BUTOMACE^E. FLOWERING BUSH TRIBE. 629 



* Other British, species of Wood-Eush are L. Forsteri 

 (Forster's Wood-Eush), the panicle of which is slightly 

 branched, and bears its flowers solitary ; each capsule 

 contains 3 seeds, having a straight tail at their summits ; 

 it resembles L. pilosa in habit, but is much smaller; the 

 seeds of the latter plant are furnished with a long hooked 

 tail : L. spicdtd (Spiked Mountain Wood-Eush) is about 

 the same size as L. campestris ; it has narrow leaves, 

 bears its flowers in a compound, drooping spike, and 

 grows only on high mountains : L. arcudta (Curved 

 Mountain Wood-Eush) is a small and very rare species, 

 found only on the summit of the Scottish mountains ; 

 it bears its flowers in panicles, 3 5 together, on drooping 

 stalks. 



3. NARTH^CIUM (Asphodel). 



1. N. ossifragum (Bog Asphodel). The only British 

 species. An elegant little plant, 6 8 inches high, with 

 tufts of narrow sword-shaped leaves, like those of the 

 Iris, and a tapering spike of star-like yellow flowers. 

 The name ossifragum, bone-breaking, was given to this 

 plant from its being supposed to soften the bones of 

 cattle that fed on it. Other plants have had the same 

 properties assigned to them, but there is little doubt 

 that in every case the diseases in question are to be 

 traced to the noxious exhalations from the bogs in which 

 the plants grow, rather than to the plants themselves. 

 Fl. July September. Perennial. 



ORD. XCL BUTOMACE^E. FLOWERING RUSH 

 TRIBE. 



Sepals 3, green ; petals 3, coloured ; stamens varying 

 in number ; ovaries superior, 3, 6. or more, distinct, or 

 united into a mass ; carpels many-seeded. A small 

 tribe of aquatic plants with sword-shaped leaves and 

 conspicuous flowers. The only British example is the 

 Flowering Eush, described below. 



