7i PKIMULACE^ 



5. Chickweed Winter-green {Trientdlis) 



European Chickweed Winter-green (T. eurojnea). — Leaves rigid, 

 oblong, egg-shaped, shining ; perennial. This pretty little plant was a great 

 favourite with Linnseus. It is found occasionally in the north of England, 

 and is abundant in the Scottish Highlands. The stem is without branches, 

 from four to six inches high, having a few large leaves near its top, and two 

 or three small distant scales below. From among the terminal, whorled 

 larger leaves arise from one to four slender stalks, each bearing a small white 

 flower with a yellow ring. The number of stamens varies from seven to nine, 

 and the seeds have a beautiful covering, like a delicate lace-work. Its 

 creeping thread-like stem is somcAvhat acrid in taste. The plant is rare, and 

 confined to the north of this kingdom. It occurs on Hambleton Hills, Swill 

 Hill, near Halifax, and on the moors about Teesdale. It is not found in 

 Ireland. The French call this plant Trientale ; the Germans, Sternhldnwhen ; 

 and the Dutch, Fintergrdn. It flowers in June. 



6. Loosestrife (Lysimdchia). 



1. Great Yellow Loosestrife (L. vulgaris). — Stem erect, panicles 

 compound, terminal, and axillary ; leaves egg-shaped, or egg-shaped and lan- 

 ceolate, nearly sessile, opposite, or three or four in a whorl ; segments of 

 corolla entire ; stamens five, combined for half their length ; perennial. 

 This very handsome flower of our stream sides, though frequent in some 

 places, is rather local in its haunts. Its branched upright stem is two or 

 three feet in height, and its large yellow panicle has slender bracts growing 

 among the blossoms. The foliage is smooth or somewhat downy beneath, 

 and of rather dull green, and the flowers appear in July and August. This 

 species was much used in former days medicinally. Lysimachus, the king of 

 Sicily, according to Pliny, first discovered its medicinal virtues. It had 

 besides, in the opinion of the old writers, the power of quieting the restive 

 oxen, if laid beneath their yokes. It is sometimes called Yellow Willow-herb. 

 The French term it Lisimaqve ; the Germans, Gelbe weiderich ; the Dutch, 

 JVeiderick ; the Italians and Spaniards, Lisimachia. 



The Ciliated Loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata) has been found near Ser- 

 bergham, Cumberland ; but though naturalized on this spot, it is a North 

 American species. It has an erect stem ; its yellow flowers are stalked, and 

 either in whorls or somewhat racemed ; its leaves are egg-shaped, lanceolate 

 and heart-shaped, with fringed footstalks ; the lobes of the corolla are 

 crenate, and it has ten filaments, all distinct, five of which are sterile. 



Some specimens of the Westphalian Loosestrife (L. punctata) have also been 

 found near Newcastle. It differs from L. vulgaris in having solitary axillary 

 pale yellow flowers, and a corolla fringed with glandular hairs. 



2. Tufted Loosestrife {L. thyrsifldra). — Stem erect, unbranched ; 

 leaves opposite, lanceolate, sessile, upper dotted with black ; racemes dense, 

 many-flowered, stalked, axillary ; segments of the corolla very narrow, and 

 separated by minute teeth; perennial. This plant is rare in England, 

 occurring on marshes in some parts of Yorkshire and Notts, but it is more 

 frequent in Scotland. It is one or two feet high, and the small yellow 



