The Herb Bennet or Geum.
The Herb Bennet or Geum.
Of the orderRosaceæwe have several summer wayside flowers, our first example being the Common Avens, also called the WoodAvens and the Herb Bennet (Geum urbanum), which is common on banks and hedgerows. This is an erect, hairy plant, from one to two feet high, with yellow flowers, from a half to three-quarters of an inch across, on erect stalks. The numerous carpels ripen into a head of one-seeded achenes, on each of which the persistent style forms a curved, hooked awn that readily clings to the hair or wool of animals, thus providing an effectual means by which the seeds are distributed. A variety of the Common Avens occurs with drooping flowers.
The Dog Rose.
The Dog Rose.
The Silver Weed.
The Silver Weed.
The Dog Rose (Rosa canina) is one of the prettiest and most abundant flowers of our hedgerows, and may be seen in bloom throughout June and July. The bush has a thick, woody stock; and weak, straggling stems, often reaching a height of six or eight feet, armed with equal, curved prickles. The flowersare pink or white, with a calyx consisting of a globular tube, contracted at the top, and five spreading segments; a corolla of five petals; numerous stamens; and an ovary of several one-seeded carpels with free styles. The carpels are very hairy, and are enclosed within the tube of the calyx, which becomes red and succulent as the fruit ripens; but the calyx segments usually fall before the ripening is complete.
The Agrimony.
The Agrimony.
The Silver Weed (Potentilla anserina), of the same order, is one of the commonest of our roadside flowers, rendered more conspicuous by its pretty, silvery leaves than by its solitary, yellow flowers. It has a creeping stem, from six to twelve inches long, which bears pinnate leaves. The leaflets aredeeply serrated, and densely covered beneath (and sometimes also above) with soft, silky hairs.
Two of the Cinquefoils are very common by roadsides. These are the Hoary Cinquefoil (Potentilla argentea), and the Creeping Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans). The first of these is a partially prostrate plant, with stem from six to eighteen inches long; and digitate leaves with five, wedge-shaped leaflets. The leaflets are rendered white beneath by woolly hairs that lie close against the surface, and their edges are curled backwards. The flowers, which bloom in June and July, are yellow, small, and clustered.
The Creeping Cinquefoil has a slender stem that creeps on the ground and forms new roots at the nodes. Its leaves are digitate and long-stalked, with five obovate, serrate, hairy leaflets. The flowers are yellow, solitary, nearly an inch in diameter, with five sepals and five petals.
On banks we frequently meet with the Agrimony (Agrimonia Eupatoria), a slender plant, from one to two feet high, covered with soft hairs, and bearing long, tapering, spikelike racemes of small, scattered, yellow flowers during June and July. This plant may be readily identified by means of our illustration.
One of the Willow Herbs—the Broad Smooth-leaved Willow Herb (Epilobium montanum)—is common on roadside banks, flowering during June and July. Its stems are slender, downy, and generally unbranched; and the leaves are opposite, stalked (the lower ones almost stalkless), ovate, acute, with serrate edges, and smooth except along the margins and the principal veins, which are more or less downy. The plant grows to a height of one or two feet, and bears small, pale-purple flowers which droop when in the bud. It belongs to the orderOnagraceæ; and, like the others of its genus, has four sepals, four petals, eight stamens, and a long inferior ovary which splits into four valves, setting free a large number of little, tufted seeds.
The orderCrassulaceæcontains a number of low, succulent plants, with small, regular, star-like flowers. Some of them are well known as Stonecrops and House-leeks. Those of the Stonecrop group usually have cymes of flowers with perianth leaves in whorls of five, and stamens in two whorls.
One member of this group—the Orpine or Livelong (Sedum Telephium)—is not uncommonly found on shady wayside banks, especially near villages and on the outskirts of towns, where it is probably an escape from gardens. Its leaves are large,flat, oval or oblong, with serrate edges. The flowers have five sepals and five petals, are of a purple or crimson colour, and are clustered in close cymes.
