In the Iberian peninsula floral symbolism is principally indebted to Roman Catholic legends for the little vitality it there possesses. When Moorish power in Spain had been crushed, and Ferdinand and Isabella entered Granada, the pomegranate, the device of Granada, was em blazoned on the arms of Spain, and became the national emblem. In France the language of flowers has ninny votaries, and a lavish use is made of flowers in public ceremonies, awl as a means of expressing various sentiments. The authentic use of the fleur-de-lis as the national emblem of France dates from King Louis VII. When setting out on his crusade to the Holy Land he chose this flower for his badge. The French flag had at first a cluster of the flour-de lis upon its face. hut they were replaced by Henry IV. with the single fleur-de-lis on a blue ground, which was the design on the old French flag. This flower is seen carved upon the royal palaces and public buildings of the French, woven in their tapestries, engraved upon their plate, and st a inped upon their wares. Napoleon 1. upon becoming Emperor of France changed the em blem to the bee, but the lily was afterwards re stored. The violet was also adopted as the badge of the Bonapartists in France after the banish ment of their leader to Elba; its signification he• ing, 'to retool in spring.' Flowers have not seldom been used as the badges of partisans in other countries: thus in the struggle be tween the Imperialists and the Pope during the twelfth century, the white lily was the party badge of the nhibelline,. while the Guelphs wore the red lily. See AND GHIBELLINES.
The cornflower, or Kaiserbluine, may be con sidered the national flower of Germany. \N hen Louise, the mother of Emperor William I., was forced to take refuge with her small family in the outskirts of the city of Derlin while Na poleon's army was occupying the city, the chit dren cried from hunger and exposure. In order to pacify them the beloved queen-mother gath ered the cornflowers growing by the wayside and wove them into garlands; from that time this blossom was the favorite flower of William and his people.
The national emblem of England, the rose, is of historic interest. Edward I. wore the red rose, as did his brother Edmund Crouchback of Lan caster. John of Gaunt took a red rose on his marriage with Blanche, heiress of Lancaster; and his younger brother. Edmund Langley. Duke of York, adopted the white, which he handed down to his descendants. The war known as the 'War of the Roses' afterwards waged between Henry VI. of Lancaster and Edward IV. of York, for possession of the crown of England, gave a' deeper significance to these but the marriage of Henry VII. of Lancaster with Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV., united forever the rival houses and ended the civil war. The two roses then became united under the title of the Tudor Rose, which was made the national flower. The rose has been termed the 'flower of flowers.' The ancients regarded it as the emblem of silence, of love and of joy. Cupid was fre quently represented as offering a rose to Harpo crates, the god of silence. On festal occasions a rose was suspended Over the table, intimating to the assembled guests that the conversation was to be literally as well as metaphorically sub raga, or 'under the rose.' In the reign of Malcolm II. of Scotland (1010), the country was invaded by the Danes, who at tempted to storm an important fortress on the most eastern point of Scotland. Their prepara tions being completed. and the night well ad vanced. they approached the castle stealthily, re moving their shoes. Upon reaching the moat they plunged in. expecting to swim across. Sud denly the air resounded with cries of rage and distress; for the moat, instead of water, was filled with thistles. Thus the inmates were
aroused to a sense of their danger and Scotland was saved. Out of gratitude for their escape the Scots adopted the thistle as their national em blem, with the appropriate motto, Nemo are impune laecssit.
Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. while preaching one day was at a loss to explain the doctrine of the Trinity. The people failed to understand, and refused to believe that ''there could he three Gods and yet one." The preacher paused, and stooping, gathered a shamrock grow ing at his feet. "Do you not see." said he, "in this wild flower how three leaves are united on one stalk, and will you not then believe what. I tell you, that there aro indeed three persons and yet one God?" By this simple means his audi ence comprehended his meaning. and at once em bracefl the doetrine. From that time this flower became the national emblem of Ireland.
11 is recorded that on Saint David's Day, March I, A.D. 1310. the Welsh, under Caedwalla, were about to march against an English army. 9'o distinguish each other from the enemy, they adopted the badges most easily obtained; each man plucked a leek from the field through which he was passing and stuck it in his cap. The Welsh arms were victorious, and the leek was adopted as their national emblem in gratefyl memory of this event. It is worn by hiyal Welsh men eu every anniversary of Saint l)a•id's Day.
Mexico has chosen the nopal cactus, or prickly pear, as her national emblem. The design on the Mexican coat-of-arms is an eagle perched upon a cactus stem. It is said that after the Aztecs had wandered for ninny years, a wise man told them that when they reached a place where they found an eagle perched upon a rock, there they should build their city. As they drew near Lake Tezcueo, they saw an eagle perched upon it branch of the nopal growing out of a rock. Here they built their city, giving it a name meaning `Nepal on a stone.' Their coat-of arms hears an eagle perched upon a nopa I holding a serpent in its beak.
In Englatid, ever since the death of Lord Bea consfield (1881), the primrose has been adopted as the badge of the Conservative Party, in the belief that it was the favorite flower of their great leader. This belief is said to be a mistaken one, and to have originated in an incident that happened at. the time of his funeral. The Queen sent a mass of primroses on that occasion with the inscription, "His favorite flower." meaning her own husband, Prince Albert. It was, how ever, understood as referring to Lord Bea•ons field, so that on the anniversary of his death (April 19th) every Conservative- now wcars a hunch of primroses, and the day is known as Primrose Day. See PIIIAIROSE LEAGUE.
The United States cannot be said to have a generally accepted national flower. In 1SS9 an attempt was made to secure a general expression of opinion in favor of some one flower, and the goldenrod, as being indigenous and more widely distributed than in any other country, received the majority of the suffrages; but a national flower is usually recognized only when tradition and legend give it significance, and not he•ause of a popular vote. By acts of the Legislature some States have adopted State flowers: Iowa, the wild rose: Maine, pine cone and tassel: Michigan, apple-blossom; Montana. bitterroot; Nebraska, goldenrod: Oregon. Oregon grape: Vermont, red clover ; Colorado, white and blue columbine: Ok lahoma, mistletoe: Utah, sego lily. In other States flowers have been selected by vote of the school-children, or for other reasons are popu larly recognized : Cal ifornia, the Ca lifomia poppy; Idaho, syringa; Kansas, sunflower; Min nesota. moccasin- flower : Nevada, sagebrush; Washington, rhododendron; Georgia, Cherokee rose; New York. goldenrod. Consult. Folkard, Plan t Lore (London, lS81).