58 NATURE IN DOWNLAND 



neglected or rejected materials, the botanists are not 

 yet able to tell us. 



Among the numerous small blooms of the downs, 

 a few of which I have named, there is one that is 

 big comparatively — the largest, most conspicuous, 

 and most generally distributed all over the chalk 

 hills. This is the dwarf or plume thistle. Its 

 leaves you do not notice, nor even see unless you 

 look for them, for like the plantain leaves they are 

 found close to the ground ; sewn, so to speak, into 

 the fabric of the turf. The solitary flower-head is 

 practically stemless, and rests like a cup or vase on 

 the earth — a great amethyst among gems of other 

 colours and of smaller size. 



Though it looks so big among the little blooms, 

 you see that it is not really big when the queen 

 humble-bee drops upon it and well-nigh blots out 

 its purple disc with her large, black, hairy body. 



