Flora's Lexicon

by Catharine Harbeson Waterman

by J. Ackerman. Printed by P. S. Duval Philadelphia

FLORA’S LEXICON:

AN

INTERPRETATION

OF

THE LANGUAGE AND SENTIMENT

OF

FLOWERS:

WITH

AN OUTLINE OF BOTANY,

AND A

POETICAL INTRODUCTION.

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BY CATHARINE H. WATERMAN.

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PHILADELPHIA:

PUBLISHED BY HERMAN HOOKER.

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1840.

 

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Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1839,

BY HOOKER & CLAXTON,

In the clerk’s office of the district court of the eastern district of

Pennsylvania.

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STEREOTYPED BY J. FAGAN..... PHILADELPHIA.

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PRINTED BY C. SHERMAN AND CO.

 

ADVERTISEMENT.

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The language of flowers has recently attracted so much attention, that an acquaintance with it seems to be deemed, if not an essential part of a polite education, at least a graceful and elegant accomplishment. A volume furnishing a complete interpretation of those meanings most generally attached to flowers, has therefore become a desirable, if not an essential part of a gentleman’s or a lady’s library. In the manual now offered to the public, an attempt has been made to comprise all that is important in the way of interpretation in a reasonable compass, and to adorn this part of the work with such quotations from the best poets of our language, both native and foreign, as have a direct and graceful reference either to the peculiarities of the flowers, or to the sentiments which they are made to express. The outline of Botany placed at the end of the volume will be found to contain a sufficiently clear exposition of the Linnean system to explain fully the scientific terms and the classification used in the body of the work.

 

EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES.

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Frontispiece.

Rose. Ivy. Myrtle.—To Beauty, Friendship and Love.

To face page 72.

Scarlet Ipomœa. Laurustinus. Convolvulus.—I attach myself to you, but shall die if neglected.

To face page 132.

Jasmine. Strawberry. Tulip.—Be not too early entangled in the charms of love, or yours will be a life of inquietude.

To face page 192.

Crown Imperial. Turk’s-Cap Lily. Lily of the Valley.—You have the power to restore me to happiness,

THE

LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS.

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Earth hath a thousand tongues, that swell  In converse soft, and low—We hear them in the flowery dell,  And where the waters flow.We note them when the pliant reed  Bends to the summer air,Its low-toned music gently freed  By the soft breezes there;And angels from their starry height,On hills, and dales, and green banks write.

There is a language in each flower  That opens to the eye,A voiceless—but a magic power,  Doth in earth’s blossoms lie;The flowering Almond, first to bring  Its perfume to the breeze,The earliest at the call of spring,  Among the green-clad trees,Whispers of Indiscretion’s fate,Trusting too soon—convinced too late.

The Wall Flower clinging cheerfully, Amid decaying bloom,Tells of the heart’s fidelity, In stern misfortune’s gloom;And like the clasping Ivy vine, When all around depart,Closer in storms the bonds entwine, Of friendship round the heart.And glory’s crown is proudly seen,In the bright Laurel’s evergreen.

Hope smiles amid the blossoms white That crown the Hawthorn bough,And in the Myrtle’s leaflets bright, Love softly breathes his vow.The little Lily of the Vale Seems sent our hearts to bless,Still whispering, on spring’s balmy gale, Return of Happiness.While blooming on some favour’d spot, We trust to thee, Forget-me-not.

And quivering to the lightest wind That fans the summer flower,The Aspen’s tender leaves we find, Shrinking beneath its power,At every trembling breath that steals Its spreading boughs between,Each little blossom’s leaf reveals A pang of misery keen; Like lightly utter’d careless words,Wounding the heart’s half-broken chords,

Woe for the Aspen tree—and woe For hearts too finely strung,The tempest wind shall round them blow, And heart—and branch, be wrung;The storm’s dread wing shall o’er them sweep, And bow them to the blast,While each must early learn, to weep The hopes that could not last:The bosom’s sensibility,Is pictured in the Aspen tree.

