148 AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 
male and female flowers are almost always on 
separate plants, as the specific name “dioica” 
implies. Another plant is mentioned by Bab- 
ington under the name &. alba, said to be 
moncecious, and to have black fruit. 
Bryonia dioica belongs to the Nat. Ord. 
CucurRBITACE&, the Cucumber family, which 
have their home chiefly in the Tropics. The 
familiar genera are the Cucumber, Cucumis 
Sativus, the Vegetable Marrow, Cucurdzcta 
ovifera, and the Pumpkin, Melon, and Gourd. 
Their natural habit is to climb by means of 
their strong tendrils, which in their cultivated 
state often seem useless, as the stems lie on the 
ground. 
We have now reached the season when our 
peaty commons and hill-sides are purpled over 
with Heather, a name which may be taken to 
include several of the most common of the 
Heath Family, Nat. Ord. Ericacez, The 
most abundant of these is Evica cinerea, 
Fine-leafed Heath, which bears its purple 
flowers in dense whorled racemes, the leaves 
3 in a whorl. The flowers are so dry that, 
even when fresh, they rustle as if withered. 
Mingled with this, and much less plentiful, is 
