BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS 



ing in numerous long, beady, rocket-like, flowering 

 spikes, each so lengthened and regulated as to form an 

 elaborate, equally balanced, floral candelabra. It is 

 a handsome perennial, growing from three to seven 

 feet high in moist fields and meadows, or along rail- 

 roads and highways. The stout, rough, leafy stalk 

 is four-sided and grooved, and is often stained with 

 red. The opposite lance-shaped leaves are irregularly 

 double-toothed and taper-pointed, with noticeable 

 veins. They are short-stemmed and rough surfaced, 

 and the lower ones are sometimes lobed or arrow- 

 shaped at the base. The five-lobed tubular flowers 

 are very small, and several open at a time in a single 

 circle as they mount the extending, purple-stained spike. 

 They are deep purplish-blue in colour, and have a 

 pistil and two pairs of stamens. As the flowers continue 

 to blossom toward the top of the spike, they are suc- 

 ceeded by ripening seed enclosed within the overlapping, 

 purplish calyx, which lends much to the attractiveness 

 of the royal colour scheme. Vervain is also known as 

 the Holy Herb, and was one of the religious plants 

 of the Druids. Long, long ago, Vervain was held 

 sacred to Thor, the god of thunder, and like other plants 

 connected with lightning, it was supposed to possess 

 peculiar influences upon the eyesight. It is also said 

 to have been found growing upon the Mount of Calvary 

 when Jesus died. On account of its mystic virtues, it 

 was formerly much used for stimulating affections and 

 charms. It was reputed to break the power of witches. 

 In France, it is gathered under certain changes of the 



35o 



