60 



and compressed, jointed branchlets, not unlike a small "Stag's 

 Horn" Fern, bearing dense, alternate clusters of green-white 

 flowers at the joints. Its stems, three or four semi-trailing 

 feet cover ground enough to give the idea of being several 

 plants, this appearance being caused by the dense stems. It 

 is only in gardens except where, as in one case in Devonshire, 

 thrown out with garden rubbish. 



Mercurialis Annua. Ivinn. (mercury.) A plant with erect 

 smooth stem, six inches to one foot high, sparingly branched. 

 Leaves opposite, soft, two inches long, oval and lance-shaped, 

 sharp, serrate. Flower-stalks slender ' at leaf joints. Stem 

 terminating in an interrupted spike. Female plant has no 

 spike, onl}' leaf axil and flowers, green. Very common every- 

 where. Annual. June to December. 



Natural Order, Urticaceae. 



Urtica Dioica. Linn. (common nettle.) A plant with 

 erect stem two to three feet high, all parts bristling with sting- 

 ing hairs, slightly branched, four angled. Leaves heart-shaped, 

 coarsely serrate, with acute point, entire. Flower-stalks 

 branched, springing from leaf angle. Flowers small, green. 

 Perennial. Early Spring. An infallible remedy for the stings 

 inflicted by this plant is to rub dock leaves on the affected 

 parts. 



Urtica Urens. Linn. (small stinging nettle.) A plant 

 with erect stem, one to one and a half feet high. All parts 

 armed with irritating stings. Leaves, broadly oval, rounded, 

 sharply serrate. Flower-heads in dense clusters, shorter than 

 the leaves, from the angles of which they spring. Flowers, 

 minute green. Annual. December to March. 



Urtica Purpurascens. Mitt, (notch-leaved nettle. ) Almost 

 a counterpart of the above, but distinguishable by the bold 

 notches or saw teeth of the leaves. Annual. Spring and 

 Summer. 



Boehmeria Cylindrica. Willd. (false nettle.) Scarcely dis- 

 tinguishable from Urtica dioica, which it closely resembles in 

 growth and flower, but is without stinging properties. It is 



