LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
228 
ALOE. 
GRIEF. 
The Aloe is attached to the soil by very 
feeble roots; it delights to grow in the wilder¬ 
ness ; its taste is extremely hitter. Thus grief 
detaches us from the earth, separates us from 
the world, and fills our hearts with bitterness. 
These plants live almost entirely on air, and 
assume singular and grotesque shapes. Le 
Vaillant found several species in great pro¬ 
fusion in the deserts of the Namaquas, in South 
Africa. Some had leaves six feet long; they 
are thick, and armed with long spines; from 
the centre of these leaves shoots up a slender 
stem, as tall as a tree, and covered with flowers. 
Others are marbled, and look like snakes creep¬ 
ing upon the ground. Brydone saw the ancient 
city of Syracuse overgrown with large Aloes in 
blossom ; their elegant stems gave to the pro¬ 
montory on which it stands the appearance of 
an enchanted wood. These magnificent and 
