ASTRAN TIA MAX'IMA. 
THREE-LEAVED BLACK MASTERWORT. 
Class. Order. 
PENTANDRIA. DIGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
UMBELLIFERJE. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
Carniola. 
2 feet. 
June, Sept. 
Perennial. 
in 1804. 
No. 213. 
The derivation of Astrantia is given in the pre- 
ceding article. Maxima, from the Latin, greatest. 
The plants of this genus, as before observed, have 
met neglect froimmany of the admirers of vegetable 
beauty. The expression of Sir. J. E. Smith seems 
to imply this, when he says of the Astrantia major, 
6 It is not found in every flaunting flower garden.’ 
It is by examination and attention, that the supe- 
rior attraction of many plants can be duly appre- 
ciated. Even without exertion of the mind, some 
objects, at first sight, produce a high sense of their 
beauty ; they possess an external pleasing character, 
too evident to escape the notice of the most careless. 
This may be called instinctive beauty, and which 
most of the inhabitants of the flower garden possess ; 
or, according to Locke, produce. Others excite a 
pleasure and a sense of their beauty, chiefly from 
examination, and comparison with subjects of the 
same class, and to which they probably are su- 
perior. To this denomination of beauties our plant 
may be said to belong. It is rational beauty, which 
the mind is capable of comprehending, not instinc- 
tive, which it has difficulty in analyzing. 
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