10 



BRITISH FLORA 



the valves free above. The plant is 4-12 in. in 

 height, and flowers in June and July, being- 

 perennial. 



Picris Orobanche (Orobanche Picridis, F. 

 Schulze). This is a native plant, with a predi- 

 lection for Picris hieracioiJes and Crepis as host- 

 plants, being found in disused quarries and else- 

 where. The habit is erect, the stem slender, hairy, 

 glandular, the plant very pale. The corolla is 

 erect or at right angles afterwards, the bracts 

 white with purple veins, i -nerved. The sepals are 

 entire, slightly curved at each end, the corolla 

 nearly straight, and the upper lips of the corolla 

 are not notched but have the tip bent in. The 

 stigma is purple, the lobes touching, the stamens 

 hairy below within, and inserted below the middle 

 of the corolla-tube. The anthers are pale-purple, 

 brown, or yellow. The plant is 6-18 in. in height, 

 flowers from June to August, and is perennial. 



Ivy Broomrape (Orobanche /tederce, Duby). 

 This plant is parasitic on the Ivy, and found in 

 the habitat of the latter in woods and fields, in 

 hedgerows, &c. The habit is erect, the stem pur- 

 plish. The corolla is violet -brown, the sepals 

 i-veined, the spike loose, the upper lip egg-shaped, 

 entire, folded, notched, the corolla bent, the middle 

 lobe of the lower lip longest, the lobes of the stigma 

 partly attached, yellow, the anthers brown, paler 

 when dry, the stamens inserted below the middle 

 of the tube, smooth, with hairs below, the style 

 with hairs above, purple -tinged. The plant is 

 6-24 in. in height, and is in flower between July 

 and August, being a perennial. 



Yellow Broomrape (Orobanche Rilro, Gren. and 

 Godr.). This plant is found where Cat's Tail 

 grows in pastures, &c. The habit is erect. The 

 flowers are yellow, the corolla hairy and very 

 glandular, like the whole of the plant, and downy. 

 It is 4-9 in. in height, and flowers in June and 

 July, being a perennial. 



ORDER LABIATVE 



Basil Thyme (Calamintha Acinos, Clairv.). 

 The habitat of this plant is fields, banks, dry 

 gravelly places, cornfields, limestone rocks. The 

 habit is prostrate, then ascending, with branches 

 downy, stems with turned -back hairs, slender, 

 and bearing numerous leaves. The leaves are 

 narrow at the base, with the margin rolled back, 

 an adaptation to dry conditions, egg-shaped, 

 toothed, with a long point. The flowers are 

 bluish-purple, with white spots, in simple whorls, 

 5-6, with leaflike bracts, with bracteoles not so 

 long as the flower-stalk. The tube is closed with 

 hairs, the calyx swollen below, 2 -lipped. The 

 plant is shor, 4-10 in. high, and is in bloom from 

 June to September, being a herbaceous annual or 

 biennial. 



Selfheal (Prunella laciniata, L.). The habitat 

 of this plant is grassy places. The habit is similar 

 to the common form, but spreading, prostrate 

 below, and from this it differs in having the leaves 

 dr. -ply divided nearly to the base. The flowers 

 are creamy-white, or in rare cases blue. The 



teeth of the calyx are fringed with hairs. The 

 height is 2-9 in., and it is in flower in July and 

 August, the plant being a herbaceous perennial. 



Meadow Clary (Salviapra/ensis, L.). The habi- 

 tat of this plant is dry fields and grassy places. 

 The habit is erect, tall, with glandular hairs above, 

 the stem square, with few leaves, wrinkled, the 

 radical leaves egg-shaped, oblong, heart-shaped 

 below, on long stalks, blunt, scalloped, toothed, 

 the upper stalkless, small, lance -shaped. The 

 large flowers are purple, or bluish-violet, smooth 

 inside, the corolla sticky, three times as long as 

 the calyx. The bracts are long-pointed, heart- 

 shaped below. The plant is 2-4 ft. in height, 

 being handsome, and flowers from June to August, 

 being a herbaceous perennial, and is well worth 

 a place in the garden. 



Downy Woundwort (Siachys germanica, L.). 

 The habitat of this plant is fields, roadsides, cal- 

 careous places, woods, hedges, on dry soil. The 

 habit is erect. The rootstock bears stolons, the 

 stem is thick, branched, and covered with a felt of 

 white down, or densely silky. The lower leaves 

 are tufted, egg-shaped, oblong, heart-shaped, 

 wrinkled, on long stalks, the upper stalkless, 

 lance-shaped, scalloped, toothed. The flowers 

 are in stout spikes, rose-purple, the corolla downy, 

 the upper lip spotted, the flowers in interrupted 

 whorls below, on short stalks. The calyx is softly 

 hairy, the upper lip longest. The bracts equal 

 the calyx. The plant is 1-3 ft. in height. Flowers 

 are to be found in July and August. The plant is 

 a herbaceous biennial. 



Germander (Teu crium Botrys, L.). The habitat 

 of this plant is stony fields and calcareous places. 

 The habit is erect, the stem branched from below, 

 and the leaves numerous, deeply divided nearly 

 to the base, or 3-lobed, the lobes oblong or divided, 

 or blunt, the veins prominent below. The flowers, 

 in whorls in the axils, are rose-purple, the calyx 

 swollen below, glandular, netted in fruit. The 

 lower lip of the corolla is spotted red and white. 

 The nutlets are pitted. The stem is 4-12 in. in 

 height. July to September is the flowering season. 

 The plant is a herbaceous perennial. 



ORDER ILLECEBRACE.E 



Knawel (Scleranthus percnnis, L.). The habi- 

 tat of this plant is dry fields and sandy fields. 

 The habit is prostrate, the stem simple, or branched 

 irregularly, bluish-green. The leaves are erect, 

 all growing one way. The flowers are green and 

 white, the segments of the calyx in fruit united 

 below, blunt, rounded, with a broad membranous 

 margin. The tube of the calyx is downy, and the 

 bracts are short. The styles are not so long as 

 the stamens. The plant is 2-8 in. in length. 

 Flowers are found from June to September. The 

 plant is a herbaceous perennial. 



ORDER POLYGONACE^E 



Bistort (Polygonum Sis/or/a, L.). The habitat 

 of this plant is moist meadows. It has a large 