We have now to consider several species of the orderUmbelliferæ—a group of flowers which contains so many species, with often such close resemblances in general appearance, that it is always more or less puzzling to the beginner, especially as it is frequently necessary to note minute details of structure in order to determine a species.
The leading characteristic of the order is that denoted by its name; for the flowers, which are generally very small and white, are arranged in umbels. In a few instances these umbels are simple; but in most they are compound—that is, the stalks which radiate from the same point on the main peduncle, and thus form theprimary umbel, give rise to the lesser stalks of thesecondary umbels, which are similarly arranged and bear the flowers. There are often bracts at the base of the primary umbel, in which case they are termed theprimary bracts; and there are frequentlysecondary bractsorinvolucelsat the bases of the secondary umbels.
The Orpine or Livelong.
The Orpine or Livelong.
The flowers have a superior calyx; with five teeth; but this is often so inconspicuous that it appears like a mere rim round the top of the ovary. There are also five petals, which generally havetheir points turned inwards; and five stamens. The inferior ovary consists of two united carpels, surmounted by a fleshy disc that supports the petals and the stamens, and bears two styles.
Special attention must be given to the structure of the fruits of umbellifers, for a close examination of these is often necessary for purposes of identification. The two carpels are close together, with their adjacent surfaces flattened, and are fixed to a central axis called thecarpophore. As the fruit ripens, the carpophore often divides, from above downwards, becoming Y-shaped; and the carpels, thus separated, are for a time suspended on its two arms. Each carpel is marked by vertical ridges, generally nine in number, five of them (primary ridges) being more prominent than the four intermediate orsecondary ridges. The ridge on each side of the carpel, nearest to the fissure that divides the fruit into two parts, is often extended so as to form wings by means of which wind-distribution is greatly facilitated; and between the various ridges are thefurrowsof the fruit. In addition to these features, there are often narrow, light-coloured streaks running parallel with the ridges, in the walls of the fruit. There are usually six of these in each carpel, sometimes more than one in the same furrow, and they mark the positions of narrow oil-sacs orvittæ. Each carpel contains only one seed.
The Fool's Parsley.
The Fool's Parsley.
As to the general characters of the plants, it may also be noted that the stems of theUmbelliferæare jointed, and frequently hollow; also that the leaves are pinnately divided, and oftendecompound(compound, with compound leaflets).
The Wild Parsnip.
The Wild Parsnip.
Our first example of this family is the common Hemlock (Conium maculatum) of hedges and waste ground—a very graceful plant, with a much-branched stem that grows from two to six or more feet in height. It is distinguished by a fœtid odour and poisonous properties. Its stem is slender in proportion to the height, furrowed, smooth, and spotted with purple or red. The flowers are white, with hardly a trace of a calyx, and arranged in compound umbels,with three small bractson one sideof the secondary umbels. The fruit is short, swollen, and slightly flattened laterally; and the carpels, without vittæ, have each five thick, waved ridges. The Hemlock flowers during June and July.
The Cow Parsnip or Hogweed.
The Cow Parsnip or Hogweed.
Several of the common umbelliferous plants are called the Fool's Parsley by those who are unable to distinguish between species, but this name is correctly applied only toÆthusa cynapium, a smooth, leafy plant, with an unpleasant odour and poisonous properties. The plant grows from a foot to eighteen inches high, flowers during July and August, and is common in cultivated ground as well as in wastes and by waysides. It may be recognised at once by the help of our illustration; but we call special attention to the three, long, drooping bracts on the outer side of each secondary umbel.
On roadside banks, particularly in chalky districts, we may often meet with the Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). This is an erect, downy plant, with a tap root; and angular, hollow stem from two to three feet high. Its leaves are pinnate, glossy above and downy beneath, with five or seven ovate, sessile, cut and serrate leaflets, and sheathing petioles. The umbels are terminal, without primary or secondary bracts; and the flowers are small, of a bright yellow colour, producing flattened, winged fruits. The flowers bloom during July and August.
