CRANE'S-BILL FAMILY. 115 



Flowers crimson, sometimes white, which, with the 

 red stamens, are very pretty and delicate in appear- 

 ance. This plant is a great ornament to our hedges 

 in early summer, with its numerous flowers, first 

 crimson, then soon fading to a pink-lilac. In early 

 spring and autumn, its bright red leaves or partially 

 red, shaded to green attract our admiration also. 



The DOVE'S-FOOT CRANE'S-BILL (G. Molle) is 

 common : small pink-lilac flowers, and very downy 

 leaves. Search for the plant in arable fields, in early 

 April, when it has sent forth its first stalks and leaves, 

 and you will see the stems, of a rosy-pink,, spread on 

 the ground, in the form and color of a Dove's-foot. 



THE MOUNTAIN (G. Pyrenaicum) is not common, but 

 frequent. A larger plant than the Dove's-foot, with 

 lilac flowers. 



THE JAGGED-LEAVED C. (G. dissectum) is common. 

 Small flowers, and larger leaves than the above, and 

 very much divided and notched. 



THE LONG-STALKED CRANE'S-BILL (G. Columbi- 

 num) is a very elegant plant, with larger lilac flowers 

 than the two common species on slender stems, (often 

 red) in pairs. Its leaves are divided into 5, and 

 deeply cut : and the carpels, when ripe, start from the 

 centre, being still united by their awns at the top : 

 forming a beautiful fairy chandelier. 



