52 WILD FLOWERS 



1J ft. high: the leaves are feather-compound, with 1 large 

 terminal leaflet, and several pairs of smaller ones : at the apex 

 of the stem are borne a few flowers : these are large, drooping, 

 and in colour rose, tinged with brown ; they open in summer 

 the whole plant is hairy, the fruits are distributed by small 

 animals, to which they become attached 

 by a hooked bristle : a plant of damp 

 meadows. 



103. Buckbean, Menyanthestrifoliata, 

 Gentian family. A very beautiful plant 

 of boggy ground : the thick round stem 

 generally lies under water, and gives off 

 the leaves, which have long stalks, and 

 3 serrate oval leaflets, and the flower- 

 stalk, at the apex of which is a spike 

 of large, pale rose flowers : the inner 

 side of the petals is covered with delicate 

 white hairs : flowers in early summer. 



104. Red Battle, Pedicularis sylvatica, 

 Foxglove family. A little plant (4 to 

 6 ins.) of moist woods and heaths : the 

 stem branches at the base, and the pros- 

 trate branches rise at the tips, holding up short spikes of large 

 rose-coloured flowers : the leaves are deeply cut into many 

 notched segments : flowers in summer : the Lousewort (P. palus- 



103. Buckbean. 



104. Red Rattle. 



105. Maiden Pink. 



tris) is a similar but larger and more erect plant, with brighter 

 flowers, common in bogs. 



105. Maiden Pink, Dianthus deltoides, Pink family. A very 

 beautiful but rather rare little plant, of dry turfy ground : the 

 stem is much branched below, and bears many pairs of small, 

 narrow leaves : the flowers are fairly large, of exactly the form 



