Flowers

Flowers

Flowers, (fr. fleurs): flowers, as will be seen by the Synopsis, find a varied expression in heraldry, but the rose and the lily, or fleur-de-lis, are the most frequent; both of these, however, are usually represented in the conventional form, though the natural forms of each also occur. Of others the planta genista has been brought into note from being the badge of the Plantagenet kings; the trefoil, or rather the shamrock, from being the badge of Ireland; and the thistle, from being that of Scotland. They daisy, the primrose, the nettle, the violet, the columbine, and the honeysuckle, so common in our lanes, and the poppy and bluebottle in our fields, and the marigold in our marshes, naturally find a place. The tulip, narcissus, silphium(or chrysanthemum), sunflower, carnation, gilly-flower, and pansy are the garden-plants which have been introduced into arms; but by what chances the choice has fallen on these few is most probably beyond discovery. The most singular of all, perhaps, is that selected by Dr.Caius--the sengreen. These and one or two more will be found noted in their proper places.

In the French coats of arms it is much the same. The rose and the lily, in both the conventional and the natural forms stand at the head of the list; and we find rarely the marguerite, violette, ancolie, gesse, pavot, and souci, which represent the daisy, violet, columbine, vetch, poppy, and marigold amongst wild flowers, while the œ“illet and pensée, or pink and pansy, amongst garden-plants, complete a very short list.

In some few cases the term flowers occurs, i.e. where a ground is to have flowers scattered over it, and these can be only represented by dots of gules and azure, sprinkled over what is supposed to represent the green grass. But such devices, if not false heraldry, are nearly approaching it.

The field a landscape, the base variegated with flowers; a man proper vested round the lions with linen argent, digging with a spade all of the first--Company of GARDENERS, London.

Argent, a cedar-tree between two mounts of flowers proper; on a chief azure a dagger erect proper, pomel and hilt or between two mullets of six points gold--MONTEFIORE, Sussex.

Flowers, also, are referred to in the bearing a chaplet of flowers, but as they are, as a rule, blazoned gules, they are intended for roses. In rare cases the stem is referred to.

Gules, semy of nails, argent, three stems of a flower vert--ASHBY.

Flower-pots are occasionally named. See also Lily-pot.

Or, a chevron gules, between three columbines argent, as many flower-pots of the first--COLNET, Hants.