BRITISH FLORA 



SUPPLEMENTARY TO VOLUMES II-V 



FLOWERS OF THE FIELDS AND MEADOWS 



[In this volume Ihc remaining British species, not <kscribc<l in greater detail in \ols. Il-\', arc arranged 

 according to their principal habitat. Sonic of the species might be inclu(lcd in more than one section, and. 

 as the distribution of some is limited and the habitats arc restricted, the choice of habitat in such cases is 

 arbitrary. For convenience the large genera, such as Kuiiis. A'osn, Hicracium. SaUx. and C 

 largely described under some one section in which a large number of the species would be rightly included 

 As far as possible all the British species arc included, but in the case of the larg 

 better-known ones are described. Recently defined segregates, as far as possibli 



■cry 



rof aliens" only the 

 : also dealt with.] 



Order R.\ni.nci'lace.« 



Creeping Buttercup {Ranunculus repens, L.). — 

 This common buttercup is found in .■\rctic Europe, 

 parts of .Asia, .Africa, and has been introduced 

 into .America. It is found in every part of the 

 British Isles, up to nearly 3000 ft. in Scotland. 

 The usual habitat is wet meadows, and almost 

 every roadside ditch contains it, whilst moist open 

 parts of woods also form a suitable spot for it. 

 The habit is procumbent or trailing-. The stem 

 is provided with creeping- stoles or underground 

 runners, from an erect main stalk, with fibrous 

 roots. It is usually found in patches for this 

 reason. The essential characters are the furrowed 

 flower stalk, and the erect sepals. The receptacle 

 is hairy. The lower part of the stem is often 

 purple. It is about a foot high, and is a perennial, 

 flowering in May till -August. The pollination is 

 like that of the Upright Meadow Buttercup (q.v.). 

 The seeds are dispersed like those of the latter. 

 The soil is a loamy clay. The plant is poisonous, 

 being bitter, causing blisters. 



Bulbous CroWbot (Ranunculus bulbosus, L.). 

 — The range of this buttercup is the same as 

 that of the Creeping Buttercup. It occurs in all 

 but six of the counties of the British Isles. In 

 some meadows this form is the dominant butter- 

 cup early in the year, studding the earth profusely 

 with its golden cups. It is found indifferently in 

 both meadows and pastures. The habit is of the 

 rosette type. The stem is bulb-like at the base, 

 the leaves are chieflj* radical leaves, the stems 

 erect. The flower-stalks are furrowed and smooth, 

 the sepals turned back. It flowers in May, and is 

 perennial. The plant is a foot high. The polli- 

 nation and dispersal are as in the last, the anthers 

 ripening first, the honey-glands being at the base 

 of the petals. The plant is a sand-lover. 



Order Cruciker^ 



Jersey Mustard (Brassica adpressa, Boiss.). — 

 This plant is found in the Channel Islands, in 

 Jersey, Alderney, when native, but is a casual 

 elsewOiere, and is confined to Europe. It grows 

 in sandy fields. The habit is branched or pyra- 

 midal from below upwards. The stem bears few 

 tlivided leaves, with the leaflets, larger at the 

 extremity below, lance-shaped above. The chief 

 distinction between this and others lies in the 

 short beak of the pod with one seed, the pod 

 being pressed close to the stem. It flowers in 

 July and August, and is biennial. The seed-coat 

 swells when wetted, helping to fix the seed in the 

 ground when germin.iting. 



Pepperwort (Lepldlum campestre, Br.). — This 

 Crucifer is found in most parts of the British 

 Isles, and is distributed generally in Europe, parts 

 of Asia, Africa, being in America only an intro- 

 duction. The habitat is dry soil of a gravelly 

 character, fields, waste places, and roadsides. 

 The habit is erect. The stem is single, branched 

 above only, with leaves of an arrow shape. The 

 St vie between the paired valves is not longer than 

 the notch, the pouch scaly, with a broad wing. 

 The plant is as much as ij ft. high. Flowers 

 may be found in June up to August. It requires 

 a sandy or gravelly soil. The flowers are not 

 attractive to insects, being diminutive. The pods 

 open when ripe, letting the seeds fall close to 

 the plant, which grows in clumps. Like other 

 members of this group condiments are prepared 

 from it. 



Order C.\ryophvllace/E 



Proliferous Va>k. (Dinnthus prolifcr, L.). — This 

 pretty plant is quite rare, being found, south of 

 Perth, in only eight counties, and in the Channel 



