i ui a Lave hs i a RP em | Dian = li) ea B oii HA ul In en : Hy ht i wy SG He ll x we \ 18 | = Cus ii nah ly | Pp WNC D> ay io een eeporeratns en a A \ Wee | iC bat | ! ul Ts 1¢ ih eran tinetitintiit Naan ah Nest Hint dik: a, “fi HI i WMT Hu uh) ae i} i} wii Hh ar a il ml fl t Ii " ft ' il 'S,DE ryt x | i Bll! & di. h B) i ai i is x al Ve by! ll | @ a A iy i AIN. Hh , ih Ha We dB i i Mi) fi i i i Ti Be alll) \ fl i Ne La ANN Iytt My ~S i ( le Toa i il | Hi Mh) Ve Ve 7 Aa : 1 NN i) A 7 7 | 7 DN ial ue \ WA HI i py Alki Hy iy “iy HH aL Tt ti) | i fi il ip ae sa NN XY nt Ss i! a it ei il il i l, 1 | yet, ps '€ WARD. aa io il iE io il) \( i : 4 NE i" i rr a AA os hg a | a ‘ bi = i] ul a Hii rita | Yl r oct oe : ; os ; ' co : : ; e ; ‘ i oo . : ‘ & | | ’ te ‘ are a ’ , . | ; . . : : ” y F : 4 : ; e F | Z 4 ; a i 7 2 P 2 : . s f ; 3 | # * . a - * ; 2 " ; . = A ; 3 . 4 ; ' ‘ x ‘ | F é - a ~ | . . 7 ; . : f . ‘ : : x THE FLOWERING PLANTS GRASSES, SEDGES & FERNS OF GREAT BRITAIN > ted aly ey sr Se oe Cystopteris fragilis VAR, C. angustata to — ie) | BRITTLE BLADDER FERN, Frontispiece. Pl. 297, ! Vol. IV. THE FLOWERING PLANTS GRASSES, SEDGES & FERNS OF GREAT BRITAIN if 2 Roe CEhUB MOSSES,“HORSETAILS; &e. AND THEIR ALLIES By ANNE PRATT NEW EDITION REVISED BY EDWARD STEP, F.L.S. ILLUSTRATED WITH THREE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN COLOURED PLATES FIGURING UPWARDS OF 1500 SPECIES VOR. iby. LONDON FREDERICK WARNE & CO. AND NEW YORK 1905 7 if o\\\ 1, aa (\ Shine a 7 ( Pe ‘, ‘ ‘ , : v¢ q » \ ve: “oN “Ss ok 4c Sat 1% i ta t 4 7 oa N oO c 4G ‘ : ; we: ty os . L 2 < “ o> ( > ¢, \ 4 ys ‘ Ms riivit ; pan af FEB 7 1968 (Arranged according to generic names.) Acorus calamus . Actinocarpus damasonium Adiantum capillus-veneris Agrostis alba . caning interrupta . setacea - spica-venti . ‘ vulgaris Aira alpina . 7 caespitosa canescens . caryophyllea flexuosa. precox Alisma natans plantago ranunculoides Allosorus crispus . Alopecurus agrestis alpinus bulbosus Sulvus geniculalus . pratensis Annophila arundinacea balttcea .'. Arthoxanthum odor atwm Arrhenatherum avenaceum Arum ttalicum . maculatum. Asplenium adiantum-nigrum fontanum . germanicum lanceolatum martinwm ruta-muraria septentrionale trichomanes viride : . Athyrium filizx-femina Avena fatua. : : jlavescens . - planiculmis . CONTENTS. VOR 4V,, Sweet Flag. : s H Common Star-fruit . 3 True Maiden-hair . A Marsh Bent-grass Brown Bent-grass_ . Dense-flowered Silky Bent- -grass Bristie-leaved Bent-grass. Spreading Silky Bent- eras : Fine Bent-grass - Alpine Hair-grass Tufted Hair-grass_ . 2 Grey Hair-grass . : Silvery Hair- grass. : Waved Hair-grass Early Hair-grass_. Floating Water Plantain . Great Water Plantain Lesser Water Plantain Curled Rock-brake . Slender Foxtail-grass Alpine Foxtail-grass Tuberous Foxtail-grass Orange-spiked Foxtail-grass Floating Foxtail-grass Meadow Foxtail-grass Common Sea Mat-wweed Baltic Sea-reed Sweet-scented Vernal- grass Common Oat-like grass Roman Arum . ; A : Cuckoo-pint Black Spleenwort Smooth Rock Spleenwort Alternate-leaved Spleenwort Green Lanceolate Spleenwort Sea Spleenwort : Wall-rue Spleenwort Forked Spleenwort . ‘ Common Wall Spieenwort Green Spleenwort : Lady-Fern Wild Oat Yellow Oat. Flat-stemmed. Oat Plate Fig. 239 237 310 260 259 260 259 260 259 261 261 262 262 261 262 237 237 237 284 255 2 1 WOONTOORPONW PNW COCO Hoh oe eH to CO bet woh Co bet CD bet LIBRARY NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN vi Avena pratensis pubescens strigosa Blechnum boreale . Llysmus compressus rufus « . Botrychium lunaria matricariefolium Brachypodium pinnatum sylvaticum . Briza media. minor = Bromus arvensis . asper . conumutatus diandrus erectus Maximus mollis patulus Tacemosus . : secalinus SYUATTOSUS . sterilis Butomus wmbellatus Calamagrostis epigejos . lanceolata . - stricta Carex acuta . ampullacea aquatilis arenaria atrata axillaris binervis banninghauseniana canescens . cespitosa capillaris chordorrhiza clandestina collina curta . davalliana . : depauperata - digitata dioica. divisa distans divulsa elongata ; ericetorum . é extensa Jiliformis flava . Sulva . glauca hirta . incurva intermedia . levigata CONTENTS Narrow-leaved Perennial Oat . Downy Oat. Bristle-pointed Oat . Northern Hard-Fern 3road-leaved Blysmus Narrow-leaved Blysmus . Common Moonwort . Chamomile-leaved Moonwort . Heath False Brome-grass Slender False Brome-grass Common Quaking-grass Small Quaking-grass Taper Field Brome-grass . Hairy Wood Brome-grass Tumid Field Brome-grass Upright Annual Brome-grass Upright Brome-grass Great Brome-grass Soft Brome-grass Spreading Brome-grass Smooth Brome-grass Smooth Rye Brome-grass Corn Brome-grass Barren Brome-grass . Flowering Rush . Wood Small-reed Purple-flowered Small- reed Narrow Small-reea Slender-spiked Sedge . Slender-beaked Bottle Sedge Straight-leaved Water Sedge Sea Sedge “ - - Black Sedge . ; Axillary- clustered Sedge : Green-ribbed Sedge . Boenninghausen’s “Sedge A Hoary Sedge : Tufted Bog Sedge . Dwarf Capillary Sedge Cord-rooted Sedge . Dwarf Silvery Sedge Mountain Sedge White Sedge Prickly Separate- headed Sedge Starved Wood-Sedge . Fingered Sedge Creeping Separate- -headed Sedge Bracteated Marsh Sedge . oe Sedge . . Grey Sedge. Elongated Sedge Heath Sedge Long- -bracteated Sedge Slender-leaved Sedge Yellow Sedge . Tawny Sedge : Glaucous Heath Sedge Hairy Sedge Curved Sedge e Soft Brown "Sedge Smooth-stalked Beaked Sedge ; Plate 273 274 273 308 245 245 314 277 277 268 268 272 270 Fig. 3 2 2 oO Oem PW WON eH WP NW Ww We be — FOPNNRE ONO DWDOWNH i _ ~ COm TATOO CIR DW NONON NM PFE tO OF OO Carex leporina limosa : muricata ovalis . pallescens paludosa panicea paniculata . paradoxa paucifiora . pendula pilulifera pseudocyperus . preacor pulicaris . punctata rariflora remota rigida riparia rupestris saxatilis stellulata strigosa sylvatica teretiuscula tomentosa trinervis ustulata vaginata vahlit vesicarta vulgaris vulpina — Catabrosa aquatica Ceterach officinarum Cladium mariscus Cynodon dactylon . Cynosurus cristatus echinatus Cyperus fuscus longus Cystopteris alpina. dentata var. dickieane . Fragilis ‘ montana . Dactylis glomerata Digitaria humifusa sanguinalis Eleocharis acicularis multicaulis palustris Elymus arenarius geniculatus. Hquisctum arvense hyemale limosum mackayt palustre CONTENTS Hare’s-foot Sedge . : Mud Sedge. - Greater Prickly Sedge : Oval-spiked Sedge Pale Sedge Lesser Common Sedge Pink-leaved Sedge . 5 Great Panicled Sedge Paradoxical Sedge . - Few-flowered Sedge . Great Pendulous Sedge Round-headed Sedge Cyperus-like Sedge . Vernal Sedge Flea Sedge Salt Marsh Sedge . Loose-flowered Alpine Sedge Distant-spiked Sedge . Rigid Sedge Great Common Sedge Rock Sedge Russet Sedge . Little Prickly Sedge Loose Pendulous Sedge Pendulous Wood Sedge Lesser Panicled Sedge Larger Downy-fruited Sedge Three-nerved Sedge . - Scorched Alpine Sedge . Short Brown-spiked Sedge Close-headed Alpine Sedge Short-beaked Bladder ae Common Sedge Great Sedge . : Water Whorl-grass : Common Ceterach 2 Prickly Twig-rush . . Dog’s-tooth-grass s Crested Dog’s-tail-grass . Rough Dog’s-tail-grass Brown Cyperus : - Sweet Galingale 2 Alpine Bladder-Fern Toothed Bladder-Fern Dickie’s Bladder-Fern Brittle Bladder-Fern Mountain Bladder-Fern Rough Cock’s-foot-grass . Glabrous Finger-grass Hairy Finger-grass . Least Spike-rush_ . Many-stalked Spike- rush Creeping Spike-rush Upright Sea Lyme-grass . Pendulous Sea Lyme-grass Cornfield Horsetail . Rough Horsetail . Water Horsetail . Mackay’s Rough Horsetail Marsh Horsetail Frontispiece 249 253 253 250 254 253 252 251 254 251 250 260 305 245 278 268 268 244 244 299 298 298 297 299 268 278 278 245 245 245 275 275 317 317 317 317 j= Fig. ro _ jt = OANA MOH OME TWDN RPOCONNRAPRWHONMDWMHW at RmOomowor one mS HED Deo coe e WNENH ATO Lo Vili Equisetum sylvaticum telmateia . : ; umbrosum . “ a variegatum. Eriophorum alpinum angustifoliun capitatum . gracile latifolium . vaginatum . . Festuca bromoides . elatior gigantea ovina . pratensis sylvatica unighunis . Gastridium lendigerum. : Gymnogramime leptophylla Tierochloe borealis Holcus lanatus mollis Hordeum maritimum murinum . pratense . . sylvaticum . ; Hymenophyllum tunbridg gense unilaterale . . Isoetes hystrix . . lacustris Isolepis fluitans holoscheenus Z savit . , - setacea = e Juncus acutiflorus. acutus balticus biglumis bufonius capitatus castaneus COMpressus . conglomeratus effusus Jjiliformis glaucus lanvprocar pus maritimus . nigritellus . obtusiflorus. pygineus SYUATTOSUS . tenuis. 5 trifidus ; . triglumis . . uliginosus . “ CONTENTS Wood Horsetail . : Great Horsetail ‘ : Shady Horsetail . Variegated Rough Horsetail Alpine Cotton-grass - Narrow-leaved Cotton-grass Round-headed Cotton-grass Slender Cotton-grass - Broad-leaved Cotton-grass Hair-tail Cotton-grass Barren Fescue-grass . Tall Fescue-grass Tall Bearded F escue-grass Sheep’s Fescue-grass Meadow Fescue-grass Reed Fescue-grass . Single- -glumed Fescue- grass Awned Nit-grass_. Fine-leaved Gymnogram . Northern Holy-grass Meadow Soft-grass . Creeping Soft-grass . Seaside Barley Wall Barley Meadow Barley Wood Barley Tunbridge F Faniy2 Fern Wilson’s ; Filmy- Fern Porcupine Quillwort European Quillwort - Floating Mud-rush . Round Cluster-headed Mud- rush Savi’s Mud-rush Bristle-stalked Mud- rush Sharp-flowered Rush = Great Sharp Sea Rush Baltic or Coast Rush Two-flowered Rush . Toad Rush : Dense-headed Rush . : Clustered Alpine Rush Round-fruited Rush Common Rush. Soft Rush é Thread or Slender Rush . ; Hard Rush : , Shining-fruited Rush Lesser Shar p Sea Rush Black-headed Jointed Rush Blunt-flowered Jointed Rush Dwarf Rush . : F Heath Rush Slender Spreading Rush . Three-leaved Rush . Three-flowered Rush Lesser Bog Rush ow) oe em Oto STO NO m Co NEY WROTE WP bo Oo et De co co en OPN ON NH eH OP ST Aan POT DRAWER NE HS! ABNIIIPA MAME EM WINE DR OH Knappia agrostidea Kobresia caricina . Keleria cristata Lagurus ovatus Lastrea cristata dilatata Jilix-mas Senisectt orcopteris rigida spinulosa thelypteris . Leersia oryzoides . Lemna gibba minor polyrrhiza . trisulca Lepturus filifornvis Loliwm linicola multiflorun perenne temulentum Luzula arcuata . campestris . Sorsteri pilosa spicata sylvatica Lycopodiwm alpinunr annotinum . clavatum . conuplanatun inundatum . selaginoides selago. Melica nutans uniflora Milium effusum Molinia cerulea Naias flexilis maring . Nardus stricia ° Narthecium ossifr agui. Ophiosglossum lusitanicum vulgatuir Osmunda regalis . Panicum crus-gaili Phalaris arundinacca canariensis . Phicum alpinum . arenarium . asperum behmeri michelit pratense Phragmites comnvunis _ Pilularia globulifera CONTENTS Early Knappia - Compound-headed Kobresia Crested Hair-grass . é - Ovate Hare’s-tail-grass Crested Fern Broad Pr ickly-toothed or Crested Fern Male Fern : Triangular Pr ickly-toothed Fern Heath Fern or Mountain-Fern Rigid Fern. : Narrow Prickly- toothed Fern . Marsh Fern. ; : European Cut-grass . Gibbous Duckweed . Lesser Duckweed Great Duckweed Ivy-leaved Duckweed Sea Hard-grass Annual Rye-grass Bearded Rye-grass Perennial Rye-grass . Darnel . - Curved Mountain Wood-rush Field Wood-rush Narrow-leaved Hairy Wood-rush Broad-leaved Hairy Wood-rush Spiked Wood-rush . : Great Hairy Wood-rush Savin-leaved Club-moss Interrupted Club-moss Common Club-moss . : Flat-stemmed Club-moss . Marsh Club-moss_ . : - Prickly Club-moss . ; . Fir Club-moss . : - 5 Mountain Melic-grass Wood Melic-grass Spreading Millet-grass : Purple Molinia ’ ; : Flexible Naias . ; < Greater Naias . : Mat-grass : Lancashire Bog Asphodel Se, a ie, Lesser Adder’s-tongue . - Common Adder’s-tongue . - Royal Fern. - : ° Loose Panic-grass_. ; : Reed Canary-grass . , < Canary-grass : : Alpine Cat’s-tail- -grass Sea Cat’s-tail-grass . Rough Cat’s- -tail- -grass Purple-stalked Cat’s- tail-grass . Michelian Cat’s-tail-grass . Common Cat’s-tail-grass ; - Common Reed . . Creeping Pillwort or Pepper -grass Plate Fig. 278 249 263 257 290 293 289 291 287 288 292 286 240 240 240 240 278 277 277 277 Ore bo — BSN WEHONWRAS WE OR RE ON Doe m= DOO OV STDS S& Cr bo co NOE PONTOH ONE DN Poa alpina . annua aquatica borreri bulbosa compressa distans Huitans laxa . loliacea maritima . nemoralis . pratensis procumbens. rigida trivialis Polypodiwm alpestre calcareum . dryopteris . phegopteris . vulgare Polypogon littoralis monspeliensis Polystichum aculeatum . angulare lonchitis Potamogeton acutifolius. crispus . densus . Jjiliformis gramineus . griffithit heterophyllus lanceolatus . lonchites longifolius . Zucens natans oblongus pectinatus . perfoliatus . plantagineus preelongus . pusillus rufescens salicifolius . trichoides zostercefolius Pteris aquilina . Rhynchospora alba fusca . Ruppia naritima . Sagittaria sayittifolia Scheuchzeria palustris . Schenus nigricans Scirpus ceespitosus . carinatus lacustris maritimus . pariulus CONTENTS Alpine Meadow-grass Plate Fig. 267 Annual Meadow-grass 267 Reed Meadow-grass . 265 Borrer’s Sea Meadow-grass 265 Bulbous Meadow-grass 267 Flat-stemmed Meadow-grass 266 Reflexed Meadow-grass 265 Floating Meadow-grass 265 Wavy Meadow-grass . 267 Dwarf Meadow-grass - 266 Creeping Sea Meadow-grass 265 Wood Meadow-grass 4 267 Smooth- stalked | Meadow-grass . 266 Procumbent Sea Meadow-¢ -g1ass . 265 Hard Meadow-grass. ; 266 Roughish Meadow- -gTass . : 266 Alpine Polypody . 5 ° é 283 Limestone Fol 5 5 : 282 Oak-Fern. : z F 281 Beech-Fern . £ : 280 Common Polypody . 279 Perennial Beard-grass 257 Annual Beard-grass . 257 Common Prickly-Fern . 295 Angular-lobed Prickly-Fern 296 Alpine Fern or Holly-Fern 294 Sharp-leaved Pond-weed . 241 Curly Pond-weed : 241 Close-leaved Pond-weed Slender-leaved Pond-weed Grassy Pond-weed 241 Griffith’s Pond-weed ; at Various-leaved Pond-weed : . 242 Lanceolate Pond-weed 242 Lance-leaved Pond-weed . Long-leaved Pond-weed 242 Shining Pond-weed . 2 . 242 Broad-leaved Pond-weed . 242 Oblong-leaved Pond-weed 242 Fennel-leaved Pond-weed Perfoliate Pond-weed 241 Plantain-leaved Pond-weed 242 Long-stalked Pond-weed . 241 Small Pond-weed . . 241 Reddish or Long-leaved “Floating Pond- weed . ; . (242 Willow-leaved Pond- weed Hair-leaved Pond-weed : ; Grass-wrack-like Pond-weed . 5 241 Common Brake : ‘ 3 Z 309 White Beak-rush . z i 245 Brown Beak-rush . ; £45 Sea Ruppia or Tassel- -gvass ° : 243 Common Arrow-head “ ‘ 4 237 Marsh Scheuchzeria . ‘< 2 ‘ 237 Black Bog-rush ‘ Z 244 Sealy- “stalked Club-rush . ; 247 Blunt-edged Club-rush 247 Lake Club- rush or Bull-rush . : 246 Salt Marsh Club-rush : : . 247 Least Club-rush ‘ : fc ‘ Oe OP PON Wh OOH Oe Ob ior] bo or co co ites Or or) NON rH On eco bo =— mow Oo on to Scirpus pauciflorus 2 pungens ~ . C sylvaticus . tabernemontani . triqueter : Scolopendrium vulgare . Sesleria cerulea Setaria glauca verticillata . viridis Sparganium natans ramosum simplex Spartina stricta alterniflora Stipa pennata Trichomanes radicans Triglochin maritimum . palustre Triodia decumbens Triticum caninum A cristatum Junceum repens : Typha angustifolia latifolia minor 3 5 Woodsia alpina . ; ilvensis : - Wolfia arrhiza . : Zannichellia palustris . Zostera marina . E nana . : . CONTENTS Chocolate-headed Club-rush_ . Sharp Club-rush : Wood Club-rush Glaucous Club-rush . Triangular Club-rush Hart’s-tongue Fern . Blue Moor-grass Glaucous Bristle-grass Rough Bristle-grass . Green Bristle-grass . Floating Bur-reed Branched Bur-reed . - : Unbranched Bur-reed : Twin-spiked Cord-grass Many-spiked Cord-grass . Common Feather-grass Rooting Bristle-Fern Sea Arrow-grass Marsh Arrow-grass . Decumbent Heath-grass . Fibrous-rooted Wheat-grass Crested Wheat-grass - Rushy Sea Wheat-grass Creeping Wheat or Couch- “grass Lesser Reed-mace j ; Great Reed-mace Least Reed-mace Round-leaved or ore. Woodsia Oblong Woodsia Wolff's Duckweed Common Horned Pond-weed . Broad-leaved grass-wrack - Dwarf grass-wrack . : . Plate Fig. 247 246 247 246 246 307 264 “IO C9 CO > — 264 264 238 238 238 278 278 257 OO OUR OB OO 311 237 237 268 276 276 276 276 238 238 238 WeNWNrFREON 285 285 em bo 243 243 243 H CO bo THE FLOWERING PLANTS OF GREAT BRITAIN Order XCI. JUNCACE—RUSH TRIBE. PERIANTH 6-parted, usually chaffy, but sometimes coloured, as in Asphodel (Narthecium) ; stamens 6, inserted. at the bases of the segments, or sometimes 3, inserted opposite the outer segments ; anthers opening inwards; ovary superior ; style solitary ; stigmas 3 or (in Asphodel) 1; capsule 3-valved, usually many-seeded. This is a tribe of plants growing on moist lands, having cylindrical or grassy leaves, and, except in Asphodel, brown flowers. The true rushes (Juncus) are social plants, often covering large moist districts ; many of them known in the coldest parts of the world, and a few in the tropics. The stems of some are used for making mats and the wicks of candles. With few exceptions, the species are perennials. The popular notion of the Rush tribe connects its members with the Grasses through the Sedges. A certain superficial resemblance may justify this, but the botanical tyro who uses the pocket-lens and pulls the inflores- cence carefully to pieces will soon be undeceived on that point. The flower of the Wood Rush, though minute, has all its parts corresponding closely with those of thé lilies, but in the Sedges and Grasses the perianth has com- pletely disappeared, and the stamens and pistils are enclosed in chaffy scales, called glumes. There are three British genera. 1. RusH (Jéncus).—Perianth chaffy ; filaments smooth; stigmas 3 ; capsule 3-celled, 3-valved ; seeds numerous, minute, roughish ; leaves mostly round, rarely flat ; mostly perennials. Name from jungo, to join—the stems having been used as cordage. 2. Woop Rusu (Lizula).—Perianth chaffy ; filaments smooth ; stigmas 3; capsule 1-celled, 3-seeded ; all perennials. Name supposed to be from the Italian luciola, a glow-worm, because the heads of flowers sparkle when wet with dew-drops. 3. Boca AspHODEL (Narthécium).—Perianth of 6 coloured sepals and petals; stamens woolly; stigma 1; capsule 3-celled; seeds numerous. Name from the Greek narthekion, a rod, apparently from the long straight raceme of flowers in some of the species. i to JUNCACEAL 1. Rusw (Juncus). * Stems cylindrical, tapering to a point ; leaves reduced to sheaths 1. Soft Rush (J. effiisus).—Stems soft, not furrowed, but faintly marked with lines ; cyme branched below the summit of the stem ; capsule blunt, a little shorter than the sepals ; rootstock perennial, and creeping. This is a common Rush of marshy lands, growing in clumps to the height of one or two feet, and having no leaves, or merely a few scales, which serve as a sheath to the stems. The stems are soft and pliant, of a pale green; and the brown cyme, which appears in July, is sometimes very spreading, at others nearly globose, and is usually about halfway down the leaf-like stem. The stems of both this and the next species are used for plaiting into mats and chair- bottoms, and their pith was once very extensively used as wicks for candles. Ere lights of a superior character had superseded the rush-lights, these were to be found in most households, and many cottagers used no candles save such as they could make from the rushes of the neighbouring wet meadow land ; but in few counties in our time are these home-made candles now in use, nor are rushes now gathered largely for sale. Even yet, however, in Norfolk, there exists an annual fair called a Rush Fair. This, which was formerly held at the village of Sprowston, near Norwich, was termed the Magdalen Fair; but in consequence of disorderly conduct in the frequenters of the place, that particular fair was done away, though a fair for the sale of rushes is yet held outside the Magdalen gates. A correspondent of the Gardener’s Chronicle estimated the quantity of rushes brought, a few years since, annually to this spot, at about eight hundred gross ; each gross con- taining twelve bundles, each bundle twelve whips, and each whip about fifty rushes. ‘The rushes are said by this writer to be gathered chiefly from the Happing and Flegg Hundreds, and to be collected mostly by women, who wade in the water of the bogs up to their waists to procure them. They are often assisted by their children in preparing them for sale. This is done by soaking, drying, and peeling them. But, in earlier days, rushes were of far greater importance in the house- hold economy of this kingdom, when sleeping apartments, dining-rooms, halls, theatres, and even the presence-chambers in palaces, as in that of Queen Elizabeth, were strewed with them. ‘That floors were occasionally paved with coloured tiles, some old illuminations serve to show ; and carpets, which were introduced in the thirteenth century, were used in the royal apartments of Edward IIL. ; but until carpets became general, the floors were mostly of board, and strewn with rushes. In an account of Thomas a Becket, pub- lished in. 1528, the writer says, ‘‘He was manfull in his household, for his hall was everie daye, in somer season, strewed with greene rushes, and in winter with clene hey, for to save the knyghtes’ clothes that sate on the floor, for defaute of place to sit on.” The floors in the ‘“ good old times” were not very frequently washed ; and that the rushes often concealed much that was offensive to the eye, we know from the disgust expressed by Erasmus, as well as by some English writers, at bones and other refuse being daily thrown from the table, while in few homes were the rushes daily or even ] BALTIC RUSH 4: BLACK HEADED JOINITED R Juncus balticus J. mgritellus Z THREAD KR 5 SHINING -FRUITED J.R J. filiformis J. lamprocarpus GREAT SHARP SEA R, G LESSER BOG J.R J. acutus J. uliginosus 7 HEATH R ; J. squarrosus Pl. 233, RUSH TRIBE 3 weekly renewed. Old painters represent dogs as hunting for bones among the plants around the table ; but probably in many houses, and in later days even generally, more attention to cleanliness was given, and sweet and fresh - flowers were mingled with newly-strewn rushes. Bulleyne says, “ Rushes grown upon dry ground be good to strew in halls, chambers, and galleries, to walk upon, defending apparel, as trains of gowns and kirtles, from the dust.” Lemnius, a physician and divine of Zealand, remarks, on his visit to London, with great approval, the cleanliness of the English, and says, ‘‘ Their chambers and parlours, strawed over with sweete herbs, refreshed me; their nosegays, finely intermingled with sundry sorts of fragrant flowers in their bed- chambers and private rooms, with their comfortable smell cheered me up, and delighted all my senses.” The churchwardens’ accounts of the church of St. Mary-at-Hill show that rushes were commonly used in churches ; for several items occur similar to the following: ‘“ Paid for two berden of rushes for the strewing the newe pewes, 3d.” - The great use of rushes for strewing led to certain festivals, called Rush Bearings, which, like the old wakes, became, in course of time, scenes of idleness and intoxication, and appear to have given annoyance to the sober portion of the community. These gatherings were gradually neglected as the use of rushes in households was discontinued. It is not improbable that the fibre of this and other common Rushes may prove of use to the paper-maker. The Chevalier de Claussen, in some experiments on plants likely to furnish paper-pulp, directed his attention to the papyrus—the “pnaper reed by the brook”—of which the ancients made their paper. He found that it contained a large proportion of fibre, easily bleached ; but as this plant is so rare, an abundant supply would not be readily procured. “TI directed, therefore,” says the Chevalier, “my attention to plants growing in this country ; and I found, to my great satisfaction, that the common Rushes (Juncus effusus), and others, contain forty per cent. of fibre, quite equal, if not superior, to papyrus fibre, and a perfect substitute for rags in the manu- facture of paper ; and that one ton of rushes contains more fibre than two tons of flax straw.” The Chevalier had not found so large an amount of fibre in any native plant, except in the shavings of fir, which yielded the same proportion, -but which required more expense in the preparation. Rye- grass was found also to furnish thirty-five per cent. of paper fibre, which was easily bleached ; but this was not so strong as the Rush fibre. ‘“ Hemp and flax are,” he says, “ exactly suitable for the purpose of the per turer, but their culture is expensive.” 2. Common Rush (J. conglomerdtus).—Stem soft, faintly jared with lines ; cyme repeatedly branched, usually forming a round head, but in a variety more or less spreading ; capsule terminating in a little point ; Toot- stock creeping. This Rush is very similar to the last ; and many botanists unite the two into one species. It has soft pliant stems, about two feet high ; and the brown head of flowers, which expands in July, grows at some distance from the summit. It differs from /. effusus in the denser, more globose head of flowers, in the perianth being tinged with brown, and in the anthers being longer and narrower. It is, like the last, a very common plant, and was doubtless as much used for strewing in olden times. Its pith 1—2 4 JUNCACEAS was also used for candles, as it still is for making little baskets and children’s toys. Rushes are, in country places, often twisted together to tie hurdles and other rustic implements; and the rushes of some countries are commonly made into ropes and cables, while the earliest cordage was probably made of them. Professor Burnett says that sailors call cables junks, as juncus itself is a derivation of jungo, to bind or join together. Most persons, whose early days were spent in the country, have woven them into baskets ; and many a country boy could say with Clare— ** And on this bank how happy have I felt, When here I sat and murmur’d nameless songs, And, with the shepherd-boy and neat-herd, knelt Upon yon rush-beds, plaiting whips and thongs !” The French call the Rush Jone, and their cream-cheese is called jonchée, because served up on its little frail of green rushes. The Germans term the plant Binse. A large species of Rush is cultivated in Japan entirely for making floor-mats ; and mats and chair-bottoms were formerly made in this country of our Common Rushes ; but the Lake Club Rush (Scirpus lacustris) is now used for that purpose, and is much better adapted for it. 3. Hard Rush (J. glaicus).—Stem very rigid, and strongly marked with lines; cyme loose, much branched, erect ; capsule oblong, pointed, rather shorter than the sepals ; rootstock creeping, black. This Rush is about two feet high, its stems tough, rigid, and glaucous, with purplish sheaths at the base. It bears, in July, a panicle of greenish-brown flowers, with a broad green line down the middle of each segment of the perianth ; and six stamens. It is a common plant by ditches, on moory grounds and moist waysides, and is sometimes very troublesome on wet lands used for pasture. It is gathered in Holland while green, and afterwards used by gardeners in tying trees and shrubs. A plant, described as J. diffusus, is thought by some botanists to be a hybrid between glaucus and effusus. It is a stiff hard Rush, differing in its much smaller capsule ; which, instead of being oblong with a spinous point, is inversely egg-shaped and blunt; its stem, too, is softer and more faintly marked with lines, It is found growing with the last two species, but is apparently rare. 4, Baltic Rush, or Coast Rush (J. bdllicus).—Stem rigid, naked, pungent, straight, acute ; cyme erect, branched, few-flowered ; bracts shorter than the panicle ; capsule oblong, blunt, spine-tipped ; rootstock creeping. The stems of this Rush are about a foot high, smooth, with brown scales at the base. It bears, in July and August, its dense panicle near the top, con- sisting of dark brown flowers, with a pale line down each segment. It was discovered by Mr. Drummond on the sands of Barry, near Dundee, and has since been found on sandy sea-shores, and on the banks of rivers not far from the sea, in several parts of Scotland. Its root creeps extensively. 5. Thread Rush, or Slender Rush (J. filiférmis). — Stem naked, slender, nodding ; eyme few-flowered ; capsule nearly globular, spine-tipped ; rootstock forming a loose tuft. This species is remarkable for its thread- like stems, which, in August, bear their panicles of greenish-brown flowers on one side, far below the middle. This Rush is very slender and _ pliant, bo COMMON RUSH , Juncus conglomeratus LESSER SHARP SEA R J. maritimns. SHARP FLOWERED JOINTED R.. J. acutiflorus : 7. THREE 4 CLUSTERED ALPINE R ‘i} Pastaneus 5 TOAD 6 TWO FLOWERED R J. triglmmis R FLOWERED J. bufonius R T. baghmms i ee ADP F stl : Shs Jas" ’ ? : ‘ F ‘ f i ie , f 4 * 3 & ad i ‘ 2 . i i ¢ , Wt ae ae wy mld tome te i oe Aa RUSH TRIBE 5 and of a pale green hue. It is rare, growing on the stony margins of lakes in the English Lake District, and in Kincardineshire. It is about ten or twelve inches high. 6. Lesser Sharp Sea Rush (J. maritimus).—Stem wiry, naked, the barren leaf-like ones very sharp pointed ; cyme loose, near the summit ; outer bracts spinous ; stamens 6; capsule oblong, spine-tipped, as long as the perianth ; rootstock tufted and fibrous. This is not a generally dis- tributed Rush ; but it grows among the sand-grasses by the sides of some salt rivers, and in salt marshes in various parts of the kingdom : ** On ocean’s marge, ‘Whose mellow reeds are touch’d with sounds forlorn By the dim echoes of old Triton’s horn.” It is rare in Scotland. In places where it is plentiful, it aids, with the other plants, to consolidate marshy and muddy soils. Its stems are slender, about two feet high, and its very pale brown flowers appear in August, in a long loose panicle. Its stems have leafy clammy sheaths at their base. 7. Great Sharp Sea Rush (J. actus). —Stem rigid, naked, sharp- pointed ; cyme dense, near the summit; outer bracts spinous; capsule broadly egg-shaped, suddenly terminating in a point ; segments of perianth about half as long as the capsule; rootstocks tufted. This, which is the largest of our native Rushes, is truly a magnificent plant, and cannot fail to attract the observation of those who wander among the sand-hills, or the no less dreary salt-marshes where it grows. Its large clumps of tall, stiff, straight stems, looking like masses of rigid deep green leaves, are from three to six feet in height ; and in July the crowded panicles of brown flowers are conspicuous at the tops of the stems, though not nearly so much so as the large, glossy, bright brown capsules, which, in September and October, suc- ceed them. ‘These are so handsome, that we are fain to gather them to mingle with the few seaside flowers yet left to the autumn; but safer far would it be for the hand to grasp the seaside holly, with all its prickles, than to encounter this sharp Rush, which has penetrated many an unguarded finger with no slight wound. This plant grows on the shores of Norfolk, and some other counties ; but it is rare, occurring chiefly on the south and west coasts of England and Wales. On the sandy shores about Sandwich, in Kent, and between that place and Pegwell Bay, as well as on some of the neighbouring salt-marshes, clumps of this plant may be seen often near the roadside, with masses of tall green fennel waving near them. It is also found in South and South-East Ireland and the Channel Islands. This Rush is also planted on some of our shores, to preserve them from the encroach- ments of the sea; for its fibrous roots 1un far down into the light soft soil, forming a matted mass, which aids in its consolidation. The stems are plaited into ropes, baskets and mats. * * Stems leafy ; leaves rounded, or somewhat flattened, jointed internally. 8. Sharp-flowered Jointed Rush (J. aciitiflorus).—Stems and leaves slightly flattened ; cyme repeatedly compound ; segments of the perianth unequal, very acute, nearly as long as the egg-shaped taper-pointed capsule ; stamens 6; rootstock creeping. ‘This is a slender plant, one or two feet 6 JUNCACEAL high, bearing its pyramidal panicle of chestnut-brown flowers near the top of its erect stem in July and August. The clusters are 3 to 12-flowered, and the capsules are of a pale brown hue. It is one of our most common Rushes, growing in bogs and ditches, and such places as Clare refers to, when describing the scenes of childhood : ‘Swamps of wild Rush-beds, and sloughs’ quashy traces Grounds of rough fellows, with thistle and weed, Flats and low valleys of kingcups and daisies, Sweetest of subjects are ye for my reed. ‘* And long, my dear valleys, long, long may ye flourish, Though Rush-beds and thistles make most of your pride ! May showers never fail your green daisies to nourish, Nor suns dry the fountain that rills by its side! Your skies may be gloomy, and misty your mornings, Your flat swampy valleys unwholesome may be, Still, refuse of Nature, without her adornings, Ye are dear as this heart in my bosom to me.” This is the J. articulatus of Linneus. 9. Black-headed Jointed Rush (J. nigritéllus)—Stem and leaves somewhat rounded ; cyme erect, slightly compound, 3 inner segments of the perianth rather longer and broader, all shorter than the capsule ; capsule linear-oblong, 3-sided, and beaked. This species was reported by D. Don as growing on the mountains of Clova. Sir J. D. Hooker, however, regards the specimens from Don in Borrer’s herbarium as examples of J. lamprocarpus. 10. Shining-fruited Jointed Rush (J. lamprocirpus).—Stem and leaves somewhat flattened ; cyme repeatedly compound ; capsule egg-shaped, acute, longer than the perianth; stamens 6. This is a very common Rush in boggy and marshy places, and is one or two feet high. Its flowers appear in July and August, and are succeeded by dark brown shining capsules. Its erect terminal cyme might have fitted it for Chaucer’s description : ** The stalke was as rishe right, And thereon stood the knops upright.” 11. Lesser Bog Rush, or Little Bulbous Rush (J. wligindsus).— Stem erect, sometimes swollen into a bulb at the base, leafy ; leaves bristly, and rather knotty ; heads lateral and terminal, about 3-flowered ; capsule blunt, longer than the perianth. This Rush is common in wet places, and very variable, assuming the bulbous form only when growing on somewhat drier spots. It is from three to eight inches high, and bears, from June to August, a few little distant clusters of greenish-brown flowers, succeeded by the blunt light-brown capsules. When growing in very damp places, its stems become prostrate, and rooting at each joint; and it is then the J. subverticillatus or J. swpinus of some botanists. 12. Blunt-flowered Jointed Rush (./. obtusiflérus).—Stem and leaves rounded ; cyme forked and spreading ; segments of perianth very blunt, as long as the 3-sided pale brown capsule ; rootstock creeping. ‘This is not an infrequent plant on wet pastures and marshy places— ‘* With many a flag and rushy bunch bespread.”’ The stems, which are about two feet high, are not tufted ; they bear, in July, the brownish flowers sometimes tinged with purple. J SOFT RDSH 1 THREE LEAVED RR Inmnens effusus J. trifidus HARD R ROUND FRUITED R 1. glaneus ] onIpres sus BLUNT FLOWERED JOINFED R 6 SLENDER SPREADING R T obtusiflorus ] teumis CAPITAT K al tpt atus Pl. 285, om Sede RUSH TRIBE ~T ** * Stems leafy ; not cylindrical nor jointed. 13. Clustered "Alpine Rush, or Black-spiked Rush (J. casténeus). _ —Stem simple, with 2 or 3 half-round hollow leaves at the lower part ; heads of flowers terminal, usually solitary or in pairs, shorter than the numerous leafy bracts ; capsule shining, nearly twice as long as the sepals ; rootstock creeping. This is a very rare plant of the Highlands of Scotland and the north of England, growing in bogs at a great elevation. It is erect, and is from eight to ten inches high, flowering in July and August. 14. Three-leaved Rush (J. trifidus).—Stem usually having one long leaf ; sheaths awned, those at the base of the stem leafless; bracts 2, at the top of the stem, very slender and bristle-like ; heads terminal, of about 3 flowers ; rootstock and sheaths forming a dense matted mass. This rare species, inhabiting damp, rocky, mountainous places, has crowded, erect, thread-like stems, from four to ten inches high. Its pale brown flowers appear in July and August. 15. Round-fruited Rush (J. compréssus).—Stem erect, flattened above, and rounded below; leaves linear, channelled ; cyme terminal, in one form shorter, in another longer, than the bracts; capsule roundish, spine-tipped ; rootstock creeping. This Rush bears slender unbranched stems, from six to twelve inches high, and acute channelled leaves. Its flowers appear in July on moist pastures, where it is common. A _ sub-species, with few-flowered panicles longer than the bracts, is found on salt grassy places, and is the Mud Rush (J. gerardi). 16. Slender Spreading Rush (./. ¢énwis).—Stem slender, wiry, forked above, panicled; leaves linear, slightly channelled; capsule egg-shaped, shorter than the very acute leaflets of the perianth ; rootstock tufted. This is a slender Rush, about a foot high, flowering from June to August, and very rare. It occurs in moist sandy places in Herefordshire. 17. Toad Rush (J. bufénius).—Stem branched, leafy ; leaves angular, bristle-like, channelled; cyme forked, longer than the bracts; perianth segments taper-pointed, membranous, longer than the capsule ; annual. This is a very small Rush, and is common in wet grounds. It is from four to eight inches high, its forked panicle bearing solitary flowers, mostly on one side of the stem, the flowers being pale green, with a white border. Its leaves are so very slender, that one might mistake it for one of the grasses ; and it is sometimes called Toad-grass. Its stems are numerous, crowded together, and of a light green colour. It flowers in July and August. *** * Leaves all from the roots. 18. Heath Rush (J. squarrésus).—Leaves rigid and channelled ; heads clustered ; capsule inversely egg-shaped and spine-tipped; stems tufted, rigid The stems of this Rush are about a foot high and compressed. It has many stout rigid leaves, most of which turn one way. The rather large flowers appear in July, and are glossy brown, edged with yellowish-white. It is found on heathy grounds, such as Crabbe describes : ‘* Here pits of crag, with spongy plashy base, To some enrich the melancholy place ; 8 JUNCACEZ: For there are blossoms rare, and curious Rush, The gale’s rich balm, and sundew’s crimson blush, Whose velvet leaf, with radiant beauty drest, Forms a gay pillow for the plover’s breast.” This species is sometimes called Moss-rush, or Goose-corn; and it often fringes in abundance damp moory spots. 19. Dense-headed Rush, or Capitate Rush (J. capitdtus).—Stem erect, bristle-like, unbranched, leafy at the base; head sessile, solitary ; bracts bristle-like ; outer segments of the perianth awned ; capsule egg- shaped, tipped with a short spine. This little annual Rush grows on sandy grounds in Cornwall and Jersey. It is from two to four inches high, with leaves two or three inches long. Its terminal head of flowers appears from May to July. 20. Two-flowered Rush (J. biglimis).—Stem simple; leaves awl- shaped ; head solitary, 2-flowered, l-sided, with leafy bracts longer than itself ; capsule larger than the segments of the perianth ; rootstock sending out stolons. This is a rare plant, found in the bogs of Highland mountains. It flowers in August. 21. Three-flowered Rush (J. friglimis).—Stem erect, unbranched ; leaves awl-shaped, channelled; head solitary, terminal, 3-flowered, with membrane-like bracts; capsule acute, very dark brown; rootstock tufted, black. This Rush is from three to six inches in height, flowering in July. It grows on the elevated mountains at the north of England, and in Wales, and is especially frequent in the Highlands of Scotland. 22. Dwarf Rush (J. pygiueus).—Stems tufted, slender, simple or forked ; root-leaves bristle-like, channelled, stem-leaves with the base eared ; flowers 1 to 5, scarcely stalked, with egg-shaped bracts ; perianth-segments narrow lance-shaped, 3-nerved, membranous, with glossy margins quarter of an inch long ; capsule shorter, oblong-lance-shaped, 3-angled, pale. This minute annual Rush is only a couple of inches high. It flowers in May and June, and may be sought in damp places about the Lizard, Cornwall, such as the Downs above Kynance Cove. 2. Woop RusH (Liizula). 1. Great Hairy Wood Rush (L. sylvdtica).—Panicle cymose, doubly compound ; flowers in bundles of 3 or 4; segments of the perianth awned, as long as the spine-tipped capsule ; rootstock short, tufted, throwing out runners. The long flat leaves of this and the other species which formed the Gramen Luzule of the older botanists render them, in general appear- ance, more similar to grasses than to Rushes. The stem of this plant is a foot or a foot and a half high, and is terminated, in May and June, by a loose cluster of brownish flowers, varied with yellow anthers. It has broad taper-pointed leaves, shining, marked distinctly with lines, and fringed with long white scattered hairs, the root-leaves forming a tuft. The capsules are of a bright chestnut colour. The plant is common in woods and shady places, especially among bushes in hilly districts. It is the L. maxima of some botanists. 2. Broad-leaved Hairy Wood Rush (L. pildésa).