FLOWERS AND COLOURS.

Some one has said that our English language is not rich in words
describing colours; occasionally we have to join two words, as when we
speak of something being bluish-green or reddish-brown. It is different
in China, where the people have a large number of words for colours,
belonging to their singular language. Many of the names of these colours
have been taken from flowers. In Britain we find that colours and
flowers are sometimes linked together; a plant has had its name from a
colour, or that of a colour has come from a plant. This has rather an
odd result now and then, because flowers may alter their colours; there
are white bluebells and white violets, and gardeners can raise crimson
primroses. Again, people who stroll in the lanes or fields have seen
such a curious object as a white blackbird, though it is rare.

The violet has given its name to a shade of blue--really blue with a
purple tinge. Some violets look decidedly red. The dog violet is usually
of a lighter blue than the sweet-smelling species. It does not seem to
have been called 'dog violet' because it had any connection with dogs;
the word 'dog' was an expression of contempt, and forms part of the name
of other English plants that were not admired. Some violets have been
raised of so deep a blue as to appear nearly black. The blue wild
hyacinth has given name to a colour, not very unlike the violet tint; it
is sometimes called the bluebell, but pink ones may be found in woods,
and garden hyacinths are of various colours. Other bluebells belong to
the Campanula family.

In the olden time, one of the London street cries was, 'Fine lily-white
onions!' the lily being commonly spoken of as a white flower. Yet we
have several kinds of lily that are not white: 'Lent lilies' are yellow,
and the showy tiger lily is red and black. Yellow is a common colour
among the crocuses and plants akin to them; saffron, taken from one of
these, has been used as a dye for ages. But of course our gardens show
blue and white crocuses, with other hues. It is curious that Homer
speaks of the dawn being 'saffron-robed.' We may notice ourselves that
sometimes, at sunrise or sunset, the sky is first deep yellow, and then
red.

Our gardens exhibit irises of many colours: blue, white, and brown kinds
are well known, but it is thought the plant took its name from Iris, the
Greek name for the messenger of the gods, and from the rainbow, because
the