The little Blue Bell lifts its head The Amaryllis beside,Emblems, upon their grassy bed, Of Lowliness and Pride,—Bright as the summer’s bluest cloud, Each opening Bell appears,The sun, that gilds the floweret proud, Its humble blossom cheers;Sweeter the Blue Bell’s lowly mien,Than Pride, in dazzling radiance seen.

The variegated Columbine Hangs its bright head to earth,As half ashamed the sun should shine Upon its place of birth; And drooping on its tender stem, As the low night-wind swells,It seems in many a dew-drop gem, Like Folly’s Cap, and Bells;Rung by the wind in frolic play,Whene’er they sportive pass that way.

The Musk Rose loads the evening breeze, With its own rich perfume,Wafting far incense thro’ the trees, From its thick clustering bloom;Charming, as Beauty’s palmiest hours, Capricious as its smiles,One Summer sees it crown’d with flowers, The next no breezy wilesCan lure one bud, where thousands smiled,—And hence capricious Beauty styled.

And what is beauty?—lo, the sun That left the blooming spray,Shines once again the boughs upon— The Roses—where are they?Some strew with leaves the grassy plain, Flashing in crimson hue,Some languish there, that ne’er again Shall drink the evening dew;And fleeting Beauty’s sadden’d close,Is traced in the pale, wither’d Rose.

What brings the bright and shining leaf, The scarlet Poppy wears?A consolation for our grief, A solace for our cares;The ancients wreathed the brows of sleep, With the rich Poppy flowers,For slumber dries the eyes that weep, And pictures happier hours;And in its scarlet blossom rests A healing balm for wounded breasts.

Yes—flowers have tones—God gave to each A language of its own,And bade the simple blossom teach Where’er its seeds are sown;His voice is on the mountain’s height And by the river’s side,Where flowers blush in glowing light, In Lowliness, or Pride;We feel, o’er all the blooming sod,It is the language of our God.

He spreads the earth an open book In characters of life,All where the human eye doth look Seems with his glory rife;He paints upon the burning sky In every gleaming star,The wonder of his homes on high, Shining to faith afar; His voice is in the tempest’s wrath,And in the soft south zephyr’s path.

For us, frail, feeble things of clay, Are all these beauties given,The glorious, wide-spread orb of day, And the bright starry heaven;The far-stretch’d waters, and the land, The mountain, and the plain,These are the free gifts of his hand, And shall they plead in vain?Rocks, hills, and flowers, their homage pay,And shall we worship less than they?

No—from the green enamell’d sod Let the soul’s praises rise,The living temple of our God, Arch’d by his own blue skies.There, let thy grateful praise be heard, There, let thy prayers be given, And with the hymns of flower and bird, They shall ascend to heaven,And sooner reach the eternal bowersBreathed over beds of blushing flowers.

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INDEX OF FLOWERS.

