William S. Furneaux

Continuing our list of the numerous wayside flowers of the summer months, we take first the Rampion Bellflower or Ramps (Campanula Rapunculus), of the order CampanulaceÆ. The flowers of this order are usually easily distinguished by their bell-shaped corolla, mounted on an inferior ovary, and by their general resemblance to the Canterbury Bells so familiar to us as favourite garden flowers. The Rampion is to be seen on some of the sandy or gravelly wastes of the South of England during July and August, but is rather local in its distribution. It has an angled, erect stem, from two to three feet high, rough with stiff, white hairs. The stem leaves are narrow, pointed, and usually entire; but the lower leaves are broader, with slightly-scalloped edges, on long stalks. The blue flowers are arranged in erect terminal racemes, either simple or branched, each flower having a short stalk. In order to distinguish between this and other species of the same genus we should note that the segments of its calyx are narrow and entire; and that the corolla is divided deeply into five narrow, pointed segments.

The Great Bindweed (Convolvulus sepium) of the order ConvolvulaceÆ, is very conspicuous in most hedgerows, and is probably so well known that a description need hardly be given for purposes of identification, but we must call attention to a few interesting features that might be overlooked. It is both a creeper and a climber, for it has a creeping rootstock that enables it to travel considerable distances below the surface of the ground, and a twining stem, usually four or five feet long, by which it climbs over the surrounding plants or shrubs. The large, white flowers, which bloom from June to August, are arranged singly on short stalks. Each has a pair of rather large bracts which completely hide the calyx, and which might at first be mistaken for the calyx itself.

The Small Bindweed is, perhaps, more commonly seen in fields than in hedgerows, and is included among the field flowers on p. 228; and the Dodders, belonging to the same order, are described with the other parasitic plants in Chapter XXIII.

The Rampion Bellflower.

The four British plants of the order SolanaceÆ are all wayside species, flowering from June onwards, and may be considered together here. They possess the following features in common:—The leaves are alternately arranged, without stipules. The flowers are regular, with a five-toothed or five-lobed calyx, and a corolla of (usually) five united petals which are folded in the bud. The number of stamens correspond with that of the lobes of the corolla, and the ovary, which is two-celled, ripens into a berry containing several seeds, except in the Henbane, where it forms a capsule.

The Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) is an erect plant, with a branching stem from one to two feet high, and the whole is more or less coarse and hairy, with a viscid touch and an unpleasant odour. The flowers are of a dingy yellow colour, and are arranged, with very short stalks, in one-sided, leafy spikes which are curved backwards before the flowers are open. The calyx is at first short, but grows longer, as the fruits ripen, until it is about an inch long. It has prominent veins, and its five lobes are stiff and bristly. The dingy corolla also reaches a length of an inch or more, and is distinctly marked with dark bluish veins. This plant flowers from June to September, and is moderately common in waste places, especially near houses.

The other three flowers of this order referred to are all known as Nightshades, and two of them belong to the genus Solanum, in which the flowers are arranged in few-flowered terminal or lateral cymes, on short stalks. The corolla has scarcely any tube, and the flowers are easily distinguished by the peculiar arrangement of the five anthers, which are on very short filaments, and are placed close against the style in such a manner as to form a compact cone in the centre of the flower.

The Great Bindweed.

One species—the Black Nightshade (S. nigrum)—is rather local in its distribution, but often very abundant where it occurs, appearing as a common weed on cultivated soils. It is an erect, spreading herb, either quite smooth or slightly hairy, growing from six inches to two feet high, with swollen angles on its branching stem. Its leaves are stalked, ovate, more or less wavy, with large angular teeth; and the small, white flowers are on short lateral stalks. The fruit is a small, round, black or scarlet berry. This species may be seen in flower from June almost to the end of the year.

The Henbane.

The other species—the Woody Nightshade or Bittersweet (S. Dulcamara)—is much more common, and may be seen straggling among the hedgerow shrubs almost everywhere. It is a woody climber that supports itself by means of its zig-zag stem, and often reaches a height of six feet or more. The flower seems to be very well known, but is often, if not generally, spoken of as the Deadly Nightshade, which is a much rarer species with quite a different habit and appearance. The leaves are stalked, and usually more or less heart-shaped. Sometimes they are entire, but frequently there is a small lobe on each side of the base. The flowers, though rather small, are very pretty, the conspicuous cone of yellow anthers forming a bright centre to the spreading purple corolla. They bloom from June to September; and towards the end of the season the bright red fruits may be seen in abundance while the flowers are still appearing.

