Our drawing of this beautiful and delightfully fragrant
plant was taken the beginning of May last, at the Nursery
of Messrs. Whitley, Brames, and Milne, at Fulham; they
received it as long back as the year 1812 from Constantinople,
from whence it was sent by Lady Liston, the Lady
of the British Ambassador to the Porte at that time; but
as it increases so slowly, it still continues a rare plan t:
this year it has flowered in greater perfection than ever it
did before, and appears likely to ripen seeds, so that we
hope it will soon become more plentiful, as it is a very desirable
plant for all collections, both for its beauty and fragrance;
it certainly is no variety of M. moschatum, with
which it has been confused; and the Tibcadi Muscari of
the Dutch Florists, which this was supposed to be, proves
to be nothing but the common M. moschatum, as we saw
a bed of them in flower this year at Messrs. Whitley and
Co.’s Nursery, that had been imported from Flolland under
that name.
The present species is said to be one of the principal
flowers with which the Turkish females contrive to correspond
in secret with their lovers, which renders it a plant
of great value amongst them. It thrives well in the open
border of the Flower-Garden, in the common garden soil;
the bulbs to be planted from 4 to 6 inches deep, according
to their size; they will then flower every year regularly;
but they are very slow of increase, except by seeds.
1. Periantliinm spread open, to show the insertion o f the 0 Stamens. 2. Ovarium
terminated hy the Style and 3-lobed Stigma. 3. Full grown Capsule.
j 3
a- ‘ 'I