262 PtELD AND WOODLAND PLANTS 



turned downward ; and its flowers smaller, and of a deeper, golden 

 yellow. 



On heaths and downs of most parts of England and Scotland 

 we may meet with the Needle Green-weed, Needle Whin, or Petty 

 Whin {Genista anglica) — a little spiny shrub, varying from a few 

 inches to two feet in height, with erect stem and spreading branches. 

 Its lower branches are simple, or are reduced to branched thorns, 

 while the upper are compound, bearing small ovate or narrow 

 leaves ; and soHtary, axillary, pale yeUow flowers in short, leafy 

 clusters. This species flowers during May and June. 



In the same order (LeguminoscB) are two species of Rest Harrow, 

 common on heaths and stony banks. One of these — the Common 

 Rest Harrow {Ononis arvensis) — is a very variable plant, with pink 

 or rose-coloured flowers that bloom from June to September. Its 

 stem is sometimes procumbent and rooting at the base, some- 

 times ascending or nearly erect, and is thinly clothed on all sides 

 by soft, spreading hairs. The leaves are usually trifoUate, with 

 obovate or oblong, toothed leaflets, but the lateral leaflets are 

 often very small or altogether wanting. The flowers are soHtary, 

 sessile or shortly-stalked, on short, lateral branches ; and the stand- 

 ard (upper petal) is streaked with a darker colour. 



The other species, shown on Plate VI, Fig. 3, is the Spiny Rest 

 Harrow {0. spinosa), which, however, is sometimes regarded as a 

 variety of the last. Its flowers are very similar in form and coloiu-, 

 and appear during the same time ; but the stem is erect, spiny, 

 without rimners, seldom more than a foot high, and has two longi- 

 tudinal rows of hairs. 



Passing next to the order Rosacece, we first note the Dropwort 

 {Spircea Filipendula), of the same genus as the Meadow Sweet, 

 frequently met with on the downs and dry pastures of England and 

 Scotland. Its leaves are mostly radical, three or four inches long, 

 interruptedly pinnate, with many oval or narrow segments which 

 are themselves pinnately lobed or deeply toothed. At the base of 

 each is a pair of stipules which are attached to the leaf -stalk through- 

 out their length. The flowers, which appear dm-ing June and July, 

 are white, and very much like those of the Meadow Sweet (p. 219), 

 but are larger, without scent, and generally pink when in the bud. 

 The height of the plant is usually from twelve to eighteen inclies. 



In the same order we have the TovmeniW {Potentilla Tormeniilla), 

 which is very abundant on heaths, dry pastures and stony banks, 

 flowering from June to August. This plant has a prostrate (rarely 



