This species rarely ripens its seeds with us, and is therefore to be raised from cuttings, which however are not very free to strike.

It has been usual to keep it in the stove, but we have found by experience, that it succeeds much better in a common green-house, in which it will flower during the whole of the summer.  Small young plants of this, as well as most other Geraniums, make the best appearance, and are therefore to be frequently obtained by cuttings.

[57]

Papaver orientale.  Eastern Poppy.

Class and Order.

Polyandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Cor. 4-petala. Cal. 2-phyllus. Capsula, 1-locularis sub stigmate persistente poris dehiscens.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

PAPAVER orientale capsulis glabris, caulibus unifloris scabris foliosis pinnatis serratis. Linn.  Syst.  Vegetab. p. 490.

Papaver orientale hirsutissimum, magno flore. Tournes. cor. 17. itin. 3. p. 127. t. 127.

[Illustration:  57]

Most of the plants of this tribe are distinguished by the splendour of their colours, most of them also are annuals, in gaiety of colour none exceed the present species; but it differs in the latter character, in having not only a perennial root, but one of the creeping kind, whereby it increases very much, and by which it is most readily propagated.

Though a native of the East, as its name imports, it bears the severity of our climate without injury, flowers in May, and as its blossoms are extremely shewy, it gives great brilliancy to the flower-garden or plantation; prefers a dry soil.

[58]

Iris spuria.  Spurious Iris.

Class and Order.

Triandria Monogynia.

Generic Character.

Corolla 6-petala, inaequalis, petalis alternis geniculato-patentibus. Stigmata petaliformia, cucullato-bilabiata. Conf.  Thunb. Diss. de Iride.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

IRIS spuria imberbis foliis linearibus, scapo subtrifloro tereti, germinibus hexagonis. Linn.  Syst.  Vegetab. p. 91. Jacq.  Fl. austr. tab. 4.

IRIS pratensis angustifolia, folio foetido. Bauh.  Pin. 32.

The greater blue Flower-de-luce with narrow leaves. Park.  Parad. p. 184.

[Illustration:  58]

Some plants afford so little diversity of character, that an expressive name can scarcely be assigned them; such is the present plant, or LINNAEUS would not have given it the inexpressive name of spuria, nor we have adopted it.

This species is distinguished by the narrowness of its leaves, which emit a disagreeable smell when bruised, by the colour of its flowers, which are of a fine rich purple inclining to blue, and by its hexangular germen.