SOME MAY FLOWERS 51 



aria angustifolia) attracted the atten- monastery. On the other side of the 

 tion of the early botanists. This in- Solent, in the beautiful woods which 

 teresting plant, not to be confused formerly belonged to the monks of 

 with the garden species, has long Quarr Abbey, a Cistercian establish- 

 lanceolate leaves spotted with pale ment like that of Beaulieu, the lung- 

 green, and terminal cymes of flowers, wort is the characteristic species. As 

 resembling in shape those of the cow- its name indicates, the plant was 

 slip (hence one of its English names), formerly regarded as "a sovereign 

 but of a changing purple colour. The remedy against infirmities and ulcers 

 corolla, which is " reddish in the bud, of the lungs " ; and doubtless in 

 first becomes violet, and lastly ultra- pre-Reformation days many a con- 

 marine blue of intense brilliancy, but coction of " the blue and crimson 

 fading ere long into dull blue or flower " was prepared by the good 

 purple." The bugloss-cowslip is often brethren of the monastery for their 

 abundant where it occurs, but, like afflicted neighbours in the district 

 the oxlip, is confined to a few localities, around. In addition to its name of 

 being found in Great Britain only in lungwort, the plant is called by our 

 the Isle of Wight, the New Forest, early botanists " the long-leaved Sage 

 and in one or two woods in Dorset- of Jerusalem " and " the Sage of 

 shire. It was first discovered by Mr. Bethlem " ; while in modern times 

 John Goodyer, a botanist of great it is known as " the blue cowslip " 

 distinction, " on May 25, Anno 1620, in the Isle of Wight, and as " Joseph 

 flowering in a wood by Holbury House and Mary " among the children of 

 in the New Forest in Hampshire." the New Forest. 

 This entry is repeated by most of Sometimes, early in May, in moist 

 our early authorities, who rightly re- shady places, growing at the roots of 

 garded the plant as one of unusual hazel among the decaying leaves, the 

 interest. It is still plentiful in the curious Toothwort (Lafhraa squamaria) 

 wood where Goodyer found it, and may be found. It is a strange-looking 

 in other parts of the New Forest.* In parasite, " in forme," as old Gerarde 

 the neighbourhood of Beaulieu Abbey well describes it, " like unto Orobanche 

 it is specially abundant ; and may be or the Broom-Rape and also in sub- 

 found in all the copses near the pictur- stance, having a tender, thicke, tuber- 

 esque remains of the once splendid ous, or mis-shapen body, consisting 



