94 THE MUSIC OF WILD FLOWERS 



to the number of species, but it can boast of several 

 plants of unusual interest and beauty. Indeed, one of 

 the most striking plants in the British flora loves to put 

 forth its delicate blossoms on the naked shingle. There 

 is perhaps no more beautiful wild flower than the 

 yellow horned-poppy, with its hoary foliage and large, 

 delicate petals and " long huskes or cods, crooked like 

 an home or cornet," which may be found more or less 

 along the Suffolk shore. I was struck with its abund- 

 ance in certain places. At Slaughden Quay sacred to 

 the memory of George Crabbe where a small cluster of 

 dilapidated cottages occupy the pebble beach, the plant 

 was making a brave show. Several of the fishermen's 

 houses are in ruins and, half buried in the shingle, bore 

 witness to the fury of the storms ; but on the very crest 

 of the naked ridge the flowers were blooming in profu- 

 sion. In still more lavish abundance did I find the 

 yellow horned-poppy on the wide stretch of sand and 

 shingle between Benacre Broad and the sea. At one 

 spot, some forty yards or more in length, there was a 

 thick jungle of this beautiful plant, while close by were 

 several fine patches of the pale purple sea-rocket in 

 full flower on the bare stones. 



Another choice species of shingle vegetation is the 

 rare and handsome sea-pea (L. maritimus, Big.). It 

 is a local plant, to be found only in a few counties of 

 Great Britain, where its chief habitat is the Chesil 

 Beach, in Dorset, and on the shingle of the Suffolk 

 coast. The fact of its flourishing on the barren " beach, 

 where nether grew grasse, nor any earth was ever seen," 

 excited much curiosity in early days and when, at a 

 time of grievous dearth in the reign of Queen Mary, a 

 great quantity of this " peason was discovered by the 



