BRITISH WILD FLOWERS 



AND HOW TO IDENTIFY THEM 



I. THE FLOWERS IN SEASON 



EVERY one has observed that when the spring 

 arrives the flowers appear, and that they become 

 fewer and fewer as winter advances. The best 

 time to begin study is in the New Year, before 

 the flowers bewilder us with their profusion. 



Spring Blossoms 



The earliest flowers to appear, if we put aside 

 the daisy, dandelion, groundsel, chickweed, dead 

 nettle, and a few others which often survive 

 the winter, are the following : The celandine 

 (167, ii) with its golden stars, the sweet violet 

 (74), coltsfoot (Group viii), barren strawberry, 

 speedwell, and dog's mercury. In the woods 

 we see the catkins (see p. 25) on the hazel, 

 alder, willow, and other trees, and find the 

 fragrant blossoms on the spurge laurel (113). 

 The primrose (52) is in full flower in March, 

 and soon the hyacinths make their azure carpet 



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