136 WILD FLOWERS, 



aromul the edge of the leaf. The insect on 

 ahghting on the plant is held a prisoner by these 

 clammy hairs, and the leaf immediately closes 

 over it. Dead flies and other small insects 

 may thus often be found captured by this irri- 

 table leaf. The foliage of this flower is very 

 much tinged with crimson, and on drying it for 

 the herbarium, this red hue colours the page 

 through several sheets. The plant is so small 

 as that the whole of it might be covered by the 

 palm of the hand. It is very frequent on the 

 downs near Tunbridge Wells. 



The sundew is used as an ingredient in the 

 celebrated Italian liqueur, termed Rossoli ; it 

 is, nevertheless, very acrid and caustic in its 

 nature ; when distilled with lime, it makes a 

 highly stimulating drink, and, in former times, 

 was much used as a tincture. The practice 

 of expressing the juice, for the removal of the 

 freckles and tan which the summer sun gives 

 to the rustic maiden, has long been a common 

 one ; its juice is also said to curdle milk. 



The various species of St. John's wort 

 (Hr/pe?'ici(m) are now common everywhere, 

 and their bright yellow flowers, with the scent 

 of rosin, are very pretty. The yellow bed 

 straw, {Galium verum,) with its honey like 

 odour, is, when growing in any quantity, a very 

 great ornament to the heath. 



The tall broom rape, (Orohanche vuijor,) 

 though not very beautiful, is too large and sin- 

 gular a flower to escape notice. This plant 

 is a parasite, growing on the roots of the 



