126 iRambtes witb Iftature Stufcents 



plant so associated with roadsides that the Germans 

 call it ' keeper of the ways.' 



When growing wild, succory presents little beauty 

 in its leafage ; its stiff, wiry stems spring up out of 

 the hard chalky soil which it prefers and into which 

 it sends down a long tap-root in order to collect all 

 possible nutriment and moisture. Even its lovely 

 sky-blue flowers have a tantalising way of growing 

 without stalks, one here and one there, scattered 

 along the stem, so that we cannot form a bouquet 

 of them ; and almost as soon as they are gathered 

 they close up, before we have time to admire their 

 beauty. They need not, however, be thrown away, 

 for they will expand again in water if placed in 

 sunlight. 



Succory takes its place among the flowers 

 included by Linnaeus in his floral clock, formed of 

 such plants as opened and closed their blossoms 

 at certain hours of the day. It is an early riser, 

 and greets the morning sun with its star-like 

 flowers between four and five o'clock. 



'On upland slopes the shepherds mark 



The hour when, as the dial true, 

 Cichorium to the towering lark 

 Lifts her soft eyes serenely blue.' 



As if to make up for this early blossoming, the 

 petals begin to close between nine and ten in the 

 morning, and the plant sleeps for the rest of 

 the day. 



I have given the hours as observed by Linnaeus at 

 Upsala. They are probably different in England, 

 and on cloudy days the flowers scarcely open at all. 