—Panicle cymose, GREAT HATRY WoOoD RUSH Imzula svivatica BROAD LEAVED H W R it qalosa NARROW L. H.W. R L. forsteri FIELD WooD R L. campestris CURVED MOUNTAIN W.R L arcuata SPIKED M.W.R J. spicata 7 LANCASHIRE BOG ASPHODEL Narthecium ossifraguim 8 COMMON FLOWERING RUSH Butomus numbellatus Pl, 236, RUSH TRIBE 9 little branched, spreading ; capsule blunt, scarcely as long as the perianth ; leaves lanceolate, hairy ; rootstock short, tufted, with slender runners. This is a smaller species than the last, and readily distinguished from it by its _ dark brown flowers, growing singly on the partial flower-stalks, instead of being in little bundles. The stem is about a foot high, and the leaves are ribbed, and fringed with long fine white hairs. It flowers in April and May, and may be found in shady places, pretty well throughout the British Isles. Also known as L. vernalis. 3. Narrow-leaved Hairy Wood Rush (L. forstéri).—Panicle cymose, erect ; partial stalks single flowered ; capsule pointed, nearly as long as the perianth ; leaves linear, hairy. This plant, though resembling the last in habit, is much slenderer, and has narrower leaves. It is about a foot high, and bears its brown flowers in April and May. It is a somewhat local plant, inhabiting woods and thickets, but is common in some parts of the kingdom where the soil is chalky or gravelly. Its distribution here is bounded by lines drawn from South Wales to Cornwall and Oxford, Essex to Oxford and Kent. It also occurs in the Channel Islands. A plant which is by some botanists regarded as a species, and by others as a hybrid, has been by Dr. Bromfield termed L. borrert. It is larger, and has a loose panicle, the upper stalks of which turn back after flowering ; the filaments are also shorter. It occurs in the Isle of Wight, Sussex, and Herefordshire, as well as in Wicklow. Its short acute capsule does not ripen the seeds. 4, Field Wood Rush (L. campestris).—Panicle of a few dense clusters ; segments of the perianth pointed, longer than the capsule ; capsule inversely egg-shaped, blunt, with a small point ; rootstock creeping, tufted. This is a common plant in dry pastures, bearing its dark reddish-brown flowers in _ oblong spikes during April and May. It has a straight unbranched stem, from three to ten inches high, and dark green leaves, very hairy at the margin. A taller variety of this plant, in which the spikes are almost all sessile, and collected into a nearly round head, is the var. erecta. 5, Curved Mountain Wood Rush (JL. arcudtw).—Panicle somewhat umbellate, of few heads, with long, drooping curved branches ; bracts mem- branous, fringed; capsule roundish and pointed, shorter than the bristle- pointed segments of the perianth ; leaves channelled, slightly hairy ; rootstock creeping, and forming loose tufts, with slender runners. This is the smallest and one of the rarest of our native species, its slender stem varying from two to four inches in height. The leaves are leathery, short, narrow, and curved ; those from the roots numerous. The dark chestnut flowers appear in July. It is found on the highest summits of the Cairngorm and Suther- land mountains. 6. Spiked Wood Rush ( L. spicita).—Spike oblong, dense, compound and nodding, the clusters shorter than their bracts ; segments of the perianth narrow, and bristle-pointed, as long as the capsule; capsule acute; leaves small, leathery, slightly channelled, and hairy; rootstock densely tufted. This is a mountain species, growing in North Wales, Westmoreland and Scotland, at altitudes between 1,000 and 4,300 feet. It bears, in July, its nodding spike of dark brown flowers on a slender stem six or eight inches high. Its short narrow leaves are hairy at the margins of their sheaths. Ivy. —2 10 JUNCACEAX—RUSH TRIBE 3. Boc-AspHODEL (Narthécium). Lancashire Bog-Asphodel (JN. ossifragum).—Leaves sword-shaped, rigid, ribbed and pointed ; stamens much shorter than the perianth ; filaments white and woolly ; rootstock creeping, wiry, and perennial. This elegant little flower is a favourite with the botanist who fears not to tread the moist grassy bog, where it overtops the sundew and bog-pimpernel. It is not infrequent on wet places and moors, especially in mountainous districts ; ascending to over 3,000 feet in the Highlands. The leaves grow mostly from the root in tufts, and are grass-like, about half the height of the stem, of a pale green colour, and marked with prominent ribs. The slender stem is about six or seven inches high, with a leaf here and there, and is often bending and rooting at the base. The star-like flowers are bright yellow, greenish at the back, the anthers deep orange, and the filaments covered with thick wool. They grow in a tapering spike, one bract being at the base, and another just above the middle of each partial flower-stalk. An old prejudice was entertained in various Continental countries, and still exists among the Swedish peasantry, that this plant is injurious to sheep, rendering their bones so brittle as to be easily broken ; hence its name, ossifraguwm, bone- breaking, which has its synonym in many lands. The French call it Brise-os ; the Germans, Beinbrechgras ; and the Dutch, Beenbreekend. Linneeus, in his “Flora Lapponica,” refuted the notion of its injurious properties ; and it is indeed usually left untouched by sheep, though readily eaten by cows and horses. It has much similarity to the genus Anthericum, in which Linnzus placed it, though it is separated by modern botanists. Gerarde, who called it the Lancashire Asphodell, says of it: “It growes in manie rotten moorish grounds in this kingdome, and is used in Lancashire by women to die their haire of a yellowish colour, and therefore is by them termed Maiden-hair. It groweth neere unto the towne of Lancaster, as also neere unto Maudsley and Martom, not far from thence, where it was found by a learned and worshipful gentleman,—a diligent searcher of simples, and a fervent lover of plants,—Mr. Thomas Hesket, who brought the plants thereof into use for the encrease of my garden.” Order XCII. BUTOMACEA®—_FLOWERING RUSH TRIBE. Perianth segments 6, all coloured; stamens 9; ovaries superior, 6, or more, distinct, or united into a mass ; follicles beaked, many-seeded, splitting open when ripe. This is a small tribe of aquatic plants, with handsome umbellate flowers and sword-shaped leaves, sometimes included in the order Alismacez. Flowering Rush (Biitomus).—Stamens 9 ; carpels 6. Name from the Greek bous, an ox, and temno, to cut, because cattle cut their mouths with the leaves. FLOWERING Rusu (Bilomus). Flowering Rush (B. wmbelldtus).— Leaves erect, narrow, acute, triangular, sheathing at the base, all from the roots; flower-stalk round, ALISMACEAA—WATER PLANTAIN TRIBE 11 smooth ; rootstock stout, creeping, perennial. This is one of the loveliest plants which grace the quiet waters of England south of Yorkshire and Durham, flowering when the water-lilies have withered. It is rare in Ireland, and in Scotland it occurs only as a naturalized plant. The 3-sided leaves are so sharp that they often wound the hand extended to gather the showy cluster of rose-coloured flowers. These, surrounded by their mem- branous involucre, stand far above the surface of the water, on a stalk two or three feet high. Anthers and ovaries are alike red. The leaves are one or two feet long, generally twisted at the upper end, and much shorter than the flower-stalk. They are very acrid, and have been used medicinally, both seeds and roots having been formerly considered as antidotes to the bite of venomous reptiles. The white tuberous rootstocks are said to be roasted and eaten in Northern Asia. The numerous flowers are each on a partial stalk, which is often three or four inches long; and they vary from a deli- cate pink to white, and are sometimes much tinged with purple, while the stalks are often reddish. Gerarde calls the plant the Water Gladiole, or Grassie Rush, and says, “It is, of all others, the fairest and most beautiful to behold, and serveth very well for the decking and trimming up of houses, because of the beautie and braverie thereof.” The French call the flower Butome, and the Germans, Blumenbinse. Order XCIIIL. ALISMACEZZ—WATER PLANTAIN TRIBE. Sepals 3, green; petals 3, coloured ; stamens varying in number ; ovaries superior, numerous ; carpels numerous, 1 or 2-seeded, not splitting when ripe. This is a small tribe of perennial aquatics, often floating, and with long stalked leaves rising from the root. The rootstocks of some species are used as food in various countries. 1. Water PLANTAIN (Alisma).—Flowers containing both stamens and pistils ; stamens 6; carpels l-seeded. Name from alis, water, in Celtic. 2. STAR-FRUIT (Actinocarpus).—Flowers containing pistils and stamens ; stamens 6; carpels 2-seeded, and arranged in a star-like form. Name from the Greek aktin, a ray, and karpos, a fruit. 3. ARROW-HEAD (Sagittdria).—Stamens and pistils in separate flowers ; stamens numerous; carpels l-seeded. Name from the Latin sagitta, an arrow, from the shape of the leaves. 1. WATER PLANTAIN (Alisma). 1. Greater Water Plantain (4. plantdégo).—Leaves egg-shaped and heart-shaped, or lanceolate, all from the rootstock ; capsules bluntly trian- gular. The large bright green leaves of this plant, placed on thick stalks, and strongly nerved, much resemb!e those of the Common Plantain, and are more conspicuous above the water than the flowers, though those which are quite under the surface are of a «different form, being long and narrow. The flowers grow on a bluntly 3-sided stalk, which is two or three feet high, and much branched at the upper part. They expand during July and August, are small, of a delicate rc:e colour, and so frail that they are 2—2 -_- ad 12 ALISMACEA® scattered in gathering. Though this Plantain grows quite in the water, yet it is often near enough to the margin to be reached by the hand; and it is found in lakes, ditches and pools throughout the three kingdoms, and in the Channel Islands; it is plentiful in the south and rare in the north. The swollen base of the stem contains a nutritious farinaceous matter ; and the plant has for some centuries past been regarded as a most valuable remedy in cases of hydrophobia. Several cases have been recorded by Lewshin, Moser, and other writers, in which two drachms and a half daily of the root were administered internally, and a cataplasm made of the crushed leaves. Our best botanists, however, doubt if the plant is of any real efficacy in this malady. The roots are commonly eaten by the Kalmuck Tartars. A writer in the Encyclopédie des Sciences says, ‘‘It has the singular property of curing those who have eaten the sea-hare ;’ and adds, that Hoffman praises it as a vulnerary, and that it is by the peasants substituted for hellebore in the disorders of cattle. The singular thing would be that anybody should eat the sea-hare ; but if they did, it is very doubtful whether it would disagree with them. 2. Floating Water Plantain (4. ndtans).—Root-leaves linear, taper- pointed, and sessile; floating leaves stalked, oblong, blunt; stem leafy, floating, and rooting; capsule marked with lines. This is a very rare species, found in ponds and lakes, chiefly along the west side of England, from Cumberland to Hereford and Wales. In Scotland it is recorded from Ayr and Wigton, and in Ireland from the west. The stems are thread-like, and from three to ten feet long; and the flower-stalks issue from the joints of the stem, and are erect and single-flowered. The blossoms appear in July and August, and are large and white, with a yellow spot near the centre ; the root-leaves grow in small tufts, and are often little more than leaf-stalks. Some authors separate this species from the others, and con- stitute it a genus under the name of Elisma natans. 3. Lesser Water Plantain (4. ranunculoides).—Leaves all from the root, linear lanceolate; flower-stalk with simple branches, in one or two whorls ; capsules angular, acute, numerous, in a globular head ; root fibrous. In one form the plant is erect, in another (var. repens) trailing, the umbels rooting. This is not a common plant, though found in many ditches and bogs throughout the kingdom. It is much smaller than the Great Water Plantain, which it otherwise resembles, except that its flowers are propor- tionately larger, and grow in one or two whorls. They expand in August, and are of a pale purplish colour. The flower-stalks are from three to ten inches long. 2. STAR-FRUIT (Actinocarpus). Common Star-fruit (4. damasénium).—Leaves oblong, all from the root ; flowers similar to those of Alisma ; styles 6; root fibrous, and peren- nial. This, which is not a frequent plant, occurs in ponds and ditches in the midland and south-eastern counties of England. The leaves float on the water on long stalks ; and the flowers, which grow in whorls on a stalk about six inches high, are white, with a yellow spot in the centre. The fruit is very remarkable for the arrangement of its six or eight large carpels in a COMMON STAR-FRUIT Aetinocarpus damasonium GREATER WATER. PLANTAIN , Alisma plantago FLOATING W. P A. natans LESSER WW, F A. ranuuculoides Pl. 237. a] COMMON ARROW- READ, Saégittaria sagittifolia MARSH A- IT ‘Triglochin palustre SEA-SIDE A-H T. maritimum MARSH SCHRUCHZERIA , Scheuchzeria palustris WATER PLANTAIN TRIBE 13 starry form. This was one of the numerous plants which had an old repute for curing the imagined poison of the sea-hare. It is also known as Dama- sonium stellatum. 3. ARROW-HEAD (Sagittdria). Common Arrow-head (S. sagiitifélia).—Leaves on long stalks, all from the root, arrow-shaped, the lobes lanceolate and straight ; flowers of two kinds on the same plant, the upper ones containing a large number of stamens, the lower ones with carpels only. The staminate flowers are larger than the pistillate ones, and are supported on longer footstalks. The large bright green arrow-shaped leaves of this plant render it of easy recognition, even by those who are not botanists. The borders of many a stream or river present a mass of verdure by the quantities of its foliage. In July and August very pretty white 3-petalled flowers, with purple centres, sometimes a blush of pink upon them, grow in whorls, on a stalk about six or eight inches above the water. The plant sends out runners, each one ending in a tuber, and these tubers contain a large portion of a nutritious substance. In China, Japan, and Siberia, the plant grows in great abundance in the pools; and the Chinese cultivate it to a considerable extent, as the tubers constitute a large proportion of their vegetable food. The tubers are dried ; and the powder into which they are ground is described as similar to the West India arrowroot, but having a somewhat acrid flavour. Probably this acridity might be removed by the same preparation as that which renders the far more acrid root of the Arum as tasteless as the flour of wheat. The Chinese use several plants as food which are not commonly considered fitted for it; and their Government gives considerable attention to the subject. Dr. Badham, in his work on the “Edible Funguses of Britain,” mentions a Chinese work, consisting of six volumes, with plates, entitled the “‘ Anti-famine Herbal,” containing the descriptions and represen- tations of four hundred and fourteen different plants, whose leaves, rinds, stalks, and roots, are fitted to furnish food for the people, when drought, ravages of beasts, or the overflow of the great rivers, has caused a failure of rice and other grain. The Chinese Government annually prints and dis- tributes this book gratuitously in the districts which are most exposed to these calamities ; and the Doctor adds, that the example of the Chinese ought to be suggestive to us that a more general knowledge of the properties and capabilities of esculent plants would be an important branch of educa- tion. It has been suggested that the Arrow-head should, in this country, be cultivated as an experiment ; but it is thought that this would be attended with too great an expense. The tubers attain a larger size in China than in this country. Mr. Baxter, referring to this beautiful aquatic, remarks, ‘‘ Representations of this often occur in Oriental paintings, associated with the consecrated cyamus, or sacred bean. The late Mr. Richard Payne Knight, so distinguished for profound learning, suggested to Sir J. E. Smith, that as the cyamus is an acknowledged emblem of fertility and reproduction, the Arrow-head indicates the contrary, or a destroying power. They are the Egg and the Anchor, or the Arrow-head, so-general in architectural ornaments.” 14 JUNCAGINACEA?—ARROW-GRASS TRIBE Order XCIV. JUNCAGINACEA—ARROW-GRASS TRIBE. Flowers perfect ; perianth green and small, or none; stamens 6; ovaries 3—6, superior, united, or distinct ; carpels 3—6, 1—2-seeded. This is a small order of marsh plants, possessing no remarkable properties. 1. Arrow-GRrass (7Z7riglichin).—Perianth of 3 outer and 3 inner erect leaves ; stamens 6; flowers arranged in a spike, without bracts. Name from the Greek ¢reis, three, and glochin, a point, from the three points of the capsule. 2. SCHEUCHZERIA.—Perianth of 6 reflexed leaves; flowers in racemes, with bracts ; stamens 6; stigmas sessile; capsules 2-valved, 1—2-seeded. Named in honour of the Scheuchzers, Swiss botanists. 1. ARRow-GRASS (7'riglochin). 1. Marsh Arrow-grass (7. palistre).—Leaves linear, channelled, and succulent, all from the root, smooth, and nearly erect; capsule 3-celled, narrow ; root fibrous. This is a perennial plant, abundant by the sides of rivers and on marshy lands, and might, during June and July, at the first glance be mistaken for the seaside plantain, though its flowers are much fewer, and more scattered over the upper part of the stalk. They are green, sometimes tinged with red. The succulent leaves are membranous, and sheathing at the base. Cattle are very fond of this plant. 2. Sea Arrow-grass (7. maritimum).—Leaves semi-cylindrical, all from the root; capsule egg-shaped, 6-celled. This species is much like the last, but is a taller and stouter plant, and well distinguished by its rounded capsule, and paler green hue. It has a saline flavour, and its greenish-yellow flowers expand from May to September. Both species are quite innocuous, but they afford little nutriment. Goldfinches may be seen sometimes pecking very busily at their young buds. The genus was formerly called Juncago, because the plants, like the rushes, grow in bogs and wet situations. The French call our plant Z’roscart ; the Germans Salzgras. 2. SCHEUCHZERIA (Scheuchzéri). Marsh Scheuchzeria (S. palistris)—Stem erect, unbranched ; leaves alternate, blunt, semi-cylindrical ; perennial. This plant is, by its slender semi-cylindrical leaves, very nearly allied to the rushes. It bears, in July, a raceme of yellowish-green flowers, with large bracts, on a wavy stalk, about six inches high. It is very rare, growing among the bog-mosses in some tracts of Yorkshire, Cheshire, Nottingham, near Shrewsbury, and at Methven, near Perth. Order XCV. TYPHACEA‘—REED-MACE TRIBE. Stamens and pistils in separate flowers on the same plant; flowers in dense spikes or heads, not enclosed in a sheath, the heads of male flowers above ; perianth composed of 3 scales, or a tuft of hairs; stamens 3—6, distinct, or united by their filaments ; anthers long, and wedge-shaped ; ovary single, superior, l-celled ; style short ; stigma linear, lateral; fruit 1-celled, TYPHACEA—_REED-MACE TRIBE 15 I-seeded, not opening. ‘This is a small order of herbaceous plants, with creeping rootstocks, jointless stems, and sword-shaped leaves, common in marshes and ditches. 1. REED-MACE (7'ypha).—Flowers in long spikes ; perianth none, except hairs ; stamens surrounded with hairs ; anthers 3 together on one filament ; ovary stalked, with hairs at its base. Name from the Greek tiphos, a marsh, from the place of growth. 2. BUR-REED (Spargdénium).—F lowers in dense globular heads, each with a single perianth of 3 scales; stamens 3 in the barren flower; stigma of fertile flower awl-shaped. Name from the Greek sparganon, a little band, from the long leaves. 1. CAT’S-TAIL, OR REED-MACE (Z'ypha). 1. Great Reed-mace (7. latifvlia).—Leaves linear, somewhat convex beneath ; catkin continuous, its common stalk hairy ; perennial. During the months of July and August, few plants are more conspicuous than the Great Reed-mace among the reeds and sedges which fringe our lakes and pools. Its round erect stem is often six feet high, and its leaves an inch broad, three or four feet long, and of a bluish colour. The long spikes of flowers on their reedy stem render its name of Reed-mace very appropriate ; the fertile spike is thick and brown, often a foot long, bearing at its summit the long slender yellow terminal barren one, which has one or two large bracts. Village people call the plant Bulrush, and believe that it was woven into the cradle for the infant Moses ; and Rubens and other Italian painters represent our Saviour as holding this plant in His hand, when, in cruel mockery, a Reed was given Him as a sceptre. The flower abounds in yellow pollen, which is so inflammable, that if a candle is applied to it, it instantly produces a flash of light. It was on this account formerly used, instead of the spores of the club-mosses, in exhibitions of fireworks ; but it is not easily collected in any quantity. Professor Burnett says, that it is a good stimulant in the cure of diseased skin; and Gerarde records that the “downe of the Reed- mace hath been proved to heale kibed or humbled heels, as they are termed, either before or after the skin is broken.” As the brown portion of the catkin ripens, the downy tufts, which are very numerous, loosen from their hold, and, becoming gradually detached, fly in multitudes on the summer breeze. They are sometimes used for filling pillows and mattresses ; and Kalm mentions that the Swedes formerly placed this down in their beds instead of feathers, but that it became matted and entangled in the course of time. The long leaves are used in thatching ; mats and baskets are made of them; and coopers sometimes put them between the staves of casks to prevent leakage. The Swedes lay these leaves beneath the horse’s saddle to relieve the pressure. Haller mentions that the roots are eaten in saled, The plant contributes much to the luxuriant growth of our aquatic herbage, inasmuch as, with its companions by the water-side, by its successive growth and decomposition, it renders the soil fitted for more important plants. The Reed-mace is in Kent often called Flax-tail ; the French call it Massette. 2. Lesser Reed-mace (7. angustifélia).—Leaves linear, convex beneath, channelled above; barren and fertile spikes usually separated from each 16 TYPHACEA\—REED-MACE TRIBE other, both cylindrical ; the common stalk scaly; perennial. This species, — which is much smaller than the last, is not generally distributed. It is, however, common on the river and pool sides in some places, as in the neigh- bourhood of London. The stem is about four or five feet high, the catkins not nearly so thick as in the common species, and the leaves not so broad. A plant called 7. minor, with narrow bristled leaves, and mostly distant spikes, is described by Dillenius as having grown on Hounslow Heath, but nothing has been known of it in recent years. 2. BUR-REED (Spargdnium). 1. Branched Bur-reed (S. ramésum).—Leaves triangular at the base, their sides concave ; common flower-stalks branched ; stigma linear ; peren- nial. This plant is well named Bur-reed, from the clustered fruits which, during autumn, look like large burs. It is one of our commonest aquatics, and is two or three feet high, with a green sturdy branched stem, having on its upper part long narrow leaves, which wave in the winds with a rustling sound. In July and August the flowers appear growing in dense globular heads; the barren ones small and olive-brown until the yellow anthers spread and make them appear as large as the lower ones, which contain the fertile flowers. After the flowers, the globular heads of seeds enlarge till they are of the size of a small apple. They are at first green, gradually becoming brown, when the ripened seeds fall. These are about as large, as firm and as heavy as a grain of barley. 2. Unbranched Upright Bur-reed (S. sémplex).—Leaves triangular at the base, their sides flat ; common flower-stalk unbranched ; stigma linear ; perennial. This, which is a common water-plant, is readily distinguished from the last species by its unbranched flower-stalk. It is about two feet high, and altogether smaller than the Branched Bur-reed. It grows in ditches, and by the sides of lakes and pools, and bears in July and August globular heads of pale yellow flowers. 3. Floating Bur-reed (S. ndians).—Leaves floating, flat; common flower-stalk unbranched; stigma egg-shaped, very short, perennial. This species, though more abundant in the pools, lakes, and rivers at the north of this kingdom, is widely distributed. It flowers in July, rising but a few inches above the surface of the water, and it has very long transparent leaves. A more slender form is recognised as a sub-species under the name of S. minimum. Order XCVI. AROIDEAZX—ARUM TRIBE. Stamens and pistils separate, but on the same plant; flowers arranged on a spadix or central column, and enclosed in a sheath ; perianth none ; stamens numerous, sessile on the spadix ; ovaries numerous, sessile below the stamens; stigmas sessile; fruit a fleshy berry. This is a remarkable tribe of perennial plants, possessing acrid and even poisonous properties, which are, however, removed by some means of preparing the roots, when they may be used as food. ‘They are abundant in tropical countries, and the Re Bd < oa ae ae GREAT REED MACE , Typha la tif olia ~ LESSER R.M. T.angastitolia R.M T.aninor . DWARF BRANCHED BUR REED Spargamum ramosuri ONBRANCHED UPLOGHY B.R S. simplex PLOATING B. R S. natans AROIDEA—ARUM TRIBE 17 flowers and foliage of all the tribe have much general resemblance to our common British species, the Cuckoo-pint. CucKkoo-PINT (Arwm).—Flowers on a club-shaped spadix, which is naked above, and enclosed in a convolute sheath. Name from the Greek avon, its meaning doubtful. Cuckoo-PINT (Arum). 1. Cuckoo-pint (4. maculétwm).—Stem none; leaves halberd-shaped, somewhat arrow-shaped, entire; common stalk of the flowers club-shaped, blunt ; rootstock tuberous. Every rambler in green lane, by the thick hedgerow, or the sunny bank which borders the meadow, delights, in early spring, to see the bright green glossy leaves of the Cuckoo-pint, spotted often with dark purple stains, and commonly four or five inches long. Those of us whose youthful days were spent in companionship with birds and flowers and waving trees, could sympathize with the feelings of Clare : ‘* How sweet it used to be, when April first Unclosed the Arum leaves, and into view Its ear-like spindling flowers their cases burst, Betinged with yellowish, white, or purplish hue! Ah, how delighted, humming on the time Some nameless song or tale, I sought the flowers ! Some rushy dyke to jump, or bank to climb Ere I obtain’d them; while from hasty showers Oft under trees we nestled in a ring, Culling our Lords-and-ladies. O ye hours! I never see the broad-leaved Arum spring, Stainéd with spot of jet—I never see Those dear delights which April still does bring But Memory’s tongue repeats it all to me.” Scarcely an English hedgerow but has, in March, its store of the glossy handsome leaves; while in April the tall spathe unrolls and exhibits the central spadix, about three inches long, sometimes of a yellowish hue, at others greenish-purple, and often of a deep rich violet colour, though this tint is easily rubbed off. A ring of glands (aborted anthers) surrounds the middle of the spadix, and below this is a circle of sessile anthers; while, lower still, it is surrounded by the sessile ovaries, which, as the year advances, develép into a cluster of brilliant scarlet berries. Long after the leaves have withered, the stalk, about a foot high, thickly covered at the top with these fruits in a conspicuous mass, may be seen glistening among the sober-tinted wintry leaves beneath the woodland boughs. The berries are highly poisonous, and every part of the plant is acrid. Particular interest attaches to the arrangement of the organs on the lower part of the spadix. At one time it appeared to be quite correct to say it was a plan for ensuring the fertilization of the pistils by the pollen falling on them from above. But then observation showed that the pistils were mature, and had set their seeds before the anthers commenced to dis- charge their pollen. It was found that the unpleasant odour of the Arum attracts large numbers of small flies, whose usual food is decaying toadstools. They enter the spathe and easily pass the barrier of hairs from the aborted anthers, which, however, do not allow them to pass upwards again. If they have previously visited an Arum spathe, they are likely to bring pollen from Iv.—3 18 AROIDEZ it attached to their hairy wings, and this gets shaken off upon the stigmas. Until fertilization has taken place the flies are kept prisoners, but after that is effected the anthers let fall a shower of pollen upon them, the pistils secrete honey for their reward, and the shrivelling-up of the barrier of hairs sets them free to carry pollen to a slightly later Arum flower. The colour of the spadix and the unpleasant odour has direct relation to the visits of these flies. The Greek name Aron is thought by Sir William Hooker to have been derived from ar or awr, which in Hebrew and various old languages signifies fire, and to have been given from its burning taste; while Skinner thinks that its common country name of Wake Robin was bestowed because its acrimony would awaken the sleeping. The plant has a singular power of evolving heat from its spadix, at the expansion of the sheath. Professor Lindley records that Sennebier observed that the bulb of a thermometer, applied to the surface of the spadix of this species, indicated a temperature seven degrees higher than that of the external air; and M. Hubert found this heat in a more wonderful degree in the species termed 4. cordifolium, in the Isle of France. A thermometer, placed in the centre of five spadixes of this plant, stood at one hundred and eleven degrees ; and in the centre of twelve spadixes, at one hundred and twenty-one degrees, though the tempera- ture of the surrounding air was only sixty-six degrees. Many a country child knows something of the acridity of the Arum; and the author once saw the lips and tongue of a little friend much inflamed by having bitten the spadix. The application of milk soothed the pain in some measure, but it was not wholly removed for more than an hour. Yet the root, which is a tuber rather larger than a walnut, contains a farinaceous substance well fitted for making bread, or a dish resembling in flavour the Indian arrowroot. The author having, in a little book published some years since, named this flour of the root, was, during the famine in Ireland conse- quent on the failure of the potato crop, applied to by a gentleman residing in Galway for some information on the subject. The applicant, who com- manded a fort in the neighbourhood of which the Arum grew in abundance, stated that he had roasted and boiled these tubers, but that they still retained too great an acridity for use. The author, who could at that time discover no record of the mode of preparation, could only give the result of her own experiments on the plant, and directed her correspondent, after drying the root, to grate it into water, and after a time toremove the liquid. ‘The sedi- ment was again to be washed, and finally dried. ‘The benevolent inquirer tried this plan, and afterwards assured his correspondent that he had thus been enabled to prepare several packets of flour, perfectly free from flavour, and fit for use. The celebrated Portland sago has been long known to be obtained from the Arum root. This substance, which is more like arrowroot than sago, has from time immemorial been made in Portland Island ; and, in 1797, a gold medal was given by the Society of Arts to Mrs. Jane Gibbs, for procuring a sample of starch for economic purposes from the root. A writer in the Pharmaceutical Journal, who in the year 1853 resided near Port- land, gives a full account of the process used in the island; and from his statement are gathered the following particulars. The starch, or arrowroot, QPPOSITE LEAVED PONDWHED cUCKOO PINT Arum tnmaculatouan Z SWEET SEDGE : ELNNEL LEAVED F Potamogetan densus Acovms calamus.- P -pectinatus Pl, 239, ARUM TRIBE 19 is made by crushing the Arum-root in a mortar, stirring the mass in water, and straining off the liquor. The mass must be again washed and dried. The corms are said to yield about four pounds of fecula to the peck. The manufacture of this article was some years since much greater in Portland Isle than it now is, though it was never of any great commercial importance, and it is now almost extinct, and never seen out of the island, except in cases in which botanists make experiments upon plants. The writer adds that it was formerly customary to crop the lands in the island every other year, leaving them fallow during the intervening seasons, at which time the in- habitants received permission from the owners of the lands to dig up the Arum-roots. But the theory of the rotation of crops is now acted on there, as elsewhere, and the once fallow land is now covered with the green blade, or in some spots has been built over. The Arum has consequently become much less abundant, and the writer found it difficult at that time to procure asample of the Portland sago; he also ascertained that an old woman in the island was then the sole manufacturer. The plant, besides its almost universal name of Lords-and-Ladies, is called in the island by its old name of Cows- and-Calves, as well as Arrow-root and Starch-root. The writer remarks, that it is singular that it should be called Arrow-root, probably from its arrow- shaped leaves; and asks: “ May not the Maranta arundinacea (Indian arrow- root) have derived its name from the previously known and appreciated Arrow-root of the Island of Portland?” The general opinion is, however, that the Maranta was so called because its pounded root is used by the Indians to extract the poison from wounds inflicted by the arrow. The tubers of various species of Arum form a very important article of food in many tropical countries. Sir Joseph Hooker, when in the Himalayas, mentions having pitched his tent at ten thousand feet above the sea, amid an undergrowth of holly, and surrounded by magnificent rhododendrons, roses, willows, white flowering cherry, birch, and maple trees. ‘Some great tuberous-rooted Arums,” he says, ‘‘ were very abundant, and the ground was covered with small pits, in which were large wooden pestles ; these are used in the preparation of food from the Arums, to which the miserable inhabitants of the valley have recourse in spring. The roots, when bruised, are thrown into the holes with water. In seven or eight days an acetous fermentation commences, and this is a sign that the poisonous principle is dissipated.” The pulpy mass is afterwards boiled and eaten ; its nutriment consisting in the starch, which exists in small quantities, and which the ignorant inhabitants have not the skill to separate by grating and washing. The Doctor adds that this food produces illness, and a loss of the skin and hair, especially when the root is insufficiently fermented; but in all probability a better mode of preparation would render the root perfectly wholesome. The Arum esculentum is much eaten by the South Sea islanders, and appears to form - really good food. Besides the common modern names of our Cuckoo-pint, it was known by several others to old herbalists: they called it Ramp and Friar’s Cowl; and the French still call it Bonnet de Grand Prétre, as well as Pied de Veau, Pain de Litvre, Le Gouet, and in the southern provinces Chou poivre. It is said to form the basis of their celebrated cosmetic, termed cypress powder, which is 9) — 20 AROIDEA—ARUM TRIBE one of the few cosmetics which are perfectly harmless. The Germans call the plant Aronswurz. Gerarde tells how the root was used “by way of cataplasm, blisterwise. The green leaves were commonly placed on the skin in eruptive disorders, and even the berries were crushed and drunk with wine, though this must have been a dangerous medicine. An old writer remarks: “Tragus reporteth that a drachm weight or more, if need be, of the Spotted Wake Robin, either fresh and greene, or dried and taken, is a present and sure remedy for poison and the plague. The juice of the herb swallowed to the quantity of a spoonful, hath the same effect ; but if there be a little vinegar added thereto, as well as to the root aforesaid, it somewhat allayeth the sharpe biting taste upon the tongue.” Modern medicines are not very pleasant to the palate, but truly may the invalid rejoice that the caustic Arum-juice is not among them. The root when fresh is undoubtedly very stimulant ; and Ettmiiller says, that cut in small pieces, and taken in brandy, it is a good medicine for loss of appetite, but it is a highly dangerous one. But a still more frequent use was made of the Arum-root, when, in the days of Queen Elizabeth, it furnished the starch for the ruffs worn by the gentlemen and gentlewomen of those times. Gerarde, who, like the people of Portland, called it Starch-wort, says, ‘The most pure and white starch is made from it;” but he adds, that it is ““most hurtfull to the hands of the laundresse that hath the handling of it; for it chappeth, blistereth, and maketh the handes rough and rugged, and withall smarting.” The immense lawn ruffs of those days needed some especially strong starch, nor could our English clear-starchers give them sufficient stiffness, till a Dutch woman came to London to teach the art of starching, and she probably used this root for her purpose. Queen Elizabeth, though she herself chose to wear these “most uncomfortable ruffs, yet so disapproved of the excesses of her subjects in this particular, that she ordered men to stand at the city-gates to cut down all ruffs more than a yard deep; and it was probably well for the hands of the laundresses, that, in the time of James L, ruffs grew into dis- repute among the fashionable, because Mrs. Turner, an accomplice in the death of Sir Thomas Overbury, was hanged in this article of dress. John Ray mentions that Arum-roots were formerly used as soap. The berries of the Cuckoo-pint are eaten by birds, especially pheasants ; and Gilbert White, of Selborne, remarked, that in severe winters thrushes dig up and eat the roots. 2, Roman Arum (4d. italicum).—Leaves halberd-shaped, but more triangular than in 4. maculatum ; spathe three times the length of spadix, tip drooping ; spadix always yellow; berries longer. This species, which is in all respects much larger and stouter than ordinary examples of the common species, was long confounded with it in this country. It is restricted in range to the most southern portions of our country, and even within these limits is very local. It may be looked for in woods and hedge- rows from Cornwall to Sussex, and in the Channel Islands. There are several points by which it may be distinguished from 4. maculatum, apart from its superior size, which alone may cause vigorous specimens of the common species to be mistaken for it. The leaves of A. t/alicum are pro- ORONTIACEA—SWEET SEDGE TRIBE 21 duced during winter ; those of 4. maculatum in spring. There is the relative lengths of spathe and spadix: in maculatum the spadix being half the length of the spathe, and in ¢talicum only one-third. The colour of the spadix, which varies from yellow to livid purple in maculatum, is always yellow in italicum ; the pistils are longer in zfalicum, as also are the aborted anthers, whose hair-like processes act as a barrier to the lower part of the spathe. Order XCVII. ORONTIACEZE—SWEET SEDGE TRIBE. Flowers perfect, arranged on a central column or spadix, at first enclosed in a sheath ; perianth of 4 to 8 scales ; stamens the same in number as the scales; ovary superior ; fruit a berry. This order consists of herbaceous plants, with broad, often sword-shaped, leaves. SWEET SEDGE (Acorus).—Spathe leaf-like, not convolute ; spadix eylin- drical, covered with sessile flowers; capsule triangular, abrupt, 3-celled ; seeds several. Name from the Greek a, without, and korion, the pupil of the eye, because formerly used in diseases of that organ. Sweer SEDGE (Acorus). * Sweet Flag (4. célumus).