"a luxuriant or double flower;" a flower, some of whose parts are increased in number, to the diminution or entire exclusion of others.

The parts that are augmented or multiplied in luxuriant flowers, are the flower-cup and petals, which Linnaeus considers as the teguments or covers of the flower; the parts that are diminished, or entirely excluded, are the stamina or chives, which the same author denominates the male organs of generation.

Luxuriance in flowers is capable of the three following varieties.

1. A flower is said to be MULTIPLIED (flos multiplicatus), when the increase of the petals is not such as to exclude all the stamina: in this sense, flowers are properly said to be double, triple, or quadruple, according to the number of multiplications of the petals.

2. A flower is said to be FULL (flos plenus), when, by the multiplication of the petals, all the stamina are excluded. Such are most of the double flowers that engage the attention of florists.

3. A flower is said to be PROLIFIC (flos prolifer), which produces flowers, and sometimes leaves, from its centre.

For a particular description of each of these kinds of luxuriance in flowers, see the articles MULTIPLICATUS Flos, PLENUS Flos, and PROLIFER Flos.

Many natural orders of plants do not in any circumstances produce luxuriant flowers. Of this kind are the masked flowers of Tournefort, excepting calve's-nut; the rough-leaved, umbelliferous, starry plants, and such as flower at the joints, of Ray: some umbelliferous flowers, however, are prolific.

The pea-bloom, or butterfly-shaped flowers, are rarely rendered double; some instances, however, of luxuriance, are observed in a species of lady's finger, coromilla, and broom.

All luxuriant flowers are vegetable monsters. Such as are perfectly full, by which we mean the greatest degree of luxuriance, cannot be propagated by seeds; because these, for want of impregnation, can never ripen. Full flowers therefore are very properly denominated by Linnaeus eunuchs. This highest degree of luxuriance is very common in carnation, lychins, anemone, stock, Indian cress, rose, marth marigold, ranunculus, violet, peony, and narcissus.

Flowers which do not exclude all the stamina, perfect their seeds. Of this kind are poppy, fennel-flower, campanula, and some others.

Some flowers, as those of the water-lily, fig-mari-gold, and cactus, have many rows or series of petals, without the number of stamina being in the least diminished. Such flowers are by no means to be reckoned luxuriant, in the slightest degree.

Luxuriance in flowers is generally owing to excess of nourishment.