140 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



with delicate interwoven hairs, some of the main hairs longer than 

 the others, and not plumose at the tips. Plant pale-green, slightly 

 glaucons, glabrous except a little very short wool at the base of the 

 phyllaries. 



It is impossible to draw any line between the forms with florets 

 of different length ; but I hesitate to call the large-flowered variety 

 T. orientalis, because Koch describes the marginal achenes of his 

 T. pratensis and T. minor as being tuberculate - scabrous and 

 equalling the beak in length, while his T. orientalis has the " mar- 

 ginal achenes squamose-muricated with cartilaginous scales " and 

 nearly twice as long as their beak. Now I have not seen the fruit 

 either of the true T. orientalis or of the British form with elongated 

 florets ; and Professor Babington states it is in his specimen " slightly 

 furrowed, and quite smooth." The flowers of the true T. orien- 

 talis remain bright - yellow when dried, but in the British plant 



^ * Yellow Goafs-beard. 



French, Salsifis des Pres. German, Wiesen Haferwurz. 



The roots of this plant are quite worthy of cultivation as an esculent, though they 

 have been greatly superseded by those of another species, T. porrifolius. They resemble 

 asparagus, and are nearly as nutritious. The flowers of both species have the singular 

 habit of closing invariably at midday, so that they have acquired the village name of 

 " Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon," and are perhaps more to be depended on than any other of 

 the plants composing that fanciful but pretty conception, a dial of flowers. 



Cowley tells us, — 



" Then the goat's-beard, which each morn abroad does peep. 

 But shuts its flowei's at noon, and goes to sleep." 



Mr. Grindon, in his charming work on British and Garden Botany, says, — " The lark, 

 when it comes to reveille the early botanist, is not sooner with its sweet song than the 

 petals are to expand ; and by six o'clock, when most other flowers are still folded, this 

 oue has opened the full disk of its delicate bloom : by ten or twelve, though the sun be 

 hot and bright, the blossoms begin to close, and in the afternoon the plant is discoverable 

 only by its leaves. In very cloudy weather they remain open a little longer : — 



' Then to lay one down 

 Upon a primrose bank, where violet flowers 

 Smell sweetly, and the mead's in bloomy prime. 

 Till Flora's clock, the goat's-beard, mark the hours. 

 And closing says, 'Arise, 'tis dinner-time j' 

 Then dine on pyes and cauliflower-heads, 

 And roam away the afternoon in tulip-beds.' " 



SPECIES II.-TR A GOP OGON PORRIPOLIUS. Linn. 



Plate DCCCI. 



Leaves linear, those of the stem slightly dilated at the base, 

 and tapering gradually towards the apex, glabrous. Peduncles 



