IX 



BOGS, MARSHES AND WET PLACES IN SPRING 



The cold soils of bogs, marshes, and other wet places do not produce 

 a very great variety of flowers during the spring months ; but some 

 there are which appear in great profusion ; and others, though 

 less conspicuous, are sufficiently abundant and interesting to be 

 included in our Hst. 



Our first is the beautiful Marsh Marigold [Caltha palustris) of 

 the Buttercup family [Ranunculacece), which is exceedingly abund- 

 ant in marshes and by the sides of muddy ditches in most parts 

 of Britain, flowering from March to June. It is represented on 

 Plate V, and may be distinguished at once from the other members 

 of its family by its glossy leaves, and its large flowers, varying 

 from one to near two inches in diameter. 



A httle later in the season we may meet with the pale blue or 

 lilac flowers of the Marsh Violet ( Viola palustris — order Violacece)t 

 which generally make their first appearance in April, and continue 

 until June or July. The plant is much like the well-known Sweet 

 Violet in general appearance, but is smaller, with a creeping stock ; 

 and the whole is smooth with the excej^tion of a few scattered hairs 

 on the flower-stalks. Its leaves are either round, heart-shaped, or 

 kidney-shaped, with sHghtly-waved edges, and often of a purplish 

 hue beneath. The flowers are smaller than those of the Sweet 

 Violet, scentless, with pale petals; and the spur of the corolla is 

 very short and blunt. The plant is rather local in the southern 

 counties of England, but is decidedly abundant in the bogs and 

 marshes of North Britain. 



Few of the spring bog-flowers are more interesting than the 

 pretty little Sundews {Drosera), so remarkable on account of their 

 carnivorous nature. A description of the three British species will 

 be found in Chapter XXIV, which contains also an account of 

 their pecuhar habits. 



