genus, viz. the Alttroemeria Pelegrina, in which Nature has exhibited one of her higheft efforts
of vegetable beauty. Both fpecies are natives of Peru, and, on the firft difcovery of that
country, were held in the higheft eftimation by the inhabitants. On the approach of the
Europeans into the kingdom of Pern, they were aftoniihed at the riches of that diftant nation;
and found that all that the luxuriant imagination of poets had attributed to the fabulous gardens
of the Hefperides was realized in the other hemifphere, in a new world, the very exiftence
of which had never been fufpeiled by the ancients. If the defcriptions given by fome
hiftorians of the weftern continent may be relied on, the royal gardens of the ancient Incas of
Peru were decorated with the moft curious and exquifite reprefentations of vegetables in gold
and fjver, intermixed with natural plants. Long rows of golden trees, arranged in beautiful
order, adorned the alleys of thefe gardens, and flowers of the fame precious materials were
difpofed on their borders: while whole fields of maize, made of filver, with golden beards,
waved in the wind. In diis brilliant fcenery, whenever Nature made a paufe, as it were, in
vegetation, or when a natural plant began to fade and grow out of feafon, its place was inftantly
fupplied by one of gold or filver. Amidft this outrageous magnificence the Alftroemeria Pelegrina,
on account of its luperior beauty, was indulged with a diftinguifhed place amongft the
fuperb inhabitants of this extravagant garden. The name of Alftroemeria was bellowed on
this genus in honour of Claudius Alftroemer, a Swedifh naturalift, who introduced the Alftroemeria
Pelegrina into his native countiy, which flowered in tlie Uplal garden foon after. It
is now no uncommon ornament in the Britifli confervatories.
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