132 URTICACE^ 



pollen ill a little cloud, which is borne by the wind to plants bearing the 

 fertile flowers. The French call it L'Orfie ; and the CTcniians, Die Brennessel. 

 It is the Brandenc'tel of the Dutch, the Ortica of the Italians, and the Ortiga 

 of the Spaniards. 



3. Small Nettle {U. vrens). — -Leaves opposite, elliptical, serrate; spikes 

 axillar}^, nearly simple, two together, shorter than the leaf-stalk ; seeds 

 smooth, opaque ; annual. This species is readily distinguished from our 

 other Nettles by its smaller size. It is rarely more than a foot high, and its 

 foliage is of a brighter green than that of the common species. The small 

 Nettle Ijcars its green flowers from July to October, and springs up 

 abundantly by the borders of fields and meadows, in churchyards, and 

 neglected gardens. Though decidedly a stinging Nettle, it is not so power- 

 ful as the larger species. 



2. Pellitory of the Wall (Pariefdria). 



Common Pellitory (P. ojfidni'ilis). — Leaves oblong, oval, or egg- 

 shaped, lanceolate, nai'rowed at both ends, 3-ncrved above the base ; involucre 

 of two 3 — 6-lobed segments, with an alternating bract, 3 — 7 flowered ; 

 flowers sessile, that between the segments with a pistil only, others contain- 

 ing both stamens and pistils, at length tubular, coloured, and longer than the 

 stamens ; perennial. In one form of this plant the stems are generally 

 spreading, but in a less common variety they are quite erect. The Wall 

 Pellitory is a much-branched herbaceous plant, with naiTow hairy leaves, and 

 reddish 1)rittle stems. Its small hairy flowers grow, throughout the summer, 

 in the axils of the leaves, and are of a reddish hue, and the filaments are 

 jointed and elastic. They are remarkable for their irritability ; for, if 

 touched with a needle l)efore the full expansion of the flower, they suddenly 

 fly open with consideral)le force, and scatter their pollen, much after the 

 manner of the Nettle stamens. 



The plant grows often on ruins, churches, and old walls — ■ 



''Where tlie abbey's height appears, 

 Hoary 'neath a veight of years, 

 Where the mouldering walls are seen 

 Hung with Pellitory green ; 

 Where the steeple's taper stretch 

 Tires the eye its length to reach, 

 Where the cross, to time resign'd, 

 Cn^aking harshly on the wind, 

 Crowning high the rifted dome, 

 Points the pilgrim's wish'd-for home." 



It is found, besides, on sea-cliff's. It contains in its juices so large a quantity 

 of nitre, that, in preparing an extract from the plant, the mass has some- 

 times taken fire. It is a favourite village medicine, and one of old renown, 

 yet its sanative properties are really very slight, though the decoction is 

 somewhat cooling. 



Chaucer refers to it :— 



" His forehead dropped as a stillatorie, 

 Were full of plantaine, or of Paritorie." 



Farmers often place this plant among heaps of corn infested by weevils. 



