134 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



it has no claim to be considered native ; and though widely distributed 

 in Ireland, the authors of the " Cybele Ilibernica " " believe it to be a 

 relic of ancient cultivation in all the localities where it now occurs." 



England, [Scotland, Ireland.] Perennial. Late Summer. 



Stems herbaceous, tough, angular, twisted, twining, often attaining 

 a length of several yards. Leaves opposite, stalked, palmately veined, 

 cordate, commonly with 5 lobes, the smaller leaves with 3; lobes 

 divided about half-way down, ovate, acuminate or cuspidate, coarsely 

 serrate or crenate-serrate : more rarely the leaves are undivided, 

 ovate, acuminate, deeply cordate and coarsely serrate. Stipules 

 united between the leaf-stalks so as to appear 2 instead of 4. Flowers 

 dioecious. Male flowers in axillary and terminal lax panicles with 

 divaricate branches : bracteoles resembling the stij^ules, but smaller : 

 perianth segments slightly unequal, oval-oblong, concave, yellowish- 

 green, with scarious margins: anthers longer than their filaments, 

 yellowish-green, apiculate. Female flowers in small headlike spikes 

 in axillary or terminal panicles, the spikes sometimes soKtary on 

 axillary peduncles : perianth a small scale : stigmas 2, elongated. In 

 fruit the scales of the perianth become greatly enlarged, and the spike 

 becomes a large conelike catkin, with ovate or roundish- ovate, blunt, 

 yellowish or sometimes reddish scales. Achene rarely ripened (per- 

 haps from the male and female plants not always growing together), 

 about the size of rape-seed, roundish, apiculate, with a loose membranous 

 pericarp, sprinkled, as weU as the now scarious base of the perianth, 

 with yellowish resinous dots. Leaves deep green, scabrous with small 

 tubercles, some of which are produced into minute prickly bristles ; 

 angles of the stem, petioles, and undersides of the vems of the leaves, 

 with small reflexed bristles, and underside of the leaves sprinkled 

 with small resinous dots like those on the perianth, scale, and fruit. 



Common Hop. 



Frencli, Hotibloii grim/pant. German, Gemeiner Hopfen. 



The liop is familiar to us all in cultivation, but is not so well known as a wild 

 plant of our Ledges. It is, however, to be seen in many localities, and is always an 

 attractive object. It was well known to the Romans, and is mentioned by Pliny 

 under the name of Inipus salictarius. It gradually spread through Europe during the 

 Middle Ages, but was not cultivated in England till the year 1524, when it was 

 introduced from Flanders, though not without violent opposition, petitions against it 

 being presented to Pai-liament, in which it Avas stigmatised as a " wicked weed, that 

 would spoil the drink and endanger the people." From the name, which seems to 

 be derived from the Saxon hoppan, to climb, some have inferred that it must be a 

 native plant ; but it bears the same name in Holland, whence it was brought to this 

 country. William King, in his "Art of Cookery," remarks that "heresy and hops 

 came in together;" while an old popular rhyme records that 



" Hops, carp, pickerel, and beer. 

 Came into England all in one year." 



