FLOWERS AND GRASSES. 69 



summer glory. The stems of a third species, in the 

 hemlock, are common in the same localities. 



The little Woodruff, with its whorls of bright green 

 leaves and small white flowers, is a general favourite, 

 on account of its hay-like odour, which increases with 

 the drying of the plant, and is retained for years. 



The wild Teazel l is common enough in the Kentish 

 woods, and was formerly in repute for the maggots 

 in its head, which, being suspended from the neck 

 of a person afflicted with ague, were said to work a 

 marvellous cure. Gerarde confesses that, having " a 

 grievous a^ue, and of long continuance, notwith- 

 standing physicke charms, these worms hanged about 

 my neck, spiders put into a walnut-shell, and divers 

 such foolish stories, that I was constrained to take 

 by fantasticke people's procurement ; notwithstanding, 

 I say, my helpe came from God himself, for these 

 medicines and all other such things did me no good 

 at all." 



Persons deficient in botanical knowledge, and not 

 in the habit of close observation, consider the flower- 

 ing heads of composite plants, such as the daisy and 

 dandelion, as simple flowers, whereas, if they would 

 sit down and pull one of these flowering heads in 

 pieces, they would find a vast number of flowers, 

 each more or less complete in itself, compactly seated 

 upon a cushion-like expansion of the top of the stem, 

 and thus constituting a dense head of miniature 

 flowers. Usually those of the margin have one of 

 the petals elongated, whilst those of the centre, cr 



1 Dipsacus sylvestri . 