—Spathe leafy, rising far above the spadix ; leaves erect ; rootstock creeping, perennial. This plant grows on the banks of rivers in the midland and south-eastern counties of England, but neither very generally nor plentifully, except in Norfolk and Suffolk, where it is abundant. Though occurring in one or two places in Ireland and Scotland, it is not indigenous to either of these countries, but naturalized. It is very much like a sedge or large grass, but is readily distinguished by its spadix, which is three or four inches long, and of a pale greenish-yellow colour, over- hung by a long flat leaf, while stem, roots, leaves, and all portions of the plant, emit a most pleasant aromatic odour. Our fathers called it Cegge, or Wylde Gladone, and this, as well as the common sedges, probably shared in the general name of Stare, or Starre. The French call it L’acore odorant, and the Italians, L’acoro ; it is the Kalmus, or Calamus, of the Germans. In some country places it is called Myrtle Sedge, probably because, like the myrtle, it is a fragrant plant. The whole herb is both aromatic and bitter ; and Linneus remarked that it was the only aromatic plant of northern climates. In former days the Sweet Sedge was used in the garlands hung in churches or dwellings. When floors were strewed with rushes, this sedge was probably used by the rich ; and some writers believe it to have been very generally employed for this purpose, and to have been, in former days, much more plentiful in this kingdom than it now is. From time immemorial it has been used for strewing the floors of the cathedral of Norwich, and has been thrown on some of the adjoining streets on the day of choosing the mayor of that city, as also on other festival days, while common rushes and sedges sometimes mingle with it on these occasions. When trodden on, its fragrance becomes stronger, and the old cathedral seems filled with incense. The people of Norfolk still prize it as a cure for agues, and grind the root to powder to be thus used; and the root has been thus employed 22 LEMNACEA.A—DUCK-WEED TRIBE medicinally since the days of Hippocrates. It has, doubtless, tonic properties, and in our own times has proved a successful remedy in fever, even in cases in which Peruvian bark has failed. In Egypt it is called Cassabel, and is much valued, and the roots have long been imported into this country from the Levant, though our own are as good as those of the foreign plants. The rootstock is very large, and full of a farinaceous substance, rendered fragrant by an essential oil. In Turkey it is made into a sweetmeat, and sold in the shops as a stomachic, and is peculiarly prized during the prevalence of any infectious disease. It formerly grew on the brinks of rivers about London, but Professor Burnett, who remarks that it is consumed in great quantities by perfumers and the makers of hair-powder, says that it has been almost wholly destroyed in that neighbourhood by their continual maraudings. Order XCVIII. LEMNACEAZX—DUCKWEED TRIBE. Stamens and pistils in different flowers on the same plant ; flowers 1 to 3 in a spathe, but without a spadix; perianth none; stamens 1—2, distinct ; ovary l-celled; style short ; stigma simple. The order consists of floating herbaceous scale-like annual plants, without distinction of stem or leaf. 1. DucKkwEeED (Lémna).—Spathe membranaceous and cup-shaped ; flowers from clefts just below the margin of the frond; anthers 2-celled ; pollen rough. Name from the Greek lepis, a scale. 2. WoLFFIA (/Volffia).—Fronds very minute, rootless, flattened above, budding from the cleft base; flowers: produced on upper surface of frond, without spathes; anthers without filaments, 1-celled; pollen smooth. Named in honour of J. F. Wolff, an authority on Lemna. 1. DucKWEED (Lémna). 1. Lesser Duckweed (ZL. minor).—Fronds inversely egg-shaped, and somewhat convex beneath; root solitary. This is a plant with which all who have in summer-time gazed upon our standing waters are sure to be familiar. Lying there in large floating masses, mingling itself among the crow-silks and other Conferve, it in some places entirely covers the surface of the pool with a mass of verdure; all these common water-plants increasing so rapidly in warm weather as sometimes to occasion trouble to the owners of the waters. The little fleshy green frond has no distinct stem or leaf ; it is nearly flat at the top, but slightly rounded beneath, very thick, and suceu- lent, of a bright green colour, sometimes a little tinged with purplish-red. These fronds are collected into twos and threes, each one sending down a single root. The Duckweeds increase more by buds than by their flowers, but this species flowers very commonly in July; its flower is too incon- spicuous to be seen, unless carefully looked for. Professor Lindley describes this flowering of the Duckweed in the most simple and graphic manner. “Tf,” he says, “you will fix your eye attentively upon a mass of it on a still sunshiny day, in June or July, you will probably discover exceedingly minute straw-coloured specks, here and there, on the edges of the plants ; they have a sparkling appearance, and, notwithstanding their minuteness, readily catch IVY -LEAVED ' DUCKWEED 3 GREATEF Lemna trisulca L. polverhiza ae LESSER JD" i +L4BOU S L.. minor . L. @ibba Pl, 240. LEMNACEAi—DUCKWEED TRIBE 23 the eye. These are the anthers, and they being found, you have only to carry home the plants, and place them under the microscope, when all the secrets of their flowering stand revealed. Where the anthers have caught the eye will be seen a narrow slit, out of which they peep; if you widen this slit with your dissecting instrument, you will be able to extract the - blossom entire, and you will have before your eyes the simplest of all known flowering plants. The flower consists of a transparent membranous bag, shaped like a water-caraffe, and split on one side; within it are two stamens and one ovary, with a style and simple stigma.” What Dr. Lindley here describes as the flower is really the spathe, each stamen representing a separate flower. Enlarged representations of the inflorescence of this and other species are given on our plate, beside the enlarged figure of the plant. Country people still frequently call the Duckweed Water-lens. Gerarde terms it Water-lentils, and adds, that the Dutch call it Weerlinden. He names it also as the Duckweed, and gives a curious engraving, in which the ducks appear to be luxuriating upon it. 2. Ivy-leaved Duckweed (L. trisiilca).—Fronds thin, between elliptical and lanceolate, serrated towards one end, and tailed at the other ; roots solitary. This plant is not unfrequent on clear waters, chiefly in England and the Channel Islands ; in Ireland and Scotland it is rare. Its fronds are green, and clear at the margin, half an inch or more long, bearing each a root, which is tipped with a little cap or sheath. This sheath is found to be an especial organ, formed before the root bursts forth. The form of this Duckweed is very different from that of any other species; and Linnzus remarked that its flattened fronds producing new plants, and crossing each other, resembled in their mode of growth the Opuntia, or Indian fig. It is a common species on ponds and lakes. 3. Gibbous Duckweed (ZL. gibba).—Fronds inversely egg-shaped, hemi- spherical beneath. This plant is larger than the Lesser Duckweed, green above, and distinguished by its bulging lower surface, which is white and clear. It floats in ditches, pools, and lakes, flowering from June to Sep- tember. 4, Greater .Duckweed (L. polyrhiza).—Fronds broadly egg-shaped, somewhat convex beneath; roots numerous. This is the largest of our native Duckweeds, and has thick firm fronds, about half an inch long, and almost as broad. The under part is tinged with purple, and the upper side is marked with seven nerves. The plant is rare on our stagnant waters; in Scotland it occurs locally, but is a doubtful native. It is, like all our Duck- weeds, an annual, sinking in winter to the bottom of the pool. 2. WoLFFIA (/Volffia). Wolff's Duckweed (W. arrhiza).—Frond oblong, loosely cellular beneath ; root absent. This species has the distinction of being the smallest flowering plant at present known to science. Seeing that the longest measure- ment of the frond is only one-twentieth of an inch, and its breadth half that dimension, a rival for this honour is not very likely to be discovered. Until 1886, when it was discovered by Mr. H. Trimen, it had been quite overlooked 24 NATADACEAL in this country, and its minuteness is no doubt answerable for the fact that it has hitherto been recorded only from a few of the home counties. The — young plants are produced singly at the base of the old fronds, but soon detached. It is also known as Lemna michelii. Order XCIX. NAIADACEA—POND-WEED TRIBE. Flowers perfect, or imperfect; perianth either tubular, composed of scales, or wanting ; stamens free, 1, 2, or 4; ovaries 1-celled ; fruit either a hard nut, or a drupe enclosing a hard nut, l-seeded. This order consists of plants inhabiting ponds, streams, the sea, or salt-marshes ; their leaves some- times almost leathery, but more often thin and transparent, and the flowers small and green. 1. PoND-WEED (Potamogéton).—F lowers in a spike; stamens and pistils in the same flower; perianth of 4 sepals ; stamens 2 or 4; carpels 4, sessile. Name from the Greek pétamos, a river, and geéton, a neighbour. 2. Ruppia (Lippia).—Flowers about 2 on a stalk ; stamens and pistils in the same flower ; perianth none ; stamens 2; carpels 4, at first sessile, after- wards raised, each on a long stalk. Name from Henry Bernard Ruppius, a botanist of the last century. 3. HoRNED POND-WEED (Zannichéllia).—F lowers axillary ; stamens and pistils in separate flowers; stamens 1; carpels 4—-6. Name from J. J. Zannichelli, a Venetian botanist. 4, GRASS-WRACK (Zostéra).—Flowers composed of stamens or pistils separately arranged in two alternate rows, in a long leaf-like sheath ; perianth none. Name from the Greek zoster, a girdle, from its long riband-like leaves. 5. Natas (Naias).—Flowers solitary or crowded, containing a single anther or a solitary carpel; leaves linear, either opposite, in bundles or whorled ; stipules attached to the base of the leaf. Name from the Greek Naias, a water-nymph. 1. POND-WEED (Potamogéton). * Upper leaves floating. 1. Broad-leaved Pond-weed (P. ndtans).—Upper leaves between oblong and egg-shaped, stalked, leathery, ribbed ; lower leaves linear, mem- branous, often wanting, or reduced to a mere stalk ; fruit keeled at the back. This, which is a very common plant in ponds, ditches, and slowly-moving waters, varies in size according to the depth of the water, scarcely having any submerged leaves in those which are shallow. The floating leaves are smooth, of a dull olive-green, and two or three inches long, on long stalks ; and the lower ones, when present, look like grass-leaves, and are sometimes a foot in length. The stem is round, and, in July and August, the cylindrical spikes of small green flowers rise above the surface of the pool. The roots are a favourite food of swans, and they are also eaten in Siberia by the peasantry. An old name for this plant was Water-spike ; the French call it Le Potamot. It is a common “river guest” in the waters of most European countries. POND-WEED TRIBE 25 2. Oblong-leaved Pond-weed (P. obléngus).—Leaves all stalked, upper ones leathery, floating, oblong-elliptical, lower ones linear-lanceolate , fruit small, with the back blunt and rounded; spike slender, cylindrical, densely flowered, upon a long rounded flower-stalk. This species, which is thus described by Mr. Babington, is by him considered as distinct from the last, of which some botanists consider it but a variety. This author remarks that it is far from uncommon in wet ditches, small streams, and bogs in Britain, but rare in Ireland. Its fruit is about half as large as that of P. natans, and differs in form. It bears in July short spikes of greenish flowers. It is of a more membranous character than P. natans, and the sub- merged leaves are well developed. It is also known as P. polygonifolius. A plant considered by Sir Joseph Hooker to be a form of this species, has been described by Boswell under the name of P. kirkii. It has been found at Galway in Ireland, and is distinguished by its very long floating leaves of a somewhat leathery consistence, and by the submerged leaves being long and linear like those of P. lanceolatus. 3. Plantain-leaved Pond-weed (P. plantagineus).—Leaves all long stalked, membranous, and _ pellucid, upper ones elliptical, opposite, floating, lower ones submersed, and oblong; stipules short, broad. This Pond-weed has a creeping stem, which throws out long running shoots. It is a beautiful plant, with clear bright netted green leaves, and reminds one of some of the sea-weeds which rise so gracefully in the salt-water pools. It bears long greenish dense spikes of flowers in June and July, and is found in stagnant ditches and bogs in several counties. Also known as P. coloratus. 4. Reddish Pond-weed, or Long-leaved Floating Pond-weed (P. ruféscens).—Upper leaves oblong, or inversely egg-shaped, tapering into a short stalk, somewhat leathery ; lower leaves linear-lanceolate, and tapering at both ends, sessile. In this plant the floating leaves are somewhat tough, and the lower thin and membranaceous. The plant is of a dull olive-green, more or less tinted with a dingy red colour. It bears its spikes of greenish flowers in July, and is found in still waters and ditches in various parts of the kingdom. Also known as P. alpinus. 5. Lanceolate Pond-weed (P. lwnceoldtus).—Floating leaves stalked, somewhat leathery, many-nerved, sometimes wanting; submersed leaves sessile, lanceolate, tapering at the base, membranaceous. This plant bears its small, short, dense spikes of greenish flowers in July and August. It is a rare species, inhabiting rivers; it has been recorded from Anglesey, Cam- bridge, and County Down. It has very slender stems. 6. Various-leaved Pond-weed (P. heterophillus).— Upper leaves elliptical, stalked, slightly leathery, but not thick, often wanting; sub- mersed leaves lanceolate, sessile, and membranaceous. In this plant the flower-stalks are enlarged at the upper part, and the spikes are dense. It flowers in July and August. It is a common species in pools, canals, ditches, and rivers generally, but rare in Ireland. 7. Lance-leaved Pond-weed (P. lonchites).—Stem stout, longer and less-branched than in P. heterophyllus, floating leaves usually wanting, if present oblong lance-shaped, long-stalked, opposite ; submerged leaves strap- shaped, long and straight, alternate, translucent, with 7 to 9 ribs; flowers in ive 26 NATADACEE a short spike, the stalk slightly thickened upwards. This is a rare species — found in the river Boyne, Ireland. It flowers from June to September. * * Leaves all submersed and pellucid. 8. Curly Pond-weed (P. crispus).—Stem flattened, much branched ; leaves narrow, oblong, branched, sessile, serrate, usually wavy. This is one ’ of the commonest Pond-weeds of our ditches and rivers, bearing in June and July its short loose spikes of yellowish-green flowers. Its leaves are often very much frilled at the edge, and of a brighter green than many of the species. It is evidently a very favourite plant with ducks, and probably with many other water-fowl, both wild and domestic; and as its creeping stems penetrate the soft soil, it propagates itself so quickly that it would, if left unmolested, soon fill a pond or slow river. 9. Perfoliate Pond-weed (P. perfolidtus).— Leaves heart-shaped, embracing the stem, uniformly membranaceous. This, too, is one of our commonest species, and its long slightly-branched stems occur in ponds and lakes. Its leaves are clear, and, when young, of a dull olive-green, becoming browner as they grow older, and appearing, when dried, as a thin brown membrane. The Rey. C. A. Johns remarks, that in their dry state they are so sensitive of moisture, that if laid on the palm of the hand they will curl up. The plant bears in July and August short oblong spikes of greenish flowers. 10. Willow-leaved Pond-weed (P. salicifolius).—Leaves all trans- lucent, the submerged lance-shaped, half clasping; stems slender, rounded, slightly branched ; flower-spike short, its stalk not enlarged upwards. It flowers in July, and has been found in rivers in Herefordshire. ll. Griffth’s Pond-weed (P. griffithii)—Stem rounded, branched ; lower leaves strap-shaped, half clasping the stem, with hollow tip; upper leaves lance-shaped, tapering into a long leaf-stalk ; stipules blunt, long and slender ; spike dense, on a slender stalk which is shorter than the upper leaves. It flowers in summer, and has been found only at Llyn-an-Afon, in Carnarvonshire. 12. Long-stalked Pond-weed (P. preléngus).—Leaves oblong, blunt, sessile, nerved from the lower part, and half-clasping ; flower-stalks very long; stipules large. This rare species is one of the largest of our Pond- weeds, and is fou’ad in some ditches and rivers chiefly in the north of this kingdom, forming in deep water large thick masses just below the surface. It has very long stems, and clear dark green leaves, but the stipules are white, tinged with red, and are very long. The plant is well distinguished by the thick stalks of its flower-spikes, which are from half a foot to a foot in length. It bears a cylindrical many-flowered spike in June and July. It occurs in rivers between Caithness, Essex and Shropshire, also rarely in Ireland. 13. Long-leaved Pond-weed (P. longifélius).—Leaves very long and lanceolate, narrowing below ; stipules winged; common flower-stalks very long. This plant, which was found in Lough Corrib, Galway, has long slender stems, and pellucid entire leaves, with very short stalks, and green prominently-winged stipules. Its spike of flowers appears in July and August. 14. Shining Pond-weed (P. licens).—Leaves between elliptical and SMALL, PONDWEED i GRAS S-WRACK -LIKT Potamogeton pusilbus FRASSY } 5. CURLY P SHARP-LEAVED F. 6 PERFOLIATE P P. acttufolrus. 7, LONG = STALKED F P. preelongus Pl, 241. P P rispus | erfoliatus POND-WEED TRIBE 27 lanceolate, narrowing at the top, and tipped with a short spine; stipules large and winged; spike dense, many-flowered. This is a handsome Pond- weed. Its large clear olive-green membranous leaves have wavy edges, and ‘are beautifully veined. It is the largest of our native species, and forms masses in ponds, ditches, and rivers, where it is often abundant. We have, however, no species like the P. serratum of the Swiss lakes, which Haller describes as growing to the enormous length of from ten to twenty fathoms, forming a kind of forest in their waters. Our Shining Pond-weed bears cylindrical spikes of green flowers, about two inches long, in June and July. Two sub-species are recognised: P. zizii and P. decipiens. The former has oblong floating leaves, somewhat leathery, and a very long stalk to the flowering spike ; the latter has variable stalkless leaves, a denser spike on a stouter stalk. 15. Small Pond-weed (P. pusillus).—Leaves linear, acute, 1 to 3-ribbed, alternate, spreading at the base ; stem thread-like, branched ; spikes on very long stalks. This species is not infrequent in rivers, ponds, and ditches in July, when it bears its nearly globular few-flowered spikes of brownish-green. Its leaves are usually very narrow, and expanded at the base, of a dull green. A variety with broader leaves and compressed stem is the Flat-stalked Pond- weed (P. friesiz) of some writers. 16. Hair-leaved Pond-weed (P. trichoides).—Stem hair-like ; leaves bristle-like, rigid, with half-clasping base, 1 to 3-nerved, stipules slender and sharp; flowers 3 to 6, very minute, only one producing fruit; flower-stalk curved, longer than the leaves. This slender species, nevertheless, attains a length of six or eight feet. It occurs in muddy drains and ditches in Nor- folk, Suffolk, and Cambridge ; also in the west of Ireland. It flowers from August to October. 17. Grassy Pond-weed (P. graméneus).—Leaves linear, broad, alternate, sessile ; stem compressed, forked; flower-stalks scarcely longer than the spikes or the stipule. This is a somewhat rare plant, inhabiting ponds and ditches, bearing a dense egg-shaped spike in July. Its leaves are of a full deep though bright green, with three nerves, and look like grass as they float on the water. It is also known as P. obtuszfolius. 18. Sharp-leaved Pond-weed (P. acutifdlius).—Leaves linear, taper, pointed, oval, compact, with three strong and numerous fine nerves, and half clasping the stem. This rare species has been found in lakes and ditches from Yorkshire to Dorset and Kent. It flowers in July. 19. Grass-wrack-like Pond-weed (P. zosterefdlius).—Leaves broadly linear, acute, with 3, rarely 5, strong and many fine nerves; spikes many- flowered, one inch long, cylindrical, upon long foot-stalks. This is a local plant, inhabiting rivers and lakes in the north and east of Britain, and in County Down. It flowers in July, and is larger than the last species. It is also known as P. compressus. * * * Leaves all submersed, without stipules. 20. Close-leaved Pond-weed (P. dénsus).—Leaves opposite, egy- shaped, tapering to a point; stem forked; spikes 3 to 6-flowered. This species is rendered of easy recognition by its pellucid crowded leaves, which 4—2 28 NAIADACE overlap by their base, and turn backwards at the point. The small roundish green spike appears in July and August, and the plant is common locally in pools, ditches, and slow rivers, from the Forth of Clyde to Kent and Somer- set ; and in Ireland. ** * * Leaves all submersed, stipules sheathing. 21. Fennel-leaved Pond-weed (P. pectindtus).—Leaves bristle-shaped, 1—3-ribbed, parallel, arranged in two rows; spikes interrupted. This plant varies much in the length and size of its stems and leaves, but is distinguished by its tuberous rootstock. It could not be confounded with any other species but the following, from which it differs chiefly in having its spikes less inter- rupted, and its fruit being smaller. The nut is also ribbed on the back, while that of the next is without ribs. It is of a bright green colour, resembling fennel, when lying in masses in the waters, and its stem is much branched. The spikes appear in July, are few in number, and slightly inter- rupted. It is a rare plant, inhabiting ponds, streams, and salt marshes. A form of this is recognised as a sub-species under the name of P. flabellatus. 22. Slender-leaved Pond-weed (P. /iliférmis).—Stem thread-lke ; leaves hair-like, 1-nerved, sheathing by their stipules. This plant has spikes which are greatly interrupted, and grow on long foot-stalks. It flowers in June and July. It occurs in lakes and ditches at Anglesea, locally from Berwick northward ; and in Ireland rarely. 2. Ruppia (Levippia). Sea Ruppia, or Tassel-grass (2. maritima).—Stems long, slender, round, much-branched, leafy ; leaves linear, opposite and alternate ; perennial. This is a plant which, growing in salt-water pools and ditches, might at first be taken for the Fennel-leaved Pond-weed, P. pectinatus. It has slender, much-branched stems, scarcely thicker than a packthread, but a couple of feet long, and long slender bristly leaves with sheaths, which are often very conspicuous. But in July and August one may see plainly that this plant is not a pond-weed, but that it has a very peculiar structure. The greenish flowers of this Ruppia grow in pairs, on a spike, which is enclosed at first in a membranous sheath, and they have neither calyx nor corolla, but their two anthers are very large. Aquatic plants have mostly some means of raising themselves above the water during the time of flowering, and this process is effected in the Tassel-grass by means of the flower-stalk, which lengthens at this season to some inches, according to the depth of the water, and coils itself up in a spiral form, so as to reach the surface. The Rey. Gerard Edward Smith remarks upon this plant, that he observed the pollen scattered over the water, and the small yellow spikes rising above its level, many having already discharged their pollen, while in a few the elevated anthers were yet entire. He adds, ‘The anthers are vesicular and buoyant; as they swell and become mature, the membranous sheath enclosing them is distended, and the whole is brought to the surface of the water. The flower- stalks are rapidly lengthened, the flowers quit the sheath, which then becomes a bladder, and aids the elevation of the spike an inch above the water. Presently the anthers burst, the vesicle loses its buoyancy, and the flower- 4 LONG LEAVED POND WEED, Potamogeton longifolins SHINING P W, | P dmcexis VARIOUS IDE AVIED oP OW, P, heterophylius . LANCEOLATE ic Wee FP. lanceolatmas REDDISH P.W, P. rnfescens PLANTAIN LEAVED P.W, P . planta gimeus OBLONG LL. P.W, PF. oblongus BHOAD iG. & . Wi FP, hatams SHARP FRUITED ‘ lane aah The Abs . i, by ra Pe 2 . wy , 5 avy : TF ee 3 i | . 4 ; . ’ pe ee ; os PRE ay . Ne » ‘ a - os ; W ft 4, 2 “ae . yi ’ +3 2 | , ie L » “Uf * % POND-WEED TRIBE 29 stalks, bearing the fertilized stigma, sink within the bosom of the parent plant.” He adds, that the spadix lengthened itself even when the plant was placed in a basin of water. The Tassel-grass is not uncommon in the pools of salt-marshes ; except in west Scotland, where it is rare. In the sub-species R. rostellata, the sheath is not inflated, the fruiting stalk is not coiled spirally, but is short and waved; it flowers earlier, and the fruit has a longer beak. A variety of this (var. nana) found in Orkney has stems which creep along under the mud, and the foot-stalks are very short. 3. HorNED POND-WEED (Zannichéilia). Common Horned. Pond-weed (Z. palistris)—Flowers axillary ; style half as long, and in one form quite as long as the fruit; leaves slender, opposite ; annual. This plant is very abundant in brackish pools in various parts of the kingdom, except that it is rare in West Scotland. Its habit is to grow entirely submerged in water, having much the appearance of the Lesser Pond-weed, P. pusillus; but during its flowering season, which is from July to September, it is readily distinguished from that plant by its small green flowers seated in the axils of its leaves. Its long thread-like branched stems, a foot or a foot and a half long, form tangling masses. The stigmas of the plant are very remarkable for their broadly expanded, uneven, cup-like form. The capsules are dry and one-celled, bearing usually but one seed, and each has an awl-shaped termination, which makes it look something like a bird’s claw. Mr. Baker recognises the following sub-species : Z. brachy- stemon, Z. pedunculata, and Z. polycarpa, based on minute differences in the floral organs. 4, GRASS-WRACK (Zostéra). Broad-Ieaved Grass-wrack, or Sea-grass (Z. marina).— Leaves broad, linear, entire, nerved ; spadix bearing numerous flowers; rootstock creeping, perennial. All who have observed the long bright leaves and flexible stems of the Grass-wrack, floating gracefully in the sea, will acknow- ledge the appropriateness of the scientific name, derived from the Greek zoster, a riband. The leaves are long and blunt, with sheathing bases of bright but rathet deep glossy green. They grow from among mud at the base of rocks, and in sandy shallows, on sea-banks, and in salt-water ditches, sometimes covering acres of shallow water, and floating in pools among green laver and purple dulse, till some rough wave dashes over them, and, tearing up large masses, casts them upon the weedy shore. Sometimes the long leaves are seen floating above the mud right down in the deep sea, and seem welcomed by many a gliding little fish, or darting crustacean, or slow-moving mollusc, or quaint zoophyte— ‘* Where ‘neath your keel the verdant sea-grass waves.” It has, however, no affinity with the sea-weeds among which it floats; for it has roots, and leaves, and flowers, the green flowers forming two rows on one side of the spadix. It is destitute of calyx and corolla, but is provided with anthers and pistils, which grow alternately, and the numerous seeds ripen amid the salt waters in September. These are round and white, and 30 NAIADACEA contain a farinaceous substance. The lower part of the stem, which is often tinted with reddish-brown, is of a sweet flavour. This Grass-wrack is very abundant on some parts of the coast ; on those of Yarmouth, it is torn up by the waves, and strewn so profusely, that mounds are formed of its blackened stems and leaves for the purpose of resisting the encroachment of the sea. Mr. Gosse, describing the shores of Weymouth, says, ‘‘ Between tide-marks the pebbles are washed clean by the surf, but along the line of high water there is a broad bank of black Sea-grass, the accumulation of years, perhaps ages, rotting into mould, and forming an admirable manure. It is, indeed, used for this purpose, being carried away by the farmers, where it is suffi- ciently abundant and sufficiently accessible. In the vicinity of Torquay and of Ilfracombe, I had not met with this substance in any appreciable quantity, but in Poole Harbour, the scene of my early life, I had been familiar enough with it, as its dirty littering banks, like a continuous dunghill, fringe the shores, the refuse of hundreds of acres of the grass that grows on the muddy flats of that land-locked harbour.” Both in Sweden and Holland this Sea-grass is very extensively used as a manure, and is preferred to hay for filling mattresses. It is sold in England by upholsterers under the name of Alva marina, which is probably a cor- ruption of Ulva. It is sometimes used for thatch, and is said to last more than a century, often becoming quite bleached by exposure to sun and air. In sea-coast towns it is collected from the shore for packing earthenware and glass; and the rush-like coverings which surround the Italian liquor-flasks are made of this plant. Cows refuse to touch it, but it is eaten by horses and swine. Hugh Miller remarks of the Grass-wrack, that it is very sus- ceptible to frost, and he says that he has seen large quantities nipped by it. The French call the plant La zostere, and the Germans, Seetang. A slender variety, growing in mud, with about half the number of nerves in its leaves, is sometimes termed Z. angustifolia ; and a small plant, scarcely three inches long, with slender leaves, which have but one nerve, is described as Z. nana. Some botanists doubt if the three plants are truly distinct. In this dwarf Grass-wrack the nuts are described as smooth, while in the other kinds these are marked with fine lines. The dwarf plant grows in muddy salt-water pools in estuaries, but is rare. 5. Naras (Navas). 1. Flexible Naias (N. jlexilis).—Stem thread-like, branched ; leaves very slender, linear, with fringed sheaths, opposite or in whorls of 3 ; flowers solitary, or 2 or 3 together; berry one-eighth of an inch across. This is a very slender submerged perennial with brittle stems, and inconspicuous male and female flowers on the same plant. It flowers in August and September, and has been found in lakes in Perthshire, Skye, and Connemara. 2. Greater Naias (NV. marina).—Stem branched sparingly, with a few teeth ; leaves with strong spiny-teeth and entire sheaths; flowers solitary, the males and females on separate plants; berry, a quarter of an inch in diameter, purplish. This plant, which flowers in July, has been found in Hickling Broad, Norfolk. It is also known as N. major. RACK ASS - Wt Zostera n EN GR TARF DW 1 RUPPIA SEA \ ana uppia mat itima R FLEXIBL AIAS C. ED annichellia palustris POND WE HORNED e Naias flexibs A NAIAS Z SE ED GRASS-WRACK, BROAD LEAV 3 mara Naias ‘Wia I Zostera ma ae Pl. 2h: GRASSES. AND SEDGES (SUB-CLASS II. GLUMACEZ:.) GRASSES constitute an important part of the vegetation of most temperate countries, forming large masses of verdure on plains and hill-sides, and giving to the landscape that hue on which the-eye can longest gaze untired, fringing the blue streams or crystal rills with their graceful leaves and flowers; or planted by the hand of man, in fields, ripening gradually from the delicate and tender blade of the spring cornfields into the rich brown of the full ear, which is to furnish our food. The Cereals, or corn grasses, are not natives of Britain ; and of the large number of grasses which form the herbage of our fields, not more than twenty are fitted for the food of cattle. Many grasses grow even in water; some in running streams, others where the water is still. Some are peculiar to the mountains, others to the woodland : some to the sandy fields or shores, but not one will grow in the sea. Several grasses and sedges are invaluable, as, by the interlacing of their roots, they fix the ever-shifting sands ; and without their aid we should often be over- whelmed by torrents of sand almost as fearful as those which appal the traveller in the desert. In other places grasses grow on upland and hilly ground, restraining there the falling of the loose soil, while the widespread down, the chalky cliffs, and the wall top are made green by their presence. Besides their individual uses, they, in their mass, influence the healthy con- dition of the surrounding neighbourhood, for wherever this verdant covering of the earth is found it materially affects the atmosphere, especially with regard to the quantity of moisture; while the air which sweeps over the grass, laden with all the deleterious gases borne away from the crowded city, sweeps back again to the mass of mankind dwelling there, charged with a fresh supply of oxygen breathed forth from blades of grass and from leafy boughs, and replaces that which is vitiated by the respiration of man and animals. Perhaps the season when the sight of the green meadows most delights us is early spring. How beautiful are they, as the sunlight comes down upon their gleaming blades, and the blue heavens are hanging over them! Every day the grass seems to become taller, and thicker, and greener. 32 GLUMACEAt Multitudes of long slender leaves are blending with the foliage of various forms, which precede the spring and summer flowers, and ‘« Grow like the summer grass, fastest by night, Unseen, yet crescive in its beauty.” This rapidity of growth adds much to the interest with which we look on nature at this season. The scene of to-day is even richer than that of yesterday. It may be that a storm, accompanied by heavy rains, pours over field and valley, and its torrents might seem destined to beat down the tender grass to earth, and to strip the bending twigs of all their wealth of leaves. Yet that storm shall but prepare the way for their quicker growth ; for the electrical state of the atmosphere which follows it is, of all conditions, most favourable to the rapid increase of vegetation. The grassy turf which makes our meadows so bright and beautiful, and which adorns the landscape also of other countries in the colder portion of the temperate zone, is almost entirely absent from those lands on which the sun shines with its fullest power. Even in Southern Europe, where meadow lands more seldom occur, there begins to be some assimilation in the general appearance of the grasses to the taller species of lower latitudes ; and reeds, which are with us of moderate size, rival the tree-like grasses which form so characteristic a feature of tropical scenery. The species of grass found in warmer lands are mostly different from those of our country, though some genera—Poa, for instance—are very widely distributed, and some species of this genus are found in all varieties of climate. Wherever we find grasses, we see them growing more or less socially. Tropical grasses are not only taller than ours, but they have flowers more downy and elegant, and broader leaves. The noble plants of the Bamboo family rise to the height of trees, forming, both in tropical and sub-tropical zones, vast and impenetrable forests; their slender stalks, reclining branches, and tall grassy leaves, reminding the native of northern countries of the willows of his own land, yet far excelling these in grace and beauty. ‘Taller than even alders and oaks, these tree-like grasses wave more gracefully before the winds than our sturdy trees can do, and give a cheerful and airy aspect to the forest by their light and tremulous motion, and their smoothly-polished yellow stems ; while the gigantic sugar-cane family, though not so numerous, are scarcely less beauti- ful as they wave their silvery flowers so gracefully to the wind. In these warm regions the want of green meadows is not felt. The ‘cattle on a thousand hills” of the colder climate, are not needed in these ; and the great Creator has spread therefore no vast pastures for their supply. The Hindoo who can dine on a dish of plantain or of rice, would be injured by any great quantity of animal food, and is directed by instinct to a vegetable diet. A slight herbage rises up at all times of the year, after the sudden shower or the long-continued rain; and this being sufficient to supply food for the horses, no hay is made in the East. During the rainy season, there are, in some tropical countries, extensive tracts of grass ; as, for instance, in the savannahs of America ; but they are unmixed with wild flowers, such as our daisy, clover, and buttercup ; they present no uniform mass of greensward, and are often as tall as the traveller who is passing through them. Grasses of various kinds are to be found in more or less abundance from the equator GRASSES AND SEDGES 33 to the poles. Several grasses, like the Alpine Foxtail, grow in the coldest regions in great luxuriance; and the Esquimaux, dwelling in the seventy- third degree of north latitude, has large patches of herbage green as an English meadow. Dr. Lindley remarks, ‘‘The great mass of herbage, known by the name of sedges and grasses, constitutes perhaps a twelfth part of the described species of flowering plants ; and at least nine-tenths of the number of individuals composing the vegetation of the world.” Corn-fields are not less pleasing to our sense of beauty than grassy meadows; and, whether clad in the tender green of the spring blade, or the full brown of summer, enliven and enrich our landscape. Many grasses beside those which are cultivated, afford seeds equally nutritious, though smaller in size. Indeed, the wheat, on which we depend so largely for food, and the origin of which was, till lately, undiscovered, seems now proved, by M. Fabre’s experiments, to be but the cultivated form of the Atgilops, a grass infesting barley-fields on the shores of the Mediterranean. The grass, when wild, produces very small grains ; but this botanist found on sowing it, summer after summer, that a crop of good wheat finally arose from its seeds. When we consider how small the grains of corn are, it seems wonderful that man should have ever cultivated the cereal grasses for his nourishment. No doubt, the earliest cultivators were influenced in their choice of plants by the social growth of the grasses ; and so, observing men, finding that plants bearing these nutritive seeds grew together in great numbers, sowed them on lands where they were wanting—where they could be protected from injury, and whence they could be gathered in their season. Wherever now we see a corn-field waving in beauty, whether in the climes of east or west, or by the quiet homesteads which lie among the hills and valleys of our native land, it tells of peace, civilization, and domestic happiness ; it tells of homes. The men who sowed the grains from which sprung those towering blades are not wild wanderers over the earth. Man must have a spot to call his own, ere he will rise up early and work late, sowing the seed, or gathering in the ripened fruit ; and the tillage of the earth brings with it softer manners, and gradual improvement in the arts and sciences of civilized life. The house is reared, and children learn beneath its roof the love of kindred, of neighbours, and of country; and agricul- ture proves the source alike of individual and of national prosperity. A thorough knowledge of even the small number of grasses which adorn our meadows, fields, and woods will demand a little patient study. The genera and species are now, however, by the labours of successive botanists, so well understood, and can be described by characters so distinct, that the student, aided by the plates, will find little real difficulty in obtaining a good acquaintance with this interesting and useful tribe of plants. Some of the varieties require considerable attention, as those of some species are very different in appearance from the type from which they have varied; and some grasses described as species will probably yet be found to be but varie- ties, changed by accidental circumstances of soil or situation. With few exceptions, the characteristics of the grasses can be detected by the help of a good pocket-lens ; although a few genera, like those of Agrostis and Aira, IV.