ILLUSTRATIONS. 83 



with many branches clothed with variously divided leaves, and 

 terminating in long erect racemes of greenish-yellow dull- 

 looking flowers, which have no pretension to beauty, and are 

 entirely without the delicious fragrance which in the Migno- 

 nette of the gardens atones for the absence of graceful form or 

 attractive colouring. Here there are from four to six sepals ; 

 as many petals, of which the lowest is entire or two-cleft, and 

 the others irregularly divided ; an indefinite crowd of stamens; 

 and an oblong ovary, having three short apical teeth. 



The common Rockcist^ represents another Order of regu- 

 lar-flowered Thalamiflores, — the Cistaceous family. It is a low, 

 diffiise-growing, slender, shrubby plant, having its branches 

 furnished with small opposite oblong leaves, which have each 

 a pair of minute stipules at their base ; and bearing loose ter- 

 minal racemes of pretty yellow flowers, which are however of 

 very short duration. These flowers consist of five sepals, the 

 two outer of which are smaller than the rest ; five broad obovate 

 spreading petals; numerous stamens; and a one- celled cap- 

 sule, which opens in three valves. The species of Helianthe- 

 mum are very pretty summer-flowering plants, of which many 

 forms are cultivated on sunny rockwork in gardens. 



On dry hilly pastures and peaty fens, during the summer 

 months, the Milkwortf may very frequently be gathered. 

 This little herb represents a genus of exotic shrubs, much 

 more showy than itself, and also the type of the irregular- 

 flowered Polygalaceous family. Its stems are slender, diffuse, 

 generally a few inches long, with small leaves, obovate below 

 and lanceolate above. The flowers, which form terminal 

 racemes, are usually of a bright blue, and very pretty. The 

 calyx consists of five sepals, of which the two innermost, 



* Selianthemum vulgare — Plate 8 A. 

 t Polygala vulgaris — Plate 8 C. . 



G 2 



