THE CORN-COCKLE. 127 



are being given off at a very slight angle. The plant 

 is ordinarily about two feet high. All the stems and 

 leaves are generally covered with long soft hairs, that are 

 often so numerous as to give a greyish bloom to the parts 

 they so abundantly clothe. The foliage is long and 

 narrow, and somewhat sombre in tint. The conspicuous 

 but not very numerous blossoms are borne on long 

 peduncles which rise from the axils of the leaves. The 

 petals are five in number, purplish-crimson in tint, and 

 have their exterior edge simple in form ; not deeply lobed, 

 as in the white campion, an allied species, already repre- 

 sented. On the crimson ground of each petal are two 

 or three lines of black ; these lines are interrupted in 

 character, not continuous. The blossoms have no scent. 

 The calyx is long and tubular, hard and leathery in texture, 

 and divided into five very long and prominent segments ; 

 these segments project boldly far beyond the general line 

 of the corolla in the expanded blossom. The styles are 

 five in number, and very long, while the stamens are twice 

 five. The corn-cockle will ordinarily be found in flower by 

 about the end of June, and lasts throughout July and 

 August. After flowering, the calyx enlarges to enfold the 

 somewhat bulky capsule, or fruit, that succeeds the blossom. 

 The capsule opens into five parts on the ripening of the 

 seeds contained therein. Many beautiful kindred species 

 are cultivated in gardens. 



The family of plants to which the corn-cockle belongs 

 is a very natural one, as all the numerous plants that 

 belong to it have many points in common. All the species 

 have their leaves arranged in pairs; these leaves are what 

 is termed botanically entire i.e., they are bounded by a 

 simple line, and have no serrations or other form of broken 