—)d 34 GLUMACEA in consequence of the small size of the spikelets, require examination with the microscope. The term “grass,” as employed by agriculturists, frequently has a far more extensive signification than that to which it is limited by the botanist, being applied to clover (called “three-leaf grass”), plantain, sorrel, and many other flowering plants, which ordinarily form a constituent part of a hay crop. ‘This use of the word may be very convenient to those who, in their intercourse with each other, require some such comprehensive term which may include grasses and other plants fit for forming good pasture-land, or for being converted into hay; but the naturalist understands by “ grass,” such plants only as fall under the description given below of the GRAMINE&, a natural order of the sub-class GLUMACE&. To this division it is altogether improbable that the botanist, however elementary may be his knowledge, will assign any of the plants described in the preceding volumes ; yet it is by no means so certain that the young student may not confound with the grasses other members of the Glumaceous Tribe belonging to the CYPERACE, or Sedges ; for these resemble the grasses so closely in their more obvious characters, that it requires a somewhat practised eye to discriminate them. The points in which the two natural orders agree are these :—the leaves are long, narrow, often channelled above, and pointed ; they proceed mainly from the root, and grow in tufts: in both, the flowers are destitute of petals, being composed of scales or glumes, and are elevated on a straw-like stem, where they form terminal spikelets or heads, which are either erect or drooping. The characters in which the Sedges obviously differ from the Grasses are, that in the former the leaves are generally rigid and more or less of a sea-green or glaucous hue; the flower-stem is angular instead of round, solid or pithy, and not hollow, and not jointed at the point from which a stem-leaf arises; and in those cases in which the stem-leaf is furnished with a sheathing base, that sheath is never split. The separation of the two orders is therefore so clearly a natural one, that a practised eye can at once decide to which of the two divisions any given specimen should be referred, no matter what may be its stage of growth—and that without minutely examin- ing that part (the inflorescence, namely) on which the distinction is in reality founded. : Not only in outward appearance, but in properties also, the sedges differ from the grasses. Growing often side by side, on dry heaths, in marshes, meadows, woods, on mountain tops, or on the sandy sea-shore, the grasses abound in starch and sugar, substances highly conducive to the nutriment of cattle ; the sedges are remarkably deficient in them, and do not rank as “crass,” even in the agricultural sense of the term; so that while the Glumacez comprise nearly all the plants which in the temperate regions are essential to man and the animals that he has domesticated, the Cyperacez are “weeds,” unprofitable for food—and very frequently, like tares among wheat, appropriating soil and nourishment, which but for them would afford space and nurture for their more valuable neighbours. They must not, how- ever, be denounced as utterly useless, nor are they even all to be classed with the “thorns and thistles”—which, in accordance with the primeval curse, conveyed by implication a blessing on industry ; the roots of several species GRASSES AND SEDGES 35 are medicinal ; the tubers of Cypérus esculentus, called by the French “Souchet comestible,” or ‘‘ Amande de terre,” are used as food in the south of Europe, and are employed in the preparation of orgeat ; and several species of the same genus are cultivated in India and China for the wholesome food afforded by their tubers, which are said to resemble potatoes or yams. Nor must we forget that to the tribe of CYPERACE&, or Sedges, belongs the Papyrus antiquérum, which furnished the simplest and earliest of writing materials. In our own country one species is employed in making baskets and chair- bottoms ; and others are eminently useful in binding together, by their creeping roots, the wandering sea-sands, or strengthening the banks of rivers and canals against the encroaching action of the water. Owing to the minuteness of the parts of fructification, and the close affinity which exists between many of the species, they are difficult of discrimination, and require to be studied with patience and accuracy. It is hoped, however, that the following descriptions, which have been divested as much as possible of technical terms, will enable the reader, assisted by the plates, to determine the names of at least the most strongly-marked species. The extensive and difficult genus Carex, is divided below into several groups ; and the student is recommended, before he begins to compare his specimen with either description or figures, to satisfy himself thoroughly, as to which group, and to which division of a group, it should be referred ; otherwise he may happen ta grow bewildered and to fling down his plant in despair. He may also be warned against that unscientific habit of speaking of the Grasses and Sedges as though they were not Flowering Plants. The question of showiness has nothing to do with it. The point is that these plants equally with Wild Roses and Lilies bear stamens and pistils, and when the latter are fertilized by the former a true seed is developed from which a plant like the parent is produced directly. As we shall see, the process by which the ferns and their allies are propagated is entirely different. ORDERS AND GENERA OF GRASSES AND SEDGES. The large sub-class GnuUMACE& (Glumaceous Plants) consists of two orders, CYPERACE& and GRAMINE ; the former, containing the Sedges and their allies ; the latter, the true Grasses. They differ from ordinary flower- ing plants in having their stamens and pistils enclosed in husks or glumes, instead of calyx and corolla. Considerably over 5,000 species of this sub- class are known to science. Order C. CYPERACEZ—SEDGES AND THEIR ALLIES. Flowers either with stamens and pistils, or with stamens or pistils only ; the lower ones often neuter, that is, without either stamens or pistils; each flower enclosed within a single concave scale or glume ; glumes imbricated round a common central column, forming a spikelet or head, each glume occasionally enclosing a membranous investment of the stamens and ovary ; stamens 1 to 6, generally 3; anthers 2-celled, fixed by their base and open- ' 5—2 36 CYPERACEA: ing towards the pistil; ovary 1-celled, often surrounded by bristles, which are the representatives of the perianth-segments in the rushes and other plants ; style 3-cleft, or rarely 2-cleft ; stigmas undivided ; fruit a 1-seeded nut. Most of the species are perennial. * Flowers with both stamens and pistils ; glumes in two ranks. 1. GALINGALE (Cypérus).—Spikelets in heads, umbels or panicles ; glumes numerous in 2 ranks, keeled, nearly all fertile; bristles wanting. Name, the Greek name of the plant. 2. Boc-rusH (Schenus).—Spikelets in compressed terminal heads, 1—4- flowered ; glumes 6—9, outer ones smaller, empty ; bristles small, 1 to 6, or wanting. Name from the Greek schoinos, a cord, which was sometimes made from plants of this tribe. * * Flowers with both stamens and pistils ; glumes imbricated on all sides. 3. Twic-RusH (Cldédium).—Glumes about 6 in a spikelet, the outer ones smallest, and all but one or two empty ; bristles wanting ; fruit a coated nut. Name from the Greek klados, denoting a twig. 4, BraKk-rusH (Iéhynchdspora).—Spikelets few-flowered ; glumes about 6, the outer ones smaller and empty ; bristles about 6, nut slightly flattened, crowned with the dilated base of the style. Name from the Greek rhynchos, and spora, signifying beaked-seed. 5. Buysmus (Blysmus).—Spikelets arranged in the form of a 2-ranked spike; glumes imbricated on all sides, the outer ones longer and empty ; bristles several ; nut slightly flattened on one side, gradually tapering into the hardened style. Name from Greek blysmos, a spring, near which plants of the genus grow. 6. SprkE-RUSH (Eledcharis).—Spikelet many-flowered, solitary, terminal ; glumes nearly all fertile, the outer largest ; bristles 2—6, short; style 2—3- cleft, jointed to the top of the ovary; fruit crowned with the permanent base of the style. Name from the Greek helos, a marsh, and chairo, to rejoice. 7. Mup-rusH (Jsdlepis). — Spikelets many-flowered, terminal; glumes nearly all equal and fertile ; bristles wanting ; styles 2—3-cleft, not thickened at the base, falling off; fruit slightly pointed, or not at all. Name in Greek denoting equal scales. : 8. CLUB-RUSH (Scirpus). —Spikelets many-flowered, terminal; glumes equal, one or two of the outer sometimes barren ; bristles 1 to 6; style 2—3 cleft, not jointed at the base, falling off ; fruit slightly pointed, or not at all.* Name from the Celtic cirs, a cord. 9. CoTTON-GRASS (Hridphorum).—Glumes imbricated on all sides, nearly equal; bristles finally assuming the form of long silky hair. Name from the Greek erion, wool, and phora, to bear. * * * Stamens and pisiils in separate flowers. 10. Kopresta (Kobrésia).—Spikelets few-flowered, all male, or the upper * The plants contained in these three genera—Zledcharis, Isdlepis, and Scirpus—are difficult of discrimination, and appear to be admitted to a new arrangement by every botanist that treats of them. That of Hooker and Arnott is here adopted. SWhRET CYPERUS 2 BROWN C Cyperus longus C. fuseus BLACK BOG-RUSH Scheenus nigricans Pl. 2hh. q NO Uglies aoe Al ey = 2% ae ie 7 / © SEDGE TRIBE 37 one bearing stamens, the lower a pistil, and included within a sheathing scale. Named after De Kobres, of Augsberg, a “patron” of botany. 11. Sepcr (Cérex).—Glumes collected into imbricated spikes ; fertile flower of 1 pistil with 2—3 stigmas, invested by a pitcher-shaped sac, which is persistent and becomes the outer part of the fruit, enclosing the nut ; barren flower of 3 stamens, corolla wanting. Name from the Greek keiro, to cut, from the sharpness of its leaves. 1. GALINGALE (Cypérus). 1. Sweet or English Galingale (C. longus).—Spikelets narrow, pointed, in erect twice-compound umbels; general bracts very long, leafy ; partial, short ; stem triangular ; rootstock creeping. A handsome but very rare plant, found only in a few marshes in the south and west of England, and in the Channel Islands. The umbel is leafy and composed of unequal rays; the glumes are of a reddish-brown hue, with green keels and whitish margins ; the stem is from 2—3 feet high, and is sheathed at the base with several long leaves, after the habit of the larger sedges. The root is succu- lent, and filled with a nutritive and agreeable mucilage, to which a highly aromatic bitter principle is added, -having tonic and stomachic properties. It flowers in July and August. Its long curved bracts and gracefully mounted numerous heads give it a very striking appearance. 2. Brown Cypérus (C. fuscus).—Spikelets narrow, pointed, collected into small roundish terminal heads; glumes spreading; bracts 3, unequal. A small inconspicuous annual plant, only a few inches long, with fibrous roots and numerous trailing stems, first discovered in a meadow near Little Chelsea, where it is believed to have been naturalized, and since found on Shalford Common, near Godalming, Surrey. It flowers in August and September. The genus Cypérus, which, from the useful properties of many of the plants that it contains, has been with propriety selected to give a name to the order CyPERACE#, comprises little short of 700 species, nearly all of which inhabit the warmer regions of the globe, increasing in numbers and luxuriance as we approach the Line. The genus Carex, on the contrary, is more abundant in high latitudes, where, according to Humboldt, it equals the grasses, and towards the Tropics dwindles away and almost disappears. Of Cypérus, two species only are found in England; in Scotland none. The genus Carex contains upwards of sixty British species. 2. BoG-RUSH (Schenus). Black Bog-rush (S. négricans).—The only British species. A rush-like plant, from eight to twelve inches high, composed of numerous erect, rigid, nearly round stems, some of which are barren, while others terminate in an abrupt head of dark red-brown, almost black glumes, of which the outer one assumes the form of a bract and overtops the rest. The stems are clasped at their base by several blackish sheaths, terminating in short rigid leaves. The short rootstock is branched, and bears many long tough fibres, which extend to a considerable distance in the turfy bogs where the plant grows. The flowers, which are somewhat conspicuous from their large yellow anthers, 38 CYPERACEZ appear in June. It is of local occurrence from Cornwall to Surrey, thence to the extreme north of Scotland ; also in Ireland and the Channel Islands. 3. TWIG-RUSH (Clédium). Prickly Twig-rush (C. mariscus).—The only British species. A tall and robust marsh-plant, 3—4 feet high, with a strong, cane-like stem and very long narrow leaves, which, at the edges and keel, are armed with minute recurved teeth, like those of a fine saw, and terminate in a tapering triangular point. The stem is nearly round and bears several leaves, and the numerous spikelets are arranged in the form of a compound leafy panicle. It inhabits marshes and fens throughout England, but is local, and is most abundant in Cambridgeshire. It is also plentiful in Galloway, Scotland. It flowers in July and August. There are usually about six glumes in a spikelet, of which only two or three bear flowers, and of these rarely more than one perfects fruit, which, when mature, is nearly as large as the spikelet. 4. BEAK-RUSH (?hynchdspora). 1. White Beak-rush (f. alba).—Stem divided, leafy, each branch bearing an abrupt crowded cluster of spikelets ; outer glumes scarcely over- topping the spikelets. A slender grass-like plant, with stems about a foot high, several of which proceed from one root, and are accompanied by long narrow leaves. The flowers are of a singularly white colour, recalling the hue of straw bleached by the sun. It flowers from July to August, and is not uncommon in peaty bogs. 2. Brown Beak-rush (Lf. fusca).—Stem leafy, bearing several oval heads of spikelets, which are overtopped by the leaf-like outer glumes. A rare plant, inhabiting bogs in Ireland and the south-west of England. In habit it resembles the last, but may at once be distinguished by its rich brown heads of flowers, which are accompanied by one or more long bracts, and its extremely narrow, almost bristle-like leaves. It flowers from July to August. 5. Biysmus (Llysmus). 1. Broad-leaved Blysmus (B. compréssus).—Stem somewhat triangular ; spikelets 6—8-flowered; outer glume of the lowest spikelet with a leafy point ; leaves flat and rough at the edges and keel. 2. Narrow-leaved Blysmus (B. rifus)—Stem round ; spikelets about 4-flowered ; glumes all alike ; leaves very narrow, smooth, channelled. The two species of Blysmus may be at once distinguished from all other CyPEr- AcE& by bearing their spikelets arranged on opposite sides of the stem, after the habit of wheat, or rye-grass. The stem of B. compréssus is from 6—8 inches high, and it grows in boggy pastures, often near the sea. B. rufus is more slender and rigid, and is found in similar situations. Both species flower in July, but their range in this country is not the same : B. compréssus extending only from Kent and Somerset as far north as the Forth and the Clyde; whilst B. riéifus may be found from the extreme north of Scotland, but only as far south as North Wales and Lincoln. The latter species also occurs in the north of Ireland. Both species are included by some authors in the genus Scirpus. PRICKLY TWIG RUSH Cladiam mariscus WHITE BEAK R , Rhynchospora alba . BROWN B'R, R. fusca BROAD LEAVED BLYSMUS , Blysmus campressus . Eleocharis palustris SEDGE TRIBE 39 6. SPIKE-RUSH (Hledcharis). 1. Creeping Spike-rush (£. paliistris).—Stigmas 2; fruit crowned with the flattened base of the style, shorter than the 4 to 6 bristles. A rush-like plant, 2—3 feet high, destitute of leaves, and sending up from its widely-creeping rootstock many tufts of rounded stems, abruptly sheathed at the base, each of which terminates in a solitary oblong, red-brown spikelet. The dark glumes have a green keel and a pale edge, whilst the lowest one is almost round, and half clasps the base of the spikelet. Sides of lakes and ponds, common, flowering in June. There is a sub-species, EZ. wniglumis, with brown glumes, whose pale margins are narrower, and the lowest glume oval, almost entirely clasping the base of the spikelet. This is not so common as the typical form. 2. Many-stalked Spike-rush (Z. multicailis). —Stigmas 3; fruit crowned with the triangular base of the style, longer than the 5—6 bristles. Resembling the last, but smaller. The leaf-sheaths appear as though cut short obliquely ; the glumes are less pointed and the margins narrower. The author has found specimens the spikelets of which are viviparous, and bear plants furnished with roots and embryo spikelets. Flowering at the same time, and in similar situations, with the last. 3. Least Spike-rush (ZL. aciculdris).—Stigmas 3; fruit crowned with the almost globose base of the style ; bristles 1—3 ; stems numerous, tufted, round, exceedingly slender. A humble plant, 3—4 inches high, frequent among other marsh plants on the sides of lakes and in damp heathy places ; rare in Scotland. It approaches in habit Isdlepis sdévii and I. setdcea, from which, however, it may be at once distinguished by the absence of bracts. It flowers from June to August. 7. Mup-rus (Jsdlepis). 1. Floating Mud-rush (J. jfliitans).—Spikelet solitary, terminal ; stigmas 2; stem floating, flattened, branched. A tufted grass-like aquatic, with numerous zigzag stems 3—18 inches long, short sheathing leaves an inch or two long, and small ovate pale green spikelets, flowering from June to August. Common in lakes, ponds, and marshes. 2. Bristle-stalked Mud-rush (J. setdcea).—Spikelets 1—3, with an erect bract at the base, which greatly overtops the spikes; stigmas 3; fruit longitudinally ribbed and transversely striated. A humble plant, 3—6 inches high, forming dense clumps of very slender stems, which are leafy at the base. Common in wet gravelly places, and flowering in July and August. 3. Savi’s Mud-rush (J. sdvii).—Spikelets 1—3, with 1 or 2 spreading bracts, of which the longer slightly overtops the spikes ; stigmas 3 ; fruit dotted, not furrowed. Closely resembling the last, from which, however, it may well be distinguished by the above characters, by its larger size, and by its brighter green hue. It is common in the west of England, where it inhabits bogs, and is found also in Scotland and Ireland, generally near the sea. Of late years it has been commonly exposed for sale in Covent Garden Market. Planted in a pot, and set to stand in a saucer of water, it soon fills the pot with innumerable evergreen bristling stems, which spread in all 40 CYPERACEZ directions, and present a very pleasing appearance. The roots, meanwhile, penetrate into the saucer, which they line with a tangled mass of fibres. In its wild state it flowers in July and August. 4. Round cluster-headed Mud-rush (J. holoschwnus).— Spikelets collected into globular heads. A distinct and very handsome rush-like plant, with round robust stems, 3—4 feet high, from about six or eight inches below the summit of which proceeds a panicle of six to twenty globular heads, of the size of small marbles, accompanied by a long spreading or deflexed bract. Said to grow on the sandy coast of Somerset and Devon, though no specific locality appears to be named but Braunton Burrows, an extensive tract of sand on the north coast of Devon, and Berrow, Somerset. Here it undoubtedly grows, but can scarcely be discovered without some labour and difficulty, owing to the tangled jungle of grass and rushes, which must be penetrated and searched by the botanist. The Berrow station, discovered by Mrs. E. 8. Gregory in 1896, affords a small, depauperate form. It flowers in August and September. By some authors Jsolepis is merged in Scirpus. 8. CLUB-RUSH AND BULRUSH (Scirpus). * Spikelets numerous ; stem round. 1. Common Bulrush (8. lacistris).—Spikelets forming a dense. com- pound terminal panicle; glumes notched and fringed, smooth. Margins of lakes and in running water abundant, varying, according to the depth of the water, from 4—8 feet high. This is one of the few British CypERACEX applied to any economical purpose, being often made into mats, and, when twisted, being also used to form the seats of what are called rush-bottomed chairs. Coopers employ them in the caulking of casks. Many persons are in the habit of applying the term “ Bulrush” to any tall rush-like aquatic, especially to plants of the genus 7ypha, to which last the name Reed-mace is far more appropriate. It flowers from June to August, and is generally distributed throughout the British Isles. 2. Glaucous Bulrush (8. tabernemontdni).—Spikelets forming a loose compound terminal panicle ; glumes notched and fringed, rough. Closely resembling the last in habit, but much smaller, seldom exceeding the height of two feet, and readily distinguishable by the glaucous hue of its stems. In the west of England it is far the commoner species of the two, and is very abundant on the banks of the Clyde. It grows also in many other places, especially near the sea, and flowers from June to August. Some botanists regard it as a sub-species of S. lacustris. * * Spikelets numerous ; stem triangular, leafless above ; stigmas 2. 3. Triangular Club-rush (S. ¢riqueter).—Spikelets clustered, some stalked, overtopped by the acutely triangular, usually leafless, stem; glumes notched, the lobes ending in a little point. Muddy banks of the Thames near London, in the river Arun, Sussex, and from thence to Cornwall. It grows from 3—4 feet high, and flowers in June and July. 4. Sharp Club-rush (S. pungens).—Spikelets about 3, sessile, sur- mounted by the acutely triangular stem ; glumes notched, the lobes acute ; FLOATING TSOLEPIS lsolepis flaitans BRISTLE, STALKED MUD RUSII I. setacea. SAVIS MR, 1. savn ROUND CLUSTERED HEADED MR, 1. holoschcenus 6 Bos “1 © LAKE CLUB R, Scirpus lacustris GLAUCOUS C ° 5 Fey tabermcemontan TRIANGULAR C R SHARP C ¢ EK; s » LriqueteT pungens QW 3 wood C-R S ! BLUNT-EDGED CLUB RUS Scr of: ‘pus carmatus sylvaticus SALT MARSH C-R 4 CHOCOLATE-HEADED C-R S. maritumus . S . panciflorus . 5 SCALY STALKED C-R S . cxespltosus Pl. 2h7. SEDGE TRIBE 41 leaves 2 or 3, channelled and keeled. Found only on the banks of St. Ouen’s Pond, Jersey ; flowering in June and July. 5. Blunt-edged Club-rush (8. carindtus).—Stem round below, obtusely triangular above; spikelets in a compound terminal panicle. Growing in muddy tidal waters in Middlesex, Kent, and Cornwall, where it attains a height of 2—4 feet; very rare, flowering in July and August. Like S. tabernemontani, this is by some regarded as a sub-species of S. lacustris. * * * Snikelets numerous ; stem triangular, leafy ; stigmas 3. 6. Salt-marsh Club-rush (8. maritimus).— Spikelets arranged in several stalked and sessile clusters; bracts several, long and _ leafy. Common in salt marshes on most parts of the coast, where it flowers in July and August, forming large grassy tufts of long keeled and channelled leaves, which frequently overtop the clusters of brown spikelets. Both leaves and stems are very harsh to the touch. 7. Wood Club-rush (S. sylvdticus).—Spikelets forming a many-times- compounded terminal panicle; bracts several, very long, leaf-like. Moist woods, most frequent in the south of Scotland, but abundant also in South Kent, and occasionally met with on the banks of the Tamar, Devonshire. A robust and handsome species, 3—4 feet high, with broad and flat leaves, and a very large number of small green spikelets, clustered together in groups of three or four. It flowers in July. ** * * Snikelets solitary, te-manal ; stigmas 3. 8. Chocolate-headed Club-rush (8S. pawiflérus).—Stem round; sheaths leafless ; two outer glumes obtuse, shorter than the spike, usually awned. Boggy moors and commons in Scotland, and several parts of England. The stems are 4—10 inches high, resembling in habit those of Hledcharis palustris, but well distinguished by the above characters, as well as by the differently formed fruit. It flowers in July and August. 9. Scaly-stalked Club-rush (S. cespitésus)—Stem nearly round ; sheaths with narrow awl-shaped leaves; two outer glumes acute, longer than the shining brown spikelet. Moist heaths, common. A small plant, 2—4 inches high, with numerous erect stems, many of which bear no spikelets. ‘This plant is called Deer’s Hair in the Highlands, and yields an abundant food to sheep on the mountains in spring.”—Sir WV. J. Hooker. It flowers in June and July. 10. Least Club-rush (S. parvulus).—Stems grooved; sheaths thin, glassy and inconspicuous; leaves bristle-like, channelled, dilated at base. Spikelets pale and minute. This plant, which grows on sandy seashores in Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, and Wicklow, is a very small one, its full height not exceeding a couple of inches. Its rootstock is hair-like, and creeps along in the sand, throwing up distant tufts of a few stems and leaves. It flowers in July. 9. CoTrron-GRASs (Hridphorum). * Swikelet solitary. 1. Alpine Cotton-grass (£. alpinum).—Stem triangular, rough ; leaves bristJe-like, much shorter than their sheaths; spikelet oblong, few flowered ; Iv.—6 49 CYPERACEA glumes yellow-brown. An elegant little plant, which formerly grew in the Moss of Restenet, near Forfar, but has disappeared in consequence of the moss being drained. 2. Hare’s-tail Cotton-grass (EH. vaginitum).—Stem round below, triangular above; lower sheaths of the stem terminating in long leaves, upper one leafless, inflated; spikelet oblong, many-flowered. A strikingly handsome plant, from 12—14 inches high, not unfrequently found in great abundance on damp moors, where it flowers in spring, but is made conspicuous later in the season by the enlarged bristles of the flower, which assume the appearance of white floss-silk. Each spikelet is about an inch and a half in diameter on a slender stalk, three-fourths of the upper portion of which is naked. Near the base is a loose striated sheath, and the very narrow leaves which clasp the stem are furnished with sheaths of the same character. 3. Round-headed Cotton-grass (L. capitétum).—Stem round through- out ; lower sheaths bearing short leaves, upper one leafless. Resembling the last in habit, but smaller. Once reported by Mr. G. Don, from a rivulet on Ben Lawers, near perpetual snow. It flowered late in summer. * * Spikelets more than one. 4. Broad-leaved Cotton-grass (E£. latifvliwm).—Stem hollow, tufted, upper half triangular; stalks of the spikelets rough ; leaves flat, becoming triangular above the middle. Flowering in May and June, in boggy ground ; rather rare. 5. Narrow-leaved Cotton-grass (H. angustifélium).—Stems not tufted, round, or nearly so, solid; stalks of the spikelets smooth ; leaves becoming triangular above the middle. Boggy and peaty ground, common ; flowering in May and June. 6. Slender Cotton-grass (L. grdcile).—Stem slightly triangular ; stalks of the spikelets downy; leaves triangular throughout, channelled. Boggy ground, rare. This species grows near Hagnaby, Yorkshire, at Whitemoor Pond, near Guildford ; on Ben Lawers and the Clova Mountains; and at Cwm Idwell, North Wales. It flowers in July. Great difference of opinion exists among botanists as to the number of species to which the many-spiked Cotton-grasses should be reduced. The three above described appear to be distinct ; and if the number and com- parative length of the bristles be taken into consideration, several others may be added. £. latifolium and E. angustifolium together form the E. poly- stachion of Linneus. E. angustifélium is by far the most common, and, without doubt, the most beautiful. Enlivening, as it frequently does, extensive tracts of moorland with its silky tufts, too delicate apparently to bear the gentlest breeze, yet bending unhurt before the sweeping gale, it converts the desert waste, as it were, into a flower-garden. For, though it is not in its perfect beauty until its seeds are matured, the heads of dazzling white down have on the landscape the effect of flowers, and might be mistaken at a distance for clusters of gigantic snowdrops, springing from a strange soil at a season yet more strange. It grows from twelve to eighteen inches high. With the silky substance which invests the seeds, paper and wicks of candles have been made and pillows stuffed. oe. a ele ALPINE COTTON Eriophoram HATR- TAIL C r vaeinatum ROUND-HEADED C-G if eapilatum GRASS alpinum + BROAD-LEAVED C-G E. Jatifolram NARROW -LEAVED C-G E.angusntfoliam f SLENDER C-G FE. gracile er u ~ we ~ On SEDGE TRIBE 43 10. Koprista (Kobresia). Compound-headed Kobresia (XK. caricina).—An unpretending little plant, with the habit of one of the lesser Sedges, or the short robust form of Sheep’s Fescue-grass. The stem is erect and rigid, from 6—12 inches high. The spikelets, each of which contains two flowers, are collected into four or five small spikes, and these are aggregated at the summit of the stem. The fertile flower contains one pistil with three stigmas; the barren, three stamens. The lowest bract is somewhat larger than the rest; the nut is obscurely triangular, and is included within the sheathing scale. The leaves are much shorter than the stem, tufted and curved. It grows, forming densely tufted masses, on moors in the North, and flowers in August. Some | botanists describe it under the name of Elyna caricina. 11. SEDGE (Cdrez). i. Spikelet simple, solitary. Stigmas 2. * Stamens and pistils on different plants. 1. Creeping Separate-headed Sedge (C. diotca).—Fertile spikelet egg-shaped ; glumes obtuse; fruit ascending or horizontal (not deflexed) ; barren spikelet slender; leaves and stem smooth ; rootstock creeping. A slender plant, about 6 inches high, growing in spongy bogs, and flowering in May and June. Not common. 2. Prickly Separate-headed Sedge (C. davallidna).—Fruit tapering to a point, rough, deflexed; leaves and stem rough; rootstock tufted. Resembling the last, and about the same size. It formerly grew at Lansdown, near Bath, but has been long extinct. * * Stamens and pistils in separate flowers on the same spikelet. 3. Flea Sedge (C. pulicéris).—Spikelet slender, the upper half bearing stamens, the lower pistils; fruit tapering to a point at cach end, glossy, at first erect, finally deflexed. A pretty little plant, from 6—10 inches high, common in bogs and on moist moorlands. The slender stem, scarcely thicker than a horsehair, bears from six to twelve shining brown seeds, which are distant from each other, and when ripe bear a strange resemblance to insects, clustering like aphides round the stem. The upper portion of the spikelet which bears the stamens remains unaltered. The leaves are tufted, long, and bristle-shaped. It flowers in May and June. ii. Spikelet simple, solitary. Stigmas 3. 4, Rock Sedge (C. rupéstris).—Spikelet very slender, with the upper half barren, and a few fertile flowers at the base; fruit triangular, brown, erect ; leaves flat, terminating in a long curling point; rootstock creeping and sending off runners. A very rare plant, from 3—6 inches high, growing on shelves of rocks in the Highlands, at an altitude of over 2,000 feet, and flowering in July. It has been recorded from Aberdeen, Forfar, Perth, and Sutherland. 5. Few-flowered Sedge (C. paucifléra).—Spikelet of from four to six 6—2 44 CYPERACEA flowers, the two upper barren; fruit tapering to a very long point, nearly cylindrical, deflexed ; leaves flat, much shorter than the stem. Not unlike C. pulicdris, from which, however, it may at once be distinguished by its much more slender fruit, which is of a pale yellow colour, and by its shorter leaves, in addition to the difference in the number of stigmas. It is not unfrequent in the Highlands, where it grows in moory places, and has also been found as far south as Yorkshire. It flowers in June. iii. Spike compound, some flowers in each spikelet bearing stamens (barren), and some pistils (fertile). Stigmas 2. * Spikelets crowded into a head. 6. Curved Sedge (C. inciérva).—Spikelets barren above, fertile below, crowded into a roundish head. A well-marked and rare species, inhabiting sandy seashores in the north of Scotland. The rootstock creeps extensively an inch or two beneath the surface of the sand, sending up, at intervals of two or three inches, one or more tufts of leaves and a head of flowers, which last, as it approaches maturity, bends down until it touches the sand. The roots, which are long, fibrous and tufted, issue from the main stem nearly opposite the leaves. The heads are large, but are rarely elevated more than two inches from the ground. Flowering in June. * * Spikelets alternate, barren at the base, fertile above. 7. Oval-spiked Sedge (C. ovilis).—Spikelets 5—6, oval, 1 terminal, the rest inserted, about half the length of a spikelet, one below another ; fruit as long as the calyx, ovate, with a rough membranous margin tapering toa point which is 2-cleft. Common in marshy places. A somewhat slender plant with long grassy leaves, triangular stems, and brownish-green shining spikelets, without conspicuous bracts. It flowers in June and July. 8. Little Prickly Sedge (C. séelluldta).—Spikelets 3—4, roundish, rather distant ; fruit angular, with a long beak, rough at the margin, spread- ing when ripe. Marshy ground, common. A slender plant from 12—18 inches high, with long grassy leaves, well distinguished by its roundish spikelets or fruit, which grow about 7—8 together, each in the form of a star. It flowers in May and June, and is also known as C. echinata. 9. White Sedge (C. curta).—Spikelets 5—6, rather distant, especially the lower ones ; fruit elliptical, with a very short beak, about equal in length to the glumes. A slender plant from 12—18 inches high, having something of the habit of C. ovdlis. The spikelets, however, are not more than half as large, more distant ; and the glumes are of a peculiar whitish hue, with green keels. It grows in bogs, but is rare, and flowers in June, 10. Hare’s-foot Sedge (C. leporina).—Spikelets 3, rarely 4, ovate, crowded ; fruit elliptical, tapering to a point, equalling in length the ovate obtuse scales, A very rare plant found at an altitude of 3,600 feet on the west side of Loch-na-gar, with a stem from 4—8 inches high, smooth and triangular. The glumes are reddish, with the margins paler ; fruit yellow. Also known as C. lagopina. 11. Elongated Sedge (C. elongata). — Spikelets numerous, oblong, rather distant; fruit oblong, tapering to a point, scarcely beaked, but bear- COMPOUND CREEPING PRICKLY S FLEA mock ¢ SE H HEADED PARATE FEW FLOWERED KOBRBESI Kobresia HEADED Carex dioica UC. dav a { puliear CAREX rupestris TANI PIKED fi CURVED ¢ OVAL. SPIKED LITTLE WHITE C HARES FOO ( ELONGATED C. remota Pi, 249. c fi ovalis PRICKLY ¢ stellulat leporina SEDGE TRIBE 45 ing the persistent style, longer than the glumes. Marshes, rare, from Yorks to Kent and Sussex. A eenutioh plant 1—2 feet high, with acutely triangular stems, which are rough, as well as the leaves. The glumes are brown, with a greenish keel and iit edges. Upper spikelets crowded ; lower, distant from one another, about their own length. Flowering in June. 12. Distant-spiked Sedge (C. reméta). __Spikelets several, all single, approximate towards the top, but very distant below ; fruit oblong, ovate, acute, the beak deeply 2-cleft; bracts very long, overtopping the stem. Moist places, common. A slender plant, from a foot to a foot and a half high, with from 6—8 small pale green spikelets and very long narrow leafy bracts, the lowest of which overtops the stem several inches ; the upper ones are gradually shorter. It flowers in June. 13. Axillary-clustered Sedge (C. azilliris).—Spikelets several, the upper ones single, close together, the lower in distant groups of two or more ; fruit oblong, ovate, acute, the upper part serrated, the beak deeply 2-cleft ; bract of the lower compound spikelet longer, the others shorter than the spikelets ; glumes shorter than the fruit. Marshes. A rare species, well distinguished by the above characters from the foregoing, which it resembles in many respects. Flowers in June. Hooker fils regards this and the next as forms of C. remota. 14. Boenninghausen’s Sedge (C. benninghausenidna). — Spikelets several, the upper ones simple, close together, the lower distant, compound ; fruit narrow, tapering to a point, the upper part serrated; bract of the lower compound spikelet overtopping the stem ; glumes equalling the fruit. Marshes, rare. Closely allied to the preceding. It flowers in June. *** Spikelets alternate, barren at their extremity, compound. 15. Great Panicled Sedge (C. paniculdta).—Spike compound, consist- ing of numerous ovate stalked spikelets, which are themselves compound ; fruit flat on one side, convex on the other, many-nerved, and ending in a winged triangular beak ; stem rough, triangular, with flat sides. A common and picturesque plant, from 4—5 feet high, inhabiting spongy bogs, where it forms elevated tussocks or tufts, 3 or 4 feet in diameter, after the habit of Aira cespitésa, and of much service in consolidating the soil. The leaves are long, broad, and very rough at the margins. It flowers in June. 16. Paradoxical Sedge (C. paradéaza).—Spike compound, narrow ; fruit much the same as in the preceding, except that the beak is not winged ; stem rough above, triangular, with convex sides. Resembling the last in habit, but much smaller, being from 1—2 feet high, very rare, having been found in bogs only in Yorkshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, and near Mullingar. It flowers in July. It is classed by Hooker as a sub-species of C. paniculata. 17. Lesser Panicled Sedge (C. feretiviscula).— Spike compound, oblong, consisting of numerous crowded spikelets ; fruit resembling that of C. paniculata ; stem like that of C. paradoxa. Boggy meadows, rare, June. Resembling in many respects C. paniculdta but very much smaller, Ttoot- stock creeping, forming less decided tussocks. 18; Great Sedge | (C. vulpina).—Spike cylindrical, consisting of numerous crowded compound spikelets ; fruit large, terminating in a long rough beak ; 46 CYPERACEZ: stem acutely triangular. Wet places, common. A robust plant 2—3 feet high, with broad leaves, which are so rough at the margins as to be dangerous to meddle with ; the stem is equally rough, and terminates in heads of fruit, which, when ripe, point in all directions. It flowers in June. ** * * Spikelets alternate, barren at their extremity, simple. 19. Greater Prickly Sedge (C. muricdta). —Spikelets from 4—6 crowded ; bracts nearly all shorter than the spikelets. Gravelly pastures, frequent. So closely resembling the next in all respects, that the two are very difficult of discrimination, if indeed they do not represent two forms of the same plant varied by soil and situation. Flowering in May and June. The var. pseudo-divilsa is intermediate between this and the next. 20. Grey Sedge (C. diviilsa).—Spikelets about 6, the lower ones distant ; lower bracts rather longer than the spikelets, bristle-shaped ; fruit large, pointed, roughish near the extremity. A slender species, with long narrow rough leaves, growing from 1—2 feet high, and remarkable for its greyish hue. Frequent in moist shady places, and flowering in May and June. Evidently a sub-species of C. muricata. 21. Sea Sedge (C. arendria).—Spikelets of three kinds, upper barren, lower fertile, intermediate ones barren at their extremities, forming an oblong, acute, interrupted head ; lower bracts longer than the spikelets. A very distinct species, abundant on the sandy sea-shore, where it is of great service in preventing the shifting of the sands; it also occurs inland in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Surrey. ‘The rootstocks creep to a great distance a few inches below the surface. They are about as large as whipcord, and are invested with the remains of old leaf-sheaths, presenting a jointed appearance. From these, tufts of leaves and flowers arise at intervals of a few inches, and from the joints descend tufted fibrous roots, with here and there a stouter cord-like root which penetrates to a great depth ; the leaves are rigid, rough at the edges, and of a glaucous hue; the stems are also rough above, and from 6—12 inches high, flowering in June. 22. Soft Brown Sedge (C. intermédia).—Spike composed of numerous ascending acute spikelets, of which the upper and lower are fertile, the middle barren ; lower bracts longer than the spikelets. Marshes and wet meadows, common. Bearing in many respects a close resemblance to C. arendria, yet perfectly distinct : it attains double the height, the leaves are more grass-like, and the mature spike is singularly marked by being separated into two portions by the remains of the barren spikelets. Indeed, at all stages of its growth, the middle portion of the spike differs in appearance from the two extremities, by which peculiarity it may be distinguished from all other British Sedges. It flowers in June. Also known as C. disticha. 23. Bracteated Marsh Sedge (C. divisa).—Spike oblong ovate, com- posed of several spikelets, the lower one of which is furnished with a slender leaf-like bract. A slender plant about afoot high, with light green grass-like leaves, and a creeping rootstock ; inhabiting marshy places, especially near the sea, principally on the southern and eastern coasts, and not extending north of Yorkshire. It flowers in May and June. to & AXILLARY-CLUSTERED CAREX Carex axillaris BOENNINGHAUSENS ¢ C. beenninghsuseni: GREAT PANTICLED - C tid pani ulata PARADOXICAL C. G paradoxa 3 IA SEA LESSER PA { NICLED ¢ C. teretinsciula REAT ( C, ypu 12 C_ divui rRE \TER PRICKLY ¢ SEDGE TRIBE 47 iv. Terminal sptkelet fertile above, barren below ; the rest fertile. Stigmas 3. 24, Close-headed Alpine Sedge (C. vihlii).—Spikelets 3—4, cluster- ‘ing; fruit obovate, rough above, longer than the glumes. Very rare, on rocks in Aberdeenshire and Forfarshire at altitudes between 2,400 and 2,600 feet. Well marked by its dark purple-brown spikelets, the lower ones being nearly round when in fruit, and accompanied by a short leafy bract ; the upper spikelet is cylindrical and more pointed. The stem, which is trian- gular, is from 6—12 inches high. It flowers in July. Also known as C. alpina. 25. Hoary Sedge (C. canéscens).—Spikclets 3—5, sessile except the lowest, which is stalked ; stem triangular, leafy below. A very rare species from 1—2 feet high, found only on a small island in Lough Neagh, Ireland, flowering in July. Also known as C. buabaumit. 26. Black Sedge (C. atrdta).