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BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
And in floral language, the Pink and the Carnation signify maiden’s love. 
See on the Castle’s ruined wall 
The Pink spread forth its fringed ray, 
Blooming (though all around it fall) 
In triumph over art’s decay. 
Lovely as fancy’s self could dream, 
And fragrant past the reach of art, 
Well may it to the maiden seem 
Type of the love that fills her heart ! 
The following interesting story is told by a German writer :—“ Near Grenoble, at the foot of the ascent to 
Mount Cenis, stands a small chapel, in which a beautiful girl, about eighteen, was kneeling before an image 
of the Virgin, and holding in her hand an elegant bouquet of carnations. Suddenly the bells of some mules 
were heard, and the girl sprang from her knees and bent forward in the attitude of listening ; the next moment 
one of the muleteers, a fine handsome young man, had entered the chapel, and the girl had thrown herself into 
his arms. He embraced her tenderly, and when she gave him her flowers, he put them in his bosom with as 
much reverence as he would have done if they had been the relics of a saint. They then again embraced each 
other with the utmost tenderness, and a moment after he had disappeared, and the girl was again kneeling 
before the Virgin, without a word having been spoken on either side.” ' 
It is rather singular that the true origin of the garden Pink has never been ascertained ; as, though many 
botanists suppose it to spring from the same species as the Carnation, others derive it from a species they call 
D. plumarius , the native country of which is unknown. 
2.— THE DEPTFORD PINK. (Dianthus armeria, Lin.) 
Engravings. —Eng. Bot., t. 317 ; 2nd ed., t. 614. 
Specific Character. —Flowers aggregate, tufted. Bracteas lanceolate, downy, as long as the calyx. Petals serrated. ( Lind .) 
Description, &c. —This species is only found in gravelly soil, and generally on the borders of woods and 
in thickets. The plant grows from a foot to eighteen inches high, and the branches are terminated by clusters 
of small scentless flowers, of which there is seldom more than one in each cluster expanded at a time. The 
flowers are of a rose colour, with white dots. The plant is an annual. 
3.—THE MAIDEN PINK. (Dianthus deltoides, Lin.) 
Synonyme. —D. glaucus, Lin. acute, seldom more than two. Leaves bluntish, somewhat downy. 
Engravings.— Eng. Bot., t. 61 ; 2nd ed., t. 617. Petals notched, smooth. ( Lind.) 
Specific Character. —Flowers solitary. Bracteoe ovate-lanceolate, 
Description, &c. —This is a very handsome species, and it is the only one found wild in the north of 
England and Scotland. In the south of England it is very common in sandy soils, growing among grass or on 
hedge banks, close to the ground. The colour of the flowers varies very much in different plants, but there is 
always a circle of dark crimson dots, enclosing a white eye in the centre of the flower. There is a variety with 
white flowers, and glaucous leaves. 
THE PROLIFEROUS PINK. (D. prolifer, Liu.) 
This is a very rare species, having been found only in four places in Great Britain, one of which is Hampton 
Court. The flowers are of a dark purple, and have no beauty, as they are very small, and only one opens at 
a time. 
