98 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
scarcely twice the diameter of the apex of the pod, with the lobes 
spreading. Valves of the pod splitting from the summit down- 
wards, and leaving the spongy dissepiment and stigma attached to 
the placentae. Whole plant very glaucous, the leaves rather 
thick, and having minute hairs on their surface. The radical 
leaves of the first year often white from the number of these hairs, 
Stem smooth. Milk sap pale orange-colour, with a heavy disagree- 
able odour. 
Yellow Horn Poppy, Squats (of the Portland Islanders). 
French, Glauciére Jaune. German, Gehornte Schillkraut, Gelbe Hornmohn. 
Luteum signifies pale yellow. This is perhaps the *most striking and remark- 
able of our sea-shore plants, and cannot fail to arrest attention where so little 
vegetation flourishes. With our notice of this pretty plant it may not be uninteresting 
to recall the history of Glaucus, whose name it bears. He was, according to a 
mythological tradition, the son of Neptune and a sea-nymph, but lived upon the shore. 
His parentage had some influence on his habits, and he was fond of fishing. 
One day, having been successful in his sport, he laid his scaly captives on a neigh- 
bouring marsh, when to his great surprise they began to nibble the green grass, and 
then— 
“Sudden darting o’er the verdant plain, 
They spread their fins as in their native main. 
He paused with wonder struck, while all his prey 
Left their new master and regained the sea.” 
Amazed at what he saw, Glaucus resolved to try the power of the herbage in his own 
person : no sooner had he bitten it than his hereditary aquatic propensities seized him, 
and into the ocean he leaped :— 
“‘ Farewell for ever, farewell, land, I said, 
And plunged amid the waves my sinking head ; 
The gentle powers who low that empire keep 
Received me as a brother of the deep.” 
For his faith and courage Glaucus was admitted among the sea-gods. In their domain 
he still shows his royal descent by wearing a golden robe; and yet from old affection 
high above it he bears his favourite long and curved fishing-rod, with its point bent, 
as if a captive fish ever strained it. Glaucus never goes far out to sea, but rather 
frequents the shores and the cliffs; for Scylla, whom he loved, was turned into a 
rock with howling waves around her, and his faithfulness retains him still close to 
her side. The Horned Poppy has no recognised active properties. Nevertheless the 
chemists have discovered two alkaloids in its structure. Glaucine is found in the 
leaves and stem, and forms, with acids, salts which have a bitter and acrid taste. 
Glaucopicrine, the other, is found in the roots, and also forms with acids bitter and 
nauseous salts, 