—Spikelets 4—6, ovate, stalked, finally drooping. A rare species, found on Snowdon and on alpine rocks in West- moreland, and the Highland mountains, at altitudes between 2,400 and 3,700 feet. It attains the height of about a foot, and is remarkable for its un- usually broad, flat, keeled leaves, and the dark purple-brown hue of its glumes. It flowers in June. v. One (or sometimes two) terminal spikelets, barren ; the rest fertile. * Stigmas 2. 27. Three-nerved Sedge (C. trinérvis).—Spikelets close, fertile ones 2 or 3, sessile, oblong or cylindrical, lower bract slender, longer than the spikelet, not sheathing; glumes brown with green midrib; fruit lentil- shaped, brown, dotted ; leaves smooth, keeled, as long as or longer than the smooth 3-sided stem. This is a stout species with thick roots, and long scaly rootstocks from which runners branch off. It varies in height from 6 inches to a foot, and the leaves are of the same length or longer. Its distribution in this country is restricted to the coast of Norfolk, where it may be found in wet sandy places, and flowering in July and August. 28. Common Sedge (C. vulgaris). Spikelets from 3—5, cylindrical ; bracts leafy, dilated at the base, and forming small round dark auricles : glumes obtuse, dark purple-brown ; fruit elliptical, with a very short beak. Common in marshes and wet pastures, where it flowers in May and June, grow- ing about a foot high, with a slender, acutely triangular stem, which is rough towards the top ; leaves long and slender. Also known as C. goodenovit. 29. Rigid Sedge (C. rigida).—Spikelets oblong, 3—5 ; lower bract leafy, longer than its spikelet, with small round black auricles ; glumes obtuse, black. On mountains from North Wales and Yorkshire northwards; also in the west and north of Ireland. It grows from 4—6 inches high, forming numerous tufts of rigid acute leaves, which are as long as the stem. It flowers in June and July. 30. Straight-leaved Water Sedge (C. aqudtilis).—Spikelets long and slender, tapering towards the base, and often having barren flowers at the extremities; stem stout, stiff, and smooth, usually triangular ; leaves long 48 CYPERACEAi and straight. Very rare. Bogs and marshes in Scotland, where it flowers in July and August. 31. Slender-spiked Sedge (C. avzta).—Spikelets long and slender, the lower ones frequently barren at the top; bracts very long, leafy, frequently over-topping the stem ; auricles lengthened, pale. A large species from 2—3 feet high, with broad flat leaves, which are inserted in three rows, and stout stems, which are acutely triangular and rough. The fertile spikelets are very long, and droop. Frequent in marshes and moist pastures, where it flowers in May. 32. Tufted Bog Sedge (C. cwspitiésa).—Spikelets cylindrical, the lower ones often barren at the top ; lower bract leafy, not longer than the spikelet ; auricles long, pale. Marshes, local, south of the Clyde, and in Ireland. Approaching the last, but growing in more decided tufts; the leaves, too, are narrower, and have a glaucous hue. It grows from 2—3 feet high, and flowers in April and May. Known also as C. stricta. 33. Russet Sedge (C. saxdtilis).—Fertile spikelets ovate, obtuse, the lower one stalked: bracts leafy ; fruit inflated, spreading, beaked. A dis- tinct species, well marked by the above characters, as well as by its trian- gular, pointed leaves, and very dark fruit. Rare, near springs on the Scottish mountains, northwards of Ben Lomond, at altitudes between 2,500 and 3,300 feet. It attains the height of a foot or more, flowering in June. Hooker regards it as a sub-species of C. vesicaria. 34. Cord-rooted Sedge (C. chordorrhiza).—Spikelets crowded in an ovate head, barren above ; fruit ovate, swollen, smooth and shining, yellowish with brown ribs, ending in a two-pointed beak ; nut pale yellow, dotted, and with slender beak almost as long as the nut. This rare species has recently been found by the Rev. E. 8. Marshall, F.L.S., and Mr. Shoolbred in wet peat-bogs at Altnaharra, in West Sutherland, where it grew half buried in Sphagnum-moss. It has very long and wiry underground stems, which send up leafy branches and flowering stems at intervals, and these attain the height of six inches or a foot. The bright green flat leaves are smooth and stiff. * * Stigmas 3; fruit smooth , fertile spikelets short, sessile, or nearly so. 35. Pale Sedge (C. palléscens).—Fertile spikelets 2—3, oblong, the lowest stalked, slightly pendulous; bracts leafy, slightly sheathing at the base; fruit obovate, obtuse, tipped by the base of the withered style. A slender species, a foot or more high, well marked by its pale hue and blunt fruit. Common in marshy woods, and flowering in June. 36. Long Bracteated Sedge (C. caténsw).—Fertile spikelets roundish, oblong ; glumes terminating in a sharp point; bracts very long, leafy ; fruit beaked; leaves very narrow. Marshes near the sea, rare; flowering in June. * * * Stigmas 3; fruit smooth ; fertile spikelets stalked, erect. 37. Yellow Sedge (C. jléva).—Bracts very long, leaf-like, sheathing the stalks of the fertile spikelets, and giving them the appearance of being sessile; fertile spikelets distant; fruit swollen, spreading, with a long SOFT BROWN CAREX, Carex intermedia BRACTEATED MARSH C, — C. divisa. CLOSE HEADED ALPINE C, C. vahli HOARY C, C . camescens BLACK C, C. atrata Pl, 251. COM MON ( : C vulgaris RIGID C, C. rigida STRAIGHT LEAVED WATER C, C. aquatils SLENDER SPIKED C, C. acuta TUFTED BOG C, C . ezespitosa SEDGE TRIBE 49 recurved beak. Common in turfy bogs and marshes. A slender leafy species of a pale yellowish-green hue, growing about a foot high, and flower- _ ing in May and June. 38. Loose Sedge (C. distans).—Fertile spikelets 2—3, distant, oblong ; bracts leafy, shining, not overtopping the barren spike; glumes terminating in a sudden sharp point; fruit equally ribbed on both sides, triangular, black-dotted, beaked. Brackish marshes, flowering in June. 39. Tawny Sedge (C. fulva).—Fertile spikelets 1—3, oblong, ovate ; bracts leafy, sheathing, not overtopping the barren spikelets ; glumes acute ; fruit erect, with a straight rough-edged beak; stem rough. A slender plant about a foot high, not infrequent in boggy places in sub-alpine districts, marked by its leafy stem, by the long sheath which accompanies the lower bract, and by its short spikelets. It flowers in June. Probably a sub-species of C. distans. 40. Green-ribbed Smooth-stalked Beaked Sedge (C. binérvis).— Very like C. déstans, except that the fruit has two principal green ribs on the outside. It is exceedingly difficult to discriminate between these two plants; if indeed they are not forms of the same. C. déstans varies in height from six inches to a foot, and grows in marshy places, mostly near the sea. C. binérvis is abundant on dry moors and mountainous woods, attaining a height of from 2—3 feet, and is remarkable for its slender stems, which frequently droop on all sides from the weight of the spikelets ; the glumes of the fertile spikelets are of a dark purple hue, with a green midrib; the leaves are from 6—8 inches long, channelled, rigid, and rough edged. It flowers about June. The Carex described by Hooker and Boswell-Syme under the name of C. frigida is now thought to be more correctly regarded as a variety (var. sadleri) of the present species. It was discovered by John Sadler, in 1874, in Aberdeenshire. 41. Smooth-stalked Beaked Sedge (C. lwvigdta).—Fertile spikelets 3 or 4, distant, on long stalks, the lower one frequently drooping ; fruit dis- tinctly furrowed, tapering to a long smooth-edged beak ; bracts leaf-like, sheathing. Moist woods, not common. Approaching C. distans in habit, but well distinguished by the above characters as well as by its much longer and broader leaves. ‘ In Bickleigh Vale, Devon, the two species grow near each other, and retain their distinctive characters very decidedly. It flowers in June. 42. Salt Marsh Sedge (C. punctata).—Similar to C. distans, but easily distinguished by comparing the fruit, which in punctata is scarcely triangular, ribbed only at the scarcely discernible angles, is swollen and glossy, and ends in a more slender, smooth and divided beak. This Sedge grows in marshes by the sea, from Cornwall to Hampshire, in Suffolk, Wales, Kirk- cudbrightshire, the south of Ireland, and in Guernsey. It flowers in June. 43, Pink-leaved Sedge (C. pantcea).—Fertile spikelets 2 or 3, loose; glumes bluntish, with a green midrib; bracts leafy, sheathing, the lowest about as long as the spike, the rest shorter ; fruit somewhat inflated, blunt. A distinct and very pretty plant, from 10—18 inches high, common in marshes and damp meadows, well marked by its foliage, resembling in hue that of the garden pink, its loose spikelets with purple glumes and green Iv,—7 50 CYPERACEA fruit, and the numerous yellow anthers of its barren spikelet. The stems are smooth and obtusely triangular. It flowers in June. 44. Short Brown-spiked Sedge (C. vagindta).—Resembling the last, except that the fruit is beaked, the broader leaves chiefly from the rootstock and never glaucous. On the Highland mountains, rare ; flowering in July. 45, Starved Wood Sedge (C. depauperdta).—Fertile spikelets 3 or 4, each containing about the same number of flowers ; bracts leaf-like, very long; fruit large and terminating in a long beak. Dry woods, very rare. Godalming, Surrey ; Charlton Wood, Kent; Somerset, and near Forfar. where it flowers in May and June. A strongly marked species, with pale foliage and erect habit, the leaf-like bracts sometimes overtopping the slender terminal spikelet. ** * * Stigmas 3; fruit smooth ; fertile spikelets stalked, drooping, short. 46. Dwarf Capillary Sedge (C. capilléris).—Spikelets in long stalks, several sheathed by a common bract. REED Ammophila arundinacea 4. COMMON CATS-TAIL GRASS Phleum pratense 5 ALPINE C-T.G P alpinum 6 ROUGH C-T G PF. asperum Pl, 256 ‘ 8 = PURPLE- STALKED C-1 P MICHELIAWN C-T G SEA C-T CG p P behmert mochelit arenarius GRASS TIRBE 63 Painted Grass, or Ladies’ Laces, and that it had “long ago been respected and cherished in the country gardens of many gentlewomen.” 6. (19) SEA-REED (Amméphila). 1. Common Sea-reed (A. arundindcea).—Panicle close, cylindrical, tapering ; empty glumes acute, hairs one-third the length of glume ; root- stock stout, creeping, and perennial. This is the common Marum, Marram, or Matweed of our sea-shores, and one of the most useful plants on the wide, dreary, sandy flats so often seen there. It often grows in large masses, its numerous and strong roots, sometimes twenty feet long, serving to hold down those drifting sands, which else might rise in overwhelming heaps to desolate the neighbourhood, and which would prove as injurious as an over- flow of ocean itself. Stillingfleet recommended that this grass should be sown on such sandy banks as were without it, and it has been extensively planted in Norfolk, and is carefully grown in Holland. Were it not for this plant and its allies, the Lyme-grass and the rough Sea-sedge, many parts of our coast would be exposed to the most alarming incursions of sand. It is not alone in countries like Egypt, where vast regions of sand prevail, that immense tracts of land have been covered by its inundations. Several instances have occurred in this kingdom of injuries done by them, as in the well-known one of the estate of Coubin, near Forres, in Scotland, where, in 1769, the encroachments of drifting sand had, in one season, completely buried this valuable property, so that only the upper part of an apple-tree was left visible. This calamity was caused entirely by the poor in the neigh- bourhood having pulled up the grass for household uses. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth an Act was passed to restrain this practice, and commanding that the growth of this Mat-grass should be encouraged. It has been planted _in the Hebrides for preventing sand-drift, and its abundant growth on the large sand-bank called Spurn Point is considered to have been the means of saving the town of Hull from having been washed away by the sea. Spurn Point, originally a drifting sand, has been rendered firm in the course of years by successive growths of this bent ; and on this sandy mass the ocean pours the violence of its first swell before it reaches the town. The sand-hills about Calais are. held down in a similar way by a plentiful growth of this plant. This Sea-reed is abundant on many loose sandy shores of these islands ; its stem is three or four feet high, and its close panicle, tapering at both ends, is, in July, three or four inches in length. The foliage, which is very long, rigid, and of a sea-green tint, has not so bluish a hue as that other use- ful sand-plant, the Lyme-grass. Its creeping roots have little tubers like beads at the joints. This plant is never found on inland soils, and when by a succession of growths its masses have formed by their tough roots a firmer soil, the grass disappears. It has performed its service in the economy of nature, has bound the once shifting sands, and it gives way to plants of another character. Its coarse hard foliage is not relished by cattle, hence it is not cropped, and its tall, greenish, straw-coloured, stiff stalks rustle to the winds of autumn, unless the poor people in the neighbourhood gather them for weaving into mats, or binding them into ropes for rustic uses. In 64 GRAMINEAL the Hebrides it is manufactured into mats for pack-saddles, and into vessels for holding grain or meal. It is a source of great regret that in this country there are many hundred thousands of acres of sea-sand, having all the advantages of climate and of the excellent manure afforded by the refuse of ocean, rendered useless by their want of solidity of soil, and yet too firm for the growth of- mat-grass. Various means have been suggested for rendering these sands useful to the agriculturist, and Dr. Paterson of Glasgow stated to the British Association in 1855, that he had seen a small sheltered corner, of which the soil was no better or other than that of a common sand-hill, which had been reclaimed from waste by the owner, and was then green with the waving produce of clover. In future days, therefore, means may be found of converting these tracts of sand into useful fields. 2. Baltic Sea-reed (A. baltica).—Panicle elongated, loose and irregular; flowering glume lance-shaped, the pencil of hairs at its base half as long. This species is very similar to the last in its general habit, but its panicles are less cylindrical and less compacted, and the nerves on the flowering elumes are less strongly marked. It flowers in August and September, and occurs only on Ross Links and Holly Isle, Northumberland. 7. (12) Cat’s-raIL Grass (Phléum). 1. Common Cat’s-tail (P. praténse).—Panicle cylindrical; empty glumes, as if cut off at the end, tipped with a spine, and fringed on the keel, longer than the awn. Perennial. This is one of the commonest of our meadow plants, growing well on dry poor soils, and retaining its verdure longer than most grasses. It becomes troublesome on dry gravelly soils, by means of its creeping stems (var. stolonifera), which in some situations become tuberous (var. nodosum). ‘This Cat’s-tail is in this country used chiefly for hay, being a hard coarse grass, little relished by cows, horses, or sheep, but affording, if made into hay just when ripening its seeds, a fair supply of nutriment. It is in England sown with other grasses, but Professor Buck- man says it is admirably adapted for a self-crop, and is one of the most com- monly used grasses for this purpose in America, its herbage being in that land much coarser than in ours, and its stems often four feet high, with flower- spikes four inches long. “In the States of New York and Pennsylvania,” says this writer, “‘I saw hundreds of acres of the best cleared land occupied solely with this grass, of which, indeed, the great bulk of the grass hay of the country is made. Here so strong does it grow as at a slight distance to be capable of being mistaken for a grain crop.” The grass grows slowly after cutting, and is late in ripening its seeds, hence its aftermath is not abundant, but its power of resisting drought induces this botanist to infer that it would be a good grass on dry upland or sandy soils. Hares are very fond of its herbage. This Cat’s-tail is from a foot to a foot and a half high, its leaves rather broad, rough, and furnished with long sheaths, and its panicle, which appears in June, is from two to four inches long, varied with green and white. It owes its common name of Timothy-grass to Mr. Timothy Hanson, who culti- vated it extensively in the United States. 2. Alpine Cat’s-tail (P. alpinwm).— Panicle egg-shaped, somewhat 3. OVATE HARES TAIL GRASS i Lagurus ovatus SPREADING MILLET G Miliom effostom AWNED NIT G Gastridimm Jendigerom Pils ear: COMMON FEATHER G Stipa pennata ANNUAL BEARD G Polypogon monspehensis PERENNIAL B.G P.littoralis . GRASS TRIBE 65 oblong; empty glumes fringed at the back, cut off suddenly at the end, shortly bristled, sheath of the upper leaf very long and swollen. This rare _ grass is found on the banks of alpine streams at altitudes between 2,100 and 3,600 feet in Perth, Forfar, and Aberdeen. It has a very short bristly panicle, rarely exceeding an inch in length, of a purplish-brown colour, and a creeping knotted perennial rootstock. It varies in the degree in which its leaf-sheath is inflated, as well as in the roughness of its awn. 3. Rough Cat’s-tail (P. dsperum).—Panicle cylindrical ; empty glumes wedge-shaped, swelling upwards, rough. Annual. This is a rare grass of dry open fields in some parts of England. Its stem is about a foot high, often branched, and in July its leaves are so long and numerous that they almost cover the flower. The panicle is about two inches long. It has been found occasionally in fields about Bristol, and in other parts of Gloucestershire, but not apparently in recent years. 4, Purple-stalked Cat’s-tail (P. behméri).—Panicle cylindrical ; empty glumes narrow, pointed, spine-tipped, and downy at the keel. Perennial. This rare grass grows chiefly on dry sandy or chalky fields in Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, and Hertfordshire. It has a glossy purple unbranched stem, erect, and about a foot high, and but few leaves. It flowers in July. The glumes are leathery, green, with a white margin. It is also known as P. phalaroides. 5. Michel’s Cat’s-tail (P. michélii).—Panicle hairy, cylindrical ; empty glumes tapering to a point, with a fringed keel. Perennial. This is not an indigenous grass. It was stated to be found on the rocky parts of the Clova mountains by G. Don, but, as it is not found there now, some mistake is supposed to have occurred. 6. Sea-side Cat’s-tail (P. arendrium).—Panicle oblong, enlarged at the top; empty glumes tapering toa point, fringed on the keel. Perennial. This is one of our sand-grasses, of which we have no fewer than seventeen, all more or less useful in binding the sands. It grows more frequently on the eastern sea-shores of Scotland than England, and though its stem varies in height it is most frequently about half a foot, several stems rising from one root. Its short, crowded, oblong panicle is of yellowish-green, often tinged with a little pinkish colour. It will grow only on loose sands, and is there a straw-coloured, bright glossy grass in June and July, and, like our sand- grasses in general, of no use to the agriculturist. 8. (20) HARE’S-TAIL-GRASS (Lagirus). Ovate Hare’s-tail-grass (L. ovdtus).—Spikes egg-shaped, with long awns projecting from among the down. Annual. This is a rare grass, inhabiting sandy places in Guernsey, but naturalized near Saffron Walden, and occasionally planted in tufts in English gardens. It is from four to twelve inches high, with broad leaves and a soft downy head, over an inch long, of pale grayish colour, slightly tinged with pink. 9. (11) MiLuet-erass (Miélium). Spreading Millet-grass (J/. effisum).—Branches of the panicle long, and in distant tufts, placed alternately on the stem. Perennial. This is a Iv.—9 66 GRAMINEA tall slender grass, conspicuous in our moist shady woods, where it is often very abundant, its stem rising to the height of four feet, and its broad smooth leaves of a delicate bright green colour. In June it bears numerous very small light green spikelets, the middle branches of the panicle drooping. It is a very elegant grass, and in winter its tall slender stems and branches, turned to a pale straw-colour, often occupy a large space of ground when flowers have faded away from the wood. The grass is not a nutritious one for cattle, but birds eat the seeds. 10. (16) Nit-Grass (Gastridium). Awned Nit-grass ((. lendigerum).—Panicle spiked; empty glumes tapering to a point, shorter than the awn of the flowering glume. Perennial. This little grass, which varies in height from four to eight inches, bears in August a close panicle of numerous pale yellowish-green glossy florets, much swollen at the base, and their form affords a ready means of identifying the plant. It is a rare grass, growing in the maritime counties, generally in sandy places where water has stood during winter. 11. (10) FEATHER-GRASS (Stipa). Common Feather-grass (S. pennita).— Awns very long, fringed throughout their length ; leaves rigid and bristle-like. Perennial. This is included in our list of British Grasses, because it is said to have grown, in the time of Dillenius, on limestone rocks near Kendal in Westmoreland ; but as it has not been seen there since 1720, it was no doubt a garden escape. Most persons are familiar with it as a garden ornament in summer, its long feathery tufts, so like the tail feather of a Bird of Paradise, growing two or three feet high. Gerarde mentions that this grass was in his time worn in the hair instead of feathers ; and Parkinson, writing somewhat later, refers to its use as an ornament by ladies, after recent illness. ‘I have knowne,” he says, “that many gentlewomen have used it, being tyed in tufts to set them about their beds, which have been much admired of the ladies and gentlemen that have come to visit them.” The grass isa native of dry rocky and sandy spots in the south of Europe, and is very common in Austria. It is easy of cultivation, provided that the seeds are sown soon after they are ripe. 12. (6) Bearp-Grass (Polypdgon). 1. Annual Beard-grass (LP. monspéliensis). — Panicle crowded and spike-like ; awns remarkably long ; empty glumes rough and blunt. Annual. This light and elegant Grass is found only in a few moist meadows near the sea, in Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Essex, and Norfolk. Its dense silky panicle is, in July and August, beautifully tinted with different shades of green and pale greyish-purple, and is one or two inches long, on a stem from 6 inches to 4 feet high. It has slender hairy leaves, and is a very common grass in Southern Europe. 2. Perennial Beard-grass (P. litiordlis). —Empty glumes smooth, tapering to a point, and with awns about their length. This, too, is a rare grass, occurring in muddy salt-marshes, as in those near Woolwich, and on ] WOOD SMALI REED 2 PURPLE FLOWERED S.R Calamagrostis epigeyos C . lanceolata oe cia 7 —— lee ied < * o - 7 + ee ~~ — ats ~_ mn * ‘1 GRASS TRIBE 67 the coast of Essex, as well as in Norfolk and Hants. Its stem varies from a foot to 6 feet high, and it bears in July its close purplish panicle. Its leaves _ are somewhat broader than those of the last species, of a bright green, and it has a creeping rootstock. Duval-Jouve regards this as a hybrid between the last-named and Agrostis alba. 13. (15) SMALL-REED (Calamagréstis). 1. Wood Small-reed (C. epigéjos).—Panicle upright ; spikelets crowded, 1-flowered ; empty glumes awl-shaped, rough ; awn of outer flowering glume nearly as long as. the glume; hairs much longer than the awn. Perennial. This is a handsome, though rigid plant, with a round erect stem, sometimes five feet high ; and narrow acute leaves, hairy on the inner, and smooth on the outer sides. The green one-sided panicle is more or less tinged with brown, with silky hairs, and about half a foot long; flowering in July. This Reed-grass is not common, but grows in moist shady woods in many places throughout the kingdom. It is far too harsh a grass to be touched by cattle. 2. Purple-flowered Small-reed (C. lanceoléta).—Panicle erect, loose ; empty glumes smooth; awn short, from the notch in the flowering glume ; hairs long. Perennial. This grass, with its slender stem three or four feet high, and graceful silky panicle, with an abundance of scattered spikelets, is —in England—far more common than the last, and in moist hedges often towers above the bushes, its glossy clusters of flowers being, in June, of a tich purple hue, much smaller, but much prettier in colour than that of the last species. It does not occur in Scotland or Ireland. 3. Narrow Small-reed (C. stricta).—Panicle erect, close; empty glumes acute, rough on the keel ; flowering glume as long as the glumes, longer than the hairs; awn straight. Perennial. This reed is the smallest of the species, and has an upright stem two or three feet high ; bearing, in June, a close panicle of many spikelets, about three inches long, and tinged with purplish-blue colour. Its leaves are broad and rigid. It is a very rare plant, inhabiting bogs and marshes in Delamere Forest and Caithness. It is readily distinguished from the other species by its general appearance, and the colour of its flowering clusters. By some systematists it is separated from Calamagrostis, and called Deyetaia neglécta. 14, (14) BENT-GRASS (Agréstis). 1. Brown Bent-grass (4. cantna).—Branches of the panicle long, slender, spreading, when in full flower, and erect ; glumes unequal, rough at the keel; flowering glume single, toothed, awned from below the middle. Perennial. This is a very abundant Grass on boggy meadows, and one often gathered for its delicate beauty. Its glossy stem is one or two feet high, prostrate below ; and in June and July its airy clusters, formed of numerous small spikelets on thread-like branches, vary in tint, from pale yellowish- green, to every hue of purple. It generally grows about the moors in little patches, and it has slender, smooth leaves. 2. Bristle-leaved Bent-grass (4. setdécea).—Panicle close, oblong ; branches and flower-stalks rough; glumes unequal; outer flowering glume 9—2 68 GRAMINEAD toothed with an awn twice its length. Perennial. This is a plant almost confined, in this country, to downs at the south and south-west of England. It has numerous rigid bright green leaves growing in tufts from the root; and bears, in June and July, numerous oblong panicles with short branches. It is said that no grass is pleasanter to the feet than this, and that the large natural downs which are composed of its turf, in Devonshire, are as neat as the best kept lawns. They need no mower’s hand to keep them so; nor, indeed, would these rigid leaves and stems yield to the scythe. On the open. downs of Cornwall, this grass, dwarf furze, and heather, constitute the principal vegetation. Its range extends from Cornwall to Sussex, and it is frequent in Surrey, Berkshire, and Glamorgan. 3. Fine Bent-grass (4. vulgiris).—Panicle spreading, its branches almost smooth ; glumes nearly equal; flowering glume thin and unequal ; perennial ; spikelets, in one variety awned, in another awnless. ‘There is also a dwarf variety of this plant, not more than three inches high. This Bent is very common in every part of the kingdom ; in meadows and pastures, and by road-sides ; at the base of walls, or on other dry spots, often grow- ing in great plenty. Its slender stem is a foot and a half high ; and it bears, in June and July, clusters of numerous purplish spikelets, so delicate, and on branches so hair-like, that they quiver in every summer breeze. The small quantity of slender herbage which this grass produces is in perfection by the middle of April, and supplies a good, though slight pasture for cattle. This grass is often called Black Quitch. 4. Fiorin or Marsh Bent-grass (A. dlba).— Branches of the panicle spreading when in flower, afterwards compact ; glumes nearly equal ; stems erect, but somewhat prostrate at the base ; and in the variety called stolontfera, rooting and throwing out long runners. ‘This is a perennial, and very common grass, stouter and taller than the preceding, growing abundantly in meadows, on sunny slopes, and by road-sides, being in leaf early in May, or, in forward springs, during April. It is a remarkably fertile plant, pro- ducing a large number of suckers; and it affords an excellent pasture for sheep. The short, flat, narrow, and acute leaves are rough on both sides ; and its flowers, which appear in July and August, are sometimes of a paler yellowish-green than those of most of the species, but are quite as often of a purplish colour ; the stalk is frequently a foot and a half or two feet high, though few grasses vary more on different soils. 5. Spreading Silky Bent (A. spica-vénli).—Panicle loosely spreading ; glumes unequal ; awn straight, very stiff, and three or four times the length of the flowering glume. Annual. Slender and delicate as are all the species of Agrostis, and remarkable for their small spikelets, yet none are graceful and airy like this. The light and elegant panicle is often six inches long, and of pale green, but sometimes of pinkish hue, leaning on one side, and glossy as satin, nodding to every breath of the midsummer wind which sweeps across the sandy fields where it grows. Its rough and slender awns are many times as long as the spikelet. It is a rare grass, and found only in the counties between Yorkshire, Kent, and Hampshire. On spots occasionally inundated it becomes very luxuriant, its stem rising to the height of three feet, though, usually, about one or two feet only. Its long awns would prevent its being ed FINE B.G BRISTLE- LEAVED a BROWN BENT GRASS canny A3rost 1s Pl, 259. = iS ara 2 2% : @ & . ’ GRASS TRIBE 69 mistaken for any other grass except the following. The inner glume contains a small neuter floret, with a tuft of hairs at its base. By some botanists it is separated from Agrostis and constituted a genus under the name of Apera. 6. Dense-flowered Silky Bent (4. interripta).—Panicle close, long slender ; glumes unequal ; flowering glumes with straight long awns. Annual. This grass differs from the last in its close, never-spreading panicle ; and in the more rounded form of its anthers ; but it resembles it in structure in other respects, and is apparently only a sub-species of it. It flowers in July, and its stem is rarely more than half a foot in height. 15. (85) WHORL-GRASS (Catabrésa). Water Whorl Grass (C. aqudtica).—Panicle with half whorls of spreading branches; spikelets usually with two, sometimes 3—5 florets; glumes thin and blunt ; flowering glumes thick, white, and clear at the extremity. Perennial. This is an aquatic grass, sometimes floating to a great length in the water, at others growing on wet banks, when it becomes much smaller, and has a stem but a few inches high. The panicle of this Whorl-grass is composed of a large number of small spikelets, bluish, or often brownish- green, on very slender branchlets ; the stem is stout, and one or two feet long, bending at the base, and sending out roots. The leaves are broad, blunt, and bright green; and the flowers, which appear in May and June, have a sweet flavour, the whole plant having more or less of a sweetish taste. Waterfowl are fond of its young leaves and shoots, while cattle relish it so much, that were the grass not an aquatic, it would doubtless be cultivated for their pasturage. It is said to contribute to the excellence of the Cam- bridge butter and the Cottenham cheese. 16. (21) Hatr-crass (Aira). 1. Tufted Hair-grass (4. cespitdésa). — Panicle spreading, branches rough, flexuous; glumes sometimes rough at the mid-rib; awn inserted near the base of the outer flowering glume, and scarcely extending beyond its summit. There are several varieties of this species, but scarcely of a permanent character. This is a common and very pretty perennial grass ; it is found in abundance on field-borders, and especially on moist moory ground, where it flowers, in June and July, among spearworts and other marsh flowers, and thick green mosses. On such spots, especially if shaded by furze and brambles, it attains great luxuriance ; but when the land is drained it soon disappears; and when we see it, as we often do, growing with the different species of sedge (Carex), and with the roughish meadow-grass, we have sure indication that the land is not in good condition. It is commonly known in country places by the name of Hassock or Tussock Grass ; and its large matted tufts cause those clumps called tussocks, which the mower finds so great a hindrance to his scythe. It is also termed Rough-caps, from its long, narrow, rough, twisting leaves, which are marked with fine lines. Bullfaces and Silver-grass are also among its familiar names. This Hair-grass has a strong stiff stem, two or three feet high, and its light and graceful panicle is of a dull purplish hue, but when glistening in 70 GRAMINEZ the midsummer sunshine, its numerous small spikelets look as if cut out of silver. Itis a hard rigid grass, and is refused by horses, while cows will only eat it when compelled by hunger. This species and 4. flexuosa are separated from Aira by some authors to constitute the genus Deschampsia. ' 2. Smooth Alpine Hair-grass (A. alpina).—Panicle close; glumes smooth on the midrib ; awn from about the middle of flowering glume, and scarcely longer than the glumes. Perennial. This, which is usually a viviparous grass, grows abundantly on the mountains of Scotland and the west of Ireland, on moist rocks, ascending to over 4,000 feet. It has a glossy stem, a foot or a foot and a half high, its leaves are rough within and smooth on the outer surface, and often turning backwards. ‘The panicle, which appears in June and July, is very light, shghtly drooping, and composed of numerous pale brown shining spikelets, on nearly erect branches. The plant is by some regarded as a sub-species of 4. cwspitosa. 3. Wavy Hair-grass (A. flevudésa).—Panicle spreading, with hair-like branches ; awn inserted near the base of the flowering glume, and extending far beyond it. Perennial. This grass has a slender erect smooth stem, a foot or a foot and a half high, and bears, in July, a pale greenish-brown, glossy, erect panicle. ‘The brown or purplish spikelets are much smaller than in the preceding species, and the wavy angular branches are not thicker than the most delicate sewing-thread. It grows abundantly on hill sides and heathy places, and has long, slender, bristle-like leaves. The variety montana has larger glumes, more purple in hue, and affects subalpine situations. 4. Grey Hair-grass (4. canéscens).—Panicle long and crowded ; empty glumes taper-pointed, longer than the flowering ones; awn short, club- shaped, from near the base of the flowering glume. Annual. The tufted stems of this grass are six or eight inches high, and bear, in July, panicles of numerous spikelets, variegated with purple, green, and white, the awns being purplish-white, and the anthers purple. Its leaves are numerous and bristle-like. It is a very rare grass, found on the sandy sea-coast of Dorset, Norfolk, and Suffolk, and the Channel Islands; it has also been gathered from the chalk between Folkestone and Dover, in Kent. Some authors separate it from Aira on account of the clubbed awn, and write its name Corynephorus canescens. 5. Silvery Hair-grass (4. caryophyllea).—Panicle spreading, branches three-forked ; spikelets blunt at the base; glumes nearly equal, rounded at the base, the upper part clear and white; awn longer than the glumes ; outer flowering glume deeply cleft. Perennial. This is a frequent grass on gravelly heaths and pastures, its often purplish stem rarely a foot high. It has a few short bristle-like leaves at its root, and several small rough ones on its stem. It flowers in June and July. Its panicle is of a silvery grey colour, and the spikelets are very small. 6. Early Hair-grass (4. precox).—Panicle spike-like, oblong; awn much longer than the cleft flowering glume, and from below its middle. Annual. This little grass, inhabiting sandy hills and pastures, is rarely more than three or four inches high. Its panicle, which appears in May and June, is very small, erect, and close, and has few spikelets, often not more SILECY. ‘5 VSE- FLOWERED DEX MARSH BEN 1 SILKY B.S WHORI PREADING 260, W ted GRASS TRIBE (i than a dozen. They are yellowish or purplish green, somewhat tinged with silver colour, but less so than most of the species, and they are rather pointed at the lower end. The florets have scarcely any hairs at the base. The leaves are few, slender, and bristle-like. In dry seasons it withers very early. 17. (34) Moxinra (Molinia). Purple Molinia (M. cerilea).—Panicle erect, narrow ; spikelets erect, violet, 2 or 3-flowered, oblong, narrow ; flowering glume much longer than the empty glumes. Perennial. This grass flowers in August and September, later than almost any other, and is common on heaths and moory grounds. Its stem is usually two or three feet high, and has a single joint near its base, but grows much taller when sheltered by the furze-bushes or ling of the moist moor. The panicle is of a much deeper hue than any other of our native grasses; for although a variety found at a great elevation on the Clova mountains, and called depauwperata, has numerous, pale green, one- flowered spikelets, yet our grass has usually a tint as deep as that of the myrtle leaf, with a dark tinge of bluish-purple spread over it, and large purple anthers. Its spikelets are small but numerous, 2—3-flowered, and the panicle is from three to six inches long, with numerous waved branches. The leaves are long, slender, and taper-pointed. The long straws of this grass are said by Withering to be made, in country places, into carpet-brushes, and twisted together they form a durable line used by fishermen. ‘The root has large thick fibres. 18. (36) Meuic-crass (Jeélica). 1. Mountain Melic-grass (J/. nitans).—Panicle almost a raceme ; its spikelets large, hanging on short stalks, which are rarely branched, from one side of the stem, oval, and with two flowers, the upper perfect, the lower male ; glumes oval; flowering glumes unequal. Perennial. This grass has many long, thin, bright shining leaves, and a stem about a foot high. Its flowers appear in May and June ; the glumes are of a purplish-brown colour, with a white margin. It is found in shady places and woods in hilly and moun- tainous countries, in Scotland and along the west side of England as far south as Hereford. Cattle do not relish it. 2. Wood Melic-grass (Jf. wnifléra).— Panicle branched, slightly drooping ; spikelets erect, oval, two-flowered, the lower perfect, the upper male. Perennial. This is one of our most common vernal grasses, nodding to the breeze of May, beside the primroses and bluebells. It is very abundant in some woods ; and its large spikelets standing on a slender stem, a foot or more high, and each on a hair-like stalk, would hardly fail to be noticed by any lover of flowers. The spikelets are few, and distant from each other, erect, and of a purplish-brown hue, variegated with white and green. Cattle relish the soft, drooping, bright green leaves, which are marked on both sides with lines. It flowers early in summer, but the glumes retain their form long after the seed is shed. 19. (24) Sorr-crass (Hdlcus). 1. Creeping Soft-grass (H. muilis),—Panicle loose; glumes tapering to a point; awn rough; joints of the stem hairy. Perennial. This grass, 72 GRAMINEAL owing to its long, creeping, knotted rootstock, is very difficult of extirpation, and when it grows, as it often does, in corn-fields, it is very troublesome. Mr. Loudon remarks of it, that it is the true couch-grass of light sandy soils ; and long runners, which were but the result of a few months’ growth, have been found extending themselves five feet beneath the surface of the soil. It grows in uncultivated fields and thickets, and is very common by road sides, but is rarely a meadow-grass. It bears, in July, a light and elegant erect panicle, of numerous small spikelets, which is much like that of the next species, but not so ornamental, being rarely tinged with pink, and mostly of a dull greenish-white hue. Its stem is from one to three feet high ; its leaves lance-shaped, rather broad, and light green; and the knots of its stem usually woolly. The root shoots are very nutritious, and when taken up are readily eaten by cattle; but the dry, soft, insipid herbage is little relished by them. 2. Meadow Soft-grass (H. landtus).—Panicle loose ; glumes rather blunt, spine-tipped ; awn smooth, except near the extremity. Perennial. We have only to walk abroad during June and July into the wide-spread meadow lands, and we shall be sure to see this grass. It grows on all soils, from the richest to the poorest, but its prevalence always indicates a poor and moist meadow. Its beautiful soft panicle, composed of innumerable small spikelets, crowded together, tinged with pink, often deepened into rich pinkish-purple, is large and conspicuous, though its brightness disappears as the grass gets older. It then, if abundant, whitens the pasture, so as to deserve its old name of Yorkshire Whites, or even of Yorkshire Fog. It is not unlikely, however, that it owes its latter name to its softness, which led to its comparison with moss, for which fog was an olden name, and by which it is yet called by North-country people, who allude to moss in their familiar proverb : ‘‘The ro’ing stane gathers nae fog.” Our Meadow Soft-grass is one or two feet high, and has a fibrous root. Curtis says of it, that when it is in flower the farmer thinks his grass-land fit for the scythe. The herbage, as well as the flowers, is covered with soft down. It is not sufficiently succulent to be liked by cattle, and both leaves and flowers often remain untouched on meads when other grasses have been cropped all around them. Its nutritious properties are said to consist of mucilage and sugar; but it would appear that the properties most relished by our herbivorous animals are either sub-acid or saline. 