_Lob._

NARCISSUS medio purpureus. _Dod. Pempt. p. 223. f. 1._

NARCISSUS medio purpureus praecox. Timely purple ringed Daffodil.
_Ger. Herb. p. 108. f. 2._ also _praecocior, fig. 3._ and
_praecocissimus, fig. 4._

NARCISSUS medio purpureus praecox. The early purple ringed Daffodil.
_Park. Parad. p. 76. t. 75. f. 3._

NARCISSUS latifol. classis altera, lin. 7. alterum vero, &c. _Clus.
Hist. Pl. rar. lib. 2. p. 156._

Under the name of _poeticus_ three different species of Narcissus
appearing perfectly distinct (though similar in many respects) and
regarded as such by the old Botanists, have been confounded by the
moderns, viz.

Narcissus albus circulo purpureo, v et vi }
Narcissus albus magno odoro flore circulo pallido,} C. Bauh.
Narcissus pallidus circulo luteo }

Narcissus medio purpureus praecox, }
Narcissus medio purpureus serotinus,} Park Parad.
Narcissus medio luteus vulgaris, }

The first of these, the one here figured is evidently the _poeticus_ of
_Linnaeus_, judging by the authors to whom he refers in the third edition
of his _Spec. Pl._ which are indeed few in number, and confined chiefly
to _Bauh. Pin._ _Dodonaeus_; of the second, and third, he takes no
notice.

The two former ones of these have the greatest affinity, inasmuch as
they both produce for the most part only one flower, of a white colour,
having a very short nectary, edged with orange; to both of these
LINNAEUS'S specific description is equally applicable, as well as the
trivial name of _poeticus_, given them indiscriminately by several of
the old Botanists, some regarding the first, some the second as the
plant mentioned by THEOCRITUS[2], VIRGIL[3], and OVID[4]; unfortunately
both of them are found to grow in the same meadows, and have the same
obvious appearances, it is therefore utterly impossible to say which of
the two was the Narcissus of the poets; if we have the greatest
difficulty in ascertaining what the plants were of the _Botanists_ of
those times, how are we to discover what the _Poets_ meant, who with
very few exceptions have been unpardonably inattentive to the
appearances of nature. Since then the term _poeticus_ is equally
suitable to both, and as there cannot be two with the same name, we have
thought it best to get rid of it altogether, and substitute others which
tend in a certain degree to discriminate the several species,
denomi