The Woody Nightshade or Bittersweet.

The true Deadly Nightshade or Dwale (Atropa belladonna), of the same order, is a very local plant, occurring principally in waste places in the South of England. It is an erect, branching herb, either smooth or slightly downy, reaching a height of two or three feet, and flowering from June to September. The leaves are large stalked, ovate, and entire; and each one has, usually, a smaller leaf, growing from the same point on the stem and looking like a stipule. The flowers are very different in general appearance from those of the other nightshades. They are large—about an inch long, and solitary, on short stalks, in the axils of the leaves or in the forks of the stem. The calyx is a broad bell, deeply cut into five lobes; and the corolla is a deep, regular bell, of a pale purple colour, with five short, broad lobes. The fruit is a large, poisonous berry, almost globular, but flattened above.

The Deadly Nightshade.

On waysides and in neglected fields we meet with the very common Red Bartsia (Bartsia Odontites) of the order ScrophulariaceÆ. This is a small, tough plant (see Plate III), from six inches to a foot or more in height, rather downy, with spreading branches. It may be readily recognised by its several one-sided spikes of numerous purple-red flowers, with a bell-shaped, four-pointed calyx, and a corolla that is divided into a longer upper, and a shorter lower, lip. The leaves are long and narrow, with a few teeth; and the fruit is an oblong capsule. The above description applies to the most usual form of this plant, but it is a very variable species, especially as regards the form of the leaves and the branching of the stem.

The Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris), of the same order, is a very pretty plant, from one to three feet high, exceedingly common on banks, hedges, and the borders of fields, bearing dense, terminal racemes of yellow flowers from June to October. Its calyx is small, and deeply divided into five segments; and the corolla, which has a long pointed spur at the base, is closed above by the bright orange 'palate' of the lower lip.

The Yellow Toadflax.

In the order VerbenaceÆ we have the common Vervein (Verbena officinalis), a common plant in the dry wastes of the South of England, and moderately frequent in some other parts. This is a smooth, erect plant, with long, spreading, wiry, four-angled stems; and small, lilac flowers in long, slender spikes. There are but few leaves towards the top of the plant, and these are narrow and sessile, while the lower leaves are broader, stalked, and coarsely toothed. When the flowers first appear they are close together, but the spike increases in length as the flowering proceeds, so that the lower flowers and fruits become more distant. Each flower has a five-toothed calyx, and an irregular corolla with a short tube and five unequal lobes. The Vervein grows from one to two feet high, and flowers from July to September.

The Vervein.

Passing now to the Labiates, we deal first with two species of Calamints (genus Calamintha), which are to be distinguished from the other genera of the order by their axillary cymes of flowers, with calyx and corolla both lipped, and the upper lip of the latter erect and flat.

One of these, the common Calamint (Calamintha officinalis), is a hairy plant, with an erect, branched stem, one or two feet high, and stalked, ovate, toothed leaves. The whorls of flowers are compound, in forked, axillary cymes. The calyx is tubular, with thirteen ribs and five pointed teeth. The three upper teeth are united at their base to form the upper lip, while the other two, longer and narrower, form the lower. The corolla is almost twice as long as the calyx, with an upper, erect lip, and a lower lip with three broad lobes. The stamens are four in number, in pairs, under the upper lip.

The Lesser Calamint (C. Nepeta) is a very similar plant, by some held to be merely a variety of C. officinalis. Its leaves are shortly stalked, but slightly toothed, and only about half an inch in length. The flowers are about as long as the leaves, arranged in whorls of eight or ten, with corolla about half as long again as the calyx. In both species the mouth of the calyx is hairy, but the hairs are much more prominent in the Lesser Calamint than in the last. Both plants are frequently seen on sunny waysides, flowering during July and August.

The Balm.

The Balm (Melissa officinalis) is a common garden herb in some parts, and in the South of England it is now fairly established as a wild flower, though, at present, it is not often found very far from the habitations of man. It is a hairy plant, much like a Calamint in general appearance, growing from one to three feet high, and bearing white flowers in July and August. Its leaves are stalked, ovate, acute, toothed or crenate, of a pale green below; and the flowers are shortly-stalked, in few-flowered, axillary whorls.

