THE BELL-FLOWER FAMILY 
3 
and angular, with an acrid, milky juice ; the lower half leafy, the leaves being narrowly oblong, 
slightly toothed, and stalkless (sessile), smaller and far apart as they near the flower-spike, 
larger, more stalked, and nearer together lower down, and clustering into almost a rosette at 
the root. 
Very rare. On bushy heaths near Axminster in Dorsetshire, and in Cornwall. August — 
September. Perennial. 
II. SHEEP’S-BIT. (JASIO'NE. Linn.) — Flowers small, blue or lilac, stalkless, crowded 
together into dense round terminal heads, surrounded by several sepal-like bracts (the involucre). 
Calyx-tube separating into 5 narrow teeth, remaining with the fruit (persistent) ; corolla divided 
almost to the base into 5 slender spreading lobes, inserted at the top of the calyx-tube ; 
stamens 5, with the anthers united at the base into a ring round the style, inserted at the base 
of the corolla; carpels 2, united into a roundish seedcase, and a long slender style, surmounted 
with a club-shaped stigma. Fruit a roundish capsule, 2-celled, many-seeded, opening at the 
apex by 2 very short broad teeth. Herbs with the root-leaves often in rosettes. The flower- 
heads resemble the Daisy, or more especially the Scabious family, but are at once distinguished 
from either by the 2-celled many-seeded capsules. 
Sheep’s-bit, Sheep’s Scabious. (Jaslo'ne montana. Linn.)— The only British species. 
As just described. The flower-heads are |-i inch across, lilac-blue ; the numerous stems are 
from a few inches to over 1 foot high, simple or slightly branched, the side stems usually 
procumbent ; the leaves of the root (radical) are in a rosette, lance-shaped, almost tapering into a 
stalk, wavy, and clothed with short white hairs ; those of the stem are narrower and stalkless 
(sessile). The whole plant is remarkably like a starved Scabious, but is easily distinguished by its 
united anthers and many-seeded little capsules. [ Plate 2. 
Common in sandy districts, sand dunes, dry heaths, and waysides ; in England, south and centre 
of Scotland, and in Ireland. June — September. Biennial or annual. 
III. WAHLENBERG'IA. Schrad. — A genus resembling Campanula in all save the capsule 
which opens by 3 teeth at the apex. Calyx-tube short and broad with 5 slender teeth, re- 
maining with the fruit (persistent) ; corolla bell-shaped, with 5 lobes, inserted on the top of the 
calyx-tube ; stamens 5, with the anthers free, inserted at the base of the corolla ; carpels 3. 
Capsule roundish, 3-celled, many-seeded, opening at the top by 3 teeth. Herbs with usually 
alternate leaves. 
Ivy-leaved Bell-flower. (Wahlenberg'ia hederacea. Reichb.)— The only British 
species. As just described. A remarkably beautiful, fragile little plant, with solitary pale lilac-blue 
flowers, f inch long, on long slender hair-like stalks, drooping in bud and becoming erect in 
flower ; the creeping stems and brittle, interlacing, thread-like branches vary from a few inches to 
1 or 2 feet long : when growing with any undergrowth of long grass or bracken the delicate 
stems lift themselves up with the aid of the surrounding vegetation and often attain to 18 inches 
in height ; at other times they trail over damp rocks to a considerable length, festooning them with 
their fresh green foliage. The leaves are very smooth, roundish, or heart-shaped, with a few 
shallow pointed lobes. The whole plant is fragile in the extreme and of a bright tender green. 
(< Campanula hederacea. Linn.) \Plate 2. 
Local. On damp heaths, bogs, and wet places ; common in the south-west of England, but rare 
elsewhere ; rare in Scotland ; and common in the south-east of Ireland. July — September. 
Perennial. 
b 2 