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Flower.	Sentiment.	Page
Acacia	Platonic Love	13
Acacia Rose	Elegance	14
Adonis	Painful Recollections	15
Almond	Indiscretion	16
Aloe	Grief	17
Amaranth	Imortality	18
American Cowslip	You are my Divinity	19
Amaryllis	Haughtiness, Pride	20
American Elm	Patriotism	21
American Linden	Matrimony	22
American Arbor-vitæ	Immortality	23
Anemone	Forsaken	24
Angelica	Inspiration	25
Apple Blossom	Preference	26
Arbor-vitæ	Live for me	27
Ash	Grandeur	28
Aspen Tree	Excessive Sensibility	29
Asphodel	My regrets shall follow you to the grave	30
Auricula	Painting	31
Azalea	Romance	32
Balm	Sympathy	33
Balsam	Impatience	34
Barberry	Sharpness. Sourness of Temper	35
Basil	Hatred	36
Bay-berry	Instruction	37
Bay	Reward of Merit	38
Bee Orchis	Error	39
Beech	Wedded Love	40
Bell Flower	Constancy	41
Birch	Gracefulness	42
Bird Cherry	Hope	43
Bird’s Foot Trefoil	Revenge	44
Blue Bottle	Delicacy	45
Bonus Henricus	Goodness	46
Box	Stoicism. Constancy	47
Broom	Neatness	48
Bryony	Prosperity	49
Butter-cup	Ingratitude	50
Camellia Japonica	My destiny is in your hands	51
Canterbury Bell	Gratitude	52
Cardinal Flower	Distinction	53
Carnation	Disdain	54
Cherry Tree	Good Education	55
China or Indian Pink	Aversion	56
China Aster	Variety of Charms	57
Chrysanthemum	Cheerfulness	58
Clematis	Artifice	59
Clematis, English	Traveller’s joy	60
Coltsfoot	Maternal Care	61
Columbine	Folly	62
Convolvulus	Uncertainty	63
Convolvulus	Humility	64
Convolvulus, Field	Captivation	65
Cranberry	Hardiness	66
Crocus	Cheerfulness	67
Cross of Jerusalem	Devotion	68
Crown Imperial	Majesty	69
Cyclamen	Diffidence	70
Cypress	Mourning	71
Daffodil	Chivalry	72
Dahlia	For ever thine	73
Daisy	Innocence	74
Dandelion	Oracle	75
Dogwood	Love undiminished by Adversity	76
Eglantine	Poetry	77
Elm	Dignity	78
Enchanter’s Nightshade	Fascination	79
Evening Primrose	Inconstancy	80
Evergreen Thorn	Solace in Adversity	81
Fennel	Strength	82
Fern	Sincerity	83
Flax	I feel your kindness	84
Fox-glove	Stateliness	85
Fuchsia	Confiding Love	86
Geranium	Gentility	87
Gilliflower	Lasting Beauty	88
Glory Flower	Glorious Beauty	89
Gorse	Cheerfulness in Adversity	90
Grass	Utility	91
Harebell	Submission	92
Hawthorn	Hope	83
Hazel	Reconciliation	94
Heart’s Ease	Think of me	95
Heath	Solitude	96
Heliotrope	Intoxicated with pleasure	97
Hickory	Glory	98
Holly	Foresight	99
Hollyhock	Fruitfulness	100
Honesty, or Satin Flower	Honesty	101
Honeysuckle	Bonds of Love	102
Hop	Injustice	103
Horse Chestnut	Luxury	104
Houseleek	Vivacity	105
Hyacinth	Play	106
Hydranger	Boaster	107
Ice Plant	Your looks freeze me	108
Iceland Moss	Health	109
Indian Cress	Resignation	110
Iris	Message	111
Ivy	Friendship	112
Jasmine, White	Amiability	117
Jasmine	Separation	114
Jonquil	Desire	115
Juniper	Asylum. Protection	116
Kennedia	Mental Beauty	117
Larkspur	Ardent Attachment	118
Laurel	Glory	119
Laurel, Mountain	Ambition	120
Laurustinus	I die if neglected	121
Lilac	First emotions of Love	122
Lily, Superb	Splendour	123
Lily, Yellow	Coquetry	124
