THE LOOSESTRIFES 167 



herbals it was called serpentaria, since men in peril 

 of venomous creatures wore it for safety : and 

 centum-morbia, for it was held to heal one hundred 

 diseases. 



We have in Britain four members of the genus 

 the present species, the common yellow loosestrife, 

 the tufted loosestrife, and the wood loosestrife and 

 all will well repay cultivation. The first three are 

 lovers of moist situations, while the last is a little 

 plant to be found trailing in the woods and looking 

 very like a yellow pimpernel. The common yellow 

 loosestrife grows by the sides of our streams to a 

 height of some three feet, the stem terminating in a 

 noble bunch of large yellow flowers. We figure, 

 in Plate XVII., an interesting variant of this, the 

 spotted loosestrife ; the lobes of the somewhat 

 larger and more saucer-shaped corolla are edged 

 with minute glandular hairs, the sepals too are 

 narrower than in the normal form. It is found 

 more especially, and in association with the type- 

 form in the north of England and the south 

 of Scotland, though it is always a rarity. It is 

 very similar in general appearance to the common 

 form, and requires much the same treatment, though 

 we have seen it flourishing and bearing abundant 

 blossom some distance from the water's edge. 

 While the L. vulgaris does best in the open sun- 

 shine, the L. punctata may be sought in shady 

 places under trees. 



