HOW TO KNOW THE SEASIDE FLOWERS 



>^5 



heads are generally numerous, the outer 

 florets are blue or purple ; in some cases 

 these florets are not very numerous, 

 giving the flower rather a ragged and 

 scanty appearance ; the inner florets are 

 yellow. 



SEA CAMPION 



For some time this plant was supposed 

 to be but a variety of the Bladder Campion 

 {Silene inflata) ; it very closely resembles 

 it in a great many ways, but there are 

 sufficiently distinctive features that have 

 earned for it the right to be considered 

 a separate species, and it is now named 

 Silene maritima. The Sea Campion can 

 be distinguished from the Bladder 

 Campion by the leaves being very much 

 thicker, almost fleshy, as is the case with 

 so many seaside plants ; the flowers 

 are very large in comparison, being 

 about an inch in diameter, and there are 

 seldom more than three blossoms on a 



SEA ASTER 



The Sea Star wort or Aster 

 {Aster Tripolium) must be 

 sought for in salt marshes 

 and on the shores of tidal 

 rivers at the end of August 

 or in September ; it resembles 

 very closely, both in shape and 

 colour, the ordinary Michael- 

 mas Daisy of our gardens, 

 and it is readily seen to be 

 one of the Composite family. 

 It varies very much in height, 

 generally it is about eight or 

 ten inches high, but sometimes 

 one comes across a plant 

 nearly three feet in height. 

 The leaves arc somewhat thick 

 and fleshy, quite smooth round 

 the edges, and liave three 

 distinct nerves. The flower 



105 



SEA CAMPION. 



