PLANT ALIENS 151 



In France the writer has seen a whole a quaint, fleshy-looking little plant, 



field given over to the mercies of this with its stalk stopped by a circular 



weed. Several other casuals owe their leaf, slightly beaked, above which is 



introduction, or at least preservation, the peduncle carrying minute white 



to the needs of the pharmacopoeia ; flowers. A century ago the claytonia 



the marsh mallow is an example, was unknown in England, now it is 



Reverting for a moment to the rubbish recorded from a host of places. It 



heap, we notice that these ruderal soon establishes itself, and drapes many 



plants are very delicate and very a hedgebank with a glossy mantle, 



exacting in their requirements. They On our ramble we shall certainly see, 



constantly need a fresh habitat. Un- bordering many cottage gardens, the 



less the dust mound be occasionally American snowberry and the ^ alien 



turned over, or a new one started, the " tea-plant," in a semi-wild state, 

 ripened seeds are vanquished by the Our list includes not a moiety, yea, 



rivalry of our native denizens of waste not a tithe of the alien groups, if we 



places. add those herbs and vegetables which 



By the garden bank is a wide carpet are deserters from the garden. As a 



of the large heart-shaped leaves of the set-off, we might enumerate certain 



winter heliotrope, or sweet-scented plants which the botanist affirms were 



butterbur, a continental species, original y wild and free, but which have 



Strangely enough, few people know now crept down for protection to the 



this common plant ; if noticed at all, cultivated areas. The lily of the valley 



it is passed over as coltsfoot on account and the edible strawberry may serve 



of its leaves. The fact is, the fragrant as examples. Balancing gain and loss, 



panicles of lilac blossoms appear in too, it is but just to remember that 



mid-winter, and the careless observer we have carried our chickweed, our 



misses these at the time. In situations shepherd's purse, thistle, dock and 



similar to that of the butterbur one watercress to distant colonies, where, 



frequently finds the lowly claytonia, in turn, they are undesirable aliens. 