The Cow Parsnip or Hogweed (Heracleum Sphondylium) is somewhat similar in general appearance, but is much stouter, and growsto a height of four or five feet. Its stem is hairy and channelled; and the leaves have a few broad, lobed, serrate leaflets with a rough, hairy surface. The flowers, which bloom during July and August, are of a reddish white colour, and have unequal petals.
The Upright Hedge Parsley (Torilis AnthriscusorCaucalis Anthriscus) is a slender plant, with an erect, solid, rough stem, from two to three feet high. Its leaves are hairy, bipinnate, with lobed and toothed, ovate or oblong leaflets. The white or pale pink flowers are arranged in long-stalked, terminal umbels of from about six to twelve rays, with several primary and secondary bracts. The fruits are armed with bristles which, though not hooked, are slightly bent inwards. This is a very common hedgerow plant, flowering from July to September.
The Honeysuckle.
The Honeysuckle.
Our last example of theUmbelliferæis the Rough Chervil (Chærophyllum temulum), which is very common in hedgerows, among the undergrowth of woods, and in other shady places. It has a slender stem, from one to three feet high, swollen at the joints, spotted with purple, and rendered rough by short hairs. The leaves, which are also rough and spotted, are bipinnate, with ovate leaflets that are cut into segments terminating abruptly in a sharp point; and they assume a rich purple tint that makes the plant a conspicuous object in the autumn. The flowers are white, in terminal compound umbels which droop in the bud. The bracts are few in number or altogether absent, but there are several secondary bracts which are fringed and bent downwards.
Passing now to the orderCaprifoliaceæ, we have to deal withthe well-known and favourite Honeysuckle or Woodbine (Lonicera periclymenum), so highly prized on account of its lovely fragrant flowers. It is a climbing plant, often reaching a height of ten or twelve feet, supporting itself by twining its woody stem round surrounding shrubs and trees in hedges and the open spaces of woods. The beautiful flowers, which are yellow within, and more or less tinged with red outside, are arranged in terminal, stalked heads; and the united petals form widely-gaping lips. The plant blooms from June to September, and displays its crimson berries in the autumn.
Two other species of Honeysuckle occur in our hedges, but neither of these is common. One is the Upright Honeysuckle, which has an erect stem; downy, stalked leaves; and pale yellow, scentless flowers that grow in pairs in the axils of the leaves. The other is the Perfoliate Honeysuckle, so called because its upper leaves are united at their bases, with the stem running through them. In this one the flower-heads have no stalks.
The Great Hedge Bedstraw.
The Great Hedge Bedstraw.
In the Bedstraw family (orderRubiaceæ) we have two very common, hedgerow plants—the Great Hedge Bedstraw (Galium Mollugo) and the Goose-grass or Cleavers (G. Aparine). The first is a very straggling plant, with a square stem, thickened at the joints, that often reaches a length of four or five feet. Its leaves are elliptical, with apex terminating suddenly in a bristle-like point, and margins roughened by prickles that are either at right anglesor pointing more or less forward. They are arranged in whorls, usually of eight, but sometimes six. The little white flowers, which bloom during July and August, are arranged in panicles with spreading branches, the lower of which are either horizontal or bent downward. The fruit is smooth.
The Goose Grass is so named because it is eaten by geese; and it is also known as the Cleavers because its fruits, which are covered with hooked bristles, cling tenaciously to our clothing and to the covering of animals. Its straggling stem often reaches a length of four or five feet, and forms tangled masses with the stems and leaves of other hedgerow plants. The leaves are narrow and keeled; and the small, white flowers are arranged in small axillary clusters of two or three. The whole plant is rough with hooked bristles.
The Teasel.
The Teasel.
