64 WILD FLOWEBS OF SPBIffG. 



acorns ; the former has either stalkless leaves, or the 

 leaf-stalks are short and of a greenish or reddish hue. 

 The acorns are on long stalks. The oak-apples are the 

 result of the puncture of gall-flies. The galls of com- 

 merce are imported from the Levant, and are produced 

 from the Q. infectoria. It has been asked if the galls 

 which are common in our hedgerows could not be 

 turned to more account. The Birch (Betula alba) 

 shows its catkins early in April, whilst the Beech 

 (JFagus sylvatica) protects its buds in autumn against 

 the severity of the winter. Under its branches the 

 wood-sorrel loves to linger, and the white, rose-like 

 flowers of the "Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) 

 creep towards its shade, as well as to the sunny open* 

 ings in the woodland glade. The small but delicious 

 fruit is the most wholesome of all our English wild 

 fruits. It is a botanical fact which should be remem- 

 bered, that all fruits growing on plants bearing flowers 

 similar to the wild rose may be safely eaten. The 

 Bramble (Eubus fructicosus) and the Raspberry (E. 

 Id&us), which are now in flower, are familiar ex- 

 amples of this fact. 



At the roots of the trees we shall find the Sweet 

 Woodruff (Asperula odoratd), sometimes called wood- 



