24 



stalked. It opens at 4 p.m., and closes early- 

 next morning. Flowers red, varying to white, 

 yellow, and white with red centre. Kare on 

 waysides. 



Pigweed [Chenopodium Album]— An erect 

 plant two to four feet high, leaves long, whit- 

 ish, with powdery scales. Flower minute, 

 green and mealy. Another species [C. Mu- 

 rale] with bright green leaves, and green 

 mealy flowers, closely resembles the former 

 but is only half its height. Both produce 

 black shining seeds, in a berry. [G. Anthel- 

 minticuQi] l^ormseed belongs to this family; 

 is an erect leafy plant of a bright green 

 colour and strong aromatic smell, two to 

 three feet high. Flowers minute, yellowish 

 green, clustered in whirls; seeds round, shin- 

 ing dark brown. Common, especially in neg- 

 lected giounds. 



Mercury [Mercurialis Annua] — An erect 

 stem six to twelve inches high, slightly 

 branched, leaves thin, rather shining and 

 very green. Flowers green, terminating in a 

 spike. Not common, and found mostly in 

 deep shade or woods. 



Croton [C. Maritima]— A small seashore 

 shrub two to four feet high, with slender 

 straggling branches, clothed with a woolly 

 down. It frequents sandy bays. Flow^ers 

 whitish. It is introduced into gardens as an 

 ornamental shrub. 



Pellitory [Parietaria Debilis]— A plant with 

 woody stalk six to twelve inches high, dark 

 green foliage, llowers greenish white, with 

 red stigma. Grows on damp walls and rocky 

 crevices. Another species [P. ? ] is very 

 similar in every respect except that its flow- 

 ers are greenish with white anthers. Both 

 species are generally distributed over the 

 islands. 