We conclude this chapter with a description of the common Teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris) of the orderDipsaceæ. This is really a very graceful plant, rarely less than three or four feet high, and sometimes reaching six feet or more. Its stem is very stout and prickly; and its large bright green leaves are simple, sessile, and arranged in opposite pairs. They are prickly beneath, and the two leaves of each pair are united at their bases in such a manner that they form hollows in which the rain-water collects. The reservoirs so formed often contain drowned insects which have flown or fallen into the water, or which have been washed down the stem by the rain. Their dead bodies decompose, giving rise to nitrogenous and other products of decay which generally discolour the water. These products are valuable as plant food, and it hasbeen said that they are absorbed by the leaves. The flowers of the Teasel are collected in large heads, covered with straight, stiff bristles, and have an involucre of bracts which curve upwards. The flowers are of a pale purple colour. They commence to open near the middle of the head, forming a horizontal circle; and then they expand both upwards and downwards from this level. The flowers are not conspicuous individually, nor does each individual flower produce much pollen; but the large heads of bloom attract numerous insects which climb about among the flowers in search of nectar, covering their bodies with pollen, and thus aiding the process of fertilisation.
Teasel-heads.1, 2, and 3 are successive flowering stages. 4, The elongated head in fruit.
Teasel-heads.1, 2, and 3 are successive flowering stages. 4, The elongated head in fruit.
Composite Flowers
There are so many flowers of the orderCompositæin bloom by the wayside and on waste ground during the summer months that we devote a chapter entirely to them.
This group is the largest of the natural orders, and is computed to contain about a tenth of all the known flowering plants. The chief distinguishing characteristic of the order is the arrangement of the flowers into crowded heads, each consisting of a number of little flowers orfloretsthat are sessile on a commonreceptacle, as in the case of the Daisy, the Dandelion, and the Thistles.
The florets of each head orcapitulumare generally arranged into two well-defined sets—the florets of the disc, occupying the centre; and the florets of the ray, spreading more or less in a radial manner from the edge of the disc. These two sets are often of different colours, as in the Daisy, where the disc florets are of a deep yellow, while the ray florets are white or pink.
In some of the Composites all the florets of each head are perfect, while in others some are perfect and some imperfect. Then, as regards the latter, they may be staminate or male florets, with no pistil; pistillate or female flowers, with no stamens; or neuter florets, possessing neither stamens nor pistil. In some few cases all the florets of one head are staminate, while the pistillate florets alone form other heads; and in these instances the two kinds of heads may be found on one plant, or only one kind may exist on the same plant. In all cases the capitulum is surrounded by one or more whorls of bracts which are often closely overlapping.
The florets seldom possess a distinguishable calyx, but there is sometimes an indication of the presence of five sepals; in many, however, the calyx is represented by a whorl of hairs on the summitof the ovary. Such a whorl is known as thepappus, and it frequently enlarges as the fruit ripens, forming a kind of parachute that allows the fruit to be carried great distances by the wind. The hairs of the pappus are often sessile on the fruit, but sometimes mounted on the summit of a slender stalk, as in the Dandelion. Further, the hairs which constitute the pappus may be simple or feathered.
Capitulum or Flower-head of the Marigold,showing theinvolucreor whorl of overlapping bracts.
Capitulum or Flower-head of the Marigold,showing theinvolucreor whorl of overlapping bracts.
The corolla frequently consists of five petals, united into a tube with as many teeth; but it is oftenligulateor strap-shaped, in which case the presence of five petals is often denoted by five minute teeth at the tip.
Where stamens exist they are five in number, attached to the petals, and the anthers are generally united in such a manner that they form a tube within the tube of the corolla.
Florets of a Composite Flower.In fig. 1 the corolla is strap-shaped; in fig. 2 it is tubular.
Florets of a Composite Flower.In fig. 1 the corolla is strap-shaped; in fig. 2 it is tubular.
