118 
LETTERS FROM 
but it is so difficult to do justice to this 
beautiful fem by representing a single branch, 
however correctly it may be sketched and 
coloured, that I have thrown aside my draw¬ 
ing in disgust. To have an idea of its 
elegant growth it must be seen on its native 
rocks. At the point at Fort Tigne there 
grows a henbane, which differs from the 
English species in not having the beautiful 
pencilling on the flowers; the scent also is 
not quite so offensive. On the asphodelus 
and on the squill we sometimes find a 
species of dodder, (cuscuta -) a 
parasitical plant, which appears like an as¬ 
semblage of red tendrils sticking fast to the 
leaves, and deriving its nourishment from 
them. A small species of valerian, the blue 
pimpernel, (anagallis cerulea ,) the clypeola 
maritima , the siletie gallica , and a marigold 
no larger than a daisy, are common in every 
