THE TIME OF FLO'SVEKING SHOTJXD BE OBSEETED. 47 



the edge of pools and streams ; it has large hairy leaves, which 

 taper at both ends ; the flowers are borne in double racemes, which 

 gi-adually unfold like the fronds of a fern ; they are drooping in habit, 

 cream-coloured ; or, in the variety patens, pale purple. 



51 to 53, Pedicularis sylvatica, red rattle, Veronica ChamcBdrys 

 and hederifolia, Germander and ivy-leaved speedwell, belong to the 

 Scrophularia family. The rattle is found in wet pastm-es, growing 

 close to the ground ; the leaves, with the exception of those close to 

 the ground, are pinnate and lobed, usually pale green ; the flowers 

 are rose-coloured, protruding from a five-lobed calyx. There is a 

 larger plant growing in the marshes, with a stem 6 to 12 inches 

 high, leaves fi-equently tinged with brown, and having crimson 

 flowers. This is the Pedicularis palustris, or marsh lousewort. The 

 Germander speedwell is one of the most attractive of our spring 

 plants, decking our hedgerows and the borders of oiu* fields with its 

 racemes of bright blue blossoms. The leaves are broad, nearly 

 heart-shaped, saw-edged, and strongly veined ; the stem has a line 

 of soft haii-s ruiming up each side of it. The ivy-leaved speedwell 

 generally occui's as a weed of cultivation in gardens, fields, and 

 on banks. It grows close to the ground, and its pale blue stalked 

 flowers grow in the axils of the leaves. It is easily distinguished 

 from the other speedwells by the shape of its leaves. 



54 to 60 belong to the Labiates. Mentha aquatica, water mint, 

 may be discerned from the other mints by the fact that it bears its 

 flowers in a terminal blunt head, as well as in axillary clusters. 

 This separates it from one-half of the British species. It diff'ers 

 from the remaining species in its stalked ovate leaves. The 

 triangular teeth of the calyx, and its coarser peiiume, further dis- 

 tinguish it from M. piperita, peppermint, to which it is the nearest. 

 Thijmus Serpyllum, wild thyme, will be known by its trailing habit, 

 its tiny fringed leaves, its perfume, and its whorls and heads of red 

 gaping flowers. It is however believed that our British plant has 

 been wrongly named ; it ought to be set down as T. Chamcedrys. 

 Prunella vulgaris, self-heal, may be easily known by its short, blunt, 

 somewhat quadrangailar spike of purplish blossoms. Nepeta Glechoma, 

 ground ivy, is a trailing plant of our woods and hedgerow bottoms. 

 It comes into flower early in spring, and bears three or four flowers 

 in a cluster. Its leaves are roundish kidney-shaped, with crenate 

 or scolloped edges. The whole plant has a strong, peculiar, and not 

 unpleasant perfume. Galeopisis Tetrahit, hemp-nettle, is a coarse plant 

 of our corn-fields, with a square bristly stem, swollen at the joints, 

 and having small pui-plish flowers flecked with white. Stachys sylva- 

 tica, hedge woundwort, is a still larger plant with large cordate leaves, 

 and frequent whorls of reddish-purple flowers ; it grows in woods 

 and waste places. Ajuya reptans, bugle, is a spiing flower, appearing 

 in our moist meadows and woods. Its shoots spread on the ground, 

 and its blue flowers are borne in a short, stiff, pyramidal spike. 



62, Plantago lanceolata, ribwort plantain, is common in all mea- 

 dows and pastures. Its short cylindrical spike of unattractive 

 flowers is borne on a long fuiTowed scape. 



