100 WILD FLOWERS OF 



a whitlow," still bears the common appellation of 

 whitlow-grass. Old GERARDE, " Master in Chirur- 

 gerie," whom we have just quoted as to this, in his 

 quaint language thus describeth the plant, which, 

 perhaps, will be intelligible enough even now to the 

 non-botanical reader. "It is a very slender plant, 

 having a few small leaves like the least chickweede, 

 growing in little tufts, from the midst whereof rises 

 up a small stalk, nine inches long, on whose top do 

 growe verie little white flowers ; which being past, 

 there come in place small flat pouches, composed of 

 three filines ; which being ripe, the two outsides fall 

 away, leaving the middle part standing long time 

 after, which is like white satin." Mossy roofs, or 

 sandstone rocks, often present a pretty appearance at 

 this season, when the sun shines out upon the ex- 

 panding argent petals of this fairy plant. 



The yellow Drciba aizoides is now in flower on its 

 only known habitat in Britain, the deserted w r alls of 

 the secluded fortalice of Pennard Castle, in the pen- 

 insula of Grower, Glamorganshire, and the adjacent 

 limestone rocks. Its singular aspect, there, will be 

 noticed more in detail under the mouth of September, 

 at which time, in 1839, I visited the spot. The vicin- 

 ity, waste, wild, and desolate, has other temptations 

 for the botanical explorer, particularly about Port 

 Eynon, and the precipitous Worm's Head. Oxwich 

 Bay, too, presents a silent scene of beauty to the 

 explorer, and here, near the perforated rock, I have 

 gathered the rare and curious Medicago minima, whose 

 prickly spiral legumes are so interesting. 



The garden becomes gaudy with the yellow glories 

 of the well-known daffodil, which, showy as it is, and 



