90 FAMILIAR WILD FLOWERS. 



Milton, to say nothing of many lesser names, frequently 

 introduce it in their writings. Milton calls them the 



"Cowslips wan that hang the pensive head," 



a description full of truth, for though the corolla of the 

 blossom is a brilliant and pure yellow, the calyx, which forms 

 considerably the larger portion of the flower, is of a very 

 pale green tint, while the hanging blossoms are another 

 very obvious and characteristic feature. 



The flowers are arranged in what is termed botani- 

 cally an umbel, a terrn employed to express the form of 

 inflorescence wherein the blossoms are borne on little 

 stems that all spring and radiate from one point. The 

 flowering rush affords another good instance of this 

 umbellate arrangement of the flowers : a drawing of it 

 will be found in our series. The number of flowers 

 in the umbel of the cowslip varies very much in dif- 

 ferent specimens. It is a curious fact that the inflores- 

 cence of the primrose is as truly umbellate as that of 

 the cowslip, though in the former case it can only 

 be detected by carefully tracing the flower stems to 

 their base, when all will be found to spring from one 

 common point. In some varieties of the primrose the 

 umbel is raised on a stalk, as in the cowslip. This form is 

 sometimes called oxlip ; it is by some writers raised to the 

 dignity of an independent position as a true and distinct 

 species, while others regard it as one of a number of 

 intermediate hybrid forms that may be observed between 

 the primrose and cowslip. Others again consider it but a 

 modification of growth of the former plant. Primrose roots 

 may at times be met with that bear both forms, one or more 

 stalked umbels together with a number of the ordinary type 



