JULY. 143 



one which he saw iu CafFruria, which had dense 

 spikes of flowers, of a dingy hue, covered with 

 minute purple spots; and other travellers have 

 named them as blooming in all shades of jellow, 

 pink, and brown colours, among the brilliant 

 blossoms which enliven these arid lands. They 

 have bulbous roots and long sword-shaped 

 leaves ; the latter suggested their botanic name, 

 from gladius, a sword. 



The common bladder senna {Golutea arhor- 

 escens) is a pretty shrub, now covered with its 

 clusters of buttertly-shaped yellow flowers; nor 

 is it less ornamental in autumn, when its large 

 inflated pods stand thickly among its foliage. 

 It is remarkable as growing and flowering on 

 Mount Vesuvius, even on spots quite near to 

 the crater. It is wild in many parts of France, 

 and its leaves afford a grateful food to cattle. 

 Both seeds and leaves are used medicinally. 

 The smaller species, the oriental bladder senna, 

 ( Colutea cruenta,) is a much prettier shrub than 

 this. Its flowers arc of a reddish colour, and it 

 is a native of the Levant. 



The blue commelina, {Gommelina ccelestis,) as 

 well as the other species of this flower, is a 

 native of South America. And very brilliant 

 is the tint of its blossoms, which are now open. 

 Far less showy are the flowers of the l)asil, 

 but the air is quite perfumed with the odours 

 of this plant. The blossoms are shaped like 

 those of the lavender, but are either purple or 

 white. The common sweet basil, {Ocyinum 

 hcisiliouvi,) notwithstanding that its native soil 



