Clematis
PAEONIA, the Paeony is named in honour of Paeon, a physician, who first used it medicinally to cure Pluto of a wound inflicted by Hercules. The more "familiar" name is Peony, a corruption that has the merit of a musical sound. N.O., Crowfoots, or Ranunculaceoe. LINNAEAN: 13, Polyandria; 2, Digynia.--The paeony belongs to the helleborus section of the crowfoot family, its nearest allies being the aconite, delphinium, aquilegia, hellebore, and marsh marigold, or caltha. The leading characters of the order are conspicuously displayed in the paeony. The coralline paeony is accounted a British plant, being found wild in several stations. Some grand species have been introduced to our gardens from Siberia, China, and Japan. The tree paeonies, or "moutans," are remarkable for the gorgeous flowers they produce and their exceedingly hardy constitution.
AQUILEGIA, from aquila, an eagle, the flower often bearing a resemblance to a bird. The garden name of Columbine has a similar meaning, referring to a fancied resemblance of the flower to a pigeon. N.O., Ranunculaceoe. LINNAEAN: 13, Polyandria; 5, Pentagynia.
POLEMONIUM, from polemos, war; and thereby hangs a tale for which reference must be made to Pliny. N.O., Polemoniaceoe. LINNAEAN: 5, Pentandria; 1, Monogynia.
LAMIUM, from laimos, the throat, the form of the corolla suggesting the name, as the "lips" suggest the term labiate, as generally descriptive. N.O., Lamiaceoe. LINNAEAN: 14, Didynamia; 1, Gymnospermia.--The dead-nettles represent a fragrant family, for amongst the labiates occur the balm, sage, thyme, mint, lavender, marjoram, and other spicy herbs. The features are characteristic: they have square stems, opposite leaves, labiate or two-lipped flowers, a four-lobed ovary, and four stamens, two of which are longer than the others. Not a single poisonous plant is known in the order; many of them are valued for their refreshing and stimulating properties, and have considerable commercial importance in consequence.
BELL-FLOWER, or CAMPANULA.
PULMONARIA, from pulmonarius, in allusion to the spotted leaf and the ancient uses of the plant in medicine. N.O., Boraginiaceoe. LINNAEAN: 5, Pentandria; 1, Monogynia.--The mention of borage seems to take one into a homely garden, and thence to some homely suppertable. It is, indeed, a most homely plant, and the type of the group to which belongs the pulmonaria. The members of the order are herbs and shrubs with round stems, alternate leaves, and gyrate spikes of flowers, which are four or five divided. The plants of this order come near to labiates, from which they are distinguished by their regular corolla, their five fertile stamens, their round stems, the gyrate inflorescence, and the absence of resinous dots in the foliage. Their properties are also of a different kind, being soft, emollient, and nitrous, borage especially being of a cool flavour, resembling that of the cucumber or burnet. Amongst the members of the order are the alkanet, forget-me-not, lithospernum, comfrey, and omphalodes.
GENTIANA. Named after Gentius, King of Illyria, who first discovered the bitter tonic properties of the gentian root. N.O, Gentianaceoe. LINNAEAN: 5, Pentandria; 2, Digynia.--The members of the order are herbaceous plants, sometimes twining, with opposite or occasionally alternate entire leaves, regular flowers, which are generally five, but sometimes four, six, eight, or ten divided, with two stigmas, and an ovary of two carpels. They inhabit all parts of the world, and their flowers are of all colours. The gentians proper are mostly mountain plants with blue flowers; in other words, they are representatives of polar vegetation, both in the arctic and antarctic regions. The gentian root of commerce is derived from the yellow gentian (G. lutea), which is a common plant on the European Alps. "Sweet is the rose, but grows upon a brere; Sweet is the junipere, but sharpe his bough; Sweet is the eglantine, but pricketh nere; Sweet is the firblome, but his branches rough; Sweet is the cypress, but his rind is tough; Sweet is the nut, but bitter is his pill; Sweet is the bromeflour, but yet sowie enough; And sweet is moly, but his root is ill. So every sweet with soure is tempred still, That maketh it be coveted the more: For easie things that may be got at will Most sorts of men doe set but little store. Why then should I accompt of little paine, That endlesse pleasure shall unto me gaine?"