MIDSUMMER PLANTS 125 



purple hairs. The cornfields and waste White thought, parasitical on the roots 

 spaces are now aglow with scarlet of the beech-trees, 

 poppies ; and sometimes the viper's But in July and August our choicest 

 bugloss is so abundant as to make with plants are to be sought, not in woods 

 its handsome azure flowers a distinct or hedgerows or on open downs, but 

 feature in the landscape. Last year it in the wide stretches of forest and 

 covered the slope of a chalk hill above moorland and unreclaimed bog which 

 the Meon valley to the extent of many in spite of modern encroachment still 

 acres, and presented a glorious expanse exist in many parts of England. In 

 of blue visible at some considerable the county of Hants there is the 

 distance. In many of our woods the royal forest of Woolmer, three-fifths of 

 gorgeous foxglove is now in bloom, which, before the formation of the 

 and when the stately plant is seen in parish of Blackmoor, lay within the 

 any profusion it makes a fine show bounds of Selborne, and consisted, as 

 with its handsome purple flowers. White tells us, of a " tract of land of 

 Other and more interesting plants may about seven miles in length by two 

 also be seen on some of our Hampshire and a half in breadth, covered with 

 Hangers. Gilbert White noticed what heath and fern, somewhat diversified 

 he calls Serapias latifolia or helleborine with hills and dales, without having 

 growing in the High Wood at Selborne, one standing tree in the whole extent." 

 under the shady beeches. This tall Since then, the forest has been par- 

 orchid (Epipactis latifolia), with long tially enclosed, and planted with larch- 

 leafy racemes of dull green or purplish trees and Scotch firs ; and Woolmer 

 flowers, still flourishes in its old Pond, which he speaks of as " a vast 

 locality ; and with it a rare variety, lake for that part of the world," is 

 or sub-species, with tufted stems and considerably diminished in size, yet 

 flowers of a violet-purple hue, which, now as then it is the resort in winter- 

 although not recognized by our great time of " vast flocks of ducks, teals, and 

 naturalist, is the most interesting plant widgeons of various denominations " ; 

 in the flora of Selborne. In company and in summer the wild flowers noticed 

 with this scarce plant (Epipactis pur- by White still flourish in their ancient 

 purata), the strange, sickly-looking haunts. He speaks specially of " the 

 monotropa or bird's nest (Monotropa bogs of Bin's Pond," a swampy stretch 

 hypopitys, L.) will be seen, perhaps, as of moorland where the snipe may be 



