166 WILD FLOWERS. 



given from some slight resemblance in the outline 

 of the leaves to those of a species of willow ; and 

 perhaps, too, the situations in which the greater 

 part of the tribe grow namely, in the water, or by 

 its margin, may partly account for it. This, how- 

 ever, does not apply to the smooth-leaved. E. (mon- 

 tdnum), and others of the species, which grow on 

 dry banks, cottage-roofs, and even walls. The 

 botanical name (Epilobium), is happily expressive 

 of a flower growing on a pod ; the blossoms ap- 

 pearing, as shewn in the woodcut, at the apex of the 

 long seed-pod. 



The British willow-herbs are divided into three 

 classes, those with irregular flowers and stamens 

 bent down, of which our only specimen is the rose- 

 bay E. (angustifolium) ; those with erect stamens 

 and stigmas four-cleft, which includes the " codlins 

 and cream ;" the small- flowered E. (parviflorum) ; 

 and the E. montdnum. The third division has its 

 stamens erect, and the stigma undivided ; it con- 

 tains the pale E. (roseum), the square-stalked E. (te- 

 tragonum), the marsh E. (palustre), the alpine 

 E. (alpinum*), which Sir William Hooker observes, 

 has never been found in Wales, though it occurs in 

 Scotland, a statement borne out by the absence of 

 any Welsh trivial name for it ; as well as for the 

 chick-weed willow-herb (E. alsinifolium.') Some 

 writers affirm that the E. alpinum is unknown on 

 the secondary formations. Gerarde says, the willow- 

 herbs stop bleeding, heal wounds, and drive away 

 snakes, gnats, and flies. 



