MEADOWS, FIELDS AND PASTUBES— SUMMER 227 



eastern counties of England, and flowers during August and 

 September. 



The VV'hite Ox-eye Daisy {Chrijsanthemum Leucanthemuni) is 

 one of the largest and most conspicuous of our composite flowers, 

 and is abundant in dry pastures all over Britain. The plant is 

 generally smooth ; and its erect stem, either simple or slightly 

 branched, is from one 

 to two feet high. The 

 lower leaves are ob- 

 ovate, coarsely toothed, 

 on long stalks ; and 

 the upper ones are nar- 

 row and sessile, with a 

 few teeth. The flower- 

 heads are large, and 

 placed singly on long, 

 terminal stalks. The 

 bracts are closely over- 

 lapping, with narrow, 

 brown margins ; the 

 ray florets white, strap- 

 shaped, over half an 

 inch long ; and the disc 

 florets numerous and 

 tubular. The flowers 

 bloom from June to 

 August. 



Our last composite 

 flower is the Sneeze- 

 wort {Achillea Plar- 

 mica), which is common 

 in the hilly pastures and 



meadows of most parts of Britain. It has an erect stem, one to 

 two feet high. The leaves are sessile, narrow, with fine, regular 

 teeth, and a smooth surface. The flower-heads are arranged in 

 a loose, terminal, flat-topped corymb. Each is surrounded by 

 an involucre of overlapping bracts ; and consists of numerous little 

 disc-florets, intermixed with small scales, and about twelve short, 

 broad, wliite florets of the ray. The time of flowering is July 

 and August. 



The Common Centaury {Eri/ihrcea Centaurium), of the order 



Q 2 



The Common fleabane. 