Fertilisation is brought about much in the same way in many of the composite flowers:—The anthers open inwards, discharging their pollen within the tube formed by themselves, and just above the stigma which, as yet, is immature. The style then lengthens, pushing its way up through the anther-tube, and brushing up the pollen by means of the tufts of hairs on its surface. At this stage a dense cluster of pollen cells, completely covering the top of the style, may be seen projecting above the tube of the corolla, and the pollen is sooner or later scattered, the distribution being aided greatly by the various insects whichvisit the flowers. The upper part of the style now divides into two parts, and the branches diverge, exposing the stigmatic surfaces which form the inner sides of the fork. It will thus be seen that the florets are not self-pollinated, since the stigma is generally mature after the pollen has all been removed from the same flower.
Our first example of this order is the Yellow Goat's-beard (Tragopogon pratensis), also known as Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon. This is a common wayside plant, of a glaucous green colour, with a milky sap. Its stem is erect, from one to two feet high, and the whole plant is smooth. The flower-heads are solitary, large, yellow, and surrounded by a single row of narrow bracts that are united below; and the peduncle is thickened at the top. The bracts are generally as long as the florets, and the latter usually close about the middle of the day. The fruit is long and narrow, with longitudinal ridges; and the pappus consists of rows of feathery hairs which interlock and form a very shallow cup. The flowers bloom during June and July.
The Yellow Goat's-Beard.
The Yellow Goat's-Beard.
The Bristly Ox-tongue (Helminthia echioidesorPicris echioides), also a common plant, is more or less covered with rigid, hooked bristles, each of which arises from a swollen, white base; and it has a milky sap. The stem is stout, branched, very bristly, and grows from two to three feet high. The leaves are simple and toothed, the upper ones cordate and embracing the stem, and the lower onesauricledor eared. The heads are terminal, consisting of yellow, ligulate florets, surrounded by five large cordate bracts. The fruit is brown, curved, with transverse ridges and a stalkedpappus of feathery hairs. This species flowers from June to September. It is shown onPlate III.
In the same genus we have the Hawkweed Picris (P. hieracoides) which bears yellow flowers from June to September. Its stem, more slender than that of the last species, is from two to three feet high, branched towards the top, and rough with hooked bristles; and the leaves are lanceolate and toothed. There are numerous heads of flowers, about an inch in diameter, usually arranged in a corymb, but sometimes in an umbel, and there are bracts on the peduncles.
The Hawkweek Picris.
The Hawkweek Picris.
The Strong-scented or Acrid Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) is moderately common on dry wastes. It is an acrid, glaucous, leafy and prickly plant, with a milky juice. Its erect stem grows to a height of three or four feet. Its leaves are spreading, obovate in form, with toothed margins, and bristly hairs on the under side of the midrib. The lower leaves are frequently marked with dark spots, and the upper ones have pointed auricles which clasp the stem. The heads of flowers are small, pale yellow, and arranged in a loose, spreading panicle. The bracts overlap, the outer ones being shorter, and the receptacle is flat. Each head contains only a few florets. The fruit is flattened, black, with a beak as long as itself and a pappus of many simple hairs. The flowers appear during July and August.
Another Lettuce, known as the Prickly Lettuce (L. Scariola), is somewhat rare. It is really less prickly than the last species, but is equally tall, and flowers during the same months. Its leaves are erect, lanceolate, sagittate, with a wavy margin; and the upper ones clasp the stem. The fruit of this species is of a greyish colour, and has a beak of the same length.
Two species of Sow-thistle (genusSonchus) are included among our wayside Composites. They are erect, succulent plants, from two to three feet in height, with a milky juice, and either toothed or pinnatifid leaves. Their flower-heads are yellow, arranged in a corymb, and bloom during the whole of the summer. Each head is surrounded by several rows of overlapping bracts, and the receptacle is flat and pitted. The fruits are considerably flattened, without beaks; and the pappus consists of several rows of fine, silky, unbranched hairs.
The Prickly Lettuce.
The Prickly Lettuce.
