106 WILD FLOWERS. 



leaf. The custom of strewing floors on festival 

 days is still retained at Norwich ; and the old 

 cathedral is, on certain days, scented with the 

 perfume of the sweet flag, profusely strewn over 

 its floors. This plant is abundant in the fenny 

 districts of England. The root is — especially 

 when dried — so powerfully aromatic, as that it 

 might be used instead of spice, for dishes. The 

 Turks make a sweetmeat of this root, and think 

 it valuable as a preservative against the plague. 

 The sweet flag root, which is sold by druggists, 

 is imported from the Levant ; but our native 

 species is quite as aromatic as that which is 

 brought from afar. It is one of the oldest 

 medicines known, and is much used in the pre- 

 sent day. Linnseus says, that it is the only 

 native aromatic plant of northern climates ; the 

 hot spices of foreign lands being invariably the 

 product of the plants grown in the hot regions 

 of the world. 



The lovely flowering rush, (Bufomus umbel' 

 latus,) often called water-gladiole, is now in 

 bloom. The old writers termed it " grassie 

 rush;" and one of them says, "It is of all 

 others the fairest and most pleasant to behold, 

 and serveth very well for the decking and 

 trimming-up of houses, because of the beautie 

 and braverie thereof." Its flowers grow in a 

 cluster at the summit of its stem, and are of a 

 delicate rose-colour, tinged with purple. The 

 sharp edges of the leaves cut like a razor, and 

 often wound the mouths of cattle. 



That beautiful aquatic flower, the water- 



