66 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



By some botanists the Service-tree is considered 

 to be only a larger variety of the Rowan, or Moun- 

 tain Ash (Sorbus Aucuparid). This is an extremely 

 handsome tree, but rarely attains a great height. 

 It is frequently planted in shrubberies or along 

 roads for ornament, but grows freely in woods, 

 especially in hilly and mountainous districts. In 

 many countries, as for instance in Scotland and 

 Finland, it is regarded as a sacred tree. In Ice- 

 land, where the so-called "forests" at present chiefly 

 consist of small scrubby birch or willows from 4 to 

 6 feet high, a Mountain Ash, 22 feet high, is said 

 to be the largest tree on the island, and is looked 

 upon with great admiration. The fruit is frequently 

 reputed to be poisonous ; but is not so in reality, 

 though it has a very disagreeable taste when 

 raw. However, jelly can be prepared from it, 

 which is eaten with game ; and, like that of the 

 Service-tree, the fruit is sometimes used to make a 

 fermented drink. 



There are other interesting plants belonging to 

 the Rosacea which we have not yet mentioned. 

 The Meadow-sweet (Spiraa ulmarid) is a very 



conspicuous plant in damp meadows and swampy 

 places. It has large compound pinnate leaves, and 

 yellowish-white flowers, small, but gathered together 

 in large clusters at the ends of the stalks, and very 

 sweetly scented. The Dropwort (Spiraea filipen- 

 dula) is a very similar plant, but the flowers are 

 more or less reddish at the tips. Foreign species 

 of Spircea are often grown in gardens or kept in 

 rooms in pots. They closely resemble the British 

 species, but are scentless. 



Among trees, the Hawthorn, Whitethorn, or 

 May (Cratcegus oxyacantha), sometimes grows as a 

 small tree, but more frequently forms a thick bush, 

 and is the principal tree used for making quickset 

 hedges in Britain. When the hedge is well grown, 

 the thicker stems are partly cut through, and then 

 bent down into the hedge. They continue to 

 grow, and the interlaced branches and strong thorns 

 render such a hedge almost impenetrable, when 

 well made. Latterly, however, barbed wire and 

 other fences have come into use, and a real old 

 fashioned hedge is not nearly so common now as it 

 was some years back. The compound leaves, and 



