December JO, THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 195 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
M W 
DKCEMBEIl IG—22, 1852. 
j Weather near London 
N1851. 1 
Sun 
Sun 
Moon 
Moon’s 
Clock 
Day of 
D i D 
Barometer. 
Thermo. 
Wind. 
Rain in In. 
Rises. 
Sets. 
K, & S. 
Age. 
aft. Sun. 
Year. 
16 Th 
Cambridge Term ends. 
30.365 —30.336 
43—39 
s.w. 
__ ! 
3 a. 8 
49 a. 3 
9 56 
5 
.3 
54 
351 
17 F 
Oxford Term ends. 
30.301 —30.232 
44—33 
s. 
— 1 
4 
49 
11 8 
() 
3 
2t) 
352 
la s 
Kriogaater Populi found. 
30. 185—30.136 
45—34 
S. 
— 
5 
50 
morn. 
3 
2 
55 
353 
19 Sun 
4 Sunday in Advent. 
30.118 — 29.995 
52—43 
s. 
01 
5 
50 
0 16 
8 
2 
25 
354 
20 Af 
Sun*s declination 23® 27's 
30.087 —29.963 
5.3—46 
s.w. 
02 
6 
50 
1 23 
9 
1 
55 
355 
21 Tu 
St. Thomas. 
29.760 — 29.564 
49-38 
s. 
15 
6 
51 
2 30 
10 
25 
356 
22 W 
Black Duck comes. 
29.832— 29.543 
46—35 
E. 
31 
7 
51 
3 37 
11 
0 
53 
357 
Meteorology of the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-five years, the average highest and lowest tempera¬ 
tures of these days are 45.2° and 35.2° respectively. The greatest heat, 58°, occurred on the l6th in 1849 ; and the lowest cold, 14 °, on the l6th 
in 1848, During the period 92 days were fine, and on 8.8 rain fell. 
BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
POPPy-WOllTS.—PAPAVEEACE.E. 
(''hap.acteps or the Op.dee. — Sepnh, two, deciduotts. 
Petals below tlie ovary, either four, or some multiiile of that 
number, inserted in a cross form. Stamens below the ovary, 
either eight, or some multiple of four, generally very 
numerous, inserted in four parcels, one of which adheres 
to the ba.se of each petal; anthers two-celled, innate. 
Ovarium solitary; style short or none; slif/mata alternate 
with the placentas, two or many; in the latter case star- 
sliaped upon the fiat top of the ovarium. Fruit one-celled, 
either a long pod with two placentie attached to its sides, or 
capsular with several p]acenta3. Seeds numerous. Albumen 
between tlesh and oily. Embryo minute, straight, at the base 
of the albumen, with plano-convex cotyledons. 
papavep.. poppy. 
Geneeic Character. — Calyx below the ovary, of two egg- 
shaped, concave, blunt, equal, deciduous leaves. Pelals four, 
roundish, crumpled, spreading, large; narrowest at the base ; 
two opposite ones smallest. -S'/nmeas very numerous, filaments 
hair-shaped, much shorterthan the corolla. Anthers terminal, 
erect, somewhat stalked, oblong, blunt, compressed. Ger- 
meu roundish or oblong, large. Style none. Sligma round- 
shield - like, radiated, downy, permanent. Capsule egg- 
shaped or oblong-reversed egg-shaped, leathery, large, of 
one cell, incompletely separated into a greater or less 
number of marginal cells, answering to the number of rays 
in the stigma, between which the capsule bursts by as many 
valvular openings, under the stigma, which is more or less 
elevated by the incomplete partitions. Seeds kidney-shaped, 
numerous, minute, dotted, attached to the partitions. 
Section 1. —Poppies with bristly capsules. 
Papaver aegemone ; Long-prickly-headed Poppy; Wind- 
rose ; Long-headed bastard Wild Poppy. 
Desci'ipiion. —It is an annual. Leaves, pinnate, and the 
pinnrei opposite to each other, and deeply pinnatifid, the j 
end pinna l)eing three-cleft; upper side nearly smooth, ] 
nerves beneath, and tlie leaf-stalks rough with spreading ! 
hairs. leafy, about a foot high; this and the flower- j 
stalk clothed with hairs pointing upwards. Calyx hairy, j 
Petals wedge-shaped, narrow, often jagged, pale coppery- | 
scarlet, with a black spot at the base, a little distant from 
each other, and falling in a few hours after opening. Germen 
reversed-cone-sbaped, with a stigma from four to six rayed. 
The germen becomes a capsule having as many cells as 
the stigma has rays. The capsule is purplish, ribbed, and 
covered, but most thickly at its upper part, with white 
bristles, which point upwards. Stamens about twenty, with 
purple filaments ; tlie anthers suspended by a fine thread 
from the top of the filaments; jmllen bluish. Seeds 
blackish. 
It is sometimes found with double flowers, but Papaver 
maritimum of Withering is only a stan ed specimen of this 
species. 
Places where found. — Corn-fields, especially where the 
soil is sandy or gravelly. 
Time of Jluweriny. —June and July. 
History. —This plant is found not only in all parts of 
Europe but in the Levant; but though so common is fre- . 
queutly unnoticed, owing to the speedy di’oppiug off of its I 
petals. Aryemone is the old Greek name for this plant, and 
so called because its juice was found to allay the inflam¬ 
mation of the eyes, known by the name of Aryema. The 
i bruised plant was also recommended to be put upon the 
I black or blue marks caused by any violent blow. 
I’ap.aver HYBRiDUjr: Bound prickly-headed Poppy. Bas¬ 
tard Wild Poppy. I 
Description .—It is an annual. Root small and tapering. ! 
Leaves doubly pinnatifid, the segments being numerous, | 
narrow, nearly equal, slightly bending back, and each ! 
tipped with a bristle ; the irinna at the end of the leaf three- j 
' cleft; upper side nearly smooth, but the nerves beneath 
covered with bristles pointing upwards. Stem from twelve : 
to eighteen inches high, this, as well as the branches and i 
footstalks, which are channeled, covered with similar 
bristles. Calyx oval, and slightly hairy. Petals small, ‘ 
dingy-scarlet, often violet at the base. Stamens with purple 
filaments, and blight blue anthers. Sliyma from five to : 
eight rayed, and rather raised above the capsule. Capsule 
furrowed lengthwise, and thickly clothed with tawny bristles, 
pointing upwards. 
Places where found. —In sandy and chaUiy fields; rare. 
Time of flowering. —July. 
History. —Never was a specific name more misleading 
than hyhridum applied to this Poppy, for it is a true and 
permanent species. Gerarde says, speaking of both the 
, species—“ These plants do grow in the corn-fields in 
■ Somersetshire, and by the hedges and highways as ye travel 
from London to Bath. Lobel found it growing in the next 
field unto a village in Kent, called Soutlitleet, myself being 
in his company, of purpose to discover some strange plants 
not hitherto written of.” Its medicinal powers w'ere con- 
I sidered by the old herbalists to be the same as those of the 
I preceding. (Lindley. Smith. Martyn. Gerarde.) 
No. CCXX., VoL. IX. 