One species is known as the Sharp-fringed Sow-thistle or the Common Milk-thistle (S. oleraceus). Its leaves are sometimesdeeply divided, but always more or less toothed; and the teeth often terminate in sharp prickles. The upper ones clasp the stem, and have spreading, arrow-shaped ears. The stem is branched and hollow; and the fruit is ribbed and transversely wrinkled.
The second is the Common Sow-thistle (S. asper)—a very similar plant, but may be distinguished by its leaves, which are more spinously toothed, withroundedears. In this one the fruits are also ribbed, but they are not wrinkled transversely.
The Smooth Hawk's-beard (Crepis virens) has a furrowed, branched stem, from a few inches to three feet in height. Its spreading radical leaves are deeply toothed, and narrower towards the base; and the stem leaves are narrow and sagittate. The numerous small heads of yellow flowers are panicled, and the outer florets are often tinged with red. The heads are surrounded by two rows of bracts, the outer of which are shorter and narrower, and the whole involucre assumes a conical form after flowering. The fruit is shorter than the pappus; tapering, but not beaked; and the pappus consists of several rows of unbranched, silky hairs. This plant flowers during July and August. It is very common on waste land, and may be frequently seen growing on old walls, and even on the roofs of country cottages and out-houses.
The Sharp-Fringed Sow-Thistle.
The Sharp-Fringed Sow-Thistle.
The genusHieracium(Hawkweeds) is a puzzle not only to the beginner, but also to experienced botanists, who have not yet agreed as to its division into species. According to some authorities these latter amount to seven, but they, or rather some of them, are so variable, and present so many intermediate characters,that some botanists divide the British members into no less than thirty-three species.
All the plants of the group agree in the following particulars:—They have a milky sap. The leaves are nearly all radical. The flower-heads are either yellow or orange, surrounded by several rows of overlapping bracts. The receptacle is pitted. The fruit is not beaked, and its pappus consists of a single row of rigid, brittle, brownish hairs, which are simple and of unequal lengths.
One species at least is a common wayside flower, and this is the Shrubby Hawkweed (H. boreale). It grows from two to four feet high, and bears a corymb of many yellow heads, from July to September. Its stem is hairy below, downy with fine branched hairs above, and bears rigid, erect branches which are leafy, and often of a reddish colour. This species has no radical leaves. The stem leaves are ovate or lanceolate and toothed, the upper ones broad and slightly clasping the stem. The peduncle is scaly or woolly, and the involucre bracts are of a blackish green colour.
The Smooth Hawk's-Beard.
The Smooth Hawk's-Beard.
The Nipplewort (Lapsana communis) is another very common Composite of waysides and wastes. Its stem is erect, from one to two feet high, branched, armed with scanty stiff hairs below, and smooth above. The leaves are thin and usually hairy, the lower ones ovate, pinnatifid or coarsely-toothed, with a few smaller lobes along the stalks, and the upper ones small, and entire oronly slightly toothed. The flower-heads are small, yellow, in a loose panicle with long slender stalks. The involucre consists of about eight glaucous scales, about a quarter of an inch in length, and a whorl of small outer ones. The fruits are flattened, with many longitudinal nervures, and have no pappus. The flowers may be seen from July to September.
The Chicory or Succory (Cichorium Intybus) is a local plant, but often very abundant where it exists. It has a long tap root; and a strong, erect, bristly and sticky stem. The lower leaves are spreading and hairy, deeply divided, with a large terminal lobe, and smaller lateral lobes which are pointed and coarsely toothed. The upper leaves are lanceolate, clasping the stem, with pointed auricles. The flower-heads are of a bright blue colour, large and conspicuous, mostly in sessile clusters of two or three along the rigid, spreading branches, but a few are terminal. The involucre consists of about eight inner bracts, and a whorl of outer ones that are much shorter. The florets are large; and the fruits are smooth, or nearly so, and closely enveloped in the lower part of the involucre. The time of flowering is from July to October.
The Nipplewort.
The Nipplewort.
