CARDAMINE trifolia. Trefoile Ladies smockes. _Parkins. Parad. p.
389._
Such as are attached to the smaller alpine plants, will regard this
species of _Cardamine_ as worthy a place in their collections; one would
scarcely have expected to find it in Parkinson's _Parad._ yet there it
is described, and the following account given of its introduction: "It
was sent me by my especial good friend John Tradescante, who brought it
among other dainty plants from beyond the seas, and imparted thereof a
root to me."
This species is perennial, hardy, and of very humble growth; the leaves
grow thickly together, forming a kind of tuft; the flowering stems
rarely rise above the height of six inches, and produce on their summits
numerous flowers, waved on their edges; all those which we have had an
opportunity of seeing have been perfectly white, Parkinson and Haller
describe them as being sometimes tinged with red or purple; they begin
to appear towards the end of March and continue through April, the
shelter of a hand-glass open at top is often necessary to protect and
improve the flowering of this and other such early-blowing plants.
It grows readily either in a pot or in the open border, succeeds best
when planted in bog earth in a situation moderately moist and shady, and
is readily increased by parting its roots, which are somewhat of the
creeping kind.
Grows spontaneously in most of the northern parts of Europe, especially
Lapland, Switzerland, and Austria.
[453]
[Illustration: Nº. 453]
Amaryllis Reginæ. Mexican Lily.
_Class and Order._
Hexandria Monogynia.
_Generic Character._
_Cor._ hexapetaloidea irregularis. _Filamenta_ fauci tubi inserta,
declinata, inæqualia proportione vel directione. _Linn. fil._
_Specific Character and Synonyms._
AMARYLLIS _reginæ_ spatha subbiflora, pedicellis divaricatis,
corollis campanulatis breve tubulosis nutantibus, fauce tubi
hirsuta, foliis lanceolatis patulis. _Linn. fil. Ait. Kew. 416.
Mill. ic. p. 16. t. 24._
LILIUM americanum puniceo flore Belladonna dictum. _Herm. par. 194.
t. 194._
Descr. "Bulb green, scape round, somewhat flattened: Corolla scarlet,
with a bottom of a whitish green, the three outer petals round at the
tip, the three inner fringed at the base; the style red, the flower
stems seldom rise more than one foot high; each stem supports two,
three, or four flowers, rarely more; they are large, and of a bright
copper colour, inclining to red; the spathe which cover the buds before
they open, divides into two parts to the bottom, standing on each side
the umbel of flowers joined to the peduncles.
"It flowered in Mr. Fairchild's garden at Hoxton, in 1728, when the late
Dr. James Douglass caused a figure of it to be drawn, and wrote a folio
pamphlet on it. He gave it the title of _Lilium Reginæ_, because it was
in full beauty on the first of March, which was the late queen's
birth-day. Mr. Fairchild told me the roots were brought from Mexico; so
he gave it the name of Mexican Lily, which is still continued to it by
the English gardeners. It flowers constantly in the spring, when it is
placed in a very warm stove. It is in beauty in February, and those
which are in a moderate temperature of air will flower in March or
April.
"Not being so hardy as some others, it must be placed in a warm stove,
and if the pots are plunged into a hot-bed of tanner's bark, the roots
will thrive better, and the flowers will be strong.
"It is increased by offsets." _Mill. Dict. ed. Mart._
[454]
[Illustration: Nº. 454]
Canna Indica. Common Indian Reed or Shot.
_Class and Order._
Monandria Monogynia.
_Generic Character._
_Corolla_ 6-partita erecta: labio bipartito, revoluto. _Stylus_
lanceolatus, corollæ adnatus. _Calyx_ 3-phyllus.
_Specific Character and Synonyms._
CANNA _Indica_ foliis ovatis utrinque acuminatis nervosis. _Sp. Pl.
1._ _Ait. Kew. vol. 1. p. 1._