27 WAYSIDE AND WOODLAND BLOSSOMS. 



insects alight. When the flower opens the anthers are ripe and 

 shed their pollen, so that bees or other insects alighting are sure 

 to get their under surface dusted with it. At this period the 

 pistil is short and immature, so that it cannot be fertilized by 

 its own pollen ; but as the pollen disappears the pistil lengthens, 

 until its stigmas are in the position where they are bound to 

 receive pollen brought on the under surface of a visiting insect. 

 The leaves are strap-shaped, long, and rough with hairs. 



Much fault is found with scientific names on account of their 

 uncouthness and obscurity. But they are mostly derived from 

 Greek and Latin roots, and reflect some peculiarity of the plant; 

 whereas many of the English or Folk-names are most arbitrary, 

 and require much explaining, which is sometimes not easily 

 done. "Viper's Bugloss" is a puzzle, and authors have 

 pretended to see likenesses to a viper in the markings of the 

 stem, the sjiape of the flower and of the seeds ; others have taken 

 shelter behind Dioscorides, who said that a decoction of the 

 plant was a protection from the effects of a viper's bite. If a 

 man knew he was going to be bitten by a viper and took a 

 certain dose of this plant beforehand he was all right ! But 

 the word bugloss seems a worse puzzle than the plant's 

 connection with vipers. Most dictionaries will help to the 

 extent of telling that bugloss is the name of a plant, and no 

 more. The truth is, it is as Greek as any scientific name, being 

 compounded of the words Bous, an ox, and glossa, a tongue, 

 from its leaves being rough, like the tongue of an ox. 



It is common on gravelly and chalky soils, flowering from June 

 to August. It is rich in honey, so that it is much frequented of 

 sweet-tongued insects. The name Echium is from the Greek 

 Echis, a viper. 



Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca). 

 Well known as the Wild Strawberry is, the Barren Straw- 

 berry (Potentilla fragaria strum) when flowering is often mis- 



