The Botanic Garden. Part II. | Page 4

morn;
Round the chill fair he folds his crimson vest,

And clasps the timorous beauty to his breast.
45 Thy love, CALLITRICHE, two Virgins share,
Smit with thy starry eye and radiant hair;--
On the green margin sits
the youth, and laves
His floating train of tresses in the waves;
Sees
his fair features paint the streams that pass, 50 And bends for ever o'er
the watery glass.
Two brother swains, of COLLIN'S gentle name,
The same their
features, and their forms the same,
[Callitriche, l. 45. Fine-Hair, Stargrass. One male and two females
inhabit each flower. The upper leaves grow in form of a star, whence it
is called Stellaria Aquatica by Ray and others; its stems and leaves float

far on the water, and are often so matted together, as to bear a person
walking on them. The male sometimes lives in a separate flower.]
[Collinsonia. l. 51. Two males one female. I have lately observed a
very singular circumstance in this flower; the two males stand widely
diverging from each other, and the female bends herself into contact
first with one of them, and after some time leaves this, and applies
herself to the other. It is probable one of the anthers may be mature
before the other? See note on Gloriosa, and Genista. The
females in
Nigella, devil in the bush, are very tall compared to the males; and
bending over in a circle to them, give the flower some resemblance to a
regal crown. The female of the epilobium angustisolium, rose bay
willow herb, bends down amongst the males for several days, and
becomes upright again when impregnated.]
[Genista. l. 57. Dyer's broom. Ten males and one female inhabit this
flower. The males are generally united at the bottom in two sets,
whence Linneus has named the class "two brotherhoods." In the
Genista, however, they are united in but one set. The flowers of this
class are called papilionaceous, from their resemblance to a butterfly,
as the pea-blossom. In the Spartium Scoparium, or common broom, I
have lately observed a curious circumstance, the males or stamens are
in two sets, one set rising a quarter of an inch above the other; the
upper set does not arrive at their maturity so soon as the lower, and the
stigma, or head of the female, is produced amongst the upper or
immature set; but as soon as the pistil grows tall enough to burst open
the keel-leaf, or hood of the flower, it bends itself round in an instant,
like a French horn, and inserts its head, or stigma, amongst the lower or
mature set of males. The pistil, or female, continues to grow in length;
and in a few days the stigma arrives again amongst the upper set, by the
time they become mature. This wonderful contrivance is readily seen
by opening the keel-leaf of the flowers of broom before they burst
spontaneously. See note on Collinsonia, Gloriosa, Draba.]
With rival love for fair COLLINIA sigh,
Knit the dark brow, and roll
the unsteady eye.
55 With sweet concern the pitying beauty mourns,

And sooths with smiles the jealous pair by turns.
Sweet blooms GENISTA in the myrtle shade,
And ten fond brothers
woo the haughty maid.
Two knights before thy fragrant altar bend,

60 Adored MELISSA! and two squires attend.
MEADIA'S soft chains five suppliant beaux confess, And hand in hand
the laughing belle address;
Alike to all, she bows with wanton air,

Rolls her dark eye, and waves her golden hair.
[Melissa. l. 60. Balm. In each flower there are four males and one
female; two of the males stand higher than the other two; whence the
name of the class "two powers." I have observed in the Ballota, and
others of this class, that the two lower stamens, or males become
mature before the two higher. After they have shed their dust, they turn
themselves away outwards; and the pistil, or female, continuing to
grow a little taller, is applied to the upper stamens. See Gloriosa, and
Genista.
All the plants of this class, which have naked seeds, are aromatic. The
Marum, and Nepeta are particularly delightful to cats; no other brute
animals seem pleased with any odours but those of their food or prey.]
[Meadia. l. 61. Dodecatheon, American Cowslip. Five males and one
female. The males, or anthers, touch each other. The uncommon beauty
of this flower occasioned Linneus to give it a name signifying the
twelve heathen gods; and Dr. Mead to affix his own name to it. The
pistil is much longer than the stamens, hence the flower-stalks have
their elegant bend, that the stigma may hang downwards to receive the
fecundating dust of the anthers. And the petals are so beautifully turned
back to prevent the rain or dew drops from sliding down and washing
off this dust prematurely; and at the same time