156 AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 
D. Sylvestris. In several counties where D. 
Fullonum is cultivated, it is found half wild on 
banks. 
The Field Scabious, Axautia arvensis, has 
large and beautiful heads of delicate pale purple 
flowers often decorating the borders of fields 
and waysides; the outer flowers of the head 
are much larger than the central ones; the 
leaves well exhibit the gradual change, on the 
same plant, from undivided to pinnatifid, and 
even pectinate, comb-like, leaves.  Scadzosa 
succtsa, Devil’s-bit Scabious, is a smaller plant 
with deep blue flowers in a globose head, and 
leaves mostly entire; the root is abrupt at the 
lower end, as though part were bitten away, 
whence, an old author says, it is reported “that 
the divel did bite it for envie, because it is an 
herbe that hath so many good vertues.” 
In gardens the beautiful Scadzosa atropur- 
purea, a tall plant with heads of rich claret- 
brown flowers, is commonly seen. 
An interesting Leguminous plant is brought 
to me, distinguished by Babington as vzcza 
gracilis, regarded by some authors as only a 
variety of V. tetrasperma, but, no doubt, a 
distinct species; it is much more slender than 
