36 FLOWERS OF THE HILLS AND DRY PLACES 



Sevc;ral small luni^i may be linmd intcstino- ihis Scabious, as Perono- 

 spora violacea, Bremia lachucc, Ustilago scabiosce, U. flosculortwi. A 

 Hymenoptcrous insect, .Indrcna hattorfiana, and the Lepidoptera, 

 Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Moth {Scsia boDibiliforiitis), Parascniia 

 sannio, Grapholitha quad num. Xciiiatois scabiosellis, feed on it. 



The generic name is a Latin word denoting scurf\' or scabby, the 

 plant ]ia\ing bct-n thoLight useiul in curing scaly eruptions. The 

 second Latin name refers to its preference for cultivated land. 



This gay-rtowered species is called Bachelor's Buttons, Billy Button, 

 P)lack -Soap, Blue Buttons, Bluecaps, Blue Men, Broadweed, Cardies, 

 Clodweed, Clogweed, Curl-doddy, Egyptian Rose, Gipsy F"lower, Gipsy 

 Rose, Lady's Cushion, Pincushion, .Scabious, Seabridge, Scabril. Lyte 

 says it was named .Scabious " of old tyme because it is given in drynke 

 to heale scabbes ". 



Field Scabious is astringent, and has been used for coLighs, asthma, 

 fevers, epilepsy, &c. 



Essential Specific Char.-^cters: — 



149. Scabiosa ai'^'cnsis, L. — Stem erect, branched, leaves at base 

 simple, serrate, downy, stem-leaves pinnatihd, flowers lilac, outer larger, 

 unequal, 2-lipped. 



Ploughman's Spikenard (Inula squarrosa, Bernh.) 



Local l)ut well dispersed, Ploughman's Spikenard is found at the 

 present da\- in Europe from Denmark southwards and Western Asia, 

 but not in any early deposits. In Great Britain it is found in the 

 Peninsula, Channel, and Thames provinces, antl in .\nglia generally, 

 e.xcept in Hunts; in the -Severn province; in S. Wales, e.xcept in 

 Brecon; in N. Wales, except in Montgomery; in the Trent province; 

 in the Mersey province, except in Cheshire; in the H umber, except 

 in S.E. and N.W. Yorks; and in Westmorland. 



Ploughman's Spikenard is a plant of the uplantls, especially common 

 in the western counties, where there are hilly regions generally. It 

 grows on the open hill-side, as well as in woods and copses where there 

 are stony banks, with Hawkweed and other Composites, such as Wall 

 Hawk weed. 



This is an erect, rigid, tall, anil simple-stemmed ])lant, growing in 

 scattered clumps. The stem is herbaceous and leafy. The leaves 

 are downy below, with coarsely-toothed margin, lance-shaped to egg- 

 shaped, dark-green. The upper Iea\-es are entire. 



The flowerheads are yellow, in corymbs. The phyllaries or whorl 



