262 



The Flora of Wiltshire. 



6. G. verum, (Linn.) true or yellow Bed-straw, Lady's Bed-straw. 

 The common name Bed-straw given to all the species is from the 

 verb strew, anciently written straw. Before the invention of 

 feather-beds, a variety of herbs were used to strew beds with ; 

 among these doubtless this was one. Engl. Bot. t. 660. 



Locality. Dry pastures, bushy places, and borders of fields. P. 

 Fl. July, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In all the Districts, common. 

 Flowers very numerous, in dense tufted panicles. Segments of the 

 corolla greatly expanded. Fruit small, round, blackish. Readily 

 distinguished by its yellow flowers and linear deflexed leaves. 



7. G. saxatile, (Linn.) Rock or smooth heath Bed-straw. Engl. 

 Bot. t. 815. 



Locality. Heaths, downs, and dry open places, in woods. P. 

 FL July, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Generally distributed 

 throughout Wilts. Flowers milk-white, in smooth, forked terminal 

 and lateral panicles. Fruit small, studded all over with minute, 

 prominent granulations, by which alone it may be known from 

 any other British Galium except the tricorne. Plant usually small, 

 but when growing in swampy places among grass, and rushes, then 

 almost a foot high, and sometimes mistaken for G. uliginosum. 

 Turns nearly black in drying. 



8. G. uliginosum, (Linn.) Marsh-Bed-straw, from uligo, ooziness. 

 Engl. Bot. t. 1972. 



Locality. Wet meadows, sides of ditches, and boggy places, rare. 

 P. Fl. July, August. Area, * * * 4. * 



North Division. 



4. North-west District, In a field near the "Horse and Jockey, ,, 

 Kingsdown ; and near South Wraxhall. This is the only locality, 

 where I have myself observed this species. The other stations 

 reported to me must all be referred to G. palustre, which has been 

 confused by many of my correspondents, with the present plant. G. 

 uliginosum, is at once distinguished from the next, by the narroio 

 leaves, shortly accuminated at their points into a mucro. It does 

 not turn black in drying. I should be obliged for any trust- 

 worthy information respecting the distribution of this species in 

 Wilts. 



