THE MEADOW FLOWERS 



28^ 



corolla being deep yellow; the scent The Bladder Canii)i()n will be f(»un(l 

 is very delicate ; the flowers are borne on growing in meadows and on roadside 

 short stalks, all starting from the same wastes and also at the edges of corn- 

 point on the summit of the main flower- fields ; it is a near relation to the 

 stem. We very frequently may find White Campion or Bachelor's Buttons 

 varieties of the Primrose 



which have several flowers 



on the same stem ; the 

 Oxlip and Pohanthus are 

 examples, but in both of 

 these the flowers are \-ery 

 much larger than those 

 of the Cowslip. In the 

 eastern counties the com- 

 mon name for the plant 

 is Paigle ; the word is 

 spelt in many different 

 ways, and its deriv^ation 

 and meaning are quite 

 obscure. Another name 

 for it is Herb Peter, from 

 the resemblance of the 

 head of flowers to a bunch 

 of keys, the badge of St. 

 Peter. In olden times it 

 was used as a cure for 

 paralysis, and was named 

 Palsy-wort {Herba paraly- 

 seos). Cowslip wine is still 

 made, the large secretion 

 of honey in the tube of 

 the corolla imparting a 

 very sweet taste to the 

 decoction. 



BLADDER CAMPION 



The Bladder Campion 

 (Silene cucuhalus) is fre- 

 quently to be found 

 throughout the summer. 

 but it cannot be called 

 a very common plant. It owes its name 

 to its peculiar, inflated calyx, which is 

 more than half an inch long and lined 

 with many veins ; after flowering the 

 bladder grows more globular in shape. 

 The petals are five in number, each one 

 being somewhat deeply cleft, and having 

 a small scale at the base, as is common to 

 the members of the Pink family {Caryo- 

 phyllacecc). If several of the flowers be 

 examined it will be found that these are 

 of three kinds, some where only the ten 

 stamens are perfect, some where the 

 pistils only are perfect, and others which 

 have both sets of organs complete. 



BLADDKK CAMPION. 



{Lychnis alba), to the Red Lychnis (Lych- 

 nis diiirna), and to the Ragged Robin 

 {Lychnis Floscnculi). 



DANDELION 



The Dandelion {Taraxacum officinale) 

 blooms continuously from February till 

 well on into October. Like the Daisy, it is 

 one of the Composite family, but all the 

 small single flowers are strap-shajied : eaih 

 one bears both stamens and stigmas, the 

 fruit, when ripe, having a feathery papjius, 

 so that any slight breeze is sutVicient to 

 blow it away and so to assist in the dis- 

 persal of the seed All the leaves and flower 



