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The Greeks will tell you it is their opion or opos, the juice of the poppy, and the botanist will point out the magic flower for you as the Papaver Somniferum, whose home was originally in the north of Europe and in Western Asia; but now, just as the tribes of the earth have spread out into many lands, so has the poppy which has brought much misery as well as blessing to men, found its way into various quarters of the globe, particularly those countries which are favoured with sunny skies.

It is all movement; the scene opens before us; the marriage god wreathed with flowers and holding the flammeum, or nuptial veil, leads the dance; then the doors open, and amid waving torches the bride, blushing like the purple hyacinth, enters with downcast mien, her friends comforting her; the bridegroom stands by and throws nuts to the assembled guests; light railleries are banded to and fro; meanwhile the bride is lifted over the threshold, and sinks on the nuptial couch, alba parthenice velut, luteumve papaver.

Here the glaucous appearance is due to wax distributed in fine particles over the surface of the leaves, and in the green variety this wax is lacking. Other instances could be given as in the green varieties of Papaver alpinum and Rumex scutatus. No positive instances are recorded in this case. Spines and prickles may often disappear and give rise to unarmed and defenceless types.

Grant, to the Papaver Rhoeus, or Rose Poppy, of our sublunary cornfields; and this was the first organic production of nature in a foreign world ever revealed to the eyes of men. It would be wearisome to go through the whole series of observations thus fabled, and only a few of the more striking features need be indicated. The discoveries are carefully graduated in interest.

I observed this anomaly in a poppy called Papaver commutatum, and subjected it during several years to a rigid selection of the richest individuals. No amelioration was to be gained and the culture had to be given up.

"Papaver!" she repeated in her most scornful tone; "she is nothing more nor less than a Poppy a great offensive Poppy, whose breath fairly makes me sick. Long ago, when " But here the Marygold stopped short, it would not do, to confess to her genteel friends, that she had formerly been acquainted with the disreputable stranger.

Because of its derivation from the Persian afioun, and the Arabian aphium. The botanical name of the poppy, papaver, is said to be derived from its being commonly mixed with the pap, papa, given to children in order to ease pain, and procure sleep. Why does opium produce sleep? Because it contains an alkaline substance called Morphia.

In the fields of Messrs. Vilmorin, where it is largely cultivated for its seeds, individuals occur from time to time which are anomalous in this respect. They exhibit a tendency to produce connate petals. Their flowers become monopetalous, and the whole strain is designated by the name of Papaver bracteatum monopetalum.

Such cases of atavism make it probable that the coherence of the petals has originally arisen by the same method, but by action in the opposite direction. The direct proof of this conclusion is afforded by a curious observation, made by Vilmorin upon the bright and large-flowered garden-poppy, Papaver bracteatum. Like all poppies it has four petals, which are free from one another.

White as the stark death-shroud, pallid as the cheeks of that queen of a silent land whose temples she languorously crowns, ghost-like beside her fuller-blooded kin, she droops dream-laden, Papaver somniferum, the poppy of the magic juice of oblivion.