62 FAMILIAR WILD FLOWERS. 



them out in the autumn or spring- season where they are 

 to grow. It appears to be a plant that very readily 

 spreads; we have seen large masses of the cliffs in the 

 Isle of Wight crimsoned over with it in spots where no 

 human hand ever would or could plant it, and it may also 

 be found growing- on old walls in various parts of the 

 country. 



It will be observed that the older writers we quote do 

 not disprove the idea that even then it was naturalising 

 itself amongst us. Gerarde speaks of the plant as a 

 beautiful addition to his garden ; but his garden was a 

 botanical one, and included both wild and cultivated species, 

 and nothing is more likely than that he would, if he saw such 

 a plant growing on some old wall, at once gladly transport it 

 to his garden. All lovers of nature are very much alike 

 iu sympathy after all, and as we remember the delight 

 with which we transported a great milk-thistle from its 

 home on the hedge-bank to our own ground, we fancy we 

 entirely understand the feeling with which our quaint 

 old Elizabethan worthy would sally forth and bring home 

 his floral prizes. Our readers will also note Parkinson's 

 word " chiefly " and Edwards, in his " Flora Britannica " 

 (or " Botanic Garden/' to give the alternative title) , 

 gives hints on the cultivation of many rare exotics and 

 foreigners, such as the Indian sacred bean, of familiar 

 garden flowers like the lilac, and such undoubted natives 

 as the oxlip, globe flower, green hellebore, yellow horned 

 poppy, and flowering rush. Another illustration of the 

 wide diffusion and complete naturalisation of the red 

 valerian is found in the fact that it has a Welsh name, 

 Triaglofi cock. A plant that is so far known as to have 

 a local name in tbe land of the Cymri has travelled far 



