124 WILD FLOWERS. 



wholesome, are not more so than hundreds of 

 common plants, some of which, like the chick- 

 weed and nettle, are vised at the poor man's 

 table. 



One species of stonecrop, the white orpine, 

 (Sedum album,) is pickled as samphire. A large 

 white kind, called English stonecrop, (Sedum 

 anc/elicum) is very ornamental to the rocks on 

 the Highlands and Hebrides, scattering its 

 white stars by thousands on their else barren 

 surfoces, and supplying their want of verdure by 

 its thick green leaves. 



On the summit of the wall, or rock, or still 

 more often at its base, we may now find the 

 small nettle, (Urtica urens,) full of its green 

 bloom y we have three native species, easily dis- 

 tinguished, even by persons unacquainted with 

 botany, by the circumstances respecting them. 

 The lesser nettle is seldom above two feet high, 

 its leaves are small, and it is not a conspicuous 

 plant; but the great nettle {Urtica dioica) 

 cannot be overlooked, and grows by every way- 

 side, often to the height of three feet. The 

 Roman nettle {Ui-tica piluUfera) is not much 

 unlike it, but is comparatively rare, and found 

 chiefly near the sea ; this is by far the most 

 virulent of our stinging nettles, and the pain 

 inflicted by its venom remains for several hours. 

 The old English writers had a legend, concern- 

 ing the introduction of this nettle into our 

 country, which was very generally believed, 

 though, as Ray observes, it is not very likely 

 to be true. Our great antiquary, Camdeu, 



