AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 83 
panicles often over-top the hedge, present a 
very rich appearance, like gold inlaid in silver. 
Marshy places and borders of slow streams 
have, in summer, abundance of G. palustre, 
Water Bedstraw, which is to be distinguished 
from G. wligiénosum, Marsh Bedstraw; both 
have white flowers, but the former has 4 leaves 
in a whorl, and is the stronger plant; the 
latter has 6 to 8 leaves in the whorl. There 
is also the White Heath Bedstraw, G. saxatzle, 
with smooth leaves, and, unlike the last two, 
with very few prickles about the leaves and 
stem. G. ¢ricorne, an interesting specimen, 
with 3-flowered peduncles, and granular re- 
flexed fruit, grows in dry chalky soils. Eight 
species have thus been mentioned out of the 
total of thirteen. They will reward attention. 
The Woodruff, Asperula odorata, so called 
from the pleasant fragrance of its flowers, and 
of the whole plant when dry, resembling the 
smell of hay, is wild in woods and cultivated in 
gardens. Its white corymbs are in fine con- 
trast to the dark whorls of leaves. The other 
species, A. cynanchica, is very distinct, and has 
lilac flowers. 
We have only one genus of the Poty- | 
