WALLS, RUINS, ETC. 137 



The most common of the wayside thistles is the 

 Creeping Plume Thistle (Guicus arvensis"), the horse 

 thistle of the country-side, the plague of the fields. 

 Its spiny leaves, dull purple flowers, and angular stems 

 are too well known. The thorny flower-cups and 

 yellow flowers of the Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris) 

 must not be looked for by the wayside. On the rocky 

 pastures and upland fields it may be found in June 

 and later in the summer. The stems are often coloured 

 or reddish-brown, and there are a few purple florets in 

 the centre of the flower, which closes before rain. 



Quite as common as the thistles is the Dock 

 tribe. The Fiddle Dock (Rumex pulcher) is not 

 very common, but it may be known by its peculiar 

 fiddle-shaped leaf. The brownish flowers are, like all 

 the dock and sorrel tribe, not very beautiful to the 

 eye, but often give variety to the village posy. The 

 Bloody-veined Dock (Rumex sanguinew) is often a 

 vexatious weed in gardens and fields, where it mil 

 grow, as well as by the wayside. Its somewhat long 

 egg-shaped leaves are marked by deep red veins occa- 

 sionally. The more common variety has green veins. 

 This is not easily distinguished from the common 

 Broad-leaved Dock (Riimex obtusifolius), the leaves 