The Black Horehound (Ballota nigra), shown on Plate III, Fig. 2, is a coarse, hairy plant, with an unpleasant odour, commonly seen on roadsides and wastes, flowering continuously from the beginning of June to September or October. Its erect stem often exceeds three feet in height, and branches more or less freely. The purple flowers are in dense clusters in the axils of the leaves, and beneath them are several narrow, stiff bracts. The calyx is about a third of an inch long, green or purple-green in colour, with ten prominent ribs, and five broad teeth which usually terminate abruptly in a fine, stiff point. The corolla is of a purple colour, twice as long as the calyx, with an arched, oval upper lip; and a slightly longer lower lip of three segments, the middle one of which is the largest.

The Hedge Woundwort.

Our last example of the wayside Labiates is the Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica)—a very abundant and pretty plant that grows most luxuriantly in damp, shady places, such as the borders of ditches, the edges of woods, and shady banks and hedgerows. Its square stem is solid and stout, straight and erect, and more or less branched. All the leaves are stalked, the upper ones being narrow and entire, while the lower are large, ovate or cordate, with a crenate or toothed edge and a very pointed apex. The flowers, which bloom from July to September, are in distant whorls of from six to ten, in the axils of the upper leaves, forming long spikes. The calyx is bell-shaped, with ten ribs, and five spreading teeth which are pointed, but not stiff; and the corolla, the tube of which is longer than the calyx, is of a dark, red-purple colour, prettily variegated with white on the lower lip. This plant varies from one to three feet in height and has a very unpleasant odour.

We next take a few examples of the Borage family (order BoraginaceÆ), all of which are herbs more or less rough with coarse hairs, having alternate, simple leaves, and flowers in one-sided spikes or racemes which are rolled back while in bud. In all of them the calyx has five divisions or teeth, and the corolla consists of five united petals of equal or nearly equal size. There are five stamens within the tube of the corolla, and the fruit consists of four nutlets enclosed in the persistent calyx.

One of these—the Field Scorpion Grass (Myosotis arvensis)—is often called the Forget-me-not, but it usually grows in dry waste places, while the true Forget-me-not is found in wet situations. The flowers of this species are also very much smaller. The stem of the plant is thin, and bears small, oval, hairy leaves. The small blue corolla has short, spreading, concave segments, and is surrounded by a calyx that is cleft to the middle, and covered with hooked hairs. The sepals spread while the flower is open, but assume an erect position when in fruit. As a further means of distinguishing between this and other similar species of the same genus we should note that the peduncle is longer than the calyx, and that the style is very short. The plant varies from six to eighteen inches in height, and flowers throughout the summer.

The Gromwell or Grey Millet (Lithospermum officinale) is a stout plant with several erect, branched stems. The flowers are small, of a pale yellow colour, in leafy racemes. The calyx is hairy and very deeply cleft into five segments; and the corolla, which is about the same length as the calyx, is funnel-shaped, with small scales in the throat of its tube. This plant derives its generic name of Lithospermum from the nature of its fruit, which consists of white, stony nutlets with a smooth and polished surface. Its height is from twelve to eighteen inches; and the flowers appear during June and July.

Our next species—the Borage (Borago officinalis)—is not indigenous, but is found wild in many parts, frequently in great abundance. It is a very bristly plant, from one to two feet high, bearing bright blue flowers from June to August. Its stem has spreading branches, and the leaves are obovate, narrowing at the base into the stalk. The upper leaves are narrower than the lower ones, and have shorter petioles. The flowers are of a blue colour, or sometimes almost white, and are drooping on rather long pedicels. The segments of the corolla are spreading and very pointed; and the dark anthers are very conspicuous in the centre of the flower.

The two British Alkanets (Anchusa) are interesting plants, though not very common. They are coarse and hairy, and bear large, blue, bracteate flowers, distinguished by a deeply five-cleft calyx; a corolla with five spreading lobes, and a straight tube closed at the mouth by blunt, hairy scales; and five stamens included within the tube. The fruit consists of rather large wrinkled nuts.

One species, though generally known as the Common Alkanet (Anchusa officinalis), is really a rare plant, occurring only as an escape from cultivation in the neighbourhood of towns and villages. It has an angular stem; narrow leaves—the lower ones very long, on long stalks, and the upper ones smaller; and forked, one-sided, spikes of sessile or shortly-stalked flowers of a rich blue colour. The calyx is bristly, longer than the corolla, and cleft into narrow divisions. This plant grows from one to two feet high, and flowers during June and July.

The other species—the Evergreen Alkanet (Anchusa sempervirens)—is not uncommon in some southern and south-western districts. It is a stout, very bristly plant, from one to two feet high, with rather large, blue flowers in short, opposite spikes. It is shown on Plate III.

