-" me pascunt olivæ,

Me cichorea, levesque malvæ.”

"Olives, succory, and light mallows are my

food."

He commends them also as being very salutary:

"Malvæ salubres corpori."

We are informed that a tree of the Mallow kind furnishes food to the Egyptians, and the Chinese also use Mallows in their food.

Job speaks of them as being eaten in times of famine :

"For want and famine they were solitary: fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste :

"Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper-roots for their meat*"

A kind of paste, called by the French name of pâte de mauve, was prepared from the root, which is thought to be efficacious in allaying the irritation produced by violent coughing; but at present the Mallow is omitted, that the composition may have a fine white colour; it is therefore now made only of the finest white gum-arabic, the white of eggs, sugar, and orange-flower water.

The Mallow was formerly planted, with some other flowers, the asphodel in particular, around the graves of departed friendst. It was probably this circumstance which led to the following reflections, in the epitaph on Bion, by Moschus:

"Raise, raise the dirge, Muses of Sicily!
Alas! when mallows in the garden die,
Green parsley, or the crisp luxuriant dill,
They live again, and flower another year;
But we, how great soe'er, or strong, or wise,
When once we die, sleep in the senseless earth,
A long, an endless, unawakeable sleep."

HUNT'S FOLIAGE.

* Job, chap. xxx. verses 3, 4.

+ See Asphodel.

The common Mallow of this country must be familiar even to London readers; it is an amiable plant, generally to be found in spots neglected by mankind. The leaf is as handsome as the flower:

"The mallow purpling o'er the pleasant sides
Of pathways green."

DR. BIDLAKE.

MARSH-MARYGOLD.

RANUNCULACEE.

CALTHA PALUSTRIS.

POLYANDRIA POLYGYNIA.

The name Caltha signifies in Greek a basket, and refers to the appearance of the flower when not fully expanded.-French, le populage; le souci d'eau [water marygold]; le souci de marais; souchet d'eau. Italian, calta palustre; sposa del sole [spouse of the sun]; populaggine; farferugio.-In England, it is also called water-blobs, and boots.

THE Marsh-marygold makes a brilliant appearance in the meadows in March and April, and sometimes even as early as February. The flower-buds, gathered before they expand, are said to be a good substitute for capers; and their juice, boiled with alum, stains paper yellow. On May-day the country people strew these flowers before their doors, and twine them in their garlands. In Lapland it is the first flower that announces the approach of spring, although it does not there appear till the end of May. The double variety is preserved in flower gardens for its beauty, which lasts longer than in the single flowers, although blowing later. It blooms throughout May and June. This plant is increased by parting the roots in autumn: it likes the shade, and must be allowed more water than other Marygolds; for its natural place of growth is

"Not the sunny plain,

But where the grass is green with shady trees,
And brooks stand ready for the kine to quaff.”

AMARYNTHUS.

NICTAGINEA.

MARVEL OF PERU.

MIRABILIS.

PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

So named from the wonderful diversity of colours in the flowers. "Every thing from the New Continent," says Mr. Martyn, was at first esteemed wonderful.”—French, belle de nuit [beauty of the night]; admirable de Perou; merveille de Perou; jalap faux [false jalap].-Italian, fior di notte [night-flower]; maraviglia del Peru; bel di notte, gelsomino di bella notte; sciarappa.-Spanish, Don Diego de noche.

THE Marvel of Peru, though first brought to us from that place, is also a native of Africa, China, the East and West Indies. The colours vary from white to red, purple, yellow, red and yellow, purple and yellow, purple and white, &c.; sometimes all these colours are seen in the same plant; which, being very full of blossoms, has a handsome appearance. It flowers in July, August, September, and, in mild seasons, October. In warm weather the flowers do not open till the evening; but when the weather is cool, or the sun obscured, they will open in the daytime; its hours of rest being exactly the reverse of—

"Those flowers that turn to meet the sun-light clear,

And those which slumber when the night is near."
H. SMITH.

The Japanese ladies prepare, from the meal of the seeds, a white paint for their faces.

The Forked Marvel of Peru is a native of Mexico; it is very similar to the former species, but the flowers are smaller, and do not vary in their colour, which is a red

purple, or rather a purple-red. It is very common in all the islands of the West Indies, where it is called Fouro'clock-flower, from the flowers opening at that time of the day.

The Sweet-scented Marvel of Peru has white flowers; which, as in the other two kinds, close during the day, and expand when the sun declines, like the Indian Nightflower, which its countrymen have named Sephalica, because they believe the bees sleep upon its blossoms.

The Sweet-scented species is not, however, agreeable to every one, since its scent is of musk, which many persons dislike. It is a native of Mexico, and flowers from June to September.

The Clammy Marvel of Peru has violet-coloured flowers, which blow from August to December.

These plants should be raised in a hot-bed; but if the roots are taken up when they have done flowering, laid in dry sand all the winter, secure from frost, and planted again in the spring, they will flower very well. Towards the end of May they may be set abroad. The first and third kinds are the most hardy. The earth must be but just kept moist.

If placed in a warm situation, they may be raised without a hot-bed, but will not flower till late in the season. The seeds should be sown in April, separately, in eightinch pots when the roots are planted the second year, the pot should be rather larger.

Rousseau, in speaking of the name of this plant, says-Upon the first discovery of the New World, as America was boastingly called, every thing found there was represented as wonderful. Strange stories were related of the plants and animals they met with, and those which were sent to Europe had pompous names given them. One of

these is the Marvel of Peru, the only wonder of which is, the variety of colours in the flower."-ROUSSEAU'S LETTERS ON BOTANY.

CORYMBIFERE.

MARYGOLD.

CALENDULA.

SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA NECESSARIA.

The derivation of Calendula is uncertain: some say it is from the Calends. In English the old name for these flowers is Golds, or Rudds. Golds, or Gouldes, is a name given by the country people to a variety of yellow flowers; and the name of the Virgin Mary has been added to many plants which were anciently, for their beauty, named after Venus, of which the Marygold is one: Costmary, the Virgin Mary's Costus, is another. The French name it souci du jardin [garden marygold]; in Provence they call it gauche fer [left hand iron]; perhaps from its round form, like a shield which is borne on the left arm, in contradistinction to the sword, used in the right. The Italians call it calendula ortense, cappuccina, fiorrancio, a corruption of fiore arancio (orange flower) and fiore d'ogni mese, or flower of every month; which latter name gives countenance to the derivation of Calendula from the Calends.

THE Field Marygold is a native of most parts of Europe, and differs but little from the Garden Marygold, except in being altogether smaller.

The Garden Marygold grows naturally in the vineyards of France, the cornfields of Italy, and the orchards, fields, and gardens of Silesia. It was esteemed for its dazzling splendour long before its uses were discovered: it is a common ingredient in soups; and is said, as the old authors express it, "greatly to comfort the heart and the spirits." It has also been recommended as a medicine, but has not obtained much reputation in this way. Formerly it was considered as a wholesome ingredient in salads, but there is an acrimony in the whole plant which has even caused it to be commended as a destroyer of warts. In