42 WILD FLOWERS IN DECEMBER. 



little white Field Pansy was found several times, and the scented 

 Violet was abundantly in flower in gardens. Another flower 

 searched for in vain was the Common Nettle, and yet, 

 curiously enongh, the Small Nettle was blossoming profusely 

 everywhere at the Vale. The most interesting find of all, 

 from a botanical point of view, was that very rare Scilly 

 plant, the Yellow Bird's Foot ( Ornithopus ebracteatus). It 

 was growing luxuriantly on a hedge in the lane behind the 

 Vale School, and bore an abundance of flowers and fruit. 

 The Primrose was found in a good many places during the 

 month, and was also seen in November. 



Out of the 187 plants enumerated there is only one truly 

 winter flower, the Scented Butterbur, which comes into flower 

 in November and lasts until February. Its delicious fragrance 

 has earned for it the prettier name of Wild Heliotrope, and it 

 is much in request for winter bouquets. 



An analysis of the colours of our December flowers shows 

 them to be divided as follows : — 



White 31 Pink 23 



Yellow 38 Purple 20 



Blue 15 Greenish 57 



Red 3 



These figures refer, of course, to species ; but as regards 

 individual flowers it will be found that, taking the country as 

 a whole, yellow ones are the most numerous during the winter, 

 and after that white. 



Ranunculus flammula. Lesser Spearwort. 



repens. Creeping Crowfoot. 



bulbosus. Meadow Buttercup. 



Ficaria. Pilewort. 



Papaver rhoeas. Corn Poppy. 



Fumaria confusa. Fumitory. 



Cardamine hirsuta. Common Bittercrese. 



flexuosa. Wavy Bittercress. 



Alyssum maritimum. Seaside Alyssum. 



Cochleare a danica. Scurvy Grass. 



Sisymbrium thalianum. Thale Cress. 



officinale. Hedge Mustard. 



Sinapis arvensis. Charlock. 



incana. Hoary Mustard. 



Diplotaxis tenuifolia. Wall Rocket. 



Capsella bursa-pastoris. Shepherd's Purse. 



Senebiera didyma. Wart Cress. 



Raphanus maritimus. Sea Radish. 



Reseda luteola. Dyers' Weed. 



Viola arvensis. White Field Pansy. 



