The Botanical Magazine v 2 | Page 4

be propagated either by seeds, or cuttings; the former make the best plants.

[44]
Cyclamen persicum. Persian Cyclamen.
Class and Order.
Pentandria Monogynia.
Generic Character.
Corolla rotata, reflexa, tubo brevissimo: fauce prominente. Bacca tecta capsula.
Specific Character.
CYCLAMEN persicum foliis cordatis serratis. _Miller's Dict. 4to. ed. 6._
[Illustration: 44]
LINN?US in this, as in many other genera, certainly makes too few species, having only two; MILLER, on the contrary, is perhaps too profuse in his number, making eight. The ascertaining the precise limits of species, and variety, in plants that have been for a great length of time objects of culture, is often attended with difficulties scarcely to be surmounted, is indeed a Gordian Knot to Botanists.
Our plant is the Cyclamen persicum of MILLER, and has been introduced into our gardens long since the European ones; being a native of the East-Indies, it is of course more tender than the others, and therefore requires to be treated more in the style of a green-house plant.
It is generally cultivated in pots, in light undunged earth, or in a mixture of loam and lime rubbish, and kept in frames, or on the front shelf of a green-house, where it may have plenty of air in the summer, but guarded against too much moisture in the winter.
May be raised from seeds in the same manner as the round-leaved Cyclamen already figured in this work, p. n. 4.
Flowers early in the spring, and is admirably well adapted to decorate the parlour or study.
Varies with fragrant flowers, and the eye more or less red.

[45]
Crocus vernus. Spring Crocus.
Class and Order
Triandria Monogynia.
Generic Character.
Corolla 6-partita, ?qualis. Stigmata convoluta.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
CROCUS vernus foliis latioribus margine patulo. _Jacq. Fl. Austr. Vol. 5. app. t. 36. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 83. var. sativ._
CROCUS vernus latifolius. Bauh. Pin. 65, 66.
The Yellow Crocus. Parkins. Parad. p. 166.
[Illustration: 45]
LINN?US considers the Crocus, or Saffron of the shops, which blows invariably in the autumn, and the spring Crocus, with its numerous varieties (of which PARKINSON, in his Garden of Pleasant Flowers, enumerates no less than twenty-seven) as one and the same species; other Botanists have considered them as distinct, particularly PROF. JACQUIN, whose opinion on this subject we deem the most decisive.
We have figured the yellow variety, which is the one most commonly cultivated in our gardens, though according to the description in the Flora Austriaca, the Crocus vernus, in its wild state, is usually purple or white.
The cultivation of this plant is attended with no difficulty; in a light sandy loam, and dry situation, the roots thrive, and multiply so much as to require frequent reducing; they usually flower about the beginning of March, and whether planted in rows, or patches, on the borders of the flower-garden, or mixed indiscriminately with the herbage of the lawn, when expanded by the warmth of the sun, they produce a most brilliant and exhilirating effect.
The most mischievous of all our common birds, the sparrow, is very apt to commit great depredations amongst them when in flower, to the no small mortification of those who delight in their culture; we have succeeded in keeping these birds off, by placing near the object to be preserved, the skin of a cat properly stuffed: a live cat, or some bird of the hawk kind confined in a cage, might perhaps answer the purpose more effectually, at least in point of duration.

[46]
Leucojum vernum. Spring Snow-Flake.
Class and Order.
Hexandria Monogynia.
Generic Character.
Corolla campaniformis, 6-partita, apicibus incrassata, Stigma simplex.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
LEUCOJUM vernum spatha uniflora, stylo clavato. _Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 316._
LEUCOJUM bulbosum vulgare. Bauh. Pin. 55.
The great early bulbous Violet. Park. Parad.
[Illustration: 46]
The blossoms of the Leucojum and Galanthus, or Snow-Drop, are very similar at first sight, but differ very essentially when examined; the Snow-Drop having, according to the Linn?an description, a three-leaved nectary, which is wanting in the Leucojum; the two genera then being very distinct, it becomes necessary to give them different names; we have accordingly bestowed on the Leucojum the name of Snow-Flake, which, while it denotes its affinity to the Snow-Drop, is not inapplicable to the meaning of Leucojum.
As the spring Snow-Flake does not increase so fast by its roots, as the Snow-Drop, or even the summer Snow-Flake, so it is become much scarcer in our gardens; it may, indeed, be almost considered as one of our plant? rariores, though at the same time a very desirable one.
It does not flower so soon by almost a month, as the Snow-Drop; but its blossoms, which are usually one on each foot-stalk, sometimes two, are much larger, and delightfully fragrant.
It is found wild in shady places and moist woods in many parts of Germany and Italy. The most proper situation for it is a north or east border, soil a mixture of loam and bog earth; but by having it in different aspects, this, as well as other plants, may have