Lily of the Valley	Return of Happiness	125
Lily	Purity and Modesty	126
Linden Tree	Conjugal Love	127
Live Oak	Liberty	128
Lobelia	Arrogance	129
Locust	Vicissitude	130
London Pride	Frivolity	131
Lotos	Estranged Love	132
Lucern	Life	133
Madwort, Rock	Tranquility	134
Magnolia	High Souled	135
Maize	Plenty	136
Maple	Reserve. Retirement	137
Marvel of Peru	Timidity	138
Marygold	Inquietude	139
Meadow Sweet	Uselessness	140
Mezereon	Desire to Please	141
Mignonette	Your qualities surpass your charms	142
Misletoe	Parasite	143
Motherwort	Concealed Love	144
Mountain Ash	Talisman	145
Mouse Ear	Forget me not	146
Myrtle	Love	147
Narcissus, False	Delusive Hope	148
Narcissus	Egotism	149
Night-blooming Cereus	Transient Beauty	150
Oak	Hospitality	151
Olive	Peace	152
Orange-Tree	Generosity	153
Palm	Victory	154
Passion Flower	Religious Superstition	155
Periwinkle, Blue	Sweet Remembrances	156
Perscaria	Restoration	157
Persimon	Bury me amid Nature’s Beauties	158
Pimpernel	Assignation	159
Pine Apple	You are perfect	160
Pink	Lively and pure affection	161
Plane Tree	Genius	162
Plum Tree	Keep your promises	163
Poplar, White	Time	164
Poplar, Black	Courage	165
Poppy	Consolation of sleep	166
Primrose	Early Youth	167
Pyrus Japonica	Fairies’ Fire	168
Quamoclit	Busybody	169
Ragged Robin	Dandy	170
Ranunculus, Asiatic	You are radiant with charms	171
Red Bay	Love's Memory	172
Red Mulberry	Wisdom	173
Rose Bud	Young Girl	174
Rose, Hundred-leaved	Grace	175
Rose Bud, White	The heart that knows not love	176
Rose, Wild	Simplicity	177
Rose, Sweet-Briar	Imagination	178
Rose, Yellow	Infidelity	179
Rose, White	Silence	180
Rose	Beauty	181
Rose, Multiflora	Many Charms	182
Rose, Musk	Capricious Beauty	183
Rose, Moss	Pleasure without alloy	184
Rose, Monthly	Beauty ever new	185
Rosemary	Your presence revives me	186
Rue	Grace, or Purification.	187
Scarlet Ipomea	I attach myself to you	188
Scotch Fir	Elevation	189
Snowdrop	Consolation	190
Spiderwort	Transient Happiness	191
Starwort	Afterthought	192
Strawberry Tree	Perseverance	193
Sun-Flower	Lofty and pure thoughts	194
Sweet Flag	Fitness	195
Sweet Pea	Departure	196
Sweet Sultan	Felicity	197
Sweet William	Childhood	198
Sycamore	Woodland beauty	199
Syringa	Memory	200
Tamarisk	Crime	201
Tansy	Resistance	202
Teasel	Misanthropy	203
Thistle	Austerity	204
Thorn Apple	Deceitful Charms	205
Thyme	Activity	206
Trefoil	Providence	207
Trumpet Flower	Separation	208
Tuberose	Voluptuousness	209
Tulip Tree	Rural Happiness	210
Tulip	A declaration of Love	211
Tussilage, Sweet-scented	You shall have Justice.	212
Valerian	Accommodating Disposition	213
Venus’s Fly-trap	Deceit	214
Vervain	Superstition	215
Violet	Modesty	216
Violet, White	Candour	217
Wall Flower	Fidelity in Misfortune	218
Wall Speedwell	Fidelity	219
Walnut, Black	Intellect	220
Water Lily	Eloquence	221
Wheat	Riches	222
White Oak	Independence	223
Whortleberry	Treason	224
Willow	Forsaken	225
Willow Herb	Pretension	226
Winter Cherry	Deception	227
Wood Sorrel	Joy	228
Wormwood	Absence	229
Yarrow	War	230
Yew	Sorrow	231
Zinnia	Absence	232

