564 CHLORA. [CLASS VIII. ORDER I. 



of food in the seeds to myriads of birds. From its flowers bees collect 

 great quantities of honey, but it is darker coloured, and more bitter 

 than other kinds. The stems and branches in many parts of the country 

 are made into brooms, for which purpose it is cut in the autumn ; and 

 in some parts of Scotland, it is said to be the chief revenue of the 

 Highland lairds : it is the badge of the Clan Macdonnell. It forms 

 an excellent edge row to garden borders and plots, bearing clipping, 

 as well as the box; the white, and especially the double flowered 

 variety, is remarkably beautiful, each flower is much larger than 

 the common, and is like a drooping cluster of delicate miniature 

 roses. On its tender shoots and stem, the Little Dodder often establishes 

 itself, and spreads its long thread-like stems for some distance upon 

 them, having a remarkably wild appearance. The Calluna vulgaris is 

 the only known species of the genus, and is found on heaths and moors 

 in the sub-alpine districts of all parts of Europe. In some parts of 

 Tuscany we have observed the flowers sometimes as large again as 

 with us, but not otherwise difi'erent. 



GENUS VIII. CHLORA.— Linn. Yellow-wort. 



Nat. Ord. Gentia'ne^. Jdss. 



Gen. Char. Calyx eight partite. Corolla nearly rotate, with a short 



tube and an eight partite limb. Stamens short, inserted into th^ 



orifice. Style with a two-cleft emarginate stigma. Capsule of 



one cell, two valved, many seeded. — Name from ;)^Xw^o?, pale, or 



yellowish green ; from the colour of the plant. 



1. C. perfolia'ta, Linn. (Fig. 641.) Perfoliate Yellow-wort. Leaves 



of the stem triangular-ovate, united at the base, perforated, glaucous ; 



calyx divided to the base into eight awl-shaped segments, shorter than 



the corolla. 



English Botany, I. 60.— English Flora, vol. ii. p. 218.— Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 179. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 179. 



Root of several stout branched fibres. Stem erect, from twelve to 

 eighteen inches high, round, smooth, simple, leafy, glaucous, solitary 

 or several from the same root. Leaves in pairs, opposite those of the 

 root, oblong, lanceolate, on a short footstalk, those of the stem tri- 

 angular, ovate, entirely united, the whole length of the base, and per- 

 forated by the stem in the middle, of a pale very smooth glaucous 

 green, having a mid-rib and sometimes two slender lateral veins. 

 Inflorescence a terminal repeatedly forked panicle, with a solitary 

 flower on the axis of the divarication, on a slender peduncle. Flowers 

 a bright yellow, expanding only in the bright sunshine. Calyx of 

 eight smooth linear segments, with a mid-rib and two obscure lateral 

 veins. Corolla somewhat wheel-shaped, with a rather short mem- 



