102 FAMILIAR WILD FLOWERS. 



several scales placed singly; these are long- and narrow, 

 and pointing upwards. The summit of the peduncle, 

 where it joins the involucre, is enlarged and swollen- 

 looking. The flower-heads themselves are rather large, 

 and of a brilliant yellow, and form by far the most 

 noticeable part of the plant, as, when seen growing, its 

 small leaves are lost in the surrounding herbage, and its 

 fine stems do not catch the eye at all. 



The autumnal hawk -bit is by some botanists placed in 

 the genus Leontodon, and called the L. atitumnalis, while 

 others place it in Apargia, and called it A. autumnalu. 

 The generic name Leontodon is derived from two Greek 

 words signifying lion-tooth : the reason for this will be 

 found in our remarks on the dandelion. Apargia is derived 

 from the name bestowed by the Greeks on this or some 

 similar plant, this name being taken from the two Greek 

 words meaning from idleness ; the implication being that it 

 is nothing but the idleness of the agriculturist that allows 

 such plants to spring up in his ground. The specific name, 

 it will be seen, in each case is the same ; it is too evident in 

 meaning to call for any remark. Two or three varieties of 

 this species are recognised, and one or more species have 

 been included in the genus. The plant was at one time 

 placed in the genus Hieracium, a name, Greek in its origin, 

 which refers to an ancient belief that hawks eat these 

 plants to sharpen their sight, a belief that is also indicated 

 in the names hawk -bit or hawk-weed. There are, as we 

 have already said, several plants that strongly resemble 

 the present species, and they have consequently given a 

 great deal of trouble to classify. Of the hawk-weeds alone 

 there are, according to one writer, seven species, while 

 according to another there are thirty-three. Some 



