120 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



The root-leaves are oval, obtuse, of a bright green, 

 with white veins, and smooth. The leaves are 

 alternate, entire, but last year's leaves are emarginate 

 at the extremity, with a short spike in the middle 

 of the depression ; the young leaves are tridentate. 

 They have rather long stalks. The leaves on 

 the stem are alternate, sessile, lanceolate, pointed, 

 smooth and shiny ; and the upper leaves gradually 

 become smaller and narrower. At the end of the 

 stem the flowers form a single round conglomerate 

 flower-head, which is supported by an involucre 

 formed of scale-like bracts one above another. 

 Between each separate flower stands a hairy lanceo- 

 late and almost prickly bract, on the common 

 receptacle. The true calyx is tubular and 5-cleft, 

 with the incisions pointed and hairy. The small 

 blue corolla is tubular at the base, and unequally 

 bilobate. The upper lip divides into 2 very short 

 and narrow lobes ; the lower lip into 3 similar 

 ones of unequal length. The 4 anthers and 

 stamens are blue. The style is also blue, and 

 nearly as long as the stamens. The seeds are oval. 

 The Scarce Green Forester {Adscita globularice) 



is named after this plant. It is a day-flying moth, 

 about an inch in expanse, with green or greenish- 

 blue forewings, light brown hindwings, and long 

 pointed antennae. It is found on the Sussex 

 Downs. In England its black, green-spotted 

 caterpillar feeds on Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa), 

 a plant belonging to the Order Composites, which 

 bears a purple flower. 



Order LXIV. Plantaginacecs (2 genera) 

 In these plants the calyx is persistent, and the 

 calyx and corolla are quadrifid. There are 5 

 stamens alternating with the petals, inserted in the 

 tube of the corolla, or on the receptacle, and 

 curved inwards in the bud. The style is long and 

 threadlike, and the fruit is a capsule. 



Hoary Plantain, or Lamb's Tongue — Plantago 

 media 



(Plate LXXIX) 



This and several allied plants are common every- 

 where in fields and waste places ; it flowers in May 



