39 WAYSIDE AND WOODLAND BLOSSOMS. 



The Darnel (L. temulentuiri) is its only native congener ; an annual. It is 

 similar to L. perenne, but produces no runners. Its presence among wheat is 

 dreaded, as when ground up into flour it is believed to produce headache, vertigo, 

 and other symptoms of poisoning. Darnel is the Tares of the New Testament, and 

 is one of the very few grasses that are deleterious. 



Upright Brome (Bromus erectus) is a perennial of strong growth, with stout 

 creeping rootstock, sending up smooth and rigid stems 2 or 3 feet in height. The 

 narrow leaves have their edges rolled inwards. The inflorescence is a lax panicle j 

 the spikelets purplish in tint. The two empty glumes are unequal, and contain from 

 five to eight flowering glumes, with awns, and hairy all over. There are seven other 

 British species in the genus. 



Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger). 



At one time the Henbane was held in great esteem as a medi- 

 cinal plant, and was then to be found very commonly on rubbish 

 heaps, and the banks of ditches. Although it is still retained 

 in the Pharmacopoeia, its empirical use is not so great as for- 

 merly, neither does the plant appear to be so plentiful as 

 of old. Its appearance and smell are somehow suggestive of 

 its evil nature. It has a stout, branching stem, growing to a 

 height of about two feet. The leaves are oblong, with irregular 

 lobes, and the bases of the upper ones clasp the stem. The 

 flowers spring from the axils of the leaves, and are almost 

 stalkless. The calyx is pitcher-shaped, with a five-toothed 

 mouth. The corolla is funnel-shaped, with five unequal lobes, 

 and of a dingy yellow, streaked with purple-brown veins, though 

 a form occurs with the corolla uniformly yellow. The five 

 stamens are inserted at the base of the corolla-tube, and end 

 in purple anthers, discharging their pollen by slits. The ovary 

 is two- celled, supporting a simple style with a round head the 

 stigma. The whole plant is densely covered with sticky hairs. 



On fertilization the ovary grows into a constricted capsule, 

 with a distinct lid, which drops off to release the numerous 

 seeds. It is the only British representative of the genus, which 

 is said to get its name from two Greek words, Us, a hog, and 

 Kuamos, a bean, but such etymology cannot be considered at 

 all satisfactory. It flowers from June to August. 



