THE NETTLE FAMILY 
147 
Not a native, local. In waste places, chiefly by the sea, about towns and villages in the east of 
England. June — August. Annual. 
3. Small Nettle. (Up'tica urens. Linn.) — A smaller species than the preceding with the 
male and female flowers intermixed on the same plant (monoecious), in short unbranched spikes, in 
pairs in the axils of the leaves ; with the stems only about 1 foot high, often less, and branched ; 
and the leaves egg-shaped (ovate) or oblong and pointed ; the whole plant, like the Roman Nettle, 
with stinging but without downy hairs, and unlike both the Great and Roman Nettles in being of 
a brighter green and of a softer texture. 
Very common. In cultivated and waste ground ; throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland. 
June — October. Annual. 
III. PELLITORY. (PARIETARIA. Linn.) — Flowers perfect and imperfect on the same plant 
(polygamous), surrounded by an involucre, in clusters in the axils of the leaves. The perfect 
flower with a perianth of 4 lobes inserted below the seedcase (inferior) ; 4 stamens, opposite 
to and inserted at the base of the perianth-lobes ; a 1 -celled carpel with a hair-like style, 
surmounted with a feathery stigma ; and a small seed-like fruit enclosed in the perianth-tube. 
The male and female flowers are similarly constructed, but in the former the pistils are imperfect 
and in the latter the stamens are imperfect ; the stamens are again, as in the Nettle (Urtica) 
genus, very curious, they are coiled up like a watch spring and opening with a jerk fling out the 
pollen in a cloud. Herbs with alternate leaves, destitute of stinging hairs. 
Common Pellitory of the Wall. (Pariet&ria ramiflora. Moench.) — As just 
described. The flowers are minute and pinkish, with an involucre of 2 or 3 deeply lobed bracts, 
in stalkless (sessile) clusters in the axils of the alternate leaves. The stems are ascending, 
6 inches to 1 foot high, branched, brittle, hairy, and red ; and the leaves are alternate, oval, entire, 
slightly pointed, tapering at the base into a short stalk. ( Parietaria officinalis. Linn. ; Parietaria 
diffusa. Koch.) [ Plate 47. 
This plant was grown in all herbal gardens ; an infusion of it was a favourite medicine. 
Fairly common. By hedges, on walls, and stony banks ; throughout England, rare in the south of 
Scotland and unknown in the north, and frequent throughout Ireland. June — October. 
Perennial. 
