By Joseph Sabine, Esq, 



471 



of which 130 were taken off with a view of increasing the 

 size of the flowers. In some seasons, and especially of late 

 years, the flowers have been semi-double ; when the plant 

 was younger, they were more single, but seldom had so few 

 as five petals ; their expansion is about ten inches, sometimes 

 more; the petals are very large and broad; they spread 

 widely out, but are not reflexed ; they are white, with a deep 

 purple spot on the lower part of each petal ; the spots are 

 rayed, in lines about an inch and a half long, from the centre, 

 forming a brilliant and rich star in the middle of the flower ; 

 the edges of the petals are a little jagged. The anthers are 

 yellow, and are very conspicuously interposed between the 

 dark spots on the petals, and the deep purple case of the 

 germens, the stigmas appearing united at the top of it. 

 After a time the germens break their covering, and then the 

 envelope disappears ; but it remains perfect unless the cap- 

 sules swell. The germens, as have been before observed, 

 are stated by some of the writers who have described them 

 as being six ; but five is the usual, as well as the most 

 correct number, and these as they advance, spread out in 

 a starlike fashion. The scent of the blossom is not pleasant, 

 but it cannot be said to resemble that of Elder, which 

 I have heard observed; it is more like that of a Poppy. 

 Andrews's figure, above referred to, is tolerably good. 

 That in the Botanical Magazine, tab. 2175, represents the 

 flower smaller than it usually is produced in our gardens. 

 A neat figure of it has also been given in Messrs. Loddiges' 

 Botanical Cabinet, tab. 547. The Chinese drawing which 

 I have mentioned, represents the flower as considerably 

 smaller than it is produced with us, but it certainly is 



