WASTES AND WAYSIDES IN SUMMER 



187 



may readily be distinguished by its powerful aroma and bitter 

 taste. The whole of the plant is whitish with a close, fine down ; 

 and the erect stems, from one to two feet high, are stiff and hard. 

 The leaves are very similar to those of the Mugwort, but are much 

 broader, are silky on both sides, and the narrow lobes of the leaves 

 are blunt at the tips. The flower-heads are also similarly arranged, 

 but they are almost globular in form, very silky, and more or less 

 drooping. The florets are numer- 

 ous, and of a duU yellow colour, 

 the central ones being mostly fertile, 

 while the outer, without stamens, 

 are small, and often barren. The 

 plant flowers during August and 

 September, is not so common as the 

 last species, but is abundant in 

 districts near the sea. 



One of the most conspicuous 

 flowers of the summer is the Com- 

 mon Ragwort {Senecio Jacoba'a). 

 It belongs to the same genus as 

 the Groundsel, but differs in having 

 very showy, terminal corymbs of 

 large, bright yellow flowers with 

 spreading rays. Its erect stem 

 does not branch, as a rule, except 

 near the top, and reaches a height 

 of from one to three or four feet. 

 The outer bracts of the involucre 

 are small and few in number, and 

 both these and- the inner ones 

 are generally tipped with black. 



Occasionally we may meet with plants of this species in which the 

 flower-heads have no ray, but in general the ray is well-formed, and 

 consists of about twelve narrow or obl6ng florets. 



The Common Feverfew {Matricaria Parthenium or Chrysan- 

 themum Parthenium) is a very abundant wayside flower, of which 

 a double variety is commonly grown in gardens. The plant reaches 

 a foot or more in height, and flowers freely from July to Sep- 

 tember. The stems are erect and branched ; and the leaves are 

 stalked and pinnately divided into ovate or oblong, lobed, 

 toothed segments. The numerous flower-heads are arranged in 



I'HIC WORMWOOiJ. 



