POETRY OF FLOWERS 43 
Italians, who passionately love the beauteous 
plant, are fond of ornamenting their verandahs 
with its clinging wreaths. The Dwarf Convol¬ 
vulus, used to typify the axiom that love levels 
all, is also a native of the southern portions of 
Europe; its fragile blossoms are of ‘‘ rosy red, 
Love’s proper hue.” 
The English wild varieties of this most grace¬ 
ful of all plants are commonly called “ bind¬ 
weeds,” and of these the Field Convolvulus is 
the best known. Its sweet-scented blossoms, 
which emit an almond-scented odor, are mostly 
striped with white and rose-color; but some¬ 
times are of a yellow hue ; its delicate green 
leaves are very slight and fragile, giving the 
plant a general appearance of frailty. And 
this, added to the knowledge that its flowers last 
only one day, renders it a very appropriate em¬ 
blem of fleeting joys. It is a great favorite with 
little country lasses, who love to twine a wreath 
of its delicate leaves and blossoms round their 
hats, or twist it about their flaxen tresses. 
