THALAMIFLOR.E 143 



the flower the stigma curls over into the spoon-shaped 

 cavity of the style and self-pollination follows. The 

 visitors are bees and butterflies. 



The capsule opens by loculi at the margin, and 

 dehisces at the top ; the seeds are downy and may be 

 blown away. The seeds possess an aril or caruncle. 



The name Milkwort was applied because the plant 

 was supposed to increase the milk of cows. 



Milkwort is called Cross-flow^er, Four Sisters, Gang 

 Flower, Milkwort, Procession Flower, Robin's Eye, 

 Rogation Flower. 



Gerard says : " It doth specially flourish in the 

 Crosse or Gang weeke, or Rogation weeke ; of which 

 flowers the maidens which use in the countries to 

 walke the procession, do make themselves garlands, 

 and nosegaies." 



PoLYGALA VULGARIS. — The habit of Milkwort is 

 well shown in Fig. 26, as well as the leaves, and the some- 

 what papilionaceous character of the flower. 



* 13. The Tamarisk Group. 



The Tamarisk is the only representative of this 

 group in the British Isles, or the order Tamaric- 

 aceae. 



The order includes nearly one hundred species, 

 arranged in five genera, which are natives of tem- 

 perate and subtropical countries, or cold temperate 

 and hot regions. The Tamarisk and its allies are 

 found chiefly in sandy places or by the sea. They 