Our next species is the Burdock (Arctium Lappa), familiar as a wayside plant not only on account of its abundance and its large size, but also on account of its globular flower-heads which cling so tenaciously to our clothing by means of the hooked points of the inner involucre bracts. It is a very stout, branching plant, varying from two to six feet in height, with very large, stalked, cordate lower leaves that often exceed a foot in length. The upper leaves are smaller, and broadly ovate; and both these and the lower onesare smooth or nearly so on the upper surface, but often covered with a short white down beneath. All the leaves are also finely toothed, but bear no prickles. The flower-heads are in terminal panicles, and are surrounded by many bracts which are either quite smooth or covered with a white, woolly down. The florets are purple, and all equal in size. The fruits are large, and bear a short pappus of stiff hairs.
We now come to the interesting group of Thistles, all distinguished by their very hard stems; their cut or toothed leaves, which are generally very prickly; and their round or oval heads of flowers, surrounded by many whorls of overlapping, and usually prickly, bracts. There are no ray florets, but all are tubular and approximately equal in length.
Our first example is the Welted Thistle (Carduus crispusorCarduus acanthoides), which is a common plant in the South of England, but much less abundant in the North. In general appearance it closely resembles the Musk Thistle (p.266), but is usually taller. The stem is covered with prickles which run downwards in lines from the bases of the leaves. The flowers are purple, in small, globular, clustered heads, which droop slightly; and the numerous bracts of the involucre are narrow, more or less erect, and terminate in a spreading or hooked prickle. The pappus consists of rough, unbranched hairs. The above is the description of the commonest form of this thistle, but it is a very variable species. The plants vary from one to three feet in height, and flower from June to August.
The Burdock.
The Burdock.
Throughout the summer we may meet with the Spear Thistle (C. lanceolatus), a very abundant species which grows on almost all waste places. The plant is a stout one, varying from about one to five feet in height, with a winged, prickly stem. The leavesare cut into short, narrow lobes, with a long and pointed terminal one. They are covered above with stiff hairs, and below with a white down; and all the lobes terminate in stiff spines. The involucre is oval in form, covered with cottony down; and its bracts are lanceolate, terminating with a stiff, spreading spine. The flower-heads are few in number, with purple florets, and measure about an inch and a quarter in diameter.
The Spear Thistle.
The Spear Thistle.
Another common species is the Creeping Thistle (C. arvensis), which has a perennial, creeping rootstock that gives off erect annual stems from two to four feet in height. The stem is not winged, but the prickly leaves clasp it, and sometimes extend a little way down at their bases. The leaves are narrow, smooth, with edges turned inwards, very prickly, and cut into numerous narrow lobes.The flower-heads are small, arranged in loose terminal clusters, and are surrounded by numerous, closely-placed bracts with small, sharp points. The flowers are always imperfect, and the male and female blooms always occur on separate plants. The heads of the male plants are globular in form, with spreading purple florets; while those of the female plant are longer and almost cylindrical in form, with longer bracts and shorter florets. The pappus consists of numerous feathery hairs which grow very long as the fruit ripens. This species flowers during July and August.
The Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is common in the hedgerows of most localities, and is easily recognised by the powerful odour and bitter taste of its leaves and flowers. It has a creeping root; an erect, strong stem, which is either quite smooth or (generally) slightly downy; and large, pinnate leaves, with narrow, deeply-toothed or pinnatifid segments. There are a large number of flower-heads, nearly half an inch in diameter, of a bright yellow colour, and arranged in large flat-topped corymbs. This plant is common in most parts of Britain, grows to a height of about three feet, and flowers during August and September.
The Creeping Thistle.
The Creeping Thistle.
The Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is a very common roadside plant in most districts, valued by many villagers as a remedy forrheumatism. It has a short, woody rootstock; and erect, branching stems varying from two to four feet in height. The leaves are deeply cut into narrow, acute segments which are either coarsely serrate or lobed. They are green and smooth above, but very white with a woolly down below. The flower-heads are very numerous, erect, and arranged in a somewhat crowded, long, terminal panicle. Each head is surrounded by a woolly involucre, and consists of from fifteen to over twenty florets, either all perfect or including a few without stamens. They are oval in form, and of a reddish or yellowish-brown colour. The plant blooms throughout the summer.
