WALL-FLOWERS 



IT is curious how some plants love to grow upon old 

 walls and ruins. Indeed, there are certain species of 

 wild-flowers which are seldom found except in such 

 situations. It may be truly said that our ancient 

 churches and cathedrals, the ruins of mediaeval castles 

 and of monastic houses, the remains of old city walls, 

 and such like picturesque localities, support a flora of 

 their own. 



The most conspicuous example of this interesting 

 flora is the well-known wallflower of our gardens, 

 which is never found in a wild state except upon 

 walls or ruins. But the wall-gilliflower, as it used 

 to be called, is not by any means the only plant 

 which deserves the distinguishing name of wall- 

 flower. There are many others, of which the snap- 

 dragon, the yellow sedum, the wall pennywort, and 

 the pretty little Draba verna, or whitlow-grass, will 

 occur to all. In the west of England almost every 

 wayside wall is green with vegetation. The most 

 delicate ferns abound the wall rue, the ceterach, the 

 maidenhair spleenwort. Go where you will, you will 

 see ferns and flowers growing from the interstices of 

 the stones. 



Several of our greatest British rarities belong to the 

 wall-flora. The little Holosteum umbellatum used to 

 grow on old walls at Eye, and Bury, and Norwich, and 



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