INDEX OF INTERPRETATIONS.

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Sentiment.	Flower.	Page
Absence	Wormwood	229
Absence	Zinnia	232
Accommodating Disposition	Valerian	213
Activity	Thyme	206
A declaration of Love	Tulip	211
Afterthought	Starwort	192
Ambition	Laurel, Mountain	120
Amiability	Jasmine, White	117
Ardent Attachment	Larkspur	118
Arrogance	Lobelia	129
Artifice	Clematis	59
Assignation	Pimpernel	159
Asylum. Protection	Juniper	116
Austerity	Thistle	204
Aversion	China or Indian Pink	56
Beauty	Rose	181
Beauty ever new	Rose, Monthly	185
Boaster	Hydranger	107
Bonds of Love	Honeysuckle	102
Bury me amid Nature’s Beauties	Persimon	158
Busybody	Quamoclit	169
Candour	Violet, White	217
Capricious Beauty	Rose, Musk	183
Captivation	Convolvulus, Field	65
Cheerfulness	Chrysanthemum	58
Cheerfulness	Crocus	67
Cheerfulness in Adversity	Gorse	90
Childhood	Sweet William	198
Chivalry	Daffodil	72
Concealed Love	Motherwort	144
Confiding Love	Fuchsia	86
Conjugal Love	Linden Tree	127
Consolation	Snowdrop	190
Consolation of sleep	Poppy	166
Constancy	Bell Flower	41
Coquetry	Lily, Yellow	124
Courage	Poplar, Black	165
Crime	Tamarisk	201
Dandy	Ragged Robin	170
Deceit	Venus’s Fly-trap	214
Deceitful Charms	Thorn Apple	205
Deception	Winter Cherry	227
Delicacy	Blue Bottle	45
Delusive Hope	Narcissus, False	148
Departure	Sweet Pea	196
Desire	Jonquil	115
Desire to Please	Mezereon	141
Devotion	Cross of Jerusalem	68
Diffidence	Cyclamen	70
Dignity	Elm	78
Disdain	Carnation	54
Distinction	Cardinal Flower	53
Early Youth	Primrose	167
Egotism	Narcissus	149
Elegance	Acacia Rose	14
Elevation	Scotch Fir	189
Eloquence	Water Lily	221
Error	Bee Orchis	39
Estranged Love	Lotos	132
Excessive Sensibility	Aspen Tree	29
Fairies’ Fire	Pyrus Japonica	168
Fascination	Enchanter’s Nightshade	79
Felicity	Sweet Sultan	197
Fidelity	Wall Speedwell	219
Fidelity in Misfortune	Wall Flower	218
First emotions of Love	Lilac	122
Fitness	Sweet Flag	195
Folly	Columbine	62
Foresight	Holly	99
For ever thine	Dahlia	73
Forget me not	Mouse Ear	146
Forsaken	Anemone	24
Forsaken	Willow	225
Friendship	Ivy	112
Frivolity	London Pride	131
Fruitfulness	Hollyhock	100
Generosity	Orange-Tree	153
Genius	Plane Tree	162
Gentility	Geranium	87
Glorious Beauty	Glory Flower	89
Glory	Hickory	98
Glory	Laurel	119
Good Education	Cherry Tree	55
Goodness	Bonus Henricus	46
Grace	Rose, Hundred-leaved	175
Gracefulness	Birch	42
Grace, or Purification.	Rue	187
Grandeur	Ash	28
Gratitude	Canterbury Bell	52
Grief	Aloe	17
Hardiness	Cranberry	66
Hatred	Basil	36
Haughtiness, Pride	Amaryllis	20
Health	Iceland Moss	109
High Souled	Magnolia	135
Honesty	Honesty, or Satin Flower	101
Hope	Bird Cherry	43
Hope	Hawthorn	83
Hospitality	Oak	151
Humility	Convolvulus	64
I attach myself to you	Scarlet Ipomea	188
I die if neglected	Laurustinus	121
I feel your kindness	Flax	84
Imagination	Rose, Sweet-Briar	178
Imortality	Amaranth	18
Immortality	American Arbor-vitæ	23
Impatience	Balsam	34
Inconstancy	Evening Primrose	80
Independence	White Oak	223
Indiscretion	Almond	16
Infidelity	Rose, Yellow	179
