The Snapdragon 



sight of his fellows. With all this attributed power 

 of beneficence it is, therefore, rather surprising to 

 be told by Parkinson that it " is seldome or never 

 used in Physicke by any in our dayes," and, indeed, 

 in the old herbals it is conspicuous by its absence. 



The flowers are arranged in spikes, the lowest 

 buds opening first and the blossoming proceeding 

 upwards. The calyx of each flower is quite insigni- 

 ficant in comparison with the corolla, though it 

 proves later to have far more lasting quaUties. The 

 corolla is a big round tube ending in two bold lips, 

 the upper one overarching, the lower one receding ; 

 in botanical parlance it is a " personate," or mask- 

 like corolla, but, unlike most two-lipped corollas, the 

 lips are tightly pressed together as in a shut mouth. 



Its striking form has caused the plant to be given 

 many homely names. Snapdragon is chief favourite, 

 but " Dragon's Head," " Dragon's Mouth," " Bear's 

 Mouth," " Tiger's Mouth," are all well known and 

 particularly appropriate from the trick the flower 

 has, so familiar to every child, of opening wide its 



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