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Reseda odorata or Mignonette
Reseda odorata. Sweet-scented Reseda or Mignonette
Class and Order
Dodecandria Trigynia
Generic Character
Cal. 1-phyllus, partitus. Petala laciniata. Caps. ore dehiscens,
1-locularis
Specific Character and Synonyms
RESEDA odorata foliis integris trilobisque, calycibus florem
æquantibus. Lin. Syst. Vegetab. p. 449.
RESEDA foliis integris trilobisque, floribus tetragynis. Mill.
Dict. t. 217.
Mignonette grows naturally in Egypt, it was unknown to the older
Botanists; Miller says he received the seeds of it from Dr. Adrian
Van Royen, Professor of Botany at Leyden, so that it is rather a
modern inhabitant of our gardens.
The luxury of the pleasure-garden is greatly heightened by the
delightful odor which this plant diffuses; and as it is most readily
cultivated in pots, its fragrance may be conveyed to the parlor of
the recluse, or the chamber of the valetudinarian; its perfume,
though not so refreshing perhaps as that of the Sweet-Briar, is not
apt to offend on continuance the most delicate olfactories.
Being an annual it requires to be raised yearly from seed; when once
introduced on a warm dry border it will continue to sow itself, and
grow very luxuriantly, flowering from June to the commencement of
winter; but as it is desirable to have it as early as possible in
the spring, the best way is either to sow the seed in pots in
autumn, securing them through the winter in frames, or in a
greenhouse, or to raise the seeds early on a gentle hot bed,
thinning the plants if they require it, so as to have only two or
three in a pot.
The Botanical Magazine or Flower-Garden
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