It is a very hardy bulbous plant, and flowers in April; in its single state it is very ornamental, the petals are usually pale yellow, and the nectary inclined to orange, which towards the brim is more brilliant in some than in others; in its double state, it is well known to Gardeners, by the name of Butter and Egg Narcissus, and of this there are two varieties, both of which produce large shewy flowers, the one with colours similar to what we have above described, which is the most common, the other with petals of a pale sulphur colour, almost white, and the nectary bright orange; this, which is one of the most ornamental of the whole tribe, is named in the Dutch catalogues, the Orange Phoenix; its blossoms are so large as frequently to require supporting; its bulbs may be had of many of the Nurseries about London, and of those who, profiting by the supineness of our English Gardeners, import bulbs from abroad.

Like most of the tribe, this species will grow well without any care, the bulbs of the double sort should be taken up yearly, otherwise they are apt to degenerate.

[122]

HYACINTHUS RACEMOSUS.  STARCH HYACINTH.

Class and Order.

HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

Generic Character.

Corolla campanulata:  pori 3 melliferi germinis.

Specific Character and Synonyms.

HYACINTHUS racemosus corollis ovatis, summis sessilibus, foliis laxis.
      Linn.  Syst.  Veg. ed. 14. Murr. p. 336. Sp.  Pl. 455.

HYACINTHUS racemosus caeruleus minor juncifolius. Bauh.  Pin. p. 43.

HYACINTHUS botryodes 1. Car Clus.  Hist. p. 181.

HYACINTHUS racemosus. Dodon.  Pempt. p. 217.

HYACINTHUS botroides minor caeruleus obscurus.  The darke blew
      Grape-flower. Park.  Par. p. 114.

[Illustration:  No 122]

The Hyacinthus racemosus and botryoides are both cultivated in gardens, but the former here figured is by far the most common; racemosus and botryoides, though different words, are expressive of the same meaning, the former being derived from the Latin term racemus, the latter from the Greek one [Greek:  votrus], both of which signify a bunch of grapes, the form of which the inflorescence of these plants somewhat resembles, and hence they have both been called Grape Hyacinths, but as confusion thereby arises, we have thought it better to call this species the Starch Hyacinth, the smell of the flower in the general opinion resembling that substance, and leave the name of Grape Hyacinth for the botryoides.

The Hyacinthus racemosus grows wild in the corn fields of Germany, in which it increases so fast by offsets from the root as to prove a very troublesome weed, and on this account it must be cautiously introduced into gardens.

It flowers in April and May.