SEA-SIDE PLANTS. 83 



because of the multitude of their blossoms ; just as 

 the Persians call the lilac from lilag, their word for 

 " a flower ;" while the people of the East often use 

 the same word for "a flower" and for "a rose," 

 that being with them, as with us, on account of 

 its beauty, the flower of flowers. 



We have several species of knapweed in our 

 lanes and fields, far away from the sea ; and the 

 brown radiant knapweed, and the black knapweed, 

 with their bright lilac florets surrounding a dark 

 rough knob-like flower-cup, sometimes make the 

 beach and other waysides gay. The Common Star 

 Thistle ( Gentaurea calcitrapa) is one of those flowers 

 which are more frequent on the shore of the south 

 of England than on any other spot. It may be 

 known by the long thick prickles, or rather thorns, 

 which beset its round green cup. It is the caltrops 

 of Virgil, and its name was given because its calyx 

 resembles the ancient instrument of warfare, con- 

 sisting of an iron ball armed with spikes. Its first 

 appearance is like that of a thistle, but it has not 

 prickly leaves, which thistles have. The country 

 people call all these knapweeds " iron- weeds." 

 Clare describes their haunts 



" And iron-weed, content to share 

 The meanest spot that Spring can spare ; 

 Even roads, where danger hourly comes, 

 Are not without its purple blooms." 



None of our true thistles are maritime plants, 

 though several of them raise their rich purple 

 blossoms near the shore, or in any other wayside 

 or chalky soil. The slender-flowered thistle ( Gar- 

 duus tenuijlorus) flowers in July, especially on the 

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