s beauty, there is much in it to
admire, and especially its singular Nectaria, which in the form of a
white glandular excavation decorate the base of each petal; in these
usually stands a drop of clear nectareous juice; the peduncle or
flower-stalk which bends downwards when the plant is in flower, becomes
upright as the seed ripens.

Of this plant, as of all others which have long been objects of culture,
there are many varieties; those most generally cultivated in our gardens
are the common orange-flowered single and double, yellow single and
double, gold-striped leaved, and silver-striped leaved; the Dutch in
their catalogues enumerate thirteen varieties.

Luxuriant plants will sometimes produce a second and even a third whorl
or crown of flowers, and the flat-stalked ones which are monsters, have
been known to produce seventy-two blossoms, but none of these are found
to be constant.

The Crown Imperial, though a native of a much warmer climate than ours,
is a hardy bulb, and not very nice in regard to soil, succeeds best in
such as is stiffish, enriched with manure, and placed in a sheltered
situation.

Is propagated by offsets, which are produced in tolerable abundance.

[Illustration]

[195]

CHEIRANTHUS MUTABILIS. CHANGEABLE WALL-FLOWER.

_Class and Order._

TETRADYNAMIA SILIQUOSA.

_Generic Character._

_Germen_ utrinque denticulo glandulato. _Cal._ clausus foliolis
duobus basi gibbis. _Sem._ plana.

_Specific Character._

CHEIRANTHUS _mutabilis_ foliis lanceolatis acuminatis argute
serratis, caule frutescente, siliquis pedunculatis. _Ait. Hort.
Kew. v. 2. p. 395._

The present species of _Cheiranthus_, unknown both to MILLER and
LINNAEUS, was first described in the _Hortus Kewensis_ of Mr. AITON, who
informs us that it was introduced to the Royal Garden in 1777, and found
wild in the Island of Madeira by Mr. MASSON.

Its chief merit as an ornamental plant consists in its early flowering;
its blossoms which are shewy contribute to enliven the green-house in
March and April; on their first expanding, they are white, in some
plants (for they are subject to great variation) inclined to yellow, in
a few days they become purple; to this change of colour observable also
in the _Cheiranthus maritimus_ already figured, it owes its name of
_mutabilis_.

In sheltered gardens at the foot of a wall, we have known this species
survive a mild winter; it seems indeed to b