194 THE FLOfiAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



valves destined to be scattered when ripe by tbe cracking of the 

 dry legume in the heat of the sun. "While yet in a fresh green state, 

 the remains of the calyx may be found with the dry filaments of the 

 stamens at the base, and the remains of the stigma at the point of 

 the pod. The common garden pea carries the remains of the stigma 

 at the point of the pod, like a chaffy scale, in just the same way. 



An immense number of papilionaceous plants are now in flower ; 

 we must mention very few. The Common Furze, TJlex Europeeus, 

 vou know ; but perhaps you do not know the pretty little Dwarf Furze, 

 U. nanus, a very spiny small edition of it, which, from the end of 

 this month until Christmas, will light up many of our heaths and 

 moors with its brilliant yellow flowers. " Not know it ! " you 

 exclaim, in astonishment. Well, perhaps you do not know it as 

 distinct from the whin of the hedgerow and the sandy waste. Now, 

 here is one character by which to distinguish this plant from the 

 Common Furze — the flower-stalks are accompanied with bracts wider 

 than themselves ; in the Dwarf Furze the bracts are the same width 

 as the flower-stalks; moreover, the Dwarf Furze is hairy, the spines 

 and stems are hairy ; but in the other, smooth. A pretty broom to 

 look for now on mossy lands is the Needle Greenweed, or Petty 

 "Whin, Genista anglica, a very spiny, wiry plant, with pretty tufts 

 of small yellow flowers, which crown it as with golden garlands. 

 The Medick, or Lucerne, Hedicago sativa, you may find upon the 

 farm lands, if it does not occur in your rambles far a-field. Its 

 purple flowers cause a great mass of it to present a beautiful feature 

 in the landscape, especially when it occurs in the same scene with 

 acres of yellow mustard and crimson clover. The Yellow Melilot, 

 which is far from common, though by no means scarce in many 

 parts of Cambridgeshire, is well worth hunting for,' as, indeed, 

 it is well worth growing in the garden. The spike of flowers 

 may be likened to a brush or comb, as they all turn one way, 

 and form a close fringe of delicate yellow tubes, in which the 

 characteristic features of papilionaceous flowers may be easily traced 

 out. It is to this plant, in part, at least, that Gruyere cheese is 

 indebted for its peculiar flavour, the Melilot being abundant in the 

 pasturage of Gruyere. 



One of the most interesting trefoils is the Hare's-foot, Trifolium 

 arvense, with heads like velvet ; the colour of the flowers pale pink, 

 peeping prettily out of a soft grey down. It loves the neighbour- 

 hood of the sea, and you may make sure of finding it on the pastures 

 of Kent, especially near Sandgate. A very pretty kind is the Soft- 

 knotted Trefoil, T. striatum, with distinct, small rounded leaves, 

 and downy heads of reddish-purple flowers. The Strawberry-headed 

 Trefoil, T. fragiferum, is really like a strawberry, the head rounded, 

 and consisting of little purplish-red flowers, set amongst conspicuous 

 green calyces. Look for it in the salt marshes of Kent and Essex. 

 Salt marshes are capital hunting-grounds, where you may have to 

 hunt oxen as well as flowers, or perhaps the oxen, if you are a trifle 

 too timid, will hunt you. The Lesser Yellow Trefoil, T. minus, is 

 an annual plant, quite common in good pastures. It has pretty 

 little heads of yellow flowers. 



