14S FLORA IITSTOniCA. 



Great Bindweed, which principally confines itself 

 to the hedgerow, whereas the Arvejisis travels 

 over the whole field, entwining itself around the 

 stalks of corn for support, or upholding itself by 

 the blades of grass, or whatever comes in its 

 way, not even refusing to embrace the nettle for 

 the sake of a prop to display its beauties on, 

 which are but little inferior, in point of colouring, 

 to the beautiful cups of the Convolvulus Major, 

 whilst it possesses an agreeable fragrancTe which 

 the other cannot boast of 



Nature has endowed this native flower of our 

 fields with the means of protecting its parts of 

 fructification from the humidity of the night air, 

 by the help of folds in the cup, which regularly 

 open with the rising of the sun, and close as the 

 day decreases, or at the approach of rain. The 

 nectary of this little flower also displays the wise 

 provision which nature has made to secure this 

 saccharine juice, so essential to the formation of 

 the seed. The stigma of this flower is supported 

 on arches over the bottom of the cup of the co- 

 rolla, leaving only such small openings between 

 the piers that form the arches as to bid defiance 

 to the plunder of the bee or insects of any con- 

 siderable size, yet it seems to support an animal 

 peculiar to this plant, for we seldom look into 

 the blossom of this field ConvolvuUis without 



