128 Hillside. 



departed for this season at least, and brilliant summer in all 

 her radiant and gorgeous robes is here. 



A few yards farther on we come to the corner of the 

 wood, and a large hop-garden meets our view. Here, at the 

 corner, is a plant full of the withering staminate flowers. A 

 sharp tap on one of the poles with a stick scatters the pollen 

 in every direction, but there is very little left now, compared 

 with the clouds that would have been dislodged a week or 

 two ago. The catkins on the female plants show that 

 development is proceeding rapidly beyond the early stage. 



We turn to the right sharply, and soon come upon another 

 small chalk pit. This is less exposed than the last to the 

 fierce midday sun, and in it immense umbelliferous plants 

 have made their home. So large are they that our almost 

 six feet of height disappears from view as we plunge among 

 these gigantic herbs. The large finely-cut leaves, the 

 peculiar shape of the flowers, and the striking mode of 

 inflorescence, make the members of this natural order easily 

 recognisable. The inflorescence is very characteristic. A 

 number of short but equal stalks are given off from a 

 common point ; at the end of each of these a single, small, 

 inconspicuous flower is produced, and, since the stalks are 

 all of equal length, the flowers are all on the same general 

 level, and produce that form of inflorescence known as an 

 umbel. Frequently these primary stalks themselves pro- 

 duce an umbel instead of a flower, only the terminal umbels 

 bearing flowers ; this is called a compound umbel. Some of 

 these tall plants are what is known as cow-parsnip, or as 

 it is called by the learned, Heracleum sphondylium ; but 

 running along the side of the pit are plants of the common 

 hedge parsley, one still in flower, late as it is. 