20. (27) OAT-LIKE GRASS (Arrhenathérum). Common Oat-like grass (4. avendcewm).—Panicle long and loose ; rootstock creeping, perennial. A variety of this grass, bulbdsa, has swollen or tuberous nodes, and is commonly called Onion Couch. The Oat-like grass is, during June and July, a tall conspicuous plant ; its panicle, composed of rather: large spikelets on slender branches, is often a foot and a half long, of a bright brown, or so tinted with shades of green and lilac as to shine in the manehing as if with metallic lustre. This grass is sometimes five or six feet in height, and it is as common as it is beautiful, for it nods in the hedge SMOO'TT! ALPINE I. G GRASS TURTED HATR A alpina EENIGH Fi] 3. WAVED 261, Pi, ]. GREY WATR GRASS 3 EARLY H.G 5. MOUNTAIN MBELIC GRASS, Aira canescens A. praecox Melica natans 2. SILVERY FG, 4. PURPLE MOLINEA, 6 WOOD M.G, A .caryophyllea Mohnea cxrulea M uniflora Pl. 262. GRASS TRIBE 73 or woodland by the briar-roses, or overtops the corn, or glistens in the meadow just ready for the scythe. Wherever it grows in abundance we may infer that the soil is poor, and it is most likely to be either of a clayey or light sandy nature, as this plant does not prevail on stiff rich soils. The bulbous variety, the Onion Couch, forms little strings of knobs, like small onions, at the base of its stem, and is so troublesome in corn-fields that when abundant it is often dug up and burned. Professor Buckman remarks of it, that it is a pest on such lands as are frequently to be met with in some parts of Worcestershire, which is mostly made up of disintegrated slabs of new red sandstone ; or again at Cheltenham, where are thick beds of ancient marine sands, filling up hollows in the lias. In the latter, which is much used for garden ground, for which it is peculiarly adapted, the Onion Couch has to be picked out in digging with great care, otherwise the evil is continued, as the smallest portion left behind grows with great, rapidity. The stem of the Oat-grass is round and shining; its leaves are lance- shaped, narrow, pointed, and rather hairy. The herbage has a bitter un- pleasant flavour, and it is this bitterness probably which makes it unpalatable to cattle, otherwise it would be a valuable pasture grass, both on account of the early growth of its foliage and the large supply which it yields. 21. (9) Hoty-crass (Hierdchloe). Northern Holy-grass (H. boredlis).—Panicle straggling ; stalks of the spikelets smooth; glumes egg-shaped, unequal ; flowering glumes awnless ; rootstock creeping. Perennial. This grass has a thick stem, a foot or a foot and a half high. Its panicle is composed of rather large purplish-brown spikelets, with very conspicuous pale brown anthers. It is an extremely rare grass, being found only on wet banks in Caithness. Its scent is sweet, like that of our Vernal-grass, and it takes its English familiar name from the uses to which it is applied in some parts of Germany, where the plant is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and strewed in the aisles of churches and around the doorways on festival days. It grows in abundance in Iceland, and there, as in other parts of Northern Europe, it is laid in bundles among linen, or hung up in rooms, for its fragrance. Its odour is also believed to cause sleep, and in Sweden it is sold in bundles for this use. 22. (33) KOELERIA (Koeléria). Crested Koeleria (K. cristata).—Panicle compact and spike-like, inter- rupted below; glumes flattened, acute; flowering glumes white and thin, Perennial. ‘This rare, or rather local plant, grows in dry pastures near the sea, mostly in the north. Its downy stem varies from a foot to a foot and a half in height ; its leaves are rough, and fringed on the edges. It flowers in June and July, and its spikelets vary as to downiness, being sometimes quite smooth, and of a greenish silvery hue. 23. (31) Moor-Grass (Sesléria). Blue Moor-grass (8. cwviilew).—Panicle oval, slightly one-sided ; outer flowering glume jagged, and with a short point. Perennial. This is a very beautiful early flowering grass, bearing its short greyish-green cluster from Iv.—10 74 GRAMINEA® March to June. This changes as it grows older into a purplish-blue colour, and its large anthers are of a deep purple hue. In continental countries both flowers and foliage are of a deeper and more decided blue than on our moun- tains. The stem of the Moor-grass is from six to eighteen inches high, and its leaves are rather blunt, with a minute point, and rough on the keel and edges. It is most abundant in limestone districts in the north of England, and grows also on the banks of the Shannon. 24. (1) PANICK-GRASS (Pdnicum). Loose Panick-grass (P. crus-galli)._Spikelets alternate or opposite in panicles ; glumes 2, lower small; flowering glumes awned, or tipped with a short, rough spine. Annual. This is a coarse grass, not truly wild, but naturalized in moist fields about the south-east counties of England. ‘The spikelets are near together, and at the base of each are two or three long bristles. The leaves are broad, harsh-edged, tinged with purple, and the seeds are very large. It flowers in July. Digitaria is included in this genus by some authors. 25. (2) BRISTLE-GRASS (Setd77a). 1. Rough Bristle-grass (8. verticilldta).—Panicle spike-like ; bristles of the spikelets rough, solitary or in pairs, with erect teeth; flowering glumes smooth, very hard and firm. Annual. This is a naturalized grass, very local, and rarely plentiful on any spot. It has been found about London and Norwich, in cultivated fields, and bears in June and July its pale green, or pinkish, or deeper purple flowers. 2. Green Bristle-grass (S. viridis).— Panicle spike-like; bristles clustered, rough, with teeth which turn downwards; flowering glumes smooth. Annual. The crowded spikelets of this grass, with long, rough bristles at their base, are usually green, though occasionally tinged with purple. It flowers in July and August, growing in cultivated fields from Aberdeen to Devon and Kent, but is not a true native of Britain. 3. Glaucous Bristle-grass (S. glaica).—Panicle spike-like; bristles with erect teeth ; flowering glumes wrinkled. Annual. This species is dis- tinguished chiefly by the wrinkled glumes. It has long, slender leaves, hairy at the base, and its bristles are numerous and rigid. It flowers in October, but is not a native, and occurs only casually in corn-fields. 26. (39) MEADOW-GRASS (Péa). 1. Reed Meadow-grass (P. aqudtica).—Panicle erect, much branched ; spikelets oblong, many-flowered; empty glumes small, egg-shaped, thin ; flowering glumes much larger than the empty glumes. Perennial. The margins of our rivers, lakes, and standing waters have their grassy borders, among whose herbage grow some of the brightest of our wild flowers. One of the tallest and most plentiful of the grasses by the river is this Reed Meadow-grass, which grows either by the side of flowing or standing waters in great abundance. It might serve by its height to remind us of the grasses of warmer climates, for its stout stem is occasionally, in favourable situations, six feet high. It is a native of most parts of Europe, and abounds in the fens (> ROUGH BRISTLE Setaria verticillata . GREEN B.G A viridis S ns-Salli Paniewm cr 64, yes Bs : = —, * 5 i > "oe es : ‘ ’ » — . . an a =i. —o- P= --; .- - 4 A] a ee § ae Ss s ea Re -F 5 7 - a 7 = Xi - - ——~ pea i = 3 _ i = Ps ? Se - a oe ; a. ; — Sn She = co I GRASS TRIBE 75 of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, where it is sometimes cut down three times in a year, forming not only a rich pasturage all the summer, but con- stituting a large portion of the winter fodder for animals. It grows not only on the moist lands watered by rivers, but in the water itself, and may be seen rising above the elegant leaves of the arrow-head, and the broad foliage and rose-coloured flowers of the water plantain, and waving about like a plume far above the surface of the stream. Owing to the rapid growth of this, as, indeed, of most aquatic plants, it soon fills up the standing pools, and even when the water of the river runs but slowly it gains ground very quickly, sending out its powerful creeping stems, and taking firm hold of the soil. On this account it sometimes proves a formidable impediment to the drainage of moist districts. Curtis says of it that the waters in the Isle of Ely become so encroached upon by this and other aquatics that they are obliged to be cleansed by an instrument called a bear, which being drawn up and down the streams tears up the water-plants by their roots. The large, repeatedly branched panicle of this grass is, during July and August, composed of a great number of brownish-green spikelets ; the slender branches of the panicle are rough, the leaves are long, broad, and of a bright green colour, taper-pointed, and smooth. The plant when dry is used by country people in packing goods, and also mingles with the stems of other large grasses and sedges in the thatch of the barn or cottage. This and the following five species are detached by some authors to comprise the genus Gilyceria. 2. Floating Meadow-grass (P. jiiituns).—Panicle nearly erect, very long, and slightly branched ; spikelets long, slender, roundish, but slightly flattened, with many flowers ; outer flowering glume very long, with seven prominent ribs and a ragged tip; rootstock creeping and perennial. This thick, succulent grass often grows abundantly in ditches and stagnant waters, its stem rising to the height of three feet, with long, narrow, pale green leaves, rough on both sides, often folded at the keel. The nearly erect panicle expands in July and August, and we have seen it lingering yet amidst the November gales. It is long and slender, with slightly roughish branches, arranged usually in twos and threes. The spikelets, which are varied with pale delicate green and white, and have purplish anthers, are sometimes on short, undivided stalks. The seeds of this plant are large, but in this country are not plentifully produced. They are almost as nutritive as grains of wheat, and are in some countries used as food. These seeds constitute the manna-seeds of commerce, and in Holland, as well as in some parts of Poland and Germany, they are gathered in great quantities, and used for food. De Theis remarked, that he had seen the Polanders in the suite of King Stanislaus gather these manna-seeds on the banks of the Meurtha. It is abundant in Germany, on the margin of standing waters, as well as on very wet meadows; and Meyen observes of it, that “round Berlin, where the plant grows singly, no one thinks of the well-tasted seeds which it bears ; but further east, in East Prussia, Masuria, and the Lower Vistula, it grows in such quantities that the seeds are gathered with great profit, without the plants having been previously sown.” Several fine kinds of groats for gruel are made of these seeds, and they are sold in shops under the name of manna- 10—2 76 GRAMINEA seed. The grains are eagerly eaten not only by water-fowl and other birds, but also by fish, especially the trout. The long narrow leaves, too, which lie floating on the surface of the water, form a sweet herbage for horses and cattle ; and the cows may be seen on a summer, or even a winter day going far into the pool to crop it, for it is green and nutritious and plentiful, even at the season when herbage is scarce. 3. Creeping Sea Meadow-grass (P. marttima).—Panicle erect, with its lower branches in pairs, or with spikelets on simple stalks ; spikelets flattened, narrow ; glumes taper-pointed ; outer flowering glume firm and of purplish colour; rootstock creeping and throwing out long runners. Perennial. This is a short grass, varying in height from half a foot to a foot, and bear- ing, in July and August, a firm, rigid flower-cluster. It is often of a sea- green colour, the flowers tinged with purple, and the leaves generally folded, compressed, and pungent. It is a common seaside plant, growing mostly in marshes, or on the grassy banks of sea-walls, as on those of Dymchurch in Kent, and also on the borders of the River Medway in the same county ; and is often so covered up with mud that one wonders how it can thrive at all. 4. Reflexed Meadow-grass (P. disians).—Panicle spreading ; branches finally turning downwards, lower mostly in fours or fives ; spikelets narrow and small of 3—6 florets; glumes shcrt, unequal. Perennial. The round slender stem of this grass is often a foot and a half high, generally prostrate at the base, and the panicle, which appears in July and August, is light and graceful, with numerous rather small spikelets, on branches which are rough to the touch, and which bend downwards in the manner which characterises this species. Its leaves are smooth, flat, and unfolded. It is nearly allied to the last species, and is equally rigid, but the reflexed branches and smaller spikelets, as well as the tasteless leaves, distinguish it. In P. maritima the lower branches are always erect. It is also usually taller and more slender than that plant. It has fibrous roots, rarely with runners, and usually few leaves. It is rather a local grass, generally found on sandy pastures on the coast. Sometimes, however, it grows on the borders of brackish rivers, as on the muddy shores of the Avon, near Clifton, where it flourishes in great abundance, and is the companion of the Creeping Meadow-grass and of the Sea Procumbent Meadow-grass. It is rare in Ireland. 5. Borrer’s Sea Meadow-grass (P. borréri).—Panicle spreading ; branches short, lowermost ones generally in fours, often standing out hori- zontally from the stem, but when in fruit always erect ; spikelets small, and of 4—7 flowers, narrow; flowering glumes truncate ; stems tufted. Perennial. This grass is often found growing with the last two species in salt marshes, but only on the south and east coasts. Its leaves are short and flat, and remarkable for their long sheaths. Its panicle appears in July, and the spikelets are very much smaller than in the two preceding grasses, and the branches fewer. The stem is about a foot high. It is a local but not rare grass. 6. Procumbent Sea Meadow-grass (P. prociimbens).—Panicle com- pact, scarcely branched except at the lower part; branches upright, rigid, and never bending ; spikelets narrowly lance-shaped, of about four flowers ; flowering glumes small, blunt, ending in a hard point. Annual. This is a not | REED MEADOW GRASS , h REVLESED MM. GC. Poa aquatica P. distans . rane rLOATING M.G Dag RBORRER’S SEA M.G. P. Flaitans. P. borreri CREEPING SEA M. G. 6 PROCUMBENT S.M.G Pimaritima. | P. procumbens Pl. 265, © athe 9 orm (ow 2a GRASS TRIBE 77 infrequent grass on muddy sea-shores of England, though rare in Ireland, and absent from Scotland. The stem, which is round and smooth, always bends more or less at the base, and is from half a foot to a foot long, bearing, in June and July, its compact cluster, about two inches long, of small grass- ereen spikelets, turning all one way on their branches, which stand in two rows on the stem. Mr. Knapp remarks of this grass, that at Hartlepool, where seaweeds were burnt in order to obtain an alkaline salt for the alum works at Whitby, after showers of rain an alkaline lixivium floated in the yard from the stacks of sea-weed, destroying all vegetation; yet that this Grass, though not frequent in the neighbourhood, luxuriated there abun- dantly. 7. Hard Meadow-grass (P. rigida).—Panicle compact, erect, rigid, with branches in two rows, the branches being sometimes undivided so as to form a raceme ; spikelets small and narrow, 7—10 flowered ; glumes unequal and acute. Annual. This little wiry hard grass, with its rigid cluster one or two inches long, is common in June, on dry heaths, old walls, and rocks near the sea. ‘The branches of the panicle are short and rough, or some- times almost wanting ; the spikelets growing close to the stem on very short stalks. The wiry erect stem is rarely more than five inches high, and the leaves very narrow, flat, and tapering at the point. The roots take very little hold of the soil. Also known as Festuca rigida. 8. Dwarf Wheat Meadow-grass (P. lolidcea).—Panicle racemose, rigid, usually one-sided, very rarely branched ; spikelets narrow and oblong, 8—12-flowered ; glumes blunt, nearly equal. Annual. This grass is much like P. rigida, equally stiff and wiry, and of about the same height. The spikelets are mostly arranged down the main stem on alternate, short, stout, foot-stalks, more or less distant, each stalk bearing one spikelet, and all turn- ing one way. It flowers in June, and grows on sandy soils and on rocks, but is not, like the last species, a common plant. Its stem is stout and slightly curved. Also known as Festuca loliacea. 9, Flat-stemmed Meadow-grass (P. compréssa).—Panicle rather one- sided and close, but spreading when in flower ; spikelets oblong or somewhat egg-shaped, 5—7-flowered ; rootstock creeping, with long runners. Perennial. There are two varieties of this grass; one having three silky nerves on the flowering glume, and its flowers connected by a web; and another in which the nerves are five in number, and the flowers free. This Meadow-grass is readily distinguished by its flat stem, which bends at the base, is rather stout, and usually more than a foot high. The panicle, which opens in June and July, is little branched, of a sea-green tint, often more or less tinged with purple ; the leaves grow early in spring, but are not numerous; they are short, narrow, and tapering to a point. In the variety in which the flowering glume is 5-nerved, the stem is flattened and has many knots, and the branches of the panicle are short. This grass is frequent on dry, stony places, and on the top of walls in Britain, but is rare in Ireland. 10. Smooth-stalked Meadow-grass (P. praténsis).—Panicle loose and spreading ; spikelets oblong, of about four flowers ; stem smooth, upper sheath much longer than its leaf; rootstock creeping, with runners. Peren- nial. This species is in early spring one of our greenest grasses, and to it 78 GRAMINEAL we owe much of the beauty of the meadow-lands, where it forms a valuable pasture plant. Hither this grass or the Meadow Foxtail, when growing in abundance, indicates that the land is naturally good, or that it has been well drained ; but one of the recommendations of this species is that it may be cultivated on almost any soil. Though the plant varies in different situations, yet its leaves are mostly broad, and its smooth stems of good size. Even their bending at the base is serviceable, by preserving the matted form of the turf, so useful in pasture-lands ; and the Smooth-stalked Meadow- grass is one of those commonly called by the farmer ‘‘ sweet-grasses,” being very nutritive. A good grass-field often has this, the perennial Rye-grass, one or two species of Fescue, the Cock’s-foot, and that form of the Marsh Bent which sends out long runners; and these and some other good grasses will, if the land be in good condition, soon take possession of the soil ; while inferior grasses and such as are fitted only for poor lands will gradually disappear. Some grass, however, which is natural to the meadow, will probably for some time assert its right, and come up even under the im- proved condition of the land, but it dwindles away in the course of a few seasons. ‘This species and the next are often used by gardeners for lawns. It flowers in June and July, and its panicle varies much in size. 11. Roughish Meadow-grass (P. trividlis).—Panicle loose, erect ; spikelets of 2—3 flowers, connected with a web; upper sheath rather rough and much longer than its leaf; stem roughish; rootstock creeping, but without runners. Perennial. This is a slender grass, with a stem one or two feet high. It is a more graceful plant than the last, though much like it, and its spikelets are smaller. It is very common in meadows and pastures, and is considered by Curtis to be one of our best grasses for moist soils and sheltered situations ; and though its herbage is rather less nutritious than that of the last species, yet it is very plentiful. The plant grows naturally in moist shady places, and is well adapted for grass-plats in towns, where the smoke and confined air are so unfavourable to vegetation that no grass save this and the Annual Meadow-grass will contribute to the greenness of the little spot on which the eye of the dweller in cities is so glad to repose. The green panicle is much branched, and flowers at midsummer ; the leaves are taper-pointed. 12. Bulbous Meadow-grass (P. bulbésa).—Panicle close, erect ; spike- lets egg-shaped, with four flowers, which are silky at the keel and connected by aweb. Perennial. Thisis a very distinct species, having a white serrated edge to its leaves, and a stem which swells at the base, so as to resemble a bulb. It is an early grass, growing chiefly on the sandy sea-shore, bearing its spike-like cluster on a stem about a foot high, and flowering in April. It has scarcely expanded before it begins to wither away, and its bulb-like knots lie drifting about on the sands all summer and autumn till they finally fix themselves into the soil. It is found chiefly on the eastern and southern shores of England. 13. Alpine Meadow-grass (P. alpina).—Panicle erect, spreading when in flower; spikelets oval, of four or five flowers; flowering glumes silky at the keel, and of a beautiful deep purplish-red, with a clear margin ; perennial, fibrous, and tufted. In a variety, glomerdta, the panicle is densely 1 HARD MEADOW GRASS 3, FLAT STEMMED M.G. ; Pp 3 P. cor Poa ris . compres 2. DWARF WHEAT M.G 1. SMOOTH STALKED NM.G. J ace P. pratensis € 5 ROUGHISH M,G P trivialis Ft. 266: aoa Nt FAW =. 4 t ) \ \ ( { \ } u 1 \ \\ P. laxa WOOD M.G, WAVY M G, 2 S BULBOUS MEADOW GRASS, bulbose.. Poa P. nemoralis 4. ALPINE M.G, P alpina AYU 267, i ee ; = | > “ q tae 4 L ¢ YY : ~ " Dd iy 5 7 i ' ‘ } 4 | —t GRASS TRIBE 79 crowded. This grass is extremely abundant in the lofty mountains of England and Wales, and, like the greater number of grasses growing on elevated positions, is viviparous, forming buds between the stem and leaves. Its stem is from six to twelve inches high. Its panicle flowers in July and August, is somewhat drooping, the spikelets large and of a fine red colour, and the leaves are short, blunt, and tipped with a minute spine. 14. Wavy Meadow-grass (PL. ldza).—Panicle loose, slightly nodding, closing up when in fruit; spikelets egg-shaped, 3 or 4 flowered; flowers either connected by a web or free; outer flowering glumes silky at the keel. This is a mountain-grass, and grows on Ben Nevis and Loch-na-gar at alti- tudes from 2,000 to 3,600 feet. It is slender, of a rather pale green, with a stem from six to twelve inches high, flowering in July and August, and bearing broad greenish-purple spikelets. It is often viviparous. ‘There is a sub-species, known as P. stricta, distinguished by having the leaves flat to the tip (in P. laxa the tips are concave), and the panicle spreading when in fruit. 15. Wood Meadow-grass (P. nemordlis).—Panicle loose, slender, slightly leaning to one side ; spikelets egg-shaped, 2—5-flowered ; flowering glumes silky at the keel. Perennial. Of this plant there are many varieties. Their characteristic differences consist in the relative size of the spikelets and the habit of the panicle. Some of the varieties are so marked and con- stant that many botanists have considered their characteristics as permanent, and describe them as distinct species. Such are the P. balfourii of Parnell, which has an erect panicle, with larger spikelets of a most beautiful blue colour, the foliage more or less glaucous ; the P. parnelli of Babington, a mountain-grass, which grows in upper Teesdale, and which is an elegant, very slender, pale green plant, with smaller spikelets. The Wood Meadow-grass is the only species of the genus which does not grow wild on open pasture- lands. It is very common in our woods and thickets, and is a delicate, upright grass, with many leaves in early spring, flowering in July and August, and with a stem one or two feet high’ It has not been much grown on open pasture lands, but it yields a fair amount of tender and delicate herbage, which cattle seem to relish in the autumn. It is a late-growing grass, and affords more herbage at that season than in the earlier part of the year. 16. Annual Meadow-grass (P. dnnua).—Panicle somewhat triangular, with spreading branches ; spikelets egg-shaped, of five or six flowers, destitute of a web. This little bright-green grass, and the little flower called the shepherd’s purse, are perhaps the two most common plants in the world. Not only is this grass found in every meadow of the temperate zone, but occasionally in most climates, often on mountains at a great elevation. And not alone in meadows do we see its cheerful verdure, but on almost every waste spot where a wild weed may spring ;—on the bank by the roadside, among the mosses and stonecrops of the wall, on the garden path, among the stones of the beach just beyond the reach of the tide, with the reeds by the river, on the churchyard grave, and between the crevices of the town pavement where the foot of the passenger daily treads. Be the season in- clement as it may, nor winds, nor sleet, nor chilling rains will exterminate it, though the frost may nip its blades. It is in flower all the spring and summer, and occasionally even in winter, and it ripens its seeds and sheds them in the 80 GRAMINEAR soil even before the time of weeding commences. It is less useful for hay than as green fodder. It is one of the sweetest grasses, and it is thought that during more than eight months of the year it ripens and deposits seed. This circumstance, and its growth under a lower temperature than any other grass will submit to, render it almost like a perennial on the green mead, and it is well suited for parks and lawns, with the vernal grass and white clover, as it does not turn yellow, like sheep’s fescue, and some other grasses used for pleasure-grounds, but makes a beautiful and permanent verdure. Much do those who delight in the green lane or wide-spread meadow owe to this little plant. It has many fibres to its root, and they serve to fix the grass so firmly that the frost, which loosens so many plants, leaves this steadfast as ever. ‘Jt becomes,” says Mr. Knapp, “a support to its needy neighbours in winter, and by its plentiful and sheltering foliage preserves a certain degree of humidity during the exhalations of summer.” It is sometimes the pre- vailing grass on meadow land. The stem of the Annual Meadow-grass is from six to ten inches high ; its leaves are rather blunt, and somewhat soft and drooping. It is the plant to which we might refer when we use the comparison “ green as grass,” for its hue is always bright and never tinged with purple. 27. (29) HEATH-GRASS (Triddia). Decumbent Heath-grass (7. decvimbens).—Panicle of a few 2—4- flowered spikelets on very short stalks, which are often undivided ; glumes nearly equal, almost as long as the spikelet. Perennial. This grass is very abundant on dry pastures and heaths, especially in mountainous countries. It was formerly included in the genus Poa, butit is very unlike the plants of that family in its general appearance, and its spikelets are very much larger than those of any meadow-grass, save P. fluitans. The plant varies less than most grasses. Its stems are rigid, from six to twelve inches high, and bend at the base, but those which bear the flowers are upright. The leaves and sheaths are rather hairy, the former narrow and tapering to a sharp point; and the large spikelets are commonly four or five in number, and rarely exceed seven ; they are arranged alternately on the upper part of the stem. ‘The glumes are rounded on the back, firm and leathery, and of a pale green colour, quite covering the flowering glumes ; and instead of a ligule to the leaf there is a tuft of hairs. This grass is of little service on the hilly pasture. 28. (38) QUAKING-GRASS (Briza). 1. Common Quaking-grass (L. mdédia).—Panicle with straggling branches ; spikelets broadly egg-shaped, of about 5 flowers; empty glumes very concave, heart-shaped, and blunt, and shorter than the flowering glumes. Waving to every wind, and shaken even by the approaching footstep, this pretty quaking, or tottering, or ‘‘doddering” grass is plentiful on meadows and pastures in. the month of June. Our old writers call it Pearl-grass, and some country people know it by the name of Maiden’s-hair. Its botanic name, taken from the Greek verb “to vibrate,” is expressive of its nicely- balanced spikelets, which hang on branches so slender as to cause a continual tremulous motion. The stem is twelve or eighteen inches high. the spikelets a DECUMBENT” HATH GRASS, “ ROUGH COCKSPOOT G, Triodia decumbens Dactylis Slomerata 2 COMMON QUAKING G, 5 CRESTED DOGS'TATL G, Briza media Cynosuras cristatus S SMALL Q.G, 6 ROUGH D.G, : Bo auninor ; C.echinatus Pl. 268, GRASS TRIBE 81 are purplish-brown, varied with white, the leaves tapering to a sharp point. It is frequent in meadows and pastures, and among the short grass of downs, but wherever abundant it indicates a poor soil, and though a perennial, it disappears when the land is brought into better condition. It is too bitter to be a favourite fodder-grass, but cows, horses, and sheep will eat it. 2, Small Quaking-grass (Bb. minor).—Panicle straggling; spikelets triangular, about 7-flowered ; empty glumes longer than the flowering glumes. This is an*annual species, with a very slender, erect stem from 1—2 feet high, and very numerous small pale-green spikelets. It is found in dry and sandy cultivated fields in the extreme south-west of the kingdom, and flowers in July. 29. (37) Cock’s-FooT-GRass (Diéctylis). Rough Cock’s-foot (D. glomerdta).— Panicle branched, with oval clusters, which taper to a point; spikelets small and -densely crowded ; glumes membranous. Perennial. This large, rough, coarse-looking grass may be seen in flower during June, a few occasional clusters lingering on even through the autumn. It is common in every meadow, by roadsides, on moist or dry land, on hill or dale, but most luxuriant among trees and bushes, and well fitted for growing in orchards, or on moist shady spots. The erect, round, rough stem is from 1—3, or even 4 feet high, the upper part usually bearing its tufts oh spreading straggling branches; but some- times these are wanting, and the panicle consists of one tuft, usually tapering towards the summit, and often tinged with a delicate or more deep lilac tint. The leaves, which are long, flat, and narrowing to a point, are hard, rough on both sides, and of a rather dark bluish-green. This grass yields a very large amount of herbage, which has been found, both by chemical test and experience, to be highly nutritive and much liked by cattle, except when its leaves are very large and coarse. As it shoots up rapidly and plentifully, and produces a good aftermath, it is a valuable grass; but, owing to the coarse- ness of its stems, it has not been so well liked for hay by our farmers. Professor Buckman remarks of it: ‘‘ That it is capable of giving a large crop, my experiments fully prove, not only of culms, but also of aftermath ; the culms, however, are somewhat coarse, but with their nutritive qualities must be valuable, especially in chaff. Iam not aware of its having been tried as a self-crop; but there can be no doubt that, if examples be tried different from those generally employed, this grass has much to recommend it.” It has been found to succeed when in combination with the rough meadow- grass, the hard variety of the sheep’s fescue (duriiscula), the meadow fescue, and the ray-grass, the far greater proportion being the Cock’s-foot. It will thrive even during drought. 30. (32) Doa’s-TAIL-GRASS (Cynosiirus). 1. Crested Dog’s-tail (C. cristdtus).—Panicle long, narrow, one-sided and spike-like; flowering glumes with a very short awn. Perennial. This grass is, during June and July, easily distinguished by the involucre at the base of each of its spikelets, consisting of segments scarcely thicker than threads, and very rigid. The spikelets are on short stalks, and are arranged cle 82 GRAMINEA& alternately on the wavy upper part of the stem. Each spikelet has from 2—5 flowers, the outer flowering glume ending with a very short awn. The slender stem is from half a foot to a foot and a half high, and the leaves are flat, tapering to a point, smooth and shining on the under surface, but rough above. It is a very common grass on dry pastures; and its crested spike may, in August, after the young leaves have been cropped or withered, be seen standing up in numbers, so as to give a brown tint to the sward. It is a grass well fitted by the slender nature of its foliage for lawns and pleasure- grounds, which are often subjected to the scythe, and where it would not remain long enough untouched to assume this brown hue. The fine, uniform, and strong stems of this Dog’s-tail-grass have been used in plaiting straw for bonnets, and several other of our native grasses have been found useful for this purpose. Cobbett, who made many experiments on this subject, considered that the straw of our wild yellow oat (Avéna flavéscens) was better fitted than any other native species for this purpose ; he recommended also the vernal-grass, rye-grass, and the dog’s-tail grass as well worth attention; and others have tried with success the mat-grass (Ndrdus stricta), and the sheep’s fescue, as well as some species of bent (Agrdstis). In has been thought by good botanists that these grasses might be exten- sively used for plaiting-straw instead of the wheat-straw now commonly used for bonnets. The wheat which furnishes this straw is chiefly grown on light soils of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. The straw used in the Tuscan bonnets is obtained from a species of wheat sown on poor soils, that it may produce long slender stems; and the Leghorn hats are made of the same straw differently worked. 2. Rough Dog’s-tail-grass (C. echindtus).— Raceme compact, egg- shaped, with awns as long as the flowering glumes. Annual. This is a very rare grass, found on sandy sea-shores in the Channel Islands, from which it appears to have been introduced to the English coasts. Its stem is slender, one or two feet high, the leaves flat, tapering to a sharp point, and rough on both sides. The author has a specimen gathered near Manchester, which is more than three feet in height, with its greyish-green bristly cluster an inch and a half long, but this is unusually large. The spikelets are small, and crowded on short stalks, all turning one way, and the fine divisions of the involucre at the base are very rough. This grass flowers in July. 31. (41) Fescur-crass (Festuca). 1. Single-glumed Fescue (fF. wunigliimis).—Raceme in two rows, turning one way ; lower empty glume very minute ; flowering glume shorter than their awns. Annual. This is a very local grass, known from the other species of Fescue by having apparently one glume, the other being scarcely perceptible. The stem is from half a foot to a foot high, and very leafy. The flowers have 2 or 3 stamens ; it grows on sandy sea-shores, and flowers in June. 2. Barren Fescue (F. bromotdes).—Panicle turning one way; glumes very unequal, their awns rough. Annual. In one variety of this grass the flowering panicle is erect and spreading; in another the panicle droops at the end, and is long, narrow, and spike-like. The latter form, myuros, is . \ LZ LPL = Ze} | SINGLE GLUMED VPESCUE GRASS, 4 SON Gey 8 A Festuea uniglaimis F. sylvatica 2 RARREN T'.G, 5 MEADOW V.G, P) bromeides ‘ Po pratensis . SHEEP'S IF.G, 6 TALL! OG; I’, ovina I’. elatior a WILD OAT GRASS, 2 BRISTLE POINTED 0O.G, Avena fatua. A.strigosa. NARROW LEAVED PERENNIAL 0.6 A. pratensis (Pied GRASS TRIBE 89 This species is not indigenous, but is found occasionally in corn-fields, where “The bristly barley’s purple bloom Waves in the gale its egret plume, Waves in the gale as lightly float The pendants of the bearded Oat.” It is much like the Oat, among which it often grows ; but its upright panicle, and the long straight bristles at the end of the florets, form a distinction both from that plant and the last species. Its stem is two or three feet high, round and smooth, the leaves are rather broad and rough, the spikelets large and oval, their glumes marked with green lines. It flowers in June and July. 3. Narrow-leaved Perennial Oat (4. praténsis).—Panicle erect, loose, its branches either simple or little divided ; spikelets oblong, erect, of 3—6 flowers, longer than the glumes. Perennial. In this plant the lower leaves are rolled inwards, and their sheaths nearly smooth ; but in the variety alpina the lower leaves are short and flat, and the sheaths somewhat rough. This is not a meadow grass of the low-lands, though found on some dry pastures, chiefly in mountainous regions, and it often grows in the crevices of rocks, and sometimes on dry open heaths. The stem is one or two feet high, smooth and glossy, the leaves shining, but more or less rough to the touch. The spikelets are tinged with brown, and their twisted awns are often nearly twice as long as the glumes; cattle sometimes eat its foliage. It flowers in June and July. 4, Flat-stemmed Oat (4. planicilmis).—Panicle erect, with many rigid short branches ; spikelets erect, 5—7-flowered, narrow, oblong ; florets much longer than the glumes. Perennial. This grass has broad leaves, tapering suddenly to a point, with very fine serratures at the edges, and flat-keeled leaf sheaths, the lower part so flat as to become two-edged. It flowers in July. It was reported by Mr. Stuart Murray, in 1826, as growing in the Isle of Arran, in Scotland, but though Sir W. J. Hooker remarked that it had ever since been cultivated in the Botanic Gardens of Glasgow, its occurrence in a wild state in these islands has never been confirmed. 5. Downy Oat (A. pubéscens).—Panicle erect, almost without branches ; spikelets erect, 2-flowered. Perennial. This isa pretty grass in June and July, when it is in flower in dry pastures. Its spikelets are much smaller than those of the last species, and in the sunshine they glisten as if cut out of silver and tinged with purple, in a slender cluster three or four inches long, their hue differing from that of any other wild oat-grass. The plant is not infrequent in chalk or limestone districts. The stem is one or two feet high, and the upper leaf has a remarkably long sheath. The leaves are somewhat broad, flat, flaccid, and downy on both sides. The long awns, which are of purplish colour, twist and often cross each other. 6. Yellow Oat (A. flavéscens).—Panicle much branched ; glumes very unequal; spikelets usually 2-flowered; somewhat creeping, and perennial. This is among the commonest of the Oat-grasses, and may be seen in July, on dry sandy or stony meadows, where it is conspicuous by its cluster of glossy yellow flowers, which is often four inches long. ' The stem is about a foot high, and the hairy leaves are of a light grcen hue. The shining spikelets y.—-12 90 GRAMINEA® are much smaller than those of any other species, and much more numerous, and they are peculiar too for their unequal glumes. By the end of July the yellow colour of the cluster changes to a dull brown hue. The plant is not very leafy, but the foliage is relished by cattle. It is the stem of this plant which Mr. Cobbett thinks superior to any native grass for straw plait ; it has very few knots. Some botanists separate it from the other Oat-grasses and know it as 7risetwm flavescens. 34. (30) REED (Phragmites). Common Reed (P. commumis).