Wild iFlowers as They Grow 



by stimulation is shown by the fact that if they 

 touch nothing they remain uncoiled. This method 

 of climbing is a Uttle unusual. Some of its trailing 

 stems are to be found several yards long. 



Then the flowers appear, thickly covering the 

 plant and making the hedgerows all white atop. 

 Often the plant forms veritable bowers, and so it has 

 been called " Lady's Bower " (originally, no doubt 

 "Our Lady's Bower"), and "Virgin's Bower," 

 but this, we are specially told by an old writer, had 

 no reference, like the former name, to the Virgin, 

 ' but was given out of compliment to the virgin Queen 

 Elizabeth. There is, however, a legend that the 

 Virgin Mary rested under a Clematis bower during 

 her flight into Eg5^t, and thus sanctified it. And 

 since in harvest time it is at the zenith of its flowering 

 " Snow in Harvest " is a well-known country name. 

 In the mass the flowers are charming ; individually, 

 we find their charm lies essentially in their multitude 

 of silvery stamens tinged with faint green, standing 

 out rosette-Uke. There are no petals whatever, but 



156 



