P r * 
UL. 
/> 
.'1 u. 
I f y-1 •*. — 
5 A. i-Li A. * 
‘Ji ; i . 
ANTS. 
attended with an uncommon quantity of seed on these shrubs, whence 
their unusual fruitfulness is a sign of severe winter. 55 
Besides the above, there are several plants, especially those with 
compound yellow flowers, wrhich during the whole day turn their 
flowers towards the sun, viz. to the East in the morning, to the South 
at noon, and v to the West towards evening. This is very observa¬ 
ble in the sowthistle, Sonchus arvensis ; and it is a well known fact, 
that a great part of the plants in a serene sky expand their flowers, 
and as it were with cheerful looks behold the light of the sun ; but 
before rain they shut them up, as the tulip. 
The flowers of the chick-wintergreen ( Trientalis) droop in the 
night, lest rain or moisture should injure the fertilizing pollen. 
One species of woodsorrel shuts up or doubles its leaves before 
storms and tempests, but in a serene sky expands or unfolds them, 
so that husbandmen can foretel tempests from it. It is also w T ell 
known that the sensitive plants, and cassia , observe the same rule. 
Besides affording prognostics of weather, many plants fold them¬ 
selves up at particular hours, with such regularity as to have ac¬ 
quired names from this property. The following are among the 
more remarkable plants of this description. 
GoatsbearcL The flowers of both species of Tragopogon open in 
the morning at the approach of the sun, and, without regard to the 
state of the weather, regularly shut about noon. Hence it is gener¬ 
ally known by the name o f go-to-bed-at-noon. ' 
The four o'clock , (Mirabilis ,) sometimes called Princess 5 leafj is an 
elegant shrub in its native clime, the Malay islands. It opens its 
flowers at four in the evening, and does not close them till the same 
hour in the morning. It is said people transplant them from the 
woods into their gardens, and use them as a dial or clock, especially 
in cloudy weather. 
The Evening Primrose ( Oenothera) is well known from its remark¬ 
able property of regularity, shutting with a loud popping noise about 
sunrise, and opening at sunset. After six o’clock, these flowers reg¬ 
ularly report the approach of night. 
The Tamarind-tree , the water-lily, ( Nyrnphcea ,) the mary-gold, the 
false sensitive-plant, and several others of the Diadelphia class, in 
serene weather expand their leaves in the daytime, and contract 
them during the night. According to some botanists, the tamarind- 
tree infolds within its leaves the flowers or fruit every night, in order 
to guard them from the cold or rain. 
The flower of the garden lettuce opens at seven o’clock, and shuts 
at ten. 
u A species of serpentine aloes, whose large and beautiful flower 
exhales a strong odour of the Vanilla' during the time of its expan¬ 
sion, which is very short, is cultivated in the imperial garden of 
Paris. It does not blossom until towards the month of July, and 
about five o’clock in the evening, at w T hich time it gradually opens 
its petals, expands them, droops and dies. By ten o’clock the same 
night it is totally withered, to the great astonishment of the specta¬ 
tors, who flock in crowds to see it. 
“ The cereus , a native of Jamaica and Vera Cruz, exhibits an ex¬ 
quisitely beautiful flower, and emits a highly fragrant odour for a 
few hours in the night, and then closes to expand no more. The 
flower is nearly a foot in diameter, the inside of the calyx of a splen¬ 
did yellow, and the numerous petals are of a pure white. 
Plants which turn towards the sun—Plants which hang their heads at night and in 
storms—The go-to-bed-at-noon—The four o’clock—Evening primrose—Tamarind- 
tree, &c.—Aloes—Night-blooming Cereus, &c. 
