NIGHT-SCENTED FLOWERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19940, 6 November 1926, Page 3

NIGHT-SCENTED FLOWERS.

Mrs Earle, in her “More Pot Pourri from a Surrey Garden.’' quotes a letter from a Manchester business man who points out how certain night-scented flowers “throw out their precious odours and make fhn garden all the pleasanter and more refreshing for the night stroll after supper. ’ There are really quite a number of these night-scented flowers. They arc for the most part white, so that the night-flying insects on which they depend for the fertilisation of their flowers may sec them gleaming in the darkness. Many of these are not true night-scented flowers, but give out a greater perfume after nightfall. The wild white campion has quite a sweet scent at night, 1 hough this does not appear to be a matter ot common knowledge. It may well" ho t at the essential oils are distilled during the day by the heat of the sun's ravs nvKl condense at night when the source of heat is withdrawn. The true night-scented flowers are. however, those that open their flowers at night and are gone bv the morning. Sweet Rocket (Hesperia matronahs) derives its name from Hespcros, the evening star, because it becomes more fragrant, as evening draws in. This ojd-fashioned plant was a great favourite of Marie Antoinette, and it is known in France by the rather charming name of Juilienne dcs Jardins. There is another hespens (11. tristis), a half-hardy biennial which Robinson calls the night-scented stock, hnt to most of us this wonderful little plant is known as Mattiola bicornis. It is best to sow this annual in little patches here and there, so that when one is strolling round the garden at night one gets little pull's of its almond perfume. The tobacco (Nicnliana aflinis) is too well known to need description. It was named after Nicot, who was a French Ambassador to Portugal, for it was be who first obtained seeds from a Dutch merchant. The name tobacco, as is well known, conies either from Tobago in the Most Indies or from Tabasco in Mexico. The evening primrose must find a place among the night-scented flowers, though the plant has not a very pronounced perfume. There is one, however. Oenothera civspitosa, which is said to give out a scent resembling Magnolia granditlora. The roots of the cenothcraa were supposed to be an incentive to the drinking of wine, and it is from this that they get

their Greek name. Then there are the half-hardy animal daturas_ which open their groat cups as evening draws in,, and hy the morning they fade away. They possess a very sweet smell, and require plenty of room for development. In English they arc known by the name of thorn-apples, from their great prickly pods. By far the most interesting of all the night-rcented flowers is a little inconspicuous plant, which, during the day, remains with its petals tight closed like so many little, brown buttons on the stem. As night, comes on, however, these open and disclose the most beautiful regular elongated heart-shaped petals of the purest white. They then give out a most delicious perfume, reminiscent of jasmine and vanilla. This plant rejoices in the name of Xictcrinia selaginoides. or if you do not like this, you may prefer to call it Znluzianskya, after a seventeenth century botanist of that name. Schizopctalon Walkeri is another imposingly named plant which conics to ns from Chile. Tt has pure ivory white flowers which have a delicate almond scent after dark. Lastly, 1 may mention the yuccas, as they arc particularly beautiful and odorous at night,—Edward Cahfu.