BY THE HEDGEBOWS AND WAYSIDE. 213 



its greenish-white clusters of flowers and dark green 

 leaves. On the approach of July its peculiar hoary 

 appearance manifests itself, and in country places is 

 known as " old man's beard." Its rapid growth and 

 its obvious advantage in covering arbours gave it the 

 name of " virgin's bower." It may be distinguished 

 until late in winter. It is very common near Olney, 

 in Bedfordshire, and on chalky and limestone soils. 



By the wayside we may find the Plantain, the Hop 

 Trefoil, the Creeping Cinquefoil, the Lamb's-toe Tre- 

 foil, and other meadow plants. In the neighbourhood 

 of villages the Common Mugwort and even Worm- 

 wood may be found growing on waste ground by the 

 wayside, in company with the Milfoil and Yarrow. 

 These, however, properly belong to other homes. The 

 Nipplewort (Lapsana communis) may be said to have 

 its home in the hedgerows, though it is frequently 

 found in corn-fields: its small yellow-rayed flowers 

 grow on branched stems of a peculiar soft texture. 

 The leaves are large, of various shapes; the root- 

 leaves are lyre-shaped. Its country names are 

 swine's-cress and succory dock-cress, and its uses 

 are those of salad herbs, but its bitter flavour is 

 anything but pleasant. 



