316 



FIELD AND WOODLAND PLANTS 



sliphtly downy, from two to three feet high ; and its leaves are 

 ovate or lanceolate, sessile, and arranged in opposite pairs or in 

 whorls of three or four. The flowers are rather large, of a bright 

 yellow colour, dotted with orange, and arranged in a large, pjTamidal, 

 leafy panicle. The calyx is deeply cleft into five pointed segments 

 with hairy margins ; and the broadly bell-shaped corolla is deeply 



The ro>rFREY. 



divided into five wide lobes. All the five stamens are united by 

 theii- filaments, forming a kind of cup around the ovary. 



There is another beautiful Loosestrife — the Purple Loosestrife — 

 that is often seen on river-banks ; but as it is not particularly 

 partial to this habitat, but rather grows in marshes and wet places 

 generally, it is described in another chapter (XV). It should 

 be noted, however, that the two plants arc not so nearly allied as 

 the popular names suggest ; for w hilc the one described above is 

 of the Primrose family, the latter is a member of the Lythracecu, 

 and differs in having a corolla of free petals. 



