Although the fire shall have changed my body into ashes, yet the sad dust will be sensible of your pious affection." Like the Greeks, the Romans set a special value on the rose as a funeral flower, and actually left directions that their graves should be planted with this favourite flower, a custom said to have been introduced by them into this country.

Both Camden and Aubrey allude to it, and at the present day in Wales white roses denote the graves of young unmarried girls.
Coming down to modern times, we find the periwinkle, nicknamed "death's flower," scattered over the graves of children in Italy--notably Tuscany--and in some parts of Germany the pink is in request for this purpose.

In Persia we read of:-- "The basil-tuft that waves Its fragrant blossoms over graves;" And among the Chinese, roses, the anemone, and a species of lycoris are planted over graves.

The Malays use a kind of basil, and in Tripoli tombs are adorned with such sweet and fragrant flowers as the orange, jessamine, myrtle, and rose.

In Mexico the Indian carnation is popularly known as the "flower of the dead," and the people of Tahiti cover their dead with choice flowers.