—Panicle large, loose; spikelets 3—6- flowered, longer than the very unequal empty glumes; flowering glumes enveloped in long silky hairs attached to the rachilla. Perennial. All who have lingered at midsummer by country streams, listening to their music as the waters rustled the sedges or rippled softly over the stones, have observed this tall purplish-brown grass, like a waving plume, growing in thick masses, and five or six feet high. In its early growth the cluster is close and of a deep rich purplish-brown ; then the tint becomes lighter, and the plume, at that time a foot or more long, droops gracefully on one side. A little later the numerous spikelets seem to have turned to pale grey, by the growth of the long silky hairs which surround the florets, and they are thenceforward a mass of down. One may see far away on the landscape this tall reed, fringing many a river, and forming there a miniature grove. Its smooth leaves, about a foot long, are ribbed, rough on the edges, and of a bright green colour. Patches of immense extent are formed by this plant in the eastern part of England, and called there Reed-ronds. Great use is made of the stems in thatching cottages and barns, for they make the very best of thatch, and the practice of so using them seems very old, as we find Tusser, . in his poem, directing the husbandman to the timely care of his roof :— ‘¢ Where houses be reeded, Now pare off the moss, and go beat in the Reed.” The long stems serve also for cottage ceilings, for screens, and other household purposes; while these, as well as the long creeping roots, are turned to good account in forming embankments near the river. In Sweden the panicle is used by country people to dye woollen cloth of a rich green. Our own villagers sometimes make a pickle of the young shoots, which they cut off from the root; and in early days the long stems were used not only for arrows, but also instead of quills for writing. ‘This elegant plant is not merely an ornament to the margin of the waters. In many low lands of Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, and Lincolnshire, it constitutes the crop of the moist soil, and in its proper season is duly harvested, and even taken for sale into neighbouring counties for the various uses to which it may be applied. An immense number of aquatic birds find their home among these reeds ; and the ornithologist sometimes finds sheltered there the rare bearded titmouse, with many of the more common birds; while the sedge-warbler hangs her nest on the tall reed, and swings in her safe cradle to the rocking winds. So much injury is done by some birds to the reed crops that the farmers of these districts are compelled, during autumn, to be at much L(Y YELLOW ©.G, sive FLAT STEMMED OAT GRASS, A. flavescens. Avena planiculimis Phragmites communis . 4 COMMON REED , A pubescens. i DOWNY 0O.G, 2 Pi. 274. - GRASS TRIBE 91 trouble to scare them from their haunts. Mr. Knapp remarks: “ As evening advances, one sees crowds of starlings approaching from every quarter in _ numbers that exceed belief, to pass the night among the reeds, upon which, after various arrangements, thev alight in myriads, bearing down by their weight this flexible plant into the water, and one sees large patches lodged, and beaten flat, and spoiled.” Men go out in boats to shoot them, and kill hundreds night after night, yet these bold birds still come to the reed-ronds ; and as the fox lurks there to seize them, he also tramples down a large number of the reeds. Many of the reed-crops are now altogether destroyed by the improvement of the land by drainage, and millions of their waving plumes have disappeared before the railroads, and other inventions of recent times. Now and then, as we read in some old book, we are reminded how much more abundant these and other aquatic plants must have been in the earlier ages of England. In the Anglo-Saxon version of the “Life of Guthlac, Hermit of Crowland,” a MS. in the Cottonian Library, apparently written before A.D. 749, we find continual allusion to these reeds, and see how the fens, with their plants, overspread land from which they have now been expelled to make way for houses and fields of waving corn. “ There is, in Britain,” says the old writer, Felix of Crowland, ‘‘a fen of immense size, which begins from the river Granta, not far from the city of Grantchester. There are immense marshes, now a black pool of water, now foul running streams, and also many islands, reeds, and thickets ; and with manifold windings, wide and long, it continues up to the North Sea.” No wonder that Crowland, which was in the midst of this wilderness, was described as a place of “manifold horrors and of loneliness, so that no man could endure it ;’ and no wonder that the hermit who went to live there had his home among reeds and rushes, or that some of the incidents recorded by his chroniclers occurred in the “mere, amidst the bed of reeds.” The reed-grass is commonly palled windle-straw by country people :— ‘¢ And the windle-straw so limber and grey, Did shiver beneath the tread Of the coursers’ feet.” In Cornwall, where it grows abundantly up the face of sea-cliffs, it is known as goss. 35. (49) LymE-crass (Elymus). 1. Upright Sea Lyme-grass (L. arendrius).—Spike upright ; spikelets 2—7-flowered ; empty glumes two, tapering to a point, and downy ; flower- ing glumes broader, hairy ; rootstock stout, creeping and perennial. The Lyme-grass, which grows in abundance on some parts of our shores, forms in May large patches of bluish-green blades, and bears its flowers in June and July. Its spike is from 4 to 5 inches long, erect, of a sea-green colour, standing on a stem from 2 to 5 feet high ; the leaves are long, broad, hard, and rigid, rolled inwards, and ending in a sharp point. Its masses often serve as a little oasis on the desert-looking sand flats, sheltering some sand flowers or green weeds, which, but for its protection and the solidity of soil 12—2 92 GRAMINEAE given by its long creeping roots, could not grow there ; and it is one of our most serviceable plants in fixing the sands. Many parts of the coast are quite destitute of it, but on spots where it is abundant, it may be known even far away by the peculiar bluish colour of its foliage. The only grass for which it could possibly be mistaken is the Marram or Sea-reed, and it differs from this in having its spikelets seated closely on the main stem, whereas those of that grass are on short foot-stalks. The seeds are in Iceland ground into flour, and used for making bread, and the grass affords a great amount of saccharine matter. It is not eaten by cattle, and, valuable as it is on our shores as a sand grass, it is far more necessary to those of Holland. 2. Pendulous Sea Lyme-grass (EZ. geniculdtus).—Spike loose, bent downwards ; the part of the stem on which the spikelets are seated, winged ; glumes awl-shaped, smooth, longer than the spikelet. Perennial. This plant, which was reported many years ago as growing ina salt marsh near Gravesend, is not known to grow either there or in any other part of the kingdom, though it is rendered so singular by its kneed stem as to be readily distinguished from any other grass. The spike is erect in an early stage of its growth, and the stem next bends into a horizontal position, finally turning downwards, when it withers and falls off at the joints. The leaves are rigid and rolled inward, the stem about 1 or 2 feet high, bearing in July its very long spike. 36. (48) BARLEY (LHérdeum). 1. Lyme-grass, or Wood Barley (H. sylvdticum).—Spike upright, compact ; empty glumes awl-shaped, not: fringed, rough, awned ; flowering glume with an awn twice its length ; lateral spikelets with both stamens and pistils, middle ones without either. Perennial. This grass differs chiefly from the next species in having longer awns; it is common in woods and thickets in chalky soils. It does not occur in Scotland, Wales, or the eastern counties of England ; in Ireland it has been found near Dublin, but doubt- fully native. The leaves are flat, ribbed, acute, rough on both sides, pale green, and pliant ; and the spike, which appears in June, is green and 2 or 3 inches long, on an erect smooth stem, about two feet high. 2. Meadow Barley (Z. praténse).—Spike upright, compact ; glumes all bristle-lke and rough, not fringed ; flowering glume of the middle spikelet about as long as its awn—of the lateral ones with a short awn; lateral spike- lets without pistils ; central flower largest, and perfect. Annual. This is a’ common grass in damp meadows, and has a smooth stem about a foot and a half or two feet high, with a close spike two or three inches long. It is a slender plant, tlie leaves narrow and rather rough. It bears in early spring a considerable quantity of foliage, but the roughness of its awns unfits it for hay or pasture grass. 3. Wall Barley, Way Bennet (/. murinum).—Spike upright, com- pact ; glumes of the middle spikelets lance-shaped, and fringed—of the lateral ones, bristle-like and rough ; middle spikelet with stamens and pistils ; lateral ones with neither. Annual. Every English child knows this common grass, so like the cultivated barley of the field as to be universally called Wild Barley. It is a shorter and stouter species than the preceding, and though UPRIGHT SEA LYME GRASS, Highs Elymus arenarius 2 PENDULOUS S.L.G, h.gemenlatus . 3. WOOD BARLEY, Hordeum. sylyaticum Pl. 275, oO 6. _ MEADOW B, H. pratense WALL B, Homurinum SEA SIDE 3B, H.anaritimum GRASS TRIBE 93 not common in Eastern Scotland, is found throughout England on walls, cottages, and by roadsides, but rarely occurring among our meadow-grasses. Though not flowering till midsummer, yet it gives early a large quantity of herbage. The stem is a foot or a foot and a half high, the spike about two inches long, and the leaves are flat and rather rough. Both this and the next plant seem to be known by the name of Squirrel-tail Grass, and though there is considerable nutriment in the foliage, yet so much do the prickly awns injure the mouths of horses, that one of the greatest recommendations to an inn in the Isle of Thanet used to be, that the hay was without any admixture of Squirrel-tail Grass. ‘The awns of these Barley-grasses are not only long and slender, but they are also thickly set with a double row of very minute spines, so that if this plant happen to intrude itself into the pasture, it causes much irritation to the tongue and throat of an animal eating it. These prickly awns will, on the slightest friction, propel the plant rapidly along, as every country child well knows, from the common practice of putting an ear of Barley-grass into the sleeve, and allowing it to make its way from the wrist to the shoulder, which it will do in the course of a few minutes. It grows chiefly on sandy soils. 4. Sea-side Barley (H. maritimum).—Spike compact, erect; glumes rough, the inner one of the lateral spikelets half egg-shaped, the rest bristle- shaped and rough ; awn of the larger glume in the middle spikelet more than twice as long as the awn of the lateral ones; middle spikelet with both stamens and pistils, lateral ones with neither. Annual. This is the smallest of the species, and scarcely ever more than half a foot high, with an erect stiff stem which is prostrate at the base and bears a small spike. It much resembles the last species, but is shorter, more rigid, and of a paler, almost sea-green colour. It is not universally distributed on our sea-coast, but is not uncommon on grassy and sandy places from Durham to Kent and Devon ; it is absent from Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, but occurs in the Channel Islands. It flowers all the summer months. 37. (45) WHEAT, OR WHEAT-GRASS (Triticum). 1. Crested Wheat-grass (7. cristétum).—Spikelets of about four crowded flowers ;’ glumes awl-shaped, with a terminal awn. Perennial. This grass is not considered native, though it is described as found by George Don, many years since, on the coast between Arbroath and Mont- rose. Its spike is an inch or more long, on a stiff, slender, leafy stem, remarkably rough, and about eighteen inches high. 2. Rushy Sea Wheat (7. juinceum).—Spikelets 4—10-flowered ; empty glumes blunt, many ribbed, awnless; flowering glume blunt, or tipped with a short spine. Perennial. This is a common grass on sandy sea-shores, and often conspicuous there ; its close spike of distant flattened spikelets on two rows, and from six to nine inches long, is supported by a stem from twelve to eighteen inches high. It is a rigid plant, with smooth leaves rolled inward, very slightly downy on the upper surface, and pale green. The part of the stem on which the spikelets are situated readily breaks away at the joints. It is a useful grass in binding down the sands, and, like most grasses destined for that purpose, is left untouched by animals. 94 GRAMINEAE 3, Creeping Wheat, or Couch-grass (7. répens).—Spike very long ; spikelets 4—8-flowered ; empty glumes lance-shaped, with or without awns ; flowering glume sharply pointed, or rarely with a short awn. In one form the rachis is smooth or downy, but always with short ascending bristles on the angles; in another the rachis is quite smooth. ‘The second form, which is found near the sea, is of a pale sea-green colour, and is distinguished by having its flowers awned, and the edges of its leaves rolled inwards. The creeping perennial rootstock of this Couch-grass is but too well known to the agriculturist, rendering this one of the most troublesome of all the weeds which he has to contend with. The plant is very abundant on many arable lands, as well as on waste places, often giving a green colour to patches of a hedge-bank in winter, when its flat, rather dark green, and somewhat rough leaves hang about the slope. Its roots are most difficult of extirpation, and will retain their vitality amid many injuries. It flowers in the summer months, and its spike occupies about a third part of its stem, which is round, erect, smooth, marked with lines, and one or two feet high. The roots or underground stems are very sweet and nutritious, cattle of all kinds being fond of their shoots, which are found to contain three times as much nourish- ment as the stem and leaves. They have been recommended as suitable to be used in brewing table-beer. The Couch-grass is as common in most other European countries as in ours, and abounds even in Siberia. It is known to our farmers by several familiar names, as White Couch, Twitch, Stroil, and Quickens. There are several varieties beyond those mentioned. 4, Fibrous-rooted Wheat-grass (7. caninum).—Spike very long, slightly inclining ; the spikelets near together, 2—5-flowered ; empty glumes lance-shaped, 3—4 ribbed, awned, as is the flowering glume. Perennial. In one variety of this grass, found on Ben Lawers, the spikelets are 4—5- flowered, the awn longer than its glume, and the leaves rough on both sides ; in another the awn is very short, and the leaves quite smooth, except on the margins. This is a very common grass in woods and hedges, and is dis- tinguished from the last by its roots, which consist of numerous downy fibres. Its round, erect, leafy stem is from two to four feet high, the leaves are flat, of a dark green colour, the spikelets being seated on the rachis in two rows, and forming a spike three or four inches long. This plant flowers in June and July, and is called Dog’s-wheat, because this, and probably the other species, are eaten medicinally by these animals. All the species have, when their foliage is bruised, a strong odour unlike that of other grasses. Many botanists recognise this genus by Gertner’s name of Agropyrum. 38. (43) FALSE BroME-GRASS (Brachypdédium). 1. Slender False Brome-grass (B. sylvdticum).—Spike drooping ; spikelets nearly cylindrical, inclining one way ; awns longer than their glumes. Perennial. This grass and the next have been placed by some botanists either among the Fescue, Brome, or Wheat grasses, and they seem to hold an inter- mediate place between the two latter. The Slender False Brome-grass is of no value to the agriculturist, as cattle seldom touch it. It grows in woods and hedges, especially in the western counties, flowering in June and July. Its stem is round and smooth, two feet high ; its leaves flaccid, broad, hairy J CRESTED WHEAT, 3 CREEPING W,OR COUCH GRASS Triticum cristatum [ repens 2. RUSHY SEA W, 4 FIBROUS ROOTED W, T. yunceum T. cannimm Pl. 276. GRASS TRIBE 95 on the upper side, and of a deep green colour. It is readily distinguished from the next species by its slender spikelets, as well as by its growth among bushes or trees. 2. Heath False Brome-grass (B. pinnitum).—Spike erect ; spikelets nearly cylindrical, in two rows; awns shorter than the glumes ; rootstock somewhat creeping. Perennial. This grass has flat, narrow, rigid, nearly smooth leaves, andin July is very elegaat, especially on those chalky, upland, heathy places, where it attains great luxuriance. It is always an indicator of a poor soil, and disappears as the land is improved. It is a rare grass, growing in open places in several counties, from York to Devon and Kent. It sometimes has a double row of spikelets, and a variety with leaves rolling inwards is found near Bath. It is of no value to the agriculturist. 39. (44) DARNEL, RYE-GRASS (Ldlium). 1. Common Rye-grass, Red Darnel, or Beardless Darnel (L. per- énne).—Spike erect, occasionally compound ; spikelets 6—8-flowered ; empty glume solitary, shorter than the spikelet, awnless. Perennial. This common grass of waysides and pastures, with a dark green or purplish-green spike, about a third of the length of the stem, is commonly one or two feet high. It varies, however, very much according to the soil on which it grows, being sometimes not half a foot in height, at others rising to that of three feet. Sometimes the spikelets are few and distant, at others they are very close together, and occasionally the spike becomes clustered. It flowers in June and July. Several stems grow together, and are round, smooth, rigid, with purplish joints, and the leaves are pointed, smooth, and marked with lines. The root produces leafy, barren shoots. This grass is extensively cultivated, but in many soils it loses its perennial nature, and becomes a biennial grass. It is believed to be the meadow grass which was earliest cultivated in Europe, though the period at which it was first sown is uncertain. Dr. Plot remarks of it in 1677, “They have lately sown Ray grass, Gramen loliaceuwm, to im- prove cold, sour, clayey, weeping ground, unfit for Saint-foin.” It was sown in the Chiltern parts of Oxfordshire. It has several varieties, known to farmers as Pacey’s grass, Russell’s Rye, ete. 2. Bearded Rye-grass (L. multiflérum).—Spikelets many-flowered ; flowering glumes lance-shaped and awned. This plant is found in some parts of England and Scotland, but only where it has been cultivated in fields. It is the well-known meadow grass, called by the farmers Italian Rye-grass, and is by Dr. Parnell considered a variety of ZL. perenne. Professor Buckman found that both in that and this plant when grown in the Botanic Garden, the annual seeding caused the old plants to periodically die out, but they, being replaced by seedlings, the first form, LZ. perenne, was tolerably well maintained from year to year; but that the Z. itdlicwm, which he considers as being a variety of L. perenne, has a tendency to revert under such circum- stances of growth to the original form. The Italian Rye-grass is a handsome plant, its long awns giving it a crested appearance at midsummer. It is paler in colour than the common perennial species ; like that it varies much in height, being sometimes even three feet high, and having several erect 96 GRAMINEAL stems, which grow in close tufts. It was introduced into culture in this country from Italy. 3. Annual Flax Rye-grass (L. linicola).—Spikelets many-flowered, oblong or egg-shaped ; outer glume longer than its awn, or awnless ; tumid in fruit ; root annual, without leafy shoots. This is described in the old floras as having been found in cultivated fields near Catterick Bridge, in Yorkshire, and about Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, though no authentic specimens appear to exist. 4. Darnel (L. temuléntum).—Spikelets about 6-flowered, as long as or shorter than the glume; flowering glumes awned or awnless, swollen in fruit. Annual. In one form there are long rigid awns, about as long as the flowering glume ; in the other there are short awns, or none. The stem of this grass is round, rough at the upper part, erect, two or three feet high, bearing in July a spike sometimes nearly a foot long, composed of rather large spikelets arranged in two rows, on a rough stalk. The leaves are flat, acute, and rough on the upper side, and the plant would attract attention by its large size, as well as by being unlike any other of the grasses likely to be found among our corn. It cannot, however, be called altogether a common grass; for though extremely abundant in the cultivated fields of some of our counties, where it is a sad annoyance to the farmers, yet it is a local grass quite unknown in many districts. The Darnel grows among barley, rye, or wheat, and when in the wheat- field it so resembles the corn while as yet but in blade, that the cultivator can hardly venture to eradicate the weed, lest he should despoil the crop. Our forefathers believed, that in wet summers the wheat degenerated into Darnel ; and in some retired districts this notion is still entertained, as well as the equally absurd one that rye, in unfavourable seasons, turns into the brome-grass, so common in the rye-field. Hence B. secalinus received its specific name from Secale, the rye, and was long called smooth rye. So prevalent was formerly the belief in these changes, that Linnzus found it necessary to write a dissertation in order to refute these opinions. The Darnel is the only grass known, or rather suspected, to be poisonous. There seems no doubt that this plant is the infelix loliwm of Virgil, for ancient as well as modern botanists attributed poisonous properties to it, and centuries since laws were made in China, forbidding its use in fermented liquors. If, however, poisonous, it is so only when fermented with the barley malted for beer, or when the bread in the flour of which it is mingled is eaten hot. Some of our best botanists, as well as the great chemists of modern times, like Dr. Taylor and Professor Johnston, believe that it is poisonous under these circumstances. It is remarkable, however, that neither Pfaff nor our own chemist, Professor Johnston, could, by the nicest tests of the volatile oil yielded by the seeds of Darnel, detect any noxious principle, nor any volatile alkali like the narcotic of tobacco ; and some botanists believe, with Professor Lindley, that the noxious properties, thus from generation to generation believed to exist in Darnel, are either altogether imaginary, or that their effects are greatly exaggerated. The symptoms said to arise from eating these seeds are vomiting, staggering, impaired vision, and violent tremors, similar to those experienced by persons who suffer from disorders consequent Lor \ oo. ke Bae ff 7 ?*ey/, 1. SLENDER FALSE BROME GRASS, 3 PERENNIAL RYE CGC, 5. ANNUAL FIAX R.G, Brachypodium sylvaticum Lolium perenne L. lnicola 4: HEATH F.B.G, 1 BEARDED RG, 6 DARNEL , 8. pinnatam Loamultitloram L. temulentiun Pl. 277. GRASS TRIBE 97 on the continual use of intoxicating liquors ; and instances might be quoted, not alone from old writers, but from recent journals, in which cases of this kind are recorded as having occurred. Mr. Lowe suggested, in a paper read to the Botanic Society of Edinburgh, when referring to the effects attributed to Darnel, that the virulence of the plant may depend on the place of its growth, varying according to locality. Circumstances of soil or climate are well known to affect the degree of poison contained by a vegetable ; thus some umbelliferous plants, noxious when growing by their native streams, become wholesome by removal to the garden. Darnel reared in the botanic garden is stated by Mr. Lowe to have produced no effect, when taken in a dose of half an ounce. Much is yet to be learned of the properties of this grass, and it is not impossible that it may be seen that some admixture of a slight portion of ergot of rye, which is well known to cause most dangerous maladies, may have produced effects which have been regarded as resulting from Darnel. Similar errors have prevailed for centuries, uncontradicted by botanist or chemist, as in the case in which a disease called raphania was supposed to originate in the mingling with flour of the seeds of the wild radish, Rdphanus raphanistrum, which are now well known to be innocuous. In some places the Darnel is called Sturdy or Ryle. Its oldest name seems to be Dragge or Drawke, by which it is still commonly called in Norfolk and Suffolk ; and the author, on making some inquiries respecting this grass of Kentish farmers, found it generally called Drawke by them. There is good reason for believing that the plant translated “tares” in the Scripture parable of the Sower, is this grass; and in conformity with this view, the French translators of the New Testament render the original word by iwraie, from zvre, to drink. This word is believed to be the origin of the name of Rye-grass, given formerly to this species on account of its intoxicating seeds, but now used by agriculturists as the name of the well-known wholesome grasses of the genus. The Darnel is less frequent in Scotland than in England. 40. (46) Harp-Grass (Leptirus). Sea Hard-grass (L. /iliformis).—Spike cylindrical, slender; glumes awnless. Annual. This singular little plant, though frequent on the Irish coast, is rare on those of England and Scotland. It grows on the muddy shores of Devon and Cornwall, near Folkestone in Kent, and on the salt marshes about Dymchurch, in the last-named county ; while on the muddy shores of the Avon, among the salt-water plants which grow at the foot of St. Vincent’s Rocks at Clifton, it occurs in such abundance that its numerous short, firm, spreading leaves form a good portion of the verdure of many a green patch there; and the author has found it even rising up among the flag-stones of a street, leading up the hill to Clifton, and at some little distance from the shore. The grass is of a pale sea-green colour, sometimes a little tinged with purple, four or five inches high, with its spike more frequently a little curved than quite erect. It is a more singular than attractive plant, for the small spikelets are completely imbedded in little cavities in the upper part of the grass stem, and require to be looked for ere they are seen, except on some bright sunshiny day, when the eye may be IV.—-la 98 GRAMINEA! attracted by the little white or yellowish anthers which seem to hang out of the very stalk. The foliage soon turns yellow. It is a plant very likely to be overlooked, and perhaps is less rare on our shores than is generally believed. It flowers from July to September, and its smooth stem is rather leafy. The oblong seed is shut up in the little hollow of each joint of the rachis, and falls off with it. There is a var. incurvatus, found on ballast heaps at Fife, with a stouter stem and a strongly curved spike. 41. (13) KNApPIA (Knadppia). Early Knappia (K. agrostidéa).—Spike slender, spikelets on very short footstalks ; glumes purplish ; flowering glumes white, very hairy ; annual. This is a minute and very rare grass, found in sandy pastures near the sea, at Anglesea; also in the Channel Islands. Several stems grow from the same root ; they are from one to three inches high, erect, and slender. The leaves are smooth, short, and channelled at the base of the stem. ‘The grass flowers in April and May, the spikelets being either green or purplish. It seems to be found more frequently on the coast of Anglesea than elsewhere. It has been gathered from the banks of the Thames in Essex, but is now extinct there. Also known as Miborw verna. 42. (3) CorD-GRASS (Spartina). 1. Twin-spiked Cord-grass (S. stricta).—Spikes two to eight, close together, sometimes solitary ; glumes silky ; rootstock extensively creeping, perennial. This rare and remarkably rigid little grass grows in muddy salt marshes on the south and south-east coasts of England, from Devon to Kent, and as far north as Lincolnshire ; and in the Channel Islands. The stem is smooth, marked with fine lines; the leaves, tapering at the base, are jointed upon the sheath, and but little longer than the spikes. The stem is from six inches to a foot high, and the plant flowers in July. 2. Many-spiked Cord-grass (S. alternifléra).—Spikes numerous; glumes polished. This is readily distinguished from the last species by its smooth glumes, by the rachis being continued beyond the spike, and also by its leaves, which are not jointed to the leaf-stalk, but are dilated at the base, and continuous with it. It is much taller than the last, and is an exceedingly rare plant of muddy salt marshes. It was discovered by Dr. Bromfield in 1836, at Itchen Ferry, Southampton. Sir J. D. Hooker regards it as a var. of S. stricta. 43, (28) Doae’s-rooTrH Grass (Cynodon). Creeping Dog’s-tooth Grass (C. déctylon).—Partial spikes four or five in a crowded cluster ; empty glumes smooth, flowering glumes longer than the empty ones; perennial. This rare and singular grass is found on the sandy shore between Penzance and Marazion in Cornwall, where it also grew in the days of John Ray, and it was long thought that this was the only locality for it in this kingdom. It is now known to occur also on some parts of the Devonshire coast, and at Studland in Dorsetshire, as well as in the Channel Islands. The stem is from three to six inches high, creeping SEA HARD GRASS, Lepturns Bhtormis Knappia agrostidea TWIN SPIKED CORD Spartiga stricta MANY 8S. €.G¢, S. alterniflora CREEPING DOGS TOOTH G, Cynodon dactylon HAIRY FINGER G, Dagitar ‘ia sanguinalis hhuniifusa GRASS TRIBE oo at the base, and smooth; the leaves rigid, tapering, and downy beneath, those on the stem mostly folded; and it bears its cluster of spreading, slender, purplish-green spikes, with their numerous spikelets, in July and August. This grass, though so rare in this country, is abundant in some others. It is remarkable for its power of resisting drought, and flourishes on the driest sands of Egypt. Backhouse found it in great plenty in Van Diemen’s Land, and remarks of it at Paramatta: ‘‘The grass lands are green from the abundance of Cynodon ddctylon, which not only abounds in pastures in this country, but takes the place occupied by Poa annua in England at the bases of walls, by the sides of footpaths, etc.” We have too little of this plant in this country to regard it as of any use, nor is it considered nutritious when compared with the many valuable grasses grouped on our pasture-lands. In Hindostan, however, where there is little herbage for cattle, and where every pasture-grass becomes important, this is highly prized. Dr. Jacob, remarking in his Flora of Cornwall that this grass has been clearly ascer- tained to be the Dirvd or Dub grass of the Hindoos, quotes the observation of Sir William Jones: “Its flowers in their perfect state are among the loveliest objects of the vegetable world, and appear through a lens like minute emeralds and rubies in constant motion from the least breath of air. It is the sweetest and most nutritious grass for cattle, and its usefulness, added to its beauty, induced the Hindoos in their earliest ages to believe that it was the mansion of « beautiful nymph; even the Veda celebrates it, as in the following texts of the 4 ? harvana: ‘May Durva which rose from the waters of Life, which has a hundred roots and a hundred stems, efface a hundred of my sins, and prolong my existence on earth a thousand years.’ ” Another form of its name in India is Darbha, and Sir Wm. Jones shows that the plant is frequently referred to in Sanscrit law books as well as poetry as a sacred plant. Here is a quotation from an incantation to it contained in the fourth Veda :— “Thee, O Darbha, the learned proclaim a Divinity not subject to age or death ; thee they call the armour of India, the preserver of regions, the destroyer of enemies, a gem that gives increase to the fields; at the time when the ocean resounded, when the clouds murmured and the lightnings flashed, then was Darbha produced, pure as a drop of fine gold.” 44, (1) FINGER-GRASS (Digitaria). 1. Hairy Finger-grass, or Cock’s-foot Finger-grass (D. sanguindlis). —Stem creeping at the base ; spikes from three to five fingered ; spikelets in two rows, lower glume very small; annual. This is a rare and not truly a British grass, formerly found growing in fields at Battersea. Its stem is from six to twelve inches long, prostrate and rooting at the base, smooth and marked with fine lines. The leaves are hairy, their sheaths rough, with small tubercles. The grass is of no agricultural use; but Mr. Sinclair remarks of it, that in some parts of Germany it is cultivated for its seeds, which are boiled with milk, and form a palatable dish resembling sago. Mr. Loudon states that it is applied to a similar purpose in Poland, and 13—2 100 GRAMINEA’X—GRASS TRIBE informs us that its name sanguinalis was suggested by a use to which the boys of Germany put it. Ever intent on mischief, they have discovered that a skilful application of its sharp spikes to the nose of another boy soon draws blood. This grass flowers in July and August ; its spikes are purplish- green, but less deeply coloured than those of the next species. Also known as Panicum sanguinale. 2. Smooth Finger-grass (D. humifisa).—Spikes about three or four ; spikelets in pairs, one on a longer stalk than the other, and more distinctly egg-shaped than in the last ; lower glume very minute or wanting ; upper glume downy; annual. This, too, is an introduced plant, found rarely on fields of a loose sandy soil. Its stem is more prostrate than that of the last species, and the spikes are of a deeper purple. Its leaves and sheaths are smooth. Both species are unlike any other grass found in this country. Also known as Panicum glabrum. THE FERNS OF GREAT BRITAIN Cuass III. ACOTYLEDONES. Order CII. FILICES—FERN TRIBE. GONE may often observe that persons who are fond of nature, and who have yet never studied Botany systematically, are desirous of commencing that study with Ferns. Their extreme elegance of form, the small number of the British species, the apparent simplicity of their structure, and the comparative ease with which they may be preserved and formed into a good collection, all tempt the learner to “begin at the beginning,” and to proceed afterwards to what he would consider as the more complicated part of Botany. Yet the study of the ferns really requires more attention, and even offers more difficulties, than that of most orders of the Flowering Plants. The scientific descriptions, founded often on more minute distinctions, are less obvious ; and in sore few cases, even among our British ferns, it is hardly possible to decide whether a plant should be regarded as a species or a variety, while their classification cannot be considered as even yet fully settled. There are, however, few things which are worth knowing that can be known without patient attention, and we rejoice in finding this bestowed on the study of these beautiful plants. It is pleasant to see the rambler in the country searching through green lane or by dripping well for the feathery fern, or wandering over the open moor with his handful of ‘* Heath-bells dark, and bracken green.” It is pleasant to see the graceful sprays of these plants made the objects of care and culture, and to mark them while waving over fern banks and fern walls, which have been reared for the purpose of adapting soils and situa- tions, light and shadow, so as would best suit the ferns taken from various wild spots. Means are thus afforded for their study to those who have leisure, while the rock garden is often, also, adorned by the fronds of some of the more hardy kinds; and some of the most rare and delicate may be found in the greenhouse, or even in the dwelling-rooms of the city, forming 102 FILICES an ever-verdant miniature forest in the Wardian case. Even the herbarium, with its dried specimens, gives a far better idea of the usual condition of the fern than it does of flowering plants. Leaves and blossoms may, by great care, be preserved so as to retain somewhat of their elegant form, and a little of their natural beauty of colour. The poet could remember with joy the teachings of one who showed him ‘‘ How to make sweet pictures of dried flowers, Cull’d in the lanes when glow’d the sultry hours ; Then press’d and dyed, and all on lawn dis-spread, To look as infants do that smile when dead.” But the fern spread out on the page scarcely gives us even an image of death ; its green is so living, its form so perfect, that we could fancy it had just been gathered in all its pride of beauty from shadowy woodland or rocky glen. A popular description of a fern might be: “A large leaf or branch of leaves, bearing no flowers.” Yet that leaf-like spray differs from a leaf in several particulars of structure ; the most marked of which is, that it repre- sents the leaf and fruit conjoined, bearing its fructification, in most cases, on its under surface. The word frond, therefore, applied to the green expansion of a fern, though it originated in the idea that the leaf of a fern was com- posed of a branch and a leaf, is not altogether an unnecessary distinction. The frond consists of two parts—the leafy portion and the stalk. The stalk is often called the rachis, but, strictly speaking, it is composed of two parts. That part which bears the green leaf is the rachis; and the lower portion of the stalk, destitute of the green expansion, is the stipes. When the frond is so divided, that, beside the principal stalk, another set of stalks runs through the green divisions, each of these last is a secondary rachis ; the term primary rachis referring to the main stalk. The lower part of the stalk, the stipes, is in some of our ferns naked ; but it is more often beset with chaffy scales, usually thin, and frequently of a pale brown colour. Sometimes these are few in number, and found only at the base ; but occasionally they are continued along the rachis, becoming smaller as they are higher on the stalks. The young fronds of several of the large and common ferns may be seen in May, looking very singular and beautiful on the green bank, coiled up and covered with large scales ; and these scales afford, too, by their mode of growth, an assistance to the botanist in the determination of species. The true stem of the fern generally lies along the surface of the ground, or below it, and from its resemblance to a root is termed the rhizoma. The stems and fronds of ferns have neither true wood nor bark, but are strengthened by bundles of tubes and fibres, which are embedded in cellular structure. The harder part is external, and the centre is either hollow, or more commonly filled with a soft pulpy matter ; so that the stem of a tree fern very much resembles that of a palm in this respect, as well as in the cylindrical form which it often assumes. The green expansion of a frond differs in various families. In some it is delicate and almost transparent—a mere green film ; in other cases it is tough and leathery, or thin, crisp, and brittle. Now we find it of bright grass-green, or it is of a dull olive, or of deep dark or brownish, or greyish- FERN TRIBE 103 green hue. The difference of the form, which is often so elegant and delicate in outline, gives to the ferns their grand attraction. Sometimes the frond is simple—that is, like a long narrow leaf, with waved edges, as in the Hart’s- tongue ; but by far the greater number of our native ferns have their fronds divided into numerous branches and segments. The most simple form of division is the pinnatifid. In this the edge of the frond is cut into deep segments, nearly but not quite down to the rachis, as in the Scaly Spleenwort. When the frond is divided quite down to the rachis, leaving small portions of the rachis between each green leafy part, it is called pinnate, each little leaflet being called a pinna. This may be seen in the Sea Spleenwort. When these pinne are again divided, in the same manner as in the Royal Fern, the frond is said to be twice-pinnate, and the series of little leaf-like divisions are termed pinnules ; but when the pinne are not cut down quite to the rib, and are only lobed, they are termed pinnatifid, as in the Mountain Fern. Several of our ferns are thrice-pinnate, such as some specimens of the Black Spleenwort, the Lady-fern, and the Bracken. Fronds which are thrice-pinnate are called decompound. The peculiar scroll-like form which the fronds of ferns exhibit while yet unfolded, must have been observed by all who notice our hedge-banks during spring; for they may often be seen there with the blue-bells, and anemones, and primrose clumps. In compound ferns, like the Common Bracken, the divisions are also each rolled into this form, and exhibit, therefore, a number of pale green curves, resembling the shepherd’s crook, or the bishop’s crosier. This mode of unfolding is termed circinate. Many exotic ferns unfold in a different manner ; and two of our wild genera, the Moonwort and Adder’s- tongue, are without the circinate arrangement of their young fronds. The mode in which the fronds are traversed by veins is termed their venation, and it is usually so unlike the veining of an ordinary leaf as to be at once characteristic of a fern; so that even when these plants are without their reproductive brown clusters, one may always recognise the green frond as that of a fern. By holding up a young fern leaf to the light, it is easily perceived that the veins in most cases have a forked character ; that is, they branch off in pairs. Occasionally, indeed, one vein may be seen running straight from the mid-rib to the margin, without branching ; yet, in almost all instances, the vein becomes forked almost immediately on leaving the mid-rib. The mode of veining, in different families of ferns, affords a characteristic distinction, to which more or less importance is attached by different botanists. It is on some spot among these veins that the capsules or seed-vessels are placed ; and that particular point is termed the receptacle, its position with regard to the veins affording a good means of determining genera and species. Every one who has gathered, from wall or hedge-bank, during autumn, any of our native ferns, has seen on the back, or more rarely on the margin, a number of powdery patches, often