58 A LANE IN THE COTSWOLDS 



becomes almost unbreakable and the ship rides out 

 the stiffest gale.^ 



Two other types of climbing plants are common 

 in our lane, which have neither the grasping leaf- 

 stalks of clematis nor the delicate tendrils of white 

 bryony. Black bryony is a twining plant, and 

 can travel spirally up the hazel stems, just as 

 a hop ascends its pole. But here in our lane there 

 is but little to climb up, and its livid pink stems, 

 often twisted with one or more brother-strands, lie 

 along the hedge or sway in the air like discontented 

 snakes. Just now they hardly show any leaves, 

 but later in the spring they will have finely poHshed 

 ones, and later still bunches of red berries, which do 

 not seem to be popular with birds, and hang on their 

 branches till winter comes. Another type of 

 climber which shows itself early is the goose-grass. ^ 

 This is a humble personage, probably looked down 

 on by the superior climbers above described, as 

 able neither to swarm spirally nor to ascend by the 

 aid of tendrils or other gripping apparatus. The 

 goose-grass depends on the possession of delicate 

 little hooks covering stem and leaves. These can 

 be perceived by stroking the plant from the base 

 upwards, but not in the other direction. The 

 hooks being directed downwards do not hinder 

 the upward push of the growing plant, but they 

 prevent it from slipping downwards. If one 

 disentangles a goose-grass from its position it will 

 fall weakly over and lie along the ground. In its 



^ C. Darwin. Climbing Plants. 

 ■ Galium aparine. 



