BELLIS*. Linnean Class and Order. SYNGENESIA, POLYGA'MIA, SUPE'RFLUAT. COMPO'SIT Æ+. Natural Order. Tribe, CORYMBI FERES, Juss.-Lindl. Syn. pp. 140 & 142.; Introd. to Nat. Syst. pp. 197 & 199.-SYNANTHE'REÆ. Tribe, CORY MBI FERÆ. Rich. by Macgilliv. pp. 454 & 455. GEN. CHAR. Involucrum (common calyx, fig. 5.) simple, hemispherical, upright, of from 10 to 20 spear-shaped, equal scales (bractea), in two rows. Corolla compound, rayed; Florets of the disk (fig. 1.) numerous, perfect, tubular, with 5 equal spreading segments; those of the ray (fig. 3.) strap-shaped, very slightly notched at the end, more in number than the scales of the calyx. Filaments 5, in the tubular florets only, hair-like, very short. Anthers forming a cylindrical, notched tube (fig. 2). Germen (ovarium) in all the florets inversely egg-shaped. Style threadshaped. Stigmas spreading, oblong, rather shorter and thicker in the florets of the disk than in the florets of the ray. Seed-vessel none, but the spreading unaltered calyx. Seed (fig. 4.) inversely egg-shaped, compressed, without any seed-down. Receptacle conical, hollow, and naked, (figs. 5 & 6.)—The naked conical receptacle, want of seed-down, and hemispherical involucrum composed of two rows of equal scales, will distinguish this from other genera, with a radiated corolla, in the same class and order. One species British. BE'LLIS PERE'NNIS. Common Daisy ||. SPEC. CHAR. Root creeping. Flower-stalks radical, naked, 1-flowered. Leaves inversely-egg-shaped, crenate. Eng. Bot. t. 424.-Curt. Fl. Lond. t. -Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd edit.) p. 370.-Sm. Fl. Brit. v. ii. p. 897.-Eng. Fl. v. iii. p. 447.-With. (7th ed.) v. iii. p. 947.-Lindl. Syn. p. 148.-Hook. Brit. Fl. p. 365.- Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 454.-Lightf. Fl. Scot. v. i. p. 487.-Sibth. Fl. Oxon. p. 256.--Abbot's Fl. Bedf. p. 184.-Purt. Midl. Fl. v. ii. p. 409.-Relh. Fl. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 348.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 246.-Grev. Fl. Edin. p. 180.-Walk. Fl. of Oxf. p. 244.-Béllis sylvestris minor, Ray's Syn. p. 184.-Béllis minor sylvestris, Johnson's Gerarde, 636. LOCALITIES.-In meadows and pastures, every where. "'Tis Flora's page :-in every place, In every season fresh and fair, On waste and woodland, rock and plain, The Rose has but a summer's reign, The Daisy never dies."-J. MONTGOMERY. Fig. 1. A tubular 5-cleft Floret of the Disk, showing the Germens and Stigma. -Fig. 2. The 5 short, slender Filaments, and the united Anthers, which form a cylindrical notched tube, through which the Style passes. Fig. 3. A strapshaped Floret of the Ray, showing the Germen, Style, and Stigma.-Fig. 4. A Seed.-Fig. 5. Involucrum and cone-shaped Receptacle, after the seeds are removed.-Fig. 6. A vertical section of the same.-Figs. 1, 2, & 3, are magnified. See p. 27. *From bellus, pretty. + See p. 36. See p. 36. The word Daisy is a compound of day's and eye, Day's-eye. Flora Domest. -In Yorkshire it is called Bairnwort, probably from the delight which children numerous, mostly radical, inversely egg-shaped, blunt, crenate (notched), more or less hairy, tapering at the base. Flower-stalks several, radical, 3 or 4 inches high, ascending, simple, round, solid at the bottom, hollow upwards, hairy, each bearing a solitary flower. Calyx dark green, spreading; scales or bracteas, in two rows. Florets of the disk yellow, numerous; those of the ray white, often beautifully tinged with crimson on the outside, especially towards their tips. The Receptacle is hollow (fig. 6.), and remarkably convex, or pointed. Seeds somewhat inversely egg-shaped, flat, sometimes fringed at the sides T. This plant varies very much in size, according to the nature of the soil on which it grows; in poor land it is often little more than an inch high, with a wiry stalk and a small flower; but in rich soil it will rise to the height of from 4 to 6 inches, with all its parts proportionably large. The accompanying engraving, with the exception of the sections, was made from a drawing by Miss SAUNDERS, by whom it was kindly communicated to the Editor. Many varieties of the Daisy are cultivated in gardens, as the double red, the double white, or speckled, and the proliferous, or Hen and Chicken Daisy. "The Daisy," says Mr. PHILLIPS, "has been made the emblem of Innocence, because it contributes more than any other flower to infantine amusement and the joys of childhood."— "In the days of chivalry it was the emblem of fidelity in love, and was frequently borne at tournaments, both by ladies and by knights."-This little, modest, crimson-tipped flower," appears ever to have been a general favourite." Who," says Miss KENT, can see, or hear the name of the Daisy, the common Field Daisy, without a thousand pleasurable associations! It is connected with the sports of childhood and with the pleasures of youth. We walk abroad to seek it; yet it is the very emblem of home. It is a favourite with man, woman, and child: it is the robin of flowers. Turn it all ways, and on every side you will find new beauty. You are attracted by the snowy white leaves (florets of the ray), contrasted by the golden tuft in the centre (florets of the disk), as it rears its head above the green grass: pluck it, and you will find it backed by a delicate star of green (involucrum), and tipped with a blush-colour, or a bright crimson. 'Daisies with their pinky lashes' are among the first darlings of Spring. They are in flower almost all the year; closing in the evening and in wet weather, and opening on the return of the sun."-Flora Domestica. "Star of the mead! sweet daughter of the day, Which for the parting sun-beams seemed to grieve; Seen them unclasp their folded leaves again."-LEYDEN. take in gathering these flowers. WITHERING.-The French call it Marguerite, the name of a woman, expressive of beauty, from margarita, a pearl. Dr. HOOKER. The leaves of the Daisy are slightly acrid; and the roots have a penetrat ing pungency. WITHERING.-In some parts of Germany it is said to be boiled and eaten with meat, as a pot-herb; but it does not seem to promise much, either as physic or food, for man. CURTIS.-Horses, sheep, and cows refuse it. LINNEUS. |