132 MILKWORT. 



Description. — The root is perennial, somewhat ligneous, 

 branched, creeping, fibrous. The stems are ascending, some- 

 times procumbent, simple, cylindrical, and from four to 

 eight inches in length. The leaves are glabrous, scattered, 

 sessile, linear-lanceolate, sub-acute, very entire ; the lowermost 

 shorter and broader than the rest. The flowers are produced 

 in a terminal raceme ; they are usually blue, sometimes purple, 

 rose-coloured, or white, with three deciduous bracteae at the 

 base of each pedicel. The calyx consists of five sepals, three 

 of them smaller, of which two are connected, and the two inner 

 petaloid, coloured, large, ovate-elliptical, marked with green lines, 

 persistent, ultimately yellowish green, and serving as a defence to 

 the fruit. The corolla is composed of three petals, united by 

 their claws with the filaments, the lower one or keel bifid, beau- 

 tifully crested. The stamens are diadelphous, the filaments con- 

 nate below into a tube, then separating into two bundles, each 

 with four anthers, which are innate, one-celled, and open by a 

 pore at the summit*. The germen is free, two-celled, with a 

 simple incurved style, and a two-lobed stigma. The fruit is a 

 compressed, cordate, drooping capsule, slightly emarginate at the 

 top, two-celled, two-valved, enveloped by the persistent calycine 

 wings. Seed solitary, pendulous in each cell. Plate 33, fig. 1, 

 (a) entire flower ; (b) corolla ; (c) lower petal or keel united with 

 the filaments and terminated by a crest; (d) capsule; (e) the 

 same opened to show the seeds. 



This elegant species of Milkwort grows on the borders of 

 woods, and on dry hilly pastures, especially in a chalky or 

 gravelly soil. It flowers in June and July. 



The generic name is derived from ttoXv, much, and yocXa, milk, 

 in allusion to the property assigned to the plant of increasing 

 the milk of animals. The woXvyaXov of Dioscorides is supposed 

 to refer to this plant. Dodonaeus calls itjlos ambarvalis, " be- 

 cause," says Gerard, " it doth especially floure in the Crosse or 

 Gang wecke, or Rogation weeke ; of which floures the maidens 

 which vse in the countries to walke the Procession, do make 

 themselves garlands and nosegaies : in English wee may call it 

 Crosse-floure, or Procession-floure, Gang-floure, Rogation- 

 floure, and Milkwort." 



* The stamens are sometimes ten. 



