238 



FIELD AND WOODLAND PLANTS 



flowering from June to September, moderately common on the 

 banks of muddy streams. Its leaves are narrow-oblong, three 

 or four inches long, deeply toothed, or cut into narrow lobes ; and 

 the flowers are yellow, similar to those of the other species, and 

 similarly arranged, but with petals twice as long as the sepals. The 

 pods are broad, only about a sixth of an inch long, with a rather 

 long style. 



In the marshes of the 

 South of England we may 

 often see the Marsh Mallow 

 {Malva officinalis or Althcea 

 officinalis), of the order Mal- 

 vacece, flowering during 

 August and September. Its 

 stem is hairy, with erect 

 flowering branches two or 

 three feet high ; and the 

 leaves are shortly stalked, 

 thick, velvety, broadly ovate, 

 and sometimes divided into 

 tliree or five lobes. The 

 flowers are shortly stalked 

 in the axils of the upper 

 leaves, or sometimes collected 

 into a terminal raceme. 

 Round each one is a whorl 

 of several narrow bracts, 

 shorter then the calyx, and 

 united at their bases. The 

 calyx is five-lobed ; and the 

 corolla consists of five broad, rose-coloured petals. This plant is 

 shown on Plate V, Fig. 4. 



The Marsh St. John's-wort {Hypericum Elodes — order Hyperi- 

 caceoe) is a somewhat shaggy httle plant, common in the bogs of 

 many parts of Britain, more especially in West England and Ireland. 

 It varies from a few inches to a foot in length ; with prostrate stems 

 rooting at the base ; and rounded, opposite leaves without stipules. 

 Both stem and leaves are clothed with white, woolly hairs, the latter 

 on both surfaces. The flowers, which bloom during July and 

 August, arc of a pale yellow colour, and form a few-flowered, 

 terminal panicle. They have five small, oval sepals, fringed with 



The Great Hairt willow-herb. 



