WOODRUFF FIELD MADDEE. 153 



The Northern Bedstraw resembles this, but its leaves are 

 smooth, and only four in a whorl. 



There are an Upright Bedstraw, with the leaves eight in a 

 whorl, and dense white panicles ; a Bearded Bedstraw, leaves 

 six in a whorl, and seeds kidney- shaped ; a Wall Bedstraw, 

 leaves eight, and flowers few and pale ; and a Least Bedstraw, 

 with copious white flowers. Most of these are rare. 



The Woodruff family comes next in the Starry tribe. 



The Sweet Woodruff (Asperula odorata), is a charming little 

 plant ; its light, whorled foliage, and clear white flowers are 

 uncommonly pretty. It is useful, too, for it not only yields 

 a pleasant perfume when dried, but preserves woollen goods 

 from moth. Withering was of opinion that an infusion of its 

 dried leaves was far superior to Chinese Tea. It is a good 

 substitute, too, for the Tonquin Bean in the preparation of 

 snuff, not being, like it, prejudicial to the sight. Children 

 spell its name in rhyme : 



Double U, double O, double D, E, 

 R, 0, double U, double F, E. 



such being the old-fashioned style of orthography. 



The Small Woodruff, or Squinancy-wort (A. cynanchica, 

 Plate X., Jig. 7), grows freely on the Wiltshire downs ; and 

 although it lacks the scent of the Sweet Woodruff, its pink 

 clusters and dark green whorled leaves make it a great favourite 

 with me. It continues in flower nearly all the summer, and 

 is frequent in England, but never found in Wales or Scotland. 

 It used to be esteemed as a remedy for quinsy : hence its 

 popular name. 



There is a blue Woodruff, but I have never seen it. Sir 

 J. E. Smith thinks it is only an introduced plant, and gives 

 Devonshire as the county of its settlement. 



The Pield Madder is the last family of the Starry tribe. 

 Our one representative is a rough prostrate plant, much 

 branched, and bearing a small umbel of lilac flowers in the 

 bosom of the terminal whorl of leaves. I have gathered it 



