264 



HUTCHINSON'S POPULAR BOTANY 



FIG. 321. 

 VERNAL- GRASS. 



edge. Ifc is a Marsh Plume-thistle (Cnicus palustris). Its 

 brown-tinged thorny leaves recall old Chaucer's lines : 



For thistles sharp of many maners, 

 Netlis, thornes, and crooked briers ; 

 For moche they distroubled me, 

 For sore I dredid to harmed be. 



Notice that the lower part of the leaf is united for a certain 

 length with the stem, which is on that account called winged. 

 The leaf is decurrent (fig. 322). 



As we are now so close to the hedge, peep through the 

 gap into the cornfield beyond, and observe that singular 

 plant with small greenish yellow flowers, whose stem, branched 

 at the top, passes almost through the centre of the oval 

 leaves (fig. 323). It is the Common Hare's-ear (Buplea- 

 rum rotundifolium). Our Saxon forefathers called it Thorow- 

 wax. from the circumstance of the stalk going through (A.S. 

 thorow) the leaf ; wcix being the old word for " grow." Our 

 Latin-loving botanists of to-day call such leaves perfoliate. 

 Ah ! you have smelt the Honeysuckle. Had you waited 

 another week you would have been too late, for this is the 

 rare Perfoliate Honeysuckle ( Lonicera capri/olium), which 

 seldom flowers after June, and which is almost confined to 

 Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. There it is, twining in and 

 out among the Privet bushes. Observe its sessile upper 

 leaves (fig. 323). which look as if they have grown together 

 at their bases. Leaves which offer this singular appearance 

 are described as connate. More familiar examples may be 

 found in the Yellow AVort (Chlora perfoiiata) and the Teasel 

 (Dipsacus sylvesfris 1 fig. 324). 



Before moving away you should notice the lance-shaped 

 (lanceolate) leaves of the bush which supports the Honey- 

 suckle viz. the Privet (Ligustrum, fig. 328) and also the egg- 

 shaped (ovate) leaves of the Crab-tree (Pyrus mains] which 

 over-shadows them. With these last may be contrasted 

 the smooth pale green leaves of the Water-pimpernel 

 (Samolus valerandi), growing on the margins of the stream 

 below. They are broadest and roundest at the apex, and 

 taper towards the base in other words, are inversely egg- 

 shaped or obovate. 



How various is Nature ! The lane, the meadow, the corn- 

 field, the hedgerow, the brookside, even the tiny stream 

 itself, have something fresh to show at every step. Here 

 are Violets (Viola} with their pretty heart-shaped (cordate) 



