WOUNDWOBT GEOUND IVY. 227 



about Ripon and Eiclimond. It was formerly used for dressing 

 wounds : hence its name. 



The Marsh Woundwort (S. palustris), is a Kentish species, 

 and so also is the Corn Woundwort (S. arvensis) ; at least, we 

 found them both there. Their names indicate most correctly 

 their particular habitats. The Marsh species is as tall as the 

 Hedge one, with narrow sessile leaves and handsome purple 

 flowers, somewhat more crowded than those of its brother 

 above mentioned. The Corn Woundwort" is "a -'much smaller 

 plant, with lilac flowers and heart-shaped blunt leaves. 



The Downy Woundwort (S. germanica), is a tall handsome 

 plant ; its leaves, stems, and calyces covered with a profusion 

 of white silky hairs, from among which the whorls of lilac 

 ilowers, which adorn its long spike, appear. My specimen 

 came from the Botanic Garden at Edinburgh. 



The Pale Woundwort (S. annua), has yellow flowers ; it is 

 peculiar to the neighbourhood of Rochester. 



The common Cat Mint (Nepeta cataria), grows near Rich- 

 mond. It is a downy plant, with white flowers, spotted with 

 crimson, and arranged in whorls. The principal interest attach- 

 ing to it arises from the love cats have for it. It is almost 

 impossible to get a young plant of it to grow, because the cats 

 will not let it alone. An old doggerel says of it : 



"If you set it 

 The cats will get it; 

 But if you sow it 

 The cats wo'n't know it." 



Our cheerful little friend the Ground Ivy (Glechoma hede- 

 racea, Plate XIIL,fig. 9), comes next. We used to dislike it 

 as children, because when we were seeking sweet Violets we 

 were often misled by the blossoms of the Ground Ivy, and so 

 we called it " the Deceiver." But its introduction into fairy 

 tales, where it is mentioned as both knowing and showing the 

 way to the enchanted well, completely reconciled us to it. The 

 plant was formerly used as an ingredient in ale. 



