THE HEMLOCK STORK'S-BILL. 36 



which we have three British representatives. Only one of the 

 three, however, is at all plentiful, and that is the one we have 

 figured. It is a common species, but must be looked for on dry 

 wastes and commons, especially near the coast. Quite apart 

 from its umbels of pretty pink flowers it is a handsome plant. 

 The leaves are cut up into a large number of leaflets, arranged 

 in slightly irregular pairs on either side of the rib, and these 

 leaflets are cut up into many irregular lobes. It is the arrange- 

 ment so common in ferns : the leaf \spinnate, because it is fur- 

 nished with pinnae or wings, and as the pinnae are themselves 

 almost winged they are pinnatifid, or cut in a pinnate manner. 

 The parts of the flower agree in number with Geranium, that is, 

 sepals five, petals five, stamens ten (but five are aborted, and pro- 

 duce no anthers), stigmas five. The fruits agree pretty closely 

 with those of the Crane's-bills, but in Er odium the tails of the car- 

 pels are lined on their inner face with fine silky hairs, and instead 

 of curling simply they twist spirally, and cause the hairs to stand 

 out at right angles. The seed remains attached to the tail, 

 which becomes detached from the axis of the style and is blown 

 to the ground. There the twisted tail is alternately lengthened 

 and shortened by moisture and dryness of the atmosphere, and 

 with assistance of the hairs this automatic movement gradually 

 forces the pointed hairy seed into the ground. It flowers from 

 June to September. 



The Musky Stork's-bill (E. moschatunt) is much larger than the last mentioned 

 Easily identified by the strong smell of musk. Flowers June and July. Local. 



The Sea Stork's-bill (E. man'timum}. Leaves narrow, heart-shaped, lobed and 

 toothed. Petals minute, pale pink, sometimes absent. Sandy and gravelly coasts : 

 rare. May to September. Name from Greek, Erodios, a heron. 



Yarrow or Milfoil (Achilka millefolium). 



One of the commonest weeds in pastures, or on commons, 

 roadside wastes, and often on lawns, is the Yarrow. Its leaves, 

 as its second popular name indicates, are cut up into a large 



D 2 