The Tansy.
The Tansy.
In the same genus is the Absinth or Wormwood (A. Absinthium), which is not so tall or so slender as the last species, from which itmay readily be distinguished by its powerful aroma and bitter taste. The whole of the plant is whitish with a close, fine down; and the erect stems, from one to two feet high, are stiff and hard. The leaves are very similar to those of the Mugwort, but are much broader, are silky on both sides, and the narrow lobes of the leaves are blunt at the tips. The flower-heads are also similarly arranged, but they are almost globular in form, very silky, and more or less drooping. The florets are numerous, and of a dull yellow colour, the central ones being mostly fertile, while the outer, without stamens, are small, and often barren. The plant flowers during August and September, is not so common as the last species, but is abundant in districts near the sea.
One of the most conspicuous flowers of the summer is the Common Ragwort (Senecio Jacobæa). It belongs to the same genus as the Groundsel, but differs in having very showy, terminal corymbs of large, bright yellow flowers with spreading rays. Its erect stem does not branch, as a rule, except near the top, and reaches a height of from one to three or four feet. The outer bracts of the involucre are small and few in number, and both these and the inner ones are generally tipped with black. Occasionally we may meet with plants of this species in which the flower-heads have no ray, but in general the ray is well-formed, and consists of about twelve narrow or oblong florets.
The Wormwood.
The Wormwood.
The Common Feverfew (Matricaria PartheniumorChrysanthemum Parthenium) is a very abundant wayside flower, of which a double variety is commonly grown in gardens. The plant reaches a foot or more in height, and flowers freely from July to September. The stems are erect and branched; and the leaves are stalked and pinnately divided into ovate or oblong, lobed, toothed segments. The numerous flower-heads are arranged ina corymb, and are about half an inch in diameter, with white ray and yellow disc. The plant may be distinguished from similar species of the same genus by the little toothed border on the summit of the ripe fruits, and by the strong and somewhat pleasant odour of all its parts.
The Ragwort.
The Ragwort.
Even more common, in most places, is the Corn Feverfew or Scentless Mayweed (M. inodora), which flowers from June to the end of the summer. Its stem is erect, with spreading branches; and the sessile leaves are two or three times divided into narrow, almost hair-like segments. The flower-heads are much larger than those of the last species, sometimes reaching a diameter of about two inches, and are solitary. The involucre is brown, with amembranous edge; the ray white, and the disc yellow. It is sometimes confused with the Wild Chamomile, but may be distinguished by the shape of the receptacle, which is hemispherical, and not so conical as inChamomilla.
The Scentless Mayweed.
The Scentless Mayweed.
The Yarrow or Milfoil.
The Yarrow or Milfoil.
Our last example of the Composites of the wayside is the Yarrow or Milfoil (Achillea millefolium)—a plant that might be mistaken by the beginner for one of the Umbellifers when seen at a distance; but a closer examination will show not only that the level-topped inflorescence is a dense, terminal corymb, but also that the flowers are collected into little heads, each of which consists of a few white or pink, pistillate ray-florets, surrounding a little cluster of tubular, perfect, yellow florets of the disc. The leaves are narrow oblong, and very finely cut into many hair-like, branching segments. The whole plant has a strong and rather pleasant odour. It grows from six to eighteen inches high, and flowers from June to September.
Continuing our list of the numerous wayside flowers of the summer months, we take first the Rampion Bellflower or Ramps (Campanula Rapunculus), of the orderCampanulaceæ. 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 orderConvolvulaceæ, 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 onshort 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 inChapter XXIII.
The Rampion Bellflower.
The Rampion Bellflower.
The four British plants of the orderSolanaceæare 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 fromJune 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 genusSolanum, 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.