THE NIPPLEWORT. 123 



names, such as pulmonaria and sanicula, but as it would be 

 necessary to analyse these, and reduce them to the verna- 

 cular, it seems scarcely worth while to do more than make 

 the assertion, leaving 1 it to others to work the subject 

 out at more length for themselves, should they care to 

 do so. 



The nipplewort is very commonly distributed through- 

 out the whole of Britain. It should be looked for either 

 on patches of waste ground, or in fields, or carelessly-kept 

 gardens. It flowers during June, July, August, and Sep- 

 tember. The plant is an annual, and in its earlier state 

 appears as a ring of leaves lying close to the ground, 

 and some six or eight inches in diameter. Should this 

 escape the hoe, a stem gradually rises from the midst of this 

 circle of leaves until it reaches a height of some two or three 

 feet. The stern is quite smooth, and in its upper portion 

 branches off very freely into numerous smaller branches, 

 bearing the flower-stalks that carry the flower-heads. The 

 stems have but few leaves, and those of much simpler form 

 than the radical leaves ; a gradual progression of form and 

 approximation to the radical foliage may be seen as the 

 leaves are traced downwards ; there is no abrupt transition 

 from simple stem-leaves to deeply -divided root-leaves, but 

 a delicate gradation from simplicity to richness of form. 

 The leaves are rather soft and thin to the touch, and 

 generally slightly hairy ; the surface has little or no gloss 

 on it. The inflorescence is paniculate or corymbose. The 

 peduncles are very slender, and the flowering heads small, 

 and bright yellow. The involucre is composed of a single 

 row of green scales, ordinarily about eight, and the angles 

 made by their juxtaposition are somewhat clearly defined, 

 thus throwing the involucre rather into a polygonal than 



