SISYRIN'CHIUM CALIFOR'NICUM.
CALIFORNIAN SISYRINCHIUM.
Class . Order.
TRIANDRIA. MONOGYNIA.
Natural Order.
IRIDACE®. V
No. 579.
The name Sisyrinchium, is derived from the Greeksys, a pig; and riiygkos, a snout. The originalSisyi'inchium is noticed by Sir James Smith, inRees’s Cyclopaedia, as “ The name of a bulb, men-tioned by Pliny , amongst other bulbs, under vari-ous Greek denominations. He relates, after The-ophrastus , that it is remarkable for increasing, dur-ing winter, in the lower part, which in spring be-comes contracted, and the upper part is then eatable.Nobody has ascertained the real sisyrinchium ofTheophrastus . Botanists have applied this appel-lation, according to their fancy, without even pre-tending to ascertain whether it alludes to the fond-ness of swine for the root, or to any resemblance inits figure to their snout.” To whatever flower for-mer botanists applied this name it is evident thatours has very little affinity with the original.
It is not a showy but a neat and unobtrusive plant,which, through several months of summer, will gen-erally be found ready to offer its admirers a flower,or promise them one to-morrow. It may be increa-sed by division of its roots, and will flourish in anygarden soil.
Hort. Kew, 2, v. 4,135.