THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 61 
cluster of flowers of celestial blue floated by on the 
stream. Struck by their beauty, the girl admires and 
regrets them. Her lover springs into the water, 
seizes the flowers, and has just time to throw them 
at her feet, crying, “Love, forget me not,” before 
he disappears in the swift current. 
CHIN A-ASTER (Aster sinensis). Variety. 
This beautiful aster comes from China, where it is 
cultivated in great perfection, and extensively used 
as a decoration. They are planted in pots, and ar¬ 
ranged according to their colors in charming lines 
and masses, the effect of which is often heightened 
by their reflection in a stream or sheet of water. 
The china-aster owes its variety to skilful culture. 
Thus study can vary continually the graces of the mind. 
TUBEROSE (Polianthes tuberosa ). Voluptuousness. 
The tuberose seems to be first mentioned by a 
European writer in 1594. There has been some doubt 
whether it came from the East Indies or from Mexico ; 
but the latter country seems to have most evidence 
in its favor. Father Camell says it was imported tiom 
Mexico to the Philippine Islands by the Spaniards, who 
called it Vara de S. Jose , or St. Josephs wand. 
It was carried from Persia to France in 1632. It 
was single then, but its petals were doubled under the 
hands, of a skilful florist of Leyden named Lecour; 
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