NAT. ORDE R. 
Liliacece. 
TULIPA SYLVESTRIS. TURK'S-CAP, OR WILD TULIP 
Class VI. Hexandria. Order 1. Monogynia. 
Gen. Char. Petals, six. Stamens, six. Stigma, three-lobed. 
Spe. Char. Stem, one-flowered. Leaves, tapering to a point. 
This beautiful exotic plant rises about two feet in height ; its 
Howers are large, yellow, roundish, and very beautiful to the eye ; 
the stalks, or stems, are generally one, and one-flowered ; \he petals 
are six in number, of a whitish color, but tipped with yellow ; the 
stamens are six, — three longer, and three shorter ; the stigma is 
three-lobed ; the leaves are inserted at the base, sword-like, fleshy, 
and firmly ribbed. It increases by throwing out a long fibre, at 
the extremity of which a bulb is produced, which shoots forth a 
new plant the next season. It is said to be a native of Holland, 
where it has been cultivated for four centuries. 
The name Tulip, originated from the Turkish word, Tulipan, 
which is the name the Turks give their Head-tyres, or caps ; and 
we in English, in conformity with this name, call it the Tulip, 
which somewhat resembles the Turk's cap. By modern writers 
upon the subject of Botany, but little can be gathered respecting 
the history and origin of this rare plant, although it is well 
known to have been cultivated for more than four hundred 
years ; yet, from a want of knowledge, or from some other 
unknown cause, this family of plants has been most wonder- 
fully neglected. Salmond, an ancient, but distinguished botanist, 
in his Herbal, describes three hundred and sixty-one different 
varieties of the Tulip Tribe, most of which were extensively 
Vol. ii.— 187 
