ON THE CHALK 



297 



the habitats of the flowers he finds, noting particularly the kind 

 of soil on which they grow. 



Chalky districts are notably attractive to the lover of flowers ; 

 for, not only do they yield a number of species that are almost 

 essentially the offspring of calcareous soils, but also produce other 

 blossoms, often in rich profusion, that are less restricted in their 

 habitats. 



In the present chapter we shall note the principal flowers that 

 grow principally or 

 entirely in calcareous 

 districts, the first 

 being the Pasque 

 Flower (Anemone 

 Pulsatilla — order 

 Banunculacece), rare, 

 it is true, but too 

 beautiful to be 

 omitted from our 

 selection. This 

 flower, shown on 

 Plate VIII, Fig. 5, 

 may be seen on some 

 chalky hills during 

 May and June. It 

 is of a silky nature, 

 and the lovely purple 

 blossoms often reach 

 a diameter of an inch 

 and a half. The 

 leaves are doubly or 

 trebly pinnate, with 

 very narrow seg- 

 ments which increase in length after the flowers have faded. The 

 bracts, which are some distance below the flower, have also Hnear 

 segments ; and the flowers droop while still in the bud, but the 

 peduncle becomes erect as they expand. The stamens are yellow, 

 and the fruits are provided with feathered hairs. 



On chalky, sandy, and other diy soils we may meet with the 

 Round Prickly-headed Poppy [Papaver Tiyhridum — order Papa- 

 veracece), very much hke the Common Poppy in general appearance, 

 but readily distinguished by its general hairy character, and, more 



THE ROCK ROSE. 