Our last flower of the Borage family is the Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), which is moderately common on waste ground, flowering during June and July. This is an erect plant, from one to two feet high, with a very unpleasant odour. Its stem is stout, branched and hairy; and the leaves are thickly covered with soft down. The lowest leaves are oval, with long stalks, often ten or twelve inches in length; but the upper ones become smaller and narrower, with shorter stalks, till towards the top they are very narrow, sessile, and clasp the stem. The flowers are in racemes, with short pedicels, and have no bracts. The segments of the calyx are narrow and pointed; and the small corolla is of a reddish purple colour. The fruit is covered with little spines and is about a quarter of an inch in diameter.

On dry waysides the Buck's-horn Plantain (Plantago Coronopus—order PlantaginaceÆ) is common. It may be readily distinguished as a plantain by its slender, cylindrical spikes of small flowers, and its spreading tuft of radical leaves. This species has a thick rootstock, and its leaves are either linear and undivided, or, more commonly, cut into very narrow segments. The flowers are green, with broad, hairy sepals, the whole spike measuring from one to two inches in length. They bloom during June and July.

The plants which form the genus Chenopodium, of the order ChenopodiaceÆ, are essentially plants of the wayside and waste ground, and of these we shall have to note several species. Most of them are distinguished by the dusty mealiness of their leaves, though a few do not possess this feature. In general they are characterised by alternate, flat leaves; and small, green flowers in little sessile clusters, forming spikes in the axils of the upper leaves. The little flowers usually have a perianth of five segments which more or less enclose the fruit; also five stamens, and two or three styles. The following summary of the characters of these plants will enable the reader to identify them:—

1. Stinking Goose-foot (Chenopodium olidum or C. Vulvaria.)—A procumbent or spreading plant, with a granular, mealy surface and a nauseous odour resembling that of stale fish, especially when rubbed or bruised. Stems from six inches to a foot or more in length, and much branched. Leaves stalked, small, ovate, and entire. Flowers in dense, leafless, axillary and terminal spikes which are shorter than the leaves. Moderately common in many parts, especially in the eastern counties. Time of flowering—August and September.

2. Many-seeded Goose-foot (C. polyspermum).—A procumbent or erect, spreading plant, without mealiness or nauseous odour. Stem much branched. Leaves ovate or elliptical, entire, green, less than two inches long. Flowers in axillary and terminal, leafless spikes, with a calyx that does not cover the fruit. Common in parts of England, flowering during August and September.

3. Upright Goose-foot (C. urbicum).—An erect plant, with a stout stem and few branches. Leaves green on both sides. Lower leaves on long stalks, broad, ovate or triangular, with bases narrowed towards the stalk in such a manner as to approach a rhomboidal form, two or three inches long, and irregularly toothed or lobed. Upper leaves narrower, nearly entire, and acute. Flowers in small, dense clusters, forming rather long, erect spikes. The green perianth does not completely cover the fruit. Common on roadsides and waste ground, flowering in August and September.

4. White Goose-foot (C. album).—A very common plant, varying in colour from a pale green to a mealy white. Stem stout, erect, from one to three feet high. Lower leaves stalked, ovate or rhomboid, more or less toothed or angular, but entire at the base. Upper leaves lanceolate, entire. Spikes of flowers irregularly clustered, leafy, and usually branched; the upper ones forming a long panicle, intermixed with the upper leaves. Perianth entirely covering the fruit.

5. Fig-leaved Goose-foot (C. ficifolium).—by some regarded as a distinct species, but by others included among the varieties of C. album. It closely resembles the latter in general appearance, but its lower leaves are divided into three unequal lobes, and are somewhat spear-shaped.

6. Red Goose-foot (C. rubrum).—An erect plant, from one to three feet high, with smooth, triangular, irregularly-toothed leaves, resembling those of the Upright Goose-foot. The spikes, also, closely resemble those of the same plant, but the flowers have generally only two or three segments to the perianth, and these often turn red as the fruit ripens. The flowers appear during August and September. This species is moderately common in most parts, and especially near the sea, where it may be seen growing on the shingle very close to the water's edge.

7. Mercury Goose-foot, Allgood, or Good King Henry (C. Bonus-Henricus).—An erect plant, from one to three feet high, growing from a thick, fleshy root like that of the Dock. Leaves stalked, triangular, acute, wavy or toothed, of a dark green colour. Upper leaves smaller, and almost sessile. Flowers in clustered, compound spikes, forming a terminal panicle, leafy below. Fruit completely enclosed in the perianth. This plant was formerly cultivated as a potherb, and is now commonly found on waste ground near villages. Time of flowering—June to August.

