ARALIACEyE 



sometimes grown in shrubberies for ornament, but 

 more often on the Continent than in Britain. 



The most notable insect that feeds on Umbel- 

 liferous plants is the caterpillar of the Swallowtail 

 Butterfly (Papilio Machaon). The caterpillar is 

 green, with a black transverse band spotted with 

 orange on each segment, and a red retractile 

 fork on the neck, which it shoots out when dis- 

 turbed. The butterfly measures 3 or 4 inches in 

 expanse, and is black and yellow, with a long 

 tail on the hindwings, and a large red spot at 

 their inner angle. It is the largest British butter- 

 fly, but is now seldom found except in a few 

 marshy places in the eastern counties of England, 

 where the caterpillar feeds chiefly on Hog's 

 Fennel {Peucedanum palustre). On the Continent, 

 however, the butterfly is not local, as with us, 

 but is generally distributed, and feeds on a great 

 variety of Umbelliferous plants, and often on the 

 common Carrot. The butterfly is found, slightly 

 varying, throughout Europe, North Africa, Asia 

 to the Himalayas and Japan, and even in North 

 America, west of the Rocky Mountains. 



Order XXXVIII — Araliacecz or Hederacece 

 (1 genus) 



The only British plant belonging to this Order 

 is the Ivy (Hedera helix). It is the largest and 

 most conspicuous of our native climbing plants, 

 trailing on the ground, or over walls or trees, and 

 fixing itself by its numerous root-like tendrils. 

 The leaves are thick, glossy green, and vary 

 considerably in size and shape, but are generally 

 more or less lobate. As the plant is an evergreen, 

 it does much to relieve the bare appearance of 

 the woods in winter. Late in autumn it bears 

 clusters of yellowish-green flowers, with the calyx 

 5-toothed, and 5 petals and stamens, succeeded by 

 clusters of black berries, which have a purgative 

 action. The flowers, appearing as they do in 

 October and November, when most wild flowers 

 are over, are extremely attractive to bees in the 

 daytime and to moths in the evening ; and it may 

 almost be said that the season for collecting moths 

 opens with sallow bloom and closes with ivy 

 bloom. 



