The Clove July Flower.
Caryophyllus ruber.
A COMMON and very beautiful flower in our gardens; it has its name from the aromatic smell, which resembles the clove spice, and from the time of its flowering which is in July. It is a carnation only of one colour, a deep and fine purple. The plant grows two feet high; the leaves are grassy; the stalks are round and jointed; the flower grows at the tops of the branches, and the whole plant besides is of a bluish green.
The flowers are used; they are cordial, and good for disorders of the head; they may be dried, and taken in powder or in form of tea, but the best form is the syrup. This is made by pouring five pints of boiling water upon three pounds of the flowers picked from the husks, and with the white heels cut off: after they have stood twelve hours, straining off the clear liquor without pressing, and dissolving in it two pound of the finest sugar to every pint. This makes the most beautiful and pleasant of all syrups.