In the same order we have the Common Orache (Atriplex patula)—a very variable plant, from a few inches to three feet in height, with erect or prostrate stem, and more or less mealy in appearance. Lower leaves triangular, with spreading lobes at the base. Upper leaves narrower, and entire or slightly toothed. Flowers in simple spikes, forming leafy, terminal panicles. They are of two kinds—male and female, either mixed, or collected in separate clusters. Segments of the perianth united, pointed, sometimes toothed, and spotted above. The plant flowers from July to September, and is abundant in most parts, especially near the sea.

The order PolygonaceÆ also includes several wayside plants which may be easily distinguished as a group by the following characters:—At the bases of the alternate leaves are membranous stipules that form a sheath round the stem. The flowers are small, arranged in clusters in the axils of the leaves, or in terminal spikes or racemes. The fruit is a small nut, enclosed more or less in the persistent perianth.

Three of the plants to which we refer belong to the genus Polygonum, in which the sheathing stipule is usually fringed at the edge; and the small flowers are either green or red, with a perianth of five segments, and stamens not exceeding eight in number. The little nuts, too, are either flattened or triangular. The three species may be identified by the following summary of their leading features:

1. The Spotted Persicaria (Polygonum Persicaria).—A very common wayside plant, and a weed of almost all cultivated soils, growing from one to two feet high, and flowering from July to October. The leaves have, usually, a dark-coloured patch in the centre; and the stipules are fringed at the top with fine, stiff hairs. The flowers are rose-coloured, with more or less green, arranged in short axillary or terminal spikes without any leaves; and the nuts are rather thick, but flattened, smooth, and glossy.

2. Pale-flowered Persicaria (P. lapathifolium).—Very similar to the Spotted Persicaria, and sometimes regarded as a variety of that species; but it differs in that its leaves are never spotted, and the lower stipules are not fringed with hairs. The peduncle and perianth, which are smooth in P. persicaria, are here rough, being dotted with small, projecting glands; and the styles, which are united to about half way up in the last species, are quite free in the present one. The flowers are pink, with more or less green, and do not usually bloom after August; and the plant often attains a length of three or four feet.

3. Knot-grass or Knot-weed (P. aviculare).—A very common procumbent weed, with wiry stems from one to two or three feet long. The leaves, seldom as much as an inch in length, are narrow, oblong, and flat; and the stipules are white, membranous, more or less cut at the edges, with a few veins. The flowers are small, very variable in colour, arranged in short-stalked clusters of about three or four in the axils of nearly all the leaves; and the fruit is a triangular nut, shorter than the segments of the perianth. This plant flowers from July to September. An erect variety, growing to a height of two feet or more, may be seen in cornfields.

The same order includes the well-known Docks (Rumex), which differ from Persicaria as follows:—The root is very thick, and grows to a great depth; the stems are erect and furrowed; and the thin membranous stipules, though never fringed with hairs, often become more or less torn. The flowers are small, green, in axillary clusters or terminal racemes, often turning red as the fruit ripens. The perianth is deeply divided into five segments, three of which become enlarged and close over the triangular nut. Two species of this genus are abundant on waysides. They are:—

1. The Broad-leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius).—A stout plant, two or three feet high, and slightly branched. The lower leaves are ovate, cordate at the base, blunt, often eight or nine inches long; and the upper ones narrow and pointed. The flowers are perfect, reddish green, in distant whorls, forming a terminal raceme which is leafless above. The inner segment of the perianth is enlarged, ovate, distinctly toothed, with a long point. Time of flowering—July to September.

2. The Curled Dock (R. crispus).—Very similar to the Broad-leaved Dock in size and habit, but flowering somewhat earlier. The lower leaves are much narrower, six to eight inches long, lanceolate, pointed, and wavy at the edges. The upper leaves are small and narrower, passing gradually into still smaller bracts towards the lower flowers. The flowers are in crowded whorls, on slender pedicels which are longer than the perianths; and the inner segment of the perianth is enlarged, cordate, but not toothed.

