CRUCIFER®. 159 
In wet meadows and on wet rocks and mountains. Very 
common throughout the whole of Britain. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Spring. 
Rootstock short and rather thick, densely clothed with root 
fibres, sometimes stoloniferous, sending up from the apex an 
erect slightly zigzag stem from 1 to 2 feet high; sometimes the 
stem branches into several near the root, and in that case the 
lateral ones are curved at the base before ascending. Leaves 
produced in radical tufts or rosettes, and these leaves have the 
leaflets usually shortly stalked, roundish, entire, or angulated ; 
leaflets + to # inch long, those of the stem leaves much 
narrower than those of the root leaves, frequently even strap-shaped 
or linear, and generally entire, but sometimes they are obovate 
and the terminal ones wedge-shaped aad toothed, when the plant is 
C. dentata of Schultz. Flowers 4 to 3 inch across, corymbose or 
shortly racemose. Sepals oblong, tinged with purple, slightly 
spreading. Limb of the petals roundish, spreading, lilac or 
white. Anthers yellow. Fruit pedicels + to { inch long. Pod 
cylindrical, 1 to 13 inch long, not beaded, terminated by the very 
short thick style with a conspicuous stigma. Whole plant bright 
green, shining, smooth, or slightly hairy, especially towards the base 
of the stem and leaf stalks and on the edges of the leaves, which, 
however, can scarcely be called ciliated. 
In damp seasons the stem frequently bears small bulbs at the 
base and buds on the leaves, which propagate the plant. The 
flowers are sometimes double, or rather the petals surround small 
flower buds instead of stamens and pistils, which are reduced to a 
rudimentary state. 
Meadow Ladies’ Smock, Cuckoo Flower, May Flower. 
French, Cardamine des Prés. German, Das Gemeine Schawmkraut. 
The familiar names of this pretty plant explain themselves. Covering the fields 
with their white blossoms, they have almost the appearance of linen bleaching, and 
are thus likened to the garments of “our Lady” whitening in the summer sun. 
Shakespeare chronicles the time— 
“ When maidens bleach their summer smocks,” 
Of its early appearance with the cuckoo as the harbinger of bright days and cloudless 
skies, we are appropriately reminded in calling it Cuckoo Flower. Shakespeare’s 
“ euckoo-buds’ were yellow, and doubtless meant the Marsh Mari- 
gold; but he writes— 
“ When daisies pied, and violets blue, 
And Lady-smocks all silver white, 
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue, 
Do paint the meadows with delight.” 
? ’ 
or “ cuckoo-birds’ 
According to Ray and other old writers, the flowers of the Cardamine pratensis possess 
