302 WILD FLOWERS. 



and his readers somewhat precipitately concluded 

 that he referred to the corn-flower, knapweed, or 

 blue bottle (Gentdurea cyanus), the bluette of the 

 French ; till the observer of nature came to the 

 rescue with the remark that the centdurea is a 

 corn-plant,* not a blossom of the commons, that 

 it flowers in autumn, and is not a sleeper at the 

 eventide ; while the germander-speedwell entirely 

 answers to the description given, even to its bear- 

 ing a pearl when it closes for the night, incurving 

 its pretty buds until, instead of displaying their 

 brilliant upper surface, they only shew the pearly 

 and " pale glaucous " exterior of the petals. 



This is the best known of our English species, 

 which altogether includes eighteen individual plants ; 

 all of which, with the exception of the flesh-coloured 

 marsh, and shrubby speedwells (V. scutelldta, and 

 fruticulosa), are blue ; and which are representa- 

 tives of three of the four great divisions into which 

 the family is arranged : namely, those having the 

 flower-spikes terminal, and the leaves opposite; those 

 in which the spikes are lateral ; and, lastly, those 

 with solitary axillary flowers. 



In the first group are contained: 1. The spiked- 

 speedwell (V. spicdta), which occurs sparingly in 

 dry or chalky pastures ; 2. The thyme-leaved V. ser- 

 pyllifdlia, which is often confounded with the alpine- 



* The Chicoreum mtybus, and the So&bitu succlsa, are botli 

 called " corn-flowers," but it was the Centaurea cyanus which 

 was formerly so remarkable in the corn-fields of England and 

 France, for the brilliant contrast of its blue flower with the 

 scarlet poppy. 