Ingratitude	Butter-cup	50
Injustice	Hop	103
Innocence	Daisy	74
Inquietude	Marygold	139
Inspiration	Angelica	25
Instruction	Bay-berry	37
Intellect	Walnut, Black	220
Intoxicated with pleasure	Heliotrope	97
Joy	Wood Sorrel	228
Keep your promises	Plum Tree	163
Lasting Beauty	Gilliflower	88
Liberty	Live Oak	128
Life	Lucern	133
Live for me	Arbor-vitæ	27
Lively and pure affection	Pink	161
Lofty and pure thoughts	Sun-Flower	194
Love	Myrtle	147
Love's Memory	Red Bay	172
Love undiminished by Adversity	Dogwood	76
Luxury	Horse Chestnut	104
Majesty	Crown Imperial	69
Many Charms	Rose, Multiflora	182
Maternal Care	Coltsfoot	61
Matrimony	American Linden	22
Memory	Syringa	200
Mental Beauty	Kennedia	117
Message	Iris	111
Misanthropy	Teasel	203
Modesty	Violet	216
Mourning	Cypress	71
My destiny is in your hands	Camellia Japonica	51
My regrets shall follow you to the grave	Asphodel	30
Neatness	Broom	48
Oracle	Dandelion	75
Painful Recollections	Adonis	15
Painting	Auricula	31
Parasite	Misletoe	143
Patriotism	American Elm	21
Peace	Olive	152
Perseverance	Strawberry Tree	193
Platonic Love	Acacia	13
Play	Hyacinth	106
Pleasure without alloy	Rose, Moss	184
Plenty	Maize	136
Poetry	Eglantine	77
Preference	Apple Blossom	26
Pretension	Willow Herb	226
Prosperity	Bryony	49
Providence	Trefoil	207
Purity and Modesty	Lily	126
Reconciliation	Hazel	94
Religious Superstition	Passion Flower	155
Reserve. Retirement	Maple	137
Resignation	Indian Cress	110
Resistance	Tansy	202
Restoration	Perscaria	157
Return of Happiness	Lily of the Valley	125
Revenge	Bird’s Foot Trefoil	44
Reward of Merit	Bay	38
Riches	Wheat	222
Romance	Azalea	32
Rural Happiness	Tulip Tree	210
Separation	Jasmine	114
Separation	Trumpet Flower	208
Sharpness. Sourness of Temper	Barberry	35
Silence	Rose, White	180
Simplicity	Rose, Wild	177
Sincerity	Fern	83
Solace in Adversity	Evergreen Thorn	81
Solitude	Heath	96
Sorrow	Yew	231
Splendour	Lily, Superb	123
Stateliness	Fox-glove	85
Stoicism. Constancy	Box	47
Strength	Fennel	82
Submission	Harebell	92
Superstition	Vervain	215
Sweet Remembrances	Periwinkle, Blue	156
Sympathy	Balm	33
Talisman	Mountain Ash	145
The heart that knows not love	Rose Bud, White	176
Think of me	Heart’s Ease	95
Time	Poplar, White	164
Timidity	Marvel of Peru	138
Tranquility	Madwort, Rock	134
Transient Beauty	Night-blooming Cereus	150
Transient Happiness	Spiderwort	191
Traveller’s joy	Clematis, English	60
Treason	Whortleberry	224
Uncertainty	Convolvulus	63
Uselessness	Meadow Sweet	140
Utility	Grass	91
Variety of Charms	China Aster	57
Vicissitude	Locust	130
Victory	Palm	154
Vivacity	Houseleek	105
Voluptuousness	Tuberose	209
War	Yarrow	230
Wedded Love	Beech	40
Wisdom	Red Mulberry	173
Woodland beauty	Sycamore	199
You are my Divinity	American Cowslip	19
You are perfect	Pine Apple	160
You are radiant with charms	Ranunculus, Asiatic	171
Young Girl	Rose Bud	174
Your looks freeze me	Ice Plant	108
Your presence revives me	Rosemary	186
Your qualities surpass your charms	Mignonette	142
You shall have Justice.	Tussilage, Sweet-scented	212

THE END.