The inhabitants of India, he observes, are extremely partial to whatever is red, they consider it as a colour which tends to exhilarate; and hence they not only cultivate this plant universally in their gardens, but use its flowers on all occasions of festivity, and even in their sepulchral rites: he mentions also an oeconomical purpose to which the flowers are applied, little consistent with their elegance and beauty, that of blacking shoes, whence their name of _Rosae calceolariae_; the shoes, after the colour is imparted to them, are rubbed with the hand, to give them a gloss, and which thereby receives a blueish tinge, to discharge which they have recourse to lemon juice. With us it is kept in the stove, where it thrives and flowers readily during most of the summer; the single blossoms last but a short time, yet their superiority arising from the curious and beautiful structure of the interior parts of the flower, compensates for the shortness of their duration. It is usually increased by cuttings. [159] ALYSSUM SAXATILE. YELLOW ALYSSUM. _Class and Order._ TETRADYNAMIA SILICULOSA. _Generic Character._ _Filamenta_ quaedam introrsum denticulo notata. _Silicula_ emarginata. _Specific Character and Synonyms._ ALYSSUM _saxatile_ caulibus frutescentibus paniculatis, foliis lanceolatis mollissimis repandis. _Linn. Syst. Veg, ed. 14. Murr. p. 590._ _Ait. Hort. Kew. p. 381._ ALYSSUM Creticum Saxatile, foliis undulatis incanis. _Tourn. cor. 15._ THLASPI luteum leucoji folio. _Bocc. muf. 79. t. 93._ [Illustration: No 159] As this plant has very generally obtained in gardens and nurseries the name of yellow Alyssum, we have retained it; for though it is not the only one of the genus which produces yellow flowers, it may still be called yellow by way of eminence, such is the extreme brilliancy and profusion of its blossoms. It is a native of Crete, and was first cultivated in this country by Mr. MILLER, in 1731[3], at Chelsea garden. It begins to flower about the latter end of April, and continues to blossom through great part of May; and it is not uncommon for it to flower again in autumn. If it has a pure air and a dry situation, it will grow in almost any soil. The usual mode of propagating it is by slips, or cuttings. As it is a small, shewy, hardy plant, and not disposed to over-run others, it is very suitable to embellish rock-work. [160] PULMONARIA VIRGINICA. VIRGINIA LUNGWORT. _Class and Order._ PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. _Generic Character._ _Corolla_ infundibuliformis fauce pervia. _Calyx_ prismatico-pentagonus. _Specific Character and Synonyms._ PULMONARIA _Virginica_ calycibus abbreviatis, foliis lanceolatis obtusiusculis. _Linn. Syst. Veg. ed. 14. Murr. p. 187._