128 WILD ILOWEES OF SUMMEE. 



cooking, and also in oil painting. "We have six wild 

 species of poppy, four of which are red. The "White 

 Poppy (Papaver somniferuni) is supposed to have been 

 introduced from Asia. From its milky juice the opium 

 of commerce is obtained. 



The Corn Bluebottle (Centaurea cyanus) is one of 

 the handsomest of our wild flowers. Like the knap- 

 weeds, the bluebottle has a disk of purple florets set 

 in a hard scaly seed-cup, but it is fringed with a bright 

 blue outer ray of florets. The stem is tall, hard, and 

 slender; the leaves pale green, narrow, and woolly. 

 This plant is noticed for its beauty by many of our 

 poets, and has the country names of hurt-sickle, blue 

 bonnet, and blue cap. 



The tall Corn Cockle (Agrostemma gUliaf/o} is also a 

 handsome flower. Its purple flower grows on a stem 

 some two feet high, and the sepals are lengthened 

 until their points stretch beyond the flower-cup. In 

 appearance the flower is not much unlike the campions. 

 Its seed-vessel is large, and its black glossy seeds are 

 numerous. 



The blue "Wild Succory, Endive, or Chicory (Ci- 

 cliorium intylus), is frequently found in light chalky 

 soils, with its large pale blue- rayed flowers growing on 



