142 COMPOSITE 



5. Honey-wort Hawkweed {H. cerinthdides). — Stem with few leaves, 

 hairy, with a corymb of flowers at the top ; leaves hairy, those from root oblong- 

 lanceolate, acute, rather glaucous ; stem-leaves egg-shapecl, more or less clasp- 

 ing the stem, the upper part of the flower-stalks downy with hairs from a 

 black base, mixed with bristles ; involucre inflated, clothed with black hairs, 

 mixed with whitish ones from a black base ; scales pointed ; root perennial. 

 This species has large, almost globose, yellow heads in August, and is found 

 on mountain I'ocks from Yorkshire to Orkney. 



6. Rough-bordered Hawk-weed (H. prcnanfhoides). — Stem leafy, un- 

 Ijranched, hairy ; panicle of flowers somewhat corymbose ; leaves toothed or 

 entire, netted and glaucous beneath, lower ones narrowed into an eared clasp- 

 ing leaf-stalk, upper leaves lanceolate, heart-shaped, and clasping; flower- 

 stalks and involucres rough with hairs and black bristles ; outer scales few, 

 and much smaller than the inner ones ; fruit pale brown, and smooth ; root 

 perennial. This is a rare species, with similar range to the last-named; it 

 has numerous small yellow flower-heads in July and August. 



7. Shrubby Broad-leaved Hawkweed (H. horSale). — Stem erect, 

 leafy, rough, or hairy, either panicled or corymbose at top ; leaves egg- 

 shaped or lanceolate, upper ones broad, sessile, scarcely clasping, loAver ones 

 tapering into a foot-stalk ; involucres with blackish scales pressed closely 

 down ; fruit slightly rough, and brown or red ; root perennial. This is a 

 very variable plant, bearing its yellow flowers in August and September. It 

 is not unfrequent in woods and on banks. A plant with all the leaves 

 narrowed at the base, very nearly allied to this, and probably a variety of it, 

 is found in mountainous districts, and is described by some writers as the 

 Rigid-stemmed Hawkweed {H rigidwn). This has a smooth, solid stem ; and 

 a plant scarcely differing from it, but having a rough, hollow stem, and an 

 involucre which becomes, after flowering, narrowed in the middle, is by some 

 botanists termed H. tridentdtum. 



8. Narrow-leaved Hawkweed (H. umhdldtum). — Stem erect, simple, 

 corymbose, somewhat umbellate at the summit, leafy and rigid ; leaves 

 oblong-lanceolate or very narrow, toothed or entire, lower ones narrowed at 

 the base, upper sessile, acute, or rounded at the base ; flower-stalks and some- 

 times involucres downy, but not hairy ; scales blunt, with points turning 

 backwards ; root perennial. In one variety of this the leaves are all narrowed 

 at the base ; in a second, which is found at Duukerran, County Kerry, in 

 Ireland, the whole plant is much larger, and the leaves broader and egg- 

 shaped at the base. This is not an unfrequent plant in our woods. Its stem 

 is remarkably upright, two or three feet high, unbranched, and having an 

 almost iimbellate tuft of large yellow flowers in August and September. It 

 is used in Sweden to dye yarn of a yellow colour. Dr. George Johnston 

 observes : " It is remarkable that in the greater number of these plants some 

 insect deposits its eggs near the summit, by which an oval or globular 

 tumour is produced, and a more complete umbellate appearance given to the 

 flower." 



The Hawkweeds were prescribed for various maladies, and esteemed very 

 efficacious against the bites of serpents. The old notion, that by means of 

 these plants the hawks strengthened their vision, probably gave them some 



