Waysides and wastes in spring 



105 



of the flowers when in the bud, these being then tightly coiled in 

 a scoipoid fashion. In order that the present species might be 

 distinguished from allied plants, we should note that the pedicels 

 are shorter than the calyx ; that the calyx is furnished with hooked 

 bristles, and is open and swollen when the fruits are formed ; also 

 that the tube of the 

 corolla is very short. 

 The Early Field Scor- 

 pion Grass is very 

 common on dry 

 banks. Its stems 

 vary from about four 

 to ten inches long, 

 and the flowers 

 appear during April 

 and May. 



The Wood Loose- 

 strife or Yellow Pim- 

 pernel {Lysimacliia 

 nemorum) of shady 

 waysides and woods 

 is a member of the 

 Prirmdacect' or Prim- 

 rose family. It is 

 altogether a pretty 

 little plant, much 

 Hke the Scarlet Pim- 

 pernel in general 

 appearance, but 

 somewhat larger and 

 more glossj% It has a 

 prostrate, spreading 



stem, often tinged with red ; and opposite, oval, acute leaves with 

 short stalks. The flowers are yellow,, iisually a little more than half 

 an inch in diameter, with a spreading corolla. They are axillary, 

 placed singly on very slender peduncles, and have very narrow- 

 sepals. This species flowers from May to August. 



The Perennial or Dog's Mercury {Mercnrialis perennis), of the 

 EuphorbiacecE or Spurge family, is one of our earliest spring flowers, 

 and may be seen in abundance on almost all shady waysides, in 

 bloom from March to May, and growing from six to eighteen inches 



Thk Black I'.kvonv in I i;i ii. 



