland. 



Eocambole {A Ilium scorodoprasum), Shallot [A . ascalonicum). 

 These have bulbs similar to garlic, but are much milder. 

 They are more extensively used on the continent than in 

 this country. The last named species is a native of Palestine, 

 and derives its specific name from Ascalon, where it grows in 

 great abundance. It has been cultivated from time imme- 

 morial by all the civilized nations of the East, entering 

 largely into their daily food. It appears to have been used 

 in England about the middle of the 16th century ; the onion 

 probably at a much earlier date. 



Chives (Allium Schcenoprasum). A native of the North of 

 Europe. It has hollow grass-like leaves, and is commonly 

 cultivated in kitchen gardens. 



Star of Bethlehem [Ornithogalum umbellatum). This is 

 found in different parts of Europe and Western Asia, and is 

 also a native of this country. Its flowers are of a milky 

 white, borne in umbels, and it is probably on this account 

 that it has received the name " Ornithogalum," which 

 literally means "bird's milk." Some suppose that the bul- 

 bous roots of this plant were the "dove's dung" spoken 

 of in KingSjj" but there is not sufficient proof for this sup- 

 position. 



Ornithogalum pyrenaicum is also a native of this country, 

 abounding in some parts of the southern counties, especially 



* Numbers, chap. xi. ver. 5. 

 t Book II. chap. vi. ver. 25. 



