170 



THE NATURE BOOK 



The Stinking Iris (/. /a'tidissi)na), which 

 is found in the hedges, is a smaller plant, 

 and bears violet blue flowers ; on being 

 bruised it emits a somewhat disagreeable 

 smell, though it is said by some to re- 

 semble the odour of roast beef. 



is so handsome as M. palustns. One of 

 the legends concerning the name is as 

 follows : A knight and his lady-love were 

 strolling along the banks of a stream, 

 where the ]:)lant was bright with its 

 turquoise blue flowers. When the lady 



FORGET-ME-NOT. 



FORGET-ME-NOT 



The Forget-me-not {Myosotis paliistris) 

 will not call for much introduction, for 

 its garden descendants are well known, 

 and it is a general favourite. The common 

 form is found growing in moist meadows 

 and ditches and other like localities, and 

 flowers abundantly during the whole 

 summer. 



The stems are rather weak, usually 

 from twelve to eighteen inches high, 

 bearing a long raceme of flowers of a clear, 

 bright blue colour, with yellow eyes. 

 The leaves are to be found with or without 

 hairs, the latter form giving the name. 

 i^Iyosotis, from two Greek words meaning 

 Mouse's ear. All the petals are joined 

 together, forming the corolla, which varies 

 very much in size according to the situ- 

 ation and the variety. Several kinds of 

 Forget-me-not are to be found growing 

 away from the water, but none of these 



expressed her wish for some, the knight 

 rushed into the stream and plucked them, 

 but was carried away by the eddy after 

 casting the blossoms at her feet, ex- 

 claiming " Forget me not." 



MEADOW SWEET 



The tall stems of the Meadow Sweet 

 (Spircra Ulniaria), crowned by the creamy, 

 foam-like heads of flowers, are striking 

 objects growing in damp meadows and 

 on the banks of ponds and ditches. 

 This plant belongs to the Rose family ; 

 the stem is usually of a reddish colour, 

 about three feet high ; the leaves are 

 pinnate, the terminal leaflet being 

 divided into three others, all of them 

 green above and somewhat whitish and 

 soft with down underneath. The small 

 flowers are very numerous and strongly 

 scented, the odour resembling that of 

 almonds. This scent acts in the place of 



