232 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Stems 3 tol8 inches long, numerous, spreading in a circle, decum 

 bent or prostrate, simple or slightly hranched, glabrous or slightly 

 hairy, with the angles rough. Lowest leaves soon decaying, opposite, 

 or in verticels of 4, obovate, cuspidate ; middle ones verticillate, in 

 whorls of 4) or 6, elliptical-acute or acuminate ; upper ones in whorli 

 of C), narrowly elliptical-acute and somewhat mucronate, all more or 

 less hairy, the margins and midrib with prickles pointing towards 

 the apex of the leaf; largest leaves ^ to f inch long. Elowers pale 

 l)luish-lilac, ^ inch across, sub-sessile, 4 to 8 together in an invo- 

 lucrate terminal head. Bracts of the involucre numerous, generally 8, 

 resembling the leaves, but broader and more lanceolate, longer than 

 the flowers. Corolla funnelshaped-salvershaped, with a very slender 

 tube about twice as long as the limb. Calyx-teeth small when in 

 flower, but becoming much more conspicuous when in fruit, erect, 

 ciliated. Fruit about the size of fig-grains, sparingly covered with 

 short applied bristles. Plant rather dark-green. 



Blue Field Madder. 



French, Sherarde Arvensis. German, Acher Sherardie. 



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EXCLUDED SFECIES. 

 GALIUM COMMUTATUM. Jord. 



Mr. Baker informs me that the plant from Teesdale so called 

 by him and Professor Babington, was named G. commutatum by 

 M. Jordan ; the specimens sent by Mr. Baker to me, however, 

 are certainly not the same as those from Lyons, neither does the 

 plant agree with M. Jordan's description. 



GALIUM SACCHARATUM. All. 



G. verrucosum, Sm. Eng. Bot. No. 2173. 

 Valantia Aparine, Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1491. 



Said to have been found in cornfields in the Carse of Gowrie, 

 Forfarshire, by Mr. G. Don, and near Malton, Yorkshire, by 

 Mr. U. Miller ; but it does not appear to have been permanently 

 naturalized in these localities. 



GALIUM SPURIUM. Linn. 

 • E. B. No. 1871. 

 Said to grow about Porfar by Mr. G. Don, but no one else has 

 been able to find it ; so it was probably an accidental straggler. 



