Wild Flowers of Georgetown. 317 



by all, and the wild-flowers found there are so represen- 

 tative of the whole sea-board that most dwellers on the 

 coast may recognise a good proportion of their own 

 acquaintances among the flowers described. 



To begin with some small flowers that cannot fail to 

 be identified, and will serve as a clue to several others ; 

 every one must know the little flattened rows of seed 

 vessels, like tiny purses joined together, that cling to 

 one's clothes after walking in long grass, so closely 

 that even a visit to the laundress sometimes fails to dis- 

 lodge them. They are locally called sweethearts, from 

 their clinging and apparently affectionate disposition, 

 which, however, a cynic might remark — if there were any 

 cynics among the gentle race of botanists — is inspired 

 purely by motives of self-interest, as we shall presently 

 see. These sweethearts should not be confused, as 

 they sometimes are, with the spiky and aggressive seeds 

 or burs more properly called watchmen, found in 

 similar circumstances, two of which may be identified 

 later. The true sweethearts may readily be traced to 

 a small plant with leaves of three leaflets and loose 

 nodding racemes of pretty little pinkish purple flowers, 

 turning leaden blue as they fade, and producing the 

 curved, jointed pods that cling, either whole or in seg- 

 ments, to every passing body. These plants are the 

 desmodiums, which are known as honeysuckles as well 

 as sweetheart piants, though of course they have no 

 affinity with the true climbing honeysuckles. The com- 

 mon ground honeysuckle or sweetheart-bush (Des- 

 modium incamun) has pointed leaflets, conspicuously 

 ribbed on the under side, and eight joints or purses 

 in a full pod. The three or perhaps four other 