We have now to note two species of Spurge (Euphorbia) that grow by the wayside; but before doing so it will be well to make ourselves acquainted with the general characters of the interesting group to which they belong. The Spurges are herbs with a milky juice, and a stem which is usually unbranched below, bearing alternate leaves. The flowering branches, towards the top of the plant, generally radiate from one point, forming an umbel of from two to five or more rays that proceed from the axil of one or more leaves. Each ray is usually forked, and sometimes repeatedly so, with a pair of leaves at each angle, and a little head of yellowish-green flowers between the branches. Each flower-head is surrounded by a small cup of united bracts, inside which is a whorl of little yellow or brownish glands, placed horizontally. In the centre of the head is a single female flower, consisting of a three-celled ovary, with a three-cleft style, mounted on a stalk of such a length that the flower droops over the edge of the cup. Around this female flower are from ten to fifteen little male flowers, each consisting of a single stamen with a minute scale at its base. The fruit contains three seeds, one in each carpel.

The Sun Spurge (Euphorbia Helioscopia) is a common species, varying from six to eighteen inches high, flowering from June to October. Its stem is generally simple, but sometimes branched at the base; and the leaves are obovate or broadly oblong, without stipules, serrate, and narrowed down at the base to a short stalk. The floral leaves are very broad—almost round—and edged with very small teeth. The umbel consists of five rays, each of which is forked, with very short branches; and the glands within the cup are nearly round. The fruits are quite smooth, and the seeds have a netted surface.

The other species—the Petty Spurge (E. Peplus)—is a smaller plant, seldom exceeding a foot in length, with an erect or decumbent stem branching at the bottom. The stem-leaves are oval or obovate, entire, shortly-stalked and placed alternately; and the floral leaves are cordate or broadly ovate. The flower-heads are small, surrounded by crescent-shaped glands with long points; and the carpels of the fruit have rough keels or wings.

Passing to the Stinging Nettles (order UrticaceÆ), we have to deal with three herbs that are remarkable for the stinging hairs which clothe both leaves and stem. The leaves of all are opposite, and the flowers imperfect. The male flowers have four stamens, and a small, green perianth of four segments; while the females consist of an ovary with a tufted stigma, surrounded by a perianth of four segments the two inner of which are larger, or of two segments only. The fruit is a small, flattened nut, enclosed in the persistent perianth. The distinguishing characters of the three species are as follows:

1. The Small Nettle (Urtica urens).—An erect herb, from one to two feet high, with leaves and stem smooth with the exception of the stiff, stinging hairs. The leaves are thin, elliptical, deeply and regularly toothed; and the flowers are in unbranched axillary spikes which are shorter than the petioles, the males and females being intermixed. This is a common species, flowering from June to September.

2. The Great Nettle (U. dioica).—A dark green herb, from one to four feet high, more or less clothed with soft downy hairs in addition to the stiff, stinging ones. The lower leaves are ovate or cordate, coarsely toothed; and the upper ones narrower. The spikes of flowers are branched, longer than the petioles, in the axils of the leaves. The flowers are very similar to those of the Small Nettle, but the males and females are usually on separate plants. This is a very common species, flowering from June to September.

3. The Roman Nettle (U. pilulifera).—A coarse, erect plant, from one to two feet high, with stinging hairs more powerful than those of the other species. The leaves are ovate or cordate, deeply and regularly toothed. The male flowers are in clusters along the peduncles, which are often as long as the leaves; and the females are in globular heads at the top of stalks from half an inch to an inch in length. The heads of fruits are about a third of an inch in diameter, thickly covered with stinging hairs. This plant flowers from June to September. It is not so abundant as the other nettles, and is found principally in the neighbourhood of villages, especially in the eastern counties of England.

Although the Hop (Humulus Lupulus) does not sting, the whole plant is rough with stiff hairs resembling those of the nettles, and it is placed in the same order. It is a climber, and clings to the hedgerow shrubs by twining its long stems, which always turn in the same direction as the sun. Its leaves are opposite, stalked, broadly heart-shaped in general form, but cut into three or five sharply-toothed lobes. The flowers, like those of the nettles, are imperfect, and the male and female blossoms grow on separate plants. The former are in lax panicles, in the axils of the upper leaves: they are small, of a yellowish green colour, each consisting of five stamens surrounded by a perianth of five segments. The females are arranged in rounded heads or spikes on short stalks in the axils of the leaves. The heads are made up of a number of closely-placed bracts, each with two little flowers at its base; and each flower consists of an ovary, enclosed in a scale, with two long, narrow stigmas. After fertilisation the scales of the head grow very large, forming very conspicuous 'cones' in which the little fruits lie concealed. The Hop flowers from July to September, and is common in hedgerows and thickets.

Of the several wayside Grasses we have space for the mention of but one species—the interesting Canary Grass (Phalaris canariensis). It is a native of South Europe, introduced into this country and cultivated for its seed (canary seed), but is now often seen growing wild in waste places. It is represented on p. 209.