SCIL'LA AMCE'NA.

PLEASING BLUE SQUILL.

Class.

IIEXANDRIA.

Order .

MONOGYNIA.

Natural Order.

LILIACEjE.

Native of

Height.

Flowers in

Habit.

Introduced

Levant.

6 inches.

April,May.

Bulb.

in 1600.

No. 1232.

Scilla, it has lately been mentioned, was used asthe name of a bulb by the Greeks; hence it hasbeen adopted by modern botanists, in preference tothe invention of a new word.

We have previously commended various speciesof Scilla to cultivators of bulbs, both on account oftheir beauty, and the very little trouble required intheir culture. Old English authors valued them,and Parkinson , in his Paradisis Terrestris, has fig-ured about thirty Squills and Hyacinths, for then,—two hundred and fifty years ago, they were allcalled Hyacinths, or Jacinths, and in allusion tosome of these, he says “ We cherish them all withgreat care in our gardens.” Gerard, too, his contem-porary, says “ I am first to entreat of those bulbousroots, whose fair and beautiful flowers, are receivedfor their grace and ornament in gardens and gar-lands.” It is evident that there were some amongstour forefathers, centuries ago, who could duly appre-ciate the beauties which were scattered amongstthem by a benificent Creator.

Scilla Amcena was known to our early cultivators;is perfectly hardy ; and a very desirable species.