of a deep rich rust-brown colour, or occasionally, as in the Common Polypody, bright orange. They are sometimes circular, as in this Polypody ; or they lie along the leaf in oblong patches, between the mid-rib and the margin, as in the Hart’s-tongue; or they run together into a mass, and cover the whole back of the frond, as in the fern 104 FILICES called the Wall Rue; or they form a ridge along the edge of the leaf, as in the Maiden Hair. More rarely they cluster closely, till all the segments of the leaf are contracted and curled up round the masses of fructification, and then they have an altogether different appearance, and resemble a kind of inflorescence. Our beautiful tall plant, called Royal Fern, and the little Adder’s-tongue found on pasture-lands, are instances of this form of fructi- fication. The small patches on the backs of fern-leaves are the sori, or clusters of capsules. The capsules themselves are sometimes termed spore-cases, or sporangia, or thece, and they contain the spores, which are the bodies from which another generation of ferns is produced. It is a mistake to call them seeds, for they differ widely in nature and origin from the seeds of flowering plants. A seed contains an embryo plant like that by whose floral organs it was produced. A spore is amere cell without cotyledons ; and instead of send- ing a shoot up into the air and radical fibres downward, as the seeds of flowering plants do, it germinates indifferently from 2ny part of the surface, but produces a plant quite unlike its parent. The capsules, as seen under a microscope, are beautiful objects, resembling little hollow spheres of crystal, tinged with a delicate brown hue, and sur- rounded by a jointed elastic ring, sometimes supported below on an exquisitely slender stalk. When the spores are fully matured, the ring is broken and its elastic nature causes various quick movements, by which the spores are jerked from the capsule like fine dust. In some plants, as in the Royal Fern, the Moonwort, and the Adder’s-tongue, the seed-cases are destitute of the elastic ring, and are two-valved. These clusters of spore-cases are sometimes formed outside the skin of the leaf, and are without covering ; but in most of our native ferns, especially during their early growth, the sori are covered by a thin membrane called the indusium. If we examine a young frond, we see first a number of little pale-coloured stripes appearing at equal distances upon some of the veins. In a short time the outer thin skin or cuticle of the leaf above these stripes separates a little from the green part; then it becomes raised by their growth, the raised part assuming the form of the little heap of capsules beneath ; till finally these burst through the skin, and separate it into two equal parts, one edge of which remains adhering to the leaf. This thin skin is the indusium, and it frequently disappears before the spores are ripened. The spores of ferns are very numerous, exceedingly minute, and of a some- what oval form. A fern-spore on germinating gives rise to a minute green scale (prothallus) which lies flat upon the ground, to which it becomes attached by delicate root-hairs from its under surface. This body is altogether different from a fern, and cannot grow into one, but it can develop organs by the interaction of whose products a true embryo may be produced, which may then grow into a fern. These organs are microscopic in size, and of two kinds. The first is the antheridium, and it corresponds roughly with the anthers of a flowering plant; but instead of discharging quiescent pollen-grains, the antheridium sets free a multitude of atoms (antherozoids) furnished with tails, and by lashing these they progress through moisture to their destination. S ) ; Pinnatifid Frond. Pinnate Frond. ene ie . Ceterach. . Sea Spleenwort. Bipinnate Frond. Royal Fern. Indusium. Bladder Fern. Sporange. Male Fern. Decompound Frond. Circinnate Vernation. Straight Vernation. Indusium. Sorus. Black Spleenwort. Male Fern. Adder's-tongue. Hart’s-tongue. Bladder Fern. Antherozoid. - Germinating Prothallus. Prothallus. Archegonium. Young Royal Fern Lea a More advanced. with remains of Prothallus. Maic Fern, Pl. #. FERN TRIBE 105 The second kind of organ is the archegonium, corresponding to the ovary of a flowering plant. Within its centre is a free germ-cell, and when some of the antherozoids have found their way to it and combined with it, this becomes fertile and produces fronds. Then the prothallus wastes away and ceases to exist. Diagrams of these organs will be found on Plate E. The frond of the fern arises from the rhizoma or rootstock, which may be generally described as a creeping underground or horizontal stem, though in some exotic species it rises erect, and emerging from the earth, resembles the shaggy trunk of a palm. Some of our own species assume the vertical attitude, though their crowns rise only a few inches above the ground. The rhizoma of our native ferns is usually covered with shaggy scales or hairs, which sometimes, as in the Common Brake, are so fine and numerous, that they form a surface of velvety down. Sometimes this rhizoma sends out so many shoots, that they form a firm network beneath the surface of the soil ; but more often this portion of the fern occupies little space in the ground. The true roots of ferns are the fibres which descend from the rootstock. The native species of Fern described are between forty and fifty in number: but some authors make them more, and others less, numerous. The Horse-tails and Club-mosses are fern-like plants, and not true ferns, though they are commonly called jointed or leafless ferns. None of our ferns in their ordinary state attain more than six or seven feet in height, and we rarely find any, except the Common Brake or the Royal Fern, nearly so high. When growing in large numbers, they are sometimes conspicuous on the land- scape ; but nowhere in Britain do they give, as in tropical climates, a charac- teristic feature to the scenery, or assume the dimensions of trees. Herbaceous ferns belong chiefly to temperate and colder countries ; but in the warmer regions, shrubby ferns cover the ground, forming, like our Common Brake, an undergrowth in woods; while the herbaceous species are found chiefly growing upon trees, where, clinging sometimes to the topmost boughs, or investing the rugged trunks with their green sprays, they display a luxuriance and beauty unknown to the British fern. ‘'Tree-ferns, too, of exquisite grace and beauty, grow in the tropical forest. Whether, however, of humble growth, or rising to the height of twenty or thirty feet ; whether herbaceous or arborescent in habit, they have all so much similarity of general appear- ance, that they are readily known to be ferns, even by those who have never studied the botanic description of plants. On the forks of some of the old timber trees in Australia grow also the Stag’s-horn Fern (Platyceriwm alcicorne), as large as the largest cabbage, the frond resembling the palmated antlers of the moose and reindeer. This luxurious growth extends to a variety of other herbaceous and shrubby species, which hang upon the stems and branches of trees, or rise as an undergrowth to the towering ferns from whose tops spring large fronds, often eight or ten feet long, thrice-pinnated, and so graceful and light that the smallest breeze sets them in tremulous motion. The works of Baron Humboldt abound in descriptions of the ferns in the forests of South America ; and every writer on New Zealand tells of the ferns of that island. Humboldt remarks that the arborescent ferns produce the densest of shade in the American forests, by reason of their number and luxuriant growth. He describes some of the old trunks of | Iv.—14 106 FILICES these ferns as having a metallic lustre, owing to a carbonaceous powder with which they are covered, and he adds that no other plant exhibits this phenomenon. This traveller brought away some of the powder from the old trunks of the Aspidium and Meniscium. In the time of Linneus four species only of tree-ferns were known, but a large number have been described by later botanists; and more than 2,500 species of ferns, com- prising the arborescent and herbaceous forms, are known to science. The tree-ferns greatly resemble palm-trees in appearance, and the stems of both are so much alike, that fossil specimens have frequently been described as ferns, but which on further investigation have proved to belong to the Palm tribe. The conditions under which ferns flourish differ somewhat in different genera; but heat, moisture, and shade are necessary for the luxuriant development of the greater number. They are more numerous in islands than on continents, the arborescent species being almost confined to the torrid zone: the shrubby species generally also preferring a climate of intense heat, and the herbaceous species grow in temperate climes, and are found more rarely in the colder eee while the northern part of the globe seems quite destitute of any species of this elegant family of plants. As regards the ferns of this kingdom, some grow in almost every county ; while some, peculiar to mountainous districts, delighting in limestone soils, or thriving only on the basaltic trap, are necessarily, local or rare. Very few of our native species will bear the sea-air, yet this is needed for the luxuriance of that beautiful plant of the sea-caves and cliffs, the Sea Spleen- wort ; while the Wall Rue and Black Spleenwort grace the ruined building or barren rock. The Northern Hard Fern is unhurt by its exposure to the sun and wind of the heath; and the Lastrea thelypteris is a true marsh fern. Most of our ferns luxuriate in a shady spot, on a vegetable mould formed of the fallen leaves of many winters, or they wave unseen over the stones of quarries, or among rocks; but their number has doubtless been greatly lessened by the increase of agriculture during past centuries. The terms employed in the description of ferns are few. A linear leaf, or leaflet, is one of which the two sides are parallel, like the leaf of the grass : the term decurrent signifies that the leafy portion runs down the side of the stalk, and gradually merges into it. The margin is sometimes serrated or notched like the edge of a saw ; a fertile frond is one bearing the fructifica- tion ; a barren frond, one from which that fructification is absent. In some ferns, as in the Northern Hard Fern, the barren and fertile fronds are differently formed. TABLE OF THE ORDERS AND GENERA OF THE BRITISH FERNS. This order consists of flowerless leafy plants, their leaves or fronds, with some few exceptions, gradually unfolding in a scroll-like manner, and bearing their spores in capsules on the backs or margins of the fronds. These cap- sules are either one-celled and stalked, with an elastic ring; or are without stalk or ring. FERN TRIBE 107 Sub-Order I. PouyPopraceé. * Capsules with a vertical elastic marginal ring, which bursts irregularly. 1. Potypopy (Polypédiwm).—Capsules seated on the back of the frond in circular clusters, without an indusium ; veins in the British species, simple or forked. Name from the Greek polus, many’; and pous, a foot ; either from the shape of the frond, or from the branching rootstocks of some species. 2. GYMNOGRAM (Gymnogrémme).—Capsules seated on the back of the frond, in linear clusters, without an indusium ; veins in the British species, simple or forked. Name from the Greek gymnos, naked ; and gramme, a line or letter, from the fancied resemblance of the forked veins to alphabetical letters. 3. ROCK-BRAKE . (Allosérus).—Capsules on the back of the frond, the edges of its lobes rolling under, and forming an indusium. Fronds of two forms ; the barren frond leaf-like; the fertile contracted, and bearing the fructification at its margin. Name from the Greek allos, various, and _soros, amass. Also known as Cryptogramme. 4, Woops!A (Woddsia).—Capsules at the back of the frond, covered by a roundish or kidney-shaped indusium, attached beneath the clusters, and cut at the edges into many thread-like segments. Name in memory of Joseph Woods, author of ‘The Tourist’s Flora,” etc. 5. Buckner FERN (Lastréa).—Clusters at the back of the frond, nearly circular, covered by a kidney-shaped indusium, attached at the notched side ; veins distinct after leaving the mid-rib, not uniting with the adjoining lobe. Name from M. De Lastre, of Chatellerault. Generally known as Nephrodium, but the British species are all members of the sub-genus Lastrea. 6. SHIELD FERN (Poljstichum).—Clusters seated at the back of the frond, covered by a circular indusium, attached at its centre. Name from the Greek polus, many ; and stichos, a row ; from the regular lines formed by the clusters of fructification. This is a sub-genus of the genus Aspidium. 7. BuaDDER FERN (Cystépteris).—Clusters of fructification roundish ; indusium hooded, and attached by its broad base. Name from the Greek kystos, a bladder ; and pileris, a fern, in allusion to its hollow indusium. 8. SPLEENWoRT (Aspléniwm).—Clusters at the back of the frond, oblong or linear, attached along the upper or inner side of the veins; indusium opening towards the mid-vein, or inwardly. Name from the Greek asplenon, given by the ancients to some fern which they believed to affect the spleen. 9. LaDy FERN (4 thyrium).—Clusters at the back of the frond, covered with a kidney-shaped or crescent-shaped indusium, attached along the upper side of the lateral veins, opening towards the mid-vein, its margin fringed with slender hair-like segments. Name from the Greek athyros, open ; because the indusium stands out separated from the frond, and is at length turned back open from it. This is a sub-genus of Aspleniwm. 10. ScALy SPLEENWORT (Céterach).—Clusters of capsules at the back of the frond, placed on netted veins, and lying among thick masses of dark brown chaffy scales, which cover the whole back of the frond ; indusium obsolete. Name supposed to be the C%etherak of the. Arabian physicians. This is a sub-genus of Aspleniwm. 14—2 108 FILICES 11. Hart’s-TONGUE (Scolopéndrium).—Clusters on the back of the frond, long, narrow, straight, and in pairs; indusium double; the two portions opening towards each other. Name from scolopendra, a centipede, from a fancied similarity between the lines of fructification and the feet of that animal. 12. HArD FERN (Blechnum).—Fructification at the back of the frond, in two narrow lines, one on each side the mid-rib, and covered each by a con- tinuous indusium. Name from the Greek dblechnon, a name for a fern. Also known as Lomaria. 13. Brake (Pééris).—Fructification seated at the back of the frond, or rather in a line at its margin ; the indusium formed of the reflected edge of the frond, which dilates into a membrane. Name in Greek, pteris, a fern, from pteron, a plume or feather. 14. Mamen Harr (Adidntum).—Fructification at the back of the frond, in roundish or oblong clusters, covered by distinct portions of the reflexed membrane-like margin of the frond, opening towards the mid-rib. Name in Greek denoting unwetted, from the peculiar tendency of the fronds to throw off water. Sub-Order 11. HYMENOPHYLLACEZ. * * Capsules opening irregularly, having a horizontal or oblique ring, and enclosed in a 2-valved, membrane-like involucre, terminating a vein at the margin of the frond. 15. BristLE Fern (Yrichémanes).—Fructification on the margins of the frond, the clusters having a cup-shaped indusium or involucre of the same texture as the frond, and terminating a vein. Name from the Greek, signi- fying hair and excess, from its bristle-like receptacles. 16. Finmy FERN (Hymenophyllum).—Fructification on the margin of the fern ; the clusters seated within a 2-valved involucre, which is an expansion of the frond. Name from the Greek hymen, a membrane; and phyjllon, a leaf. Sub-Order III. OSMUNDACEA. Ferns having the young fronds rolled up in a scroll-like manner, the capsules clustered on the margin of a transformed frond, and forming a panicle, without an indusium; capsule destitute of a ring, and opening vertically by two valves. 17, Royau FERN (Osiiinda).—Capsules clustered into a branched panicle, terminating the frond. Name apparently given from the Saxon words os, house, and mund, peace, or from Osmunder, a name of the god Thor. Sub-Order IV. OPpHIOGLOSSACEA., Ferns having their young fronds folded straight and not coiled, capsules arranged on a separate branch of the frond, without a ring or indusium, coriaceous, and opaque in texture. 18. Moonwort (Lotrychium).—Capsules roundish, sessile clustered at the reduced 1. COMMON POLYPODY Polypedium vulgare or C. er ek 5 Var cambricum ; Var hibernicum . i) Pl. 279, aaa hy } pha) 5 -* Mf rt FERN TRIBE 109 margin, and on one side of a pinnated stalk. Name from the Greek, botrys, a bunch of grapes, from the appearance of the clusters. 19. ADDER’S-TONGUE (Ophiogléssum).—Capsules 1-celled, 2-valved, forming a compact two-ranked spike. Name from the Greek, ophis, a serpent, and glossa, a tongue, from the supposed resemblance of the fructification to the tongue of a serpent. Sub-Order I. POLYPODIACE. 1. Potypopy (Polypédium). 1. Common Polypody (P. vulgdére).—Fronds deeply pinnatifid; the segments oblong, and tapering or rounded at the end, the upper ones generally smaller. This is one of the commonest of our ferns, and one which is of easy recognition. It is abundant on all parts of our island, now hanging down from the gnarled branch or sturdy trunk of the old oak, now growing in large clumps on the hedge-bank, and forming a good foreground for the artist’s sketch ; while sometimes it may be seen waving its bright green leaves above the cottage thatch, or on stone wall or rugged rock. The frond varies from a few inches to a foot and a half in length, and attains its full expansion earlier than most of our native ferns, being usually developed by the month of May. If ina sheltered spot, it retains its verdure till Decem- ber, but on an exposed situation it is easily destroyed by frosts. The leaves have a faint and rather disagreeable odour, and, if tasted, leave a rough and unpleasant feeling on the tongue. Several foreign species of Polypody are, however, aromatic, and the fronds of some are used by the natives of the Sandwich Islands to give a perfume to the cocoa-nut oil with which they anoint themselves. The roots of our common species are very numerous, forming entangled masses, and the horizontal stems are entirely covered, when young, with pale brown scales, which disappear as the plant becomes older. The slender stalk of the frond rises from this brown creeping stem, and the leafy portion usually extends rather more than half-way down. This is lanceolate, and divided into lobes, almost to its mid-rib. The lobes are usually oblong, and rounded at the end, but in some specimens they taper to a point. The margin is generally entire, but is sometimes slightly serrated. A mid-vein winds through each lobe, and lateral veins are produced alter- nately from it. The same alternate disposition is to be seen in the veins arising from these, which are generally four in number, and it is usually on the lowest of these branches that the large, round, bright, orange-coloured clusters are seated ; the remaining veins, which are barren, have little club- shaped extremities. The fructification is very conspicuous, and is usually placed at the upper part of the frond. This plant, like the common brake and several other of our native ferns, contains a large proportion of carbonate of potash, which in former days was used by glass-manufacturers. The fern was also formerly praised for its medicinal virtues, and the mucilaginous liquid obtained by boiling its fronds had much repute among herbalists as a remedy for pulmonary affections. When boiled with liquorice, it is a very good medicine for cold and cough ; but it requires boiling for a long time, till the decoction becomes slightly 110 ; FILICES bitter. Michael Drayton, who calls it the “jagged polypodium,” elsewhere describes it as the “rheum-purging polypody.” In Paris this and the mucil- age obtained from the leaves of the lime-tree are deemed, and not without reason, very useful in colds; but, except in villages, the plant is scarcely used in this country. Mr. Newman remarks that he has seen women col- lecting it in Herefordshire as a specific against hooping-cough. He says that it is gathered in October and November when in fruit, the barren fronds being rejected. It is hung up in the cottage to dry, and, when required for use, is slowly boiled with raw sugar. The people who were gathering it called it by its old names of Golden-locks and Maiden’s-hair. We have known it to be gathered for a similar purpose in Kent, where it is called Golden Polypody and Golden Maiden-hair, doubtless from its bright orange-coloured masses of fructification. In this case, however, it was deemed of great importance that the plant should be gathered from the oak, and not from the shady hedge-bank or other tree. Several species of Polypody are used for medicines in other countries. The various species, of which there are nearly 400, adorn the tropical lands of the Western Hemisphere, where they attain great luxuriance ; and our Common Polypody, which is found all over Europe, grows in many parts of Asia and America, either this or a very similar species being one of the commonest ferns in many of the woods and hedges of North America. Sir Joseph Hooker says that in Calcutta the Hindoos boil the young tops of a Polypodium with their shrimp-curries. Mr. Bennet, in his account of the South Sea Islands, mentions a species of Polypody which he found at Mahiatea, growing in abundance on a high mound built of coral stones. He says that the natives call it 4tuva-buua, or Pig’s-god, and believe it exercises a watchful care over the well-being of these animals. Several little variations occur in the form of our Common Polypody, the lobes being more or less cleft, or acute, or serrated. One of the most im- portant is that termed cambricum, the Welsh Polypody, in which the lobes become broader, and are again irregularly lobed and toothed. This is always barren. It is an exceedingly handsome form of the fern, The French call this fern Le Polypode ; the Germans Der Tipfelfarren. It is the Boomvaren ot the Dutch, the Polepodio of the Spaniard and Italian, and is known in Russia by the name of Osokor. 2. Beech Fern (P. phegépteris).—Fronds pinnate, the pinne united at the base and pinnatifid, the lowest pair turned downwards, and all the rest upwards ; fructification marginal. This very beautiful plant is called also, Sun Fern and Mountain Fern. It has a preference for mountainous localities, where it often occurs at a great elevation, and it grows also in shady, rocky woods. Though a local plant, it is often abundant on particular spots. It is more frequent in Scotland than in England, and is of only local occurrence in Ireland. It is found in the northern and western counties of England, but is unknown in those counties that are at once south of Derbyshire and east of Gloucestershire. It flourishes particularly.near waterfalls; by the Falls of Lodore, celebrated both for their picturesque beauty, and for the singular rhymes which Southey composed on their rushing waters, this fern is one of the most graceful and lovely objects, springing up from among the PALE MOUNTAIN POLYPODY, Polypodium phe gopt eris’ Pl. 280, FERN TRIBE atl rich green mosses which surround it, and its pale green hairy fronds some- times glistening with drops of the spray dashed from the fall. It is a com- mon fern in Cumberland, growing on the very summit of some of the mountains. It has no just claim to its common name of Beech Fern; for, though found in moist, wooded places, it does not hang from the branches of that noble tree, but its brown rootstocks creep over the damp rock, or among the scattered leaves. The frond rises in May, and may be found in fructi- fication throughout the summer and autumn. It varies in height, from six inches to about a foot, the stalk being generally about twice as long as the leafy part, and slightly scaly at the base. Its roots are black, wiry, hair- like fibres. The frond is very distinct in its outline, being triangular, and tapering at the upper part into along point. The lower part is pinnate, the pinne being narrow, cut nearly to the mid-rib, and very acute at the point. They are usually in pairs, the lowest pairs being at some distance from the others, and turning backwards towards the ground. They are united to the stem by their mid-rib only ; but the other pinnz, which all point forwards, are united to the stem by their whole width, and are also connected with each other in a pinnatifid manner. This turning backwards of the lower pinne gives so peculiar a character to this fern, that those who have once seen it rarely find any difficulty in recognising any further specimens which they may meet with. The lobes of the pinnx have each a slender vein running up the middle, from which lateral veins, chiefly unbranched, issue alternately, and extend to the margin, each bearing a cluster of capsules at its extremity, so that the fructification is nearly marginal. The clusters are circular, and of a brownish hue. The young fronds unfold their coils very early, and these often droop backwards before fully expanding. It is a very delicate plant, perishing when placed in culture where it is not protected from the sun, and dying away with the earliest frosts. 3. Oak Fern (P. dryépteris).—Fronds with three branches, the divisions pinnate, their pinnz cut into segments nearly to the mid-rib, blunt, the uppermost entire ; clusters of capsules nearly marginal. This very elegant species is sometimes called by the very characteristic name of Tender Three- branched Polypedy. The triple fronds are a marked character of the plant, and it is slender in form, thin, smooth, and fragile in texture. The height of the frond is from four to six inches, and its colour is of a brighter green than that of almost any other British fern, though it loses this brightness if placed in a spot exposed to the sun. Its mode of unfolding the young fronds is veryremarkable. In March and April these emerge from the soil, exactly resembling, as Mr. Newman has said, three balls on wires. These folded scrolls daily uncoil to the air and shaded light, till, by the end of June, not only are the three graceful branches developed, but the dark-brown masses of spore-cases are crowding upon their under-surfaces. Like many another plant, however, which rapidly attains perfection, it is somewhat short-lived, not surviving the earliest frosts. The stalk is very slender, about twice the length of the leafy part of the frond, of dark purplish colour, very brittle, with a few scales at its base. The three branches of the frond are triangular, each having a short stalk, and the three uniting in an angular manner with 112 FILICES the common stalk of the frond. They spread loosely, and are moved by the slightest wind, the middle branch being the largest. Each branch is pinnate at the base, and pinnatifid at the upper part; the pinne are also pinnate at the base, and pinnatifid and gradually tapering at the top, the edges near the point being undivided, the pinnules and lobes oblong and obtuse. The pair of pinnules at the base of each pinna, close to the mainstalk of the frond, are so nearly of a size, and so placed, that when the pinne are exactly opposite, they stand in the form of a cross ; the two nearest the summit of the branch being smaller than the two opposite, and more nearly in a line with the rachis. There is an angular bend in this fern, just at the point of the rachis where the side branches rise. A mid-vein winds through each lobe or pinnule, and the lateral veins are usually alternate and without branches. Each terminates at the margin, and the clusters of fructification, which are circular and of pale brown, are placed at its extremity. Sometimes the clusters are densely crowded; in other specimens they are scattered and remote. A large number of the fronds are barren, and the fertile ones are generally taller than those without fructification. The Three-branched Polypody is not infrequent in moist woods, and in stony, barren, mountainous places both in England and Wales, excepting that part of England which lies eastward of Derbyshire, Gloucestershire and Devonshire. It is common in Scotland, and is very generally distributed, being found in every country of Europe. Its underground stem is slender, black, wiry, and creeping to a great distance. This fern is by Mr. Newman termed Gymnocarpium dryopteris, The dried specimen of the Herbarium, though preserving well the outline of this fern, gives no idea of its attitude while living. This is gently drooping, not only the whole leafy portion bending down, but the lobes curving down also. 4. Limestone Polypody (P. calcérewm).—Fronds triangular, some- what three-branched, lower branches pinnate, the pinnz pinnatifid, blunt, the uppermost nearly entire; fructification marginal. This plant is also known as Smith’s Polypody, or Rigid Three-branched Polypody. Notwith- standing, however, its latter name, it is far less distinctly three-branched than the last species, and is very different from it in its habit. The lower branches are much smaller in proportion to the middle one, and all are erect and rigid. It has not either, in any great degree, the angular bend in the stalk of the frond which so well characterizes the Oak Fern, though it in - some specimens slightly shares this peculiarity. It is also a more rigid and firm plant, of a darker, duller green ; its stalk is more scaly at the lower part, and green instead of purple ; its clusters of fructification are usually more densely crowded; it has also a marked distinction in the mealy appearance presented by the surface, owing to numerous stalked glands which crowd over every part of it. The fronds are from six inches to a foot high, nearly triangular, the base shorter than the sides. The stalk is of about the same length as the leafy part; but the side branches are not only shorter, but are more slender than the middle one. The lower branches are pinnate, and the pinne are cut down nearly to the mid-rib ; the upper branch is pinnate, with its lower pinn again pinnate, and the upper ones pinnatifid, DER THREE BRANCITED POLYPODY Polypedium dryopteris . Pl. 281. RIGID THREE BRANCHED POLYPODY, Polypodiura calcareum Pl. 282, FERN TRIBE 113 as are also those of the lower branches, and the upper part of the frond. A distinct winding mid-vein may be seen in each pinnule or lobe, whence issue lateral veins, cither simple or slightly branched, near the termination of which, towards the margin, are placed the round clusters of fructification, which in the autumn run into a crowded mass, and form a marginal series. The underground stem of this fern is dark-brown and creeping, and its fibrous roots tough. Freshly-gathered specimens exhibit a degree of downi- ness on the frond. It isa rare fern, growing among the loose stones of the limestone regions. It does not thrive so well as several of the species in gardens near towns, but sometimes in country gardens it grows well, requiring lime to be mixed with the soil. It seldom grows very abundantly, though it is plentiful on the rocks of Buxton, about Matlock Baths, and the Cheddar cliffs, for it seems never to grow wild except in limestone districts. Some authors term it Polypédium roberiiénum, and under this name it is now usually regarded as a sub-species of P. dryopteris. 5. Alpine Polypody (P. alpéstre).—Fronds lanceolate, twice pinnate ; pinnules linear-lanceolate, pinnatifid, with blunt sharply-serrated lobes. This fern had long been known as a native of Switzerland, as well as of several countries at the north and in the middle of Europe, but it was first discovered in Britain in 1841, by Mr. Watson, on the mountains near Dal- whinnie, and at Great Corrie of Ben Alder, Inverness-shire. It was not, however, until 1844, when this botanist again saw this fern in Canlochen Glen in Forfarshire, that its claim as a British plant was fully recognised by botanists, and it was proved to be the fern known by Continental writers as Aspidium alpéstre, or Aspidium rheticum. It is so like the Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina) in its outline and general appearance, that it has doubtless often been overlooked, and believed to be an alpine variety of that plant ; for it has since been found to be a not infrequent fern on mountains from Suther- land to Argyll and Perth. Some writers consider that this fern has at an early period of its growth an indusium over its circular clusters, and this may have induced the Continental botanists to class it with Aspidiwn. Mr. Newman constitutes it a new genus, and calls it Pseudathyrium ; while avery elegant form of the fern, termed by him P. flézile, has proved to be but a variety of this plant. This Alpine Polypody is a very graceful fern, the fronds growing in - circular clumps from the crown of a creeping rhizome, and being a foot or a foot and a half high. These fronds are lanceolate, twice-pinnate, narrowed to the base, as much so as at the upper part of the frond, and the leafy portion extends almost to the base of the scaly stalk. The pinne are lanceolate and tapering ; the pinnules lanceolate, acute, and deeply pinnatifid, with serrated segments. The clusters of fructification are small and circular, and are generally placed on the depressed spots between the lobes of the pinnule, and thus form two distinct lines on each side of the mid-rib, and parallel to it ; but sometimes they are more numerous, and in maturity form one mass. In the var. flexile the stipes is very short, the pinnz are short with a downward rather than an upward tendency, and the pinnules are not crowded as in the type. Iv.—15 114 FILICES 2. GYMNOGRAM (Gymnogrdmme). Fine-leaved Gymnogram (G. leptophylla).—Fronds egg-shaped, twice pinnate; pinne roundish, wedge-shaped, three-lobed, the lobes cut and toothed, blunt. This pretty, fragile little fern is an annual plant, very well known in the countries at the south of Europe, and a native of the Atlantic Islands, as well as of Jersey. In the latter island it is not an uncommon plant on grassy hedge-banks, and by the side of rivulets. For many years past its growth in Jersey has caused its enumeration among British ferns, but it appears also to grow in some part of the United Kingdom, for a corre- spondent of the Gardener’s Chronicle for January, 1853, sent for inspection to Professor Lindley a specimen of this fern found in Britain, and, as he observes, entirely new to this country. The writer avoided giving the locality, doubt- less from the apprehension that if he did so, some botanists might visit the spot, and entirely eradicate the fern, in order to increase the stores of their own fernery or herbarium. He remarks: “This morning I examined the place where it was gathered last year, and found that it is coming up plentifully again. It is growing in a clay soil, on a bank at the foot of a hill, and is much overshadowed with ivy and larger ferns. Aspléniuwm lanceoldtum grows plentifully all round it, and the bank is in that part covered with a small round lichen. The situation is very damp and much sheltered, and the fern is scattered over a surface of two or three yards; but I can find no trace of it over any other part of the bank, and I have never met with it on any other part of the island. The place where it grows is unfrequented, and I do not think it possible it should be anything but wild.” This secret station remains a secret, for Jersey is still the only locality published in our Floras. This fern requires a sandy loam or other light soil when cultivated, and must be kept in shadow and in a moist atmosphere. At the latter end of summer its fronds arise from the spores shed in spring, and are very small and usually barren; but, early in the following year, some taller fronds gradually develop themselves, and these are, when fully grown, about three or four inches high, and extremely delicate in texture. They are twice or thrice pinnate; the pinne and pinnules alternate or opposite; the end pinnules bluntly wedge-shaped or rounded, about three-lobed, the lobes terminating with two blunt teeth. The pinnule has a mid-vein, from which issues a forked vein, on which the cluster of fructification is placed, a part of the cluster occupying each branch of the vein, so that the cluster itself is forked ; after a time, however, the fructification forms a mass over the whole under surface of the pinnules. 3. ROCK-BRAKE (Allosdrus). Curled Rock-brake, Mountain Parsley, or Parsley Fern (A. crispus).—Barren fronds, twice or thrice pinnate ; segments wedge- shaped, linear, oblong ; segments of the fertile frond oblong. Many persons. visiting the lakes at the north of England bring back with them a few fronds of this elegant little fern; and it is so beautiful in outline, and often renders | Pm Sf PPE = a POLYPODY ALPINE Palypodium alpestre Pl, 283, FINE LEAVED GYMNOGRAM. Gymnogramme leptophylla PARSLEY FERN, Allosorus crispus FERN TRIBE 115 the rocks so richly tinted by its green fronds, that it tempts even those who are not botanists to gather it. Southey, who describes it as the Stone Fir, or Mountain Parsley, says it is the “most beautiful of all our wild plants, resembling the richest point lace in its fine filaments and exquisite indenta- tions.” We have sometimes, while looking at it, recalled the words of Milton : ** For not to use alone did Providence Abound, but large example gave to man Of grace, and ornament, and splendour rich, Suited abundantly to every taste, In bird, beast, fish, winged and creeping thing, In herb and flower.” Graceful it is, and delightful to the eye of the lover of nature; though neither singing bird, nor brightly-tinted insect, nor useful cattle, can find nourishment in its luxuriance. The favourite place of growth of the Rock Parsley is among the rugged masses of stones and broken rocks which lie at the base or on the slopes of mountains, in the north of England. It extends as far south as North Devon, but is entirely absent from the east of England ; and in Ireland it is very rare. At first sight its crisped sprays might be taken for a tuft of the leaves of common parsley, and it is as bright and green as that herb in early summer. Here and there some patches of the plant gather in abun- dance and beauty on the slate mountains of Cumberland, relieving their dark tint by the verdant fronds; and many an enthusiastic botanist, who has visited the slate and trap rocks of Snowdon, has hailed this lovely fern with rapture, as he beheld it covering their rugged surfaces in wild profusion. Both the barren and fertile fronds of the Parsley Fern are twice or thrice pinnate, but the nearly wedge-shaped segments of the barren frond are often cleft at the end. These fronds are more numerous than the fertile ones, and generally of a much lower growth, and of a brighter, more yellowish green. ‘The fertile frond is nearly triangular, from six to twelve inches high, and the segments are oblong, oval, or linear in form. The divisions of this frond have a winding mid-vein, producing lateral ones, either forked or simple, which extend nearly to the margin, and bear at their extremities the round clusters of spore-cases. These are covered by an indusium, which in this species is a thin white continuation of the margins of the leaflet, which are rolled under. In the early stage of their growth we may see the circular forra of the clusters, as they are then distinct ; but they afterwards mingle into two continuous lines of bright brown fructification. The stalk of the frond is smooth, pale green, slender, very brittle, and’ usually longer than the leafy part; and the delicate green fronds rise in great number from the horizontal stem, forming a dense mass, and holding very fast to their rocky soils by their black, tough, numerous fibres. They rise in May and June; but he who should visit their localities during winter, would see no remains of the verdant hue with which they clothed the rocks in spring. This Rock-brake is termed by some botanists Cryptogrdmme crispa ; it is the Osmdénda crtspa of Linneus. It grows freely in cultivation, but requires shade, as too much sunshine renders its green hue less vivid. 15—2 116 FILICES 4. Woopsta (Woddsia). 1. Round-leaved or Alpine Woodsia (//.. alpina).—Fronds pinnate; the pinne pinnatifid, hairy beneath ; clusters of spore-cases solitary at first, afterwards mingling in one mass. The only two native species of this genus of Ferns are both very rare plants. They have some peculiarities which readily distinguish them from any others. ‘Their indusia, instead of covering the clusters of spore-cases, as in other genera, are attached beneath them, enclosing them while young, but tearing as they grow older into numerous little chaffy segments, which look like tufts of slender hairs placed around the clusters. This little fern grows in tufts; its fronds never more than two or three inches in height, and more commonly about an inch high. It is only to be found growing in fissures of alpine rocks, mostly in places rarely visited. It has been seen on Snowdon and Ben Lawers, and also in the Glen of the Dole, Clova, and other places of the Eastern Highlands. Its stalk is very slender and smooth, only that a few small scattered hairs and scales may be seen upon it at an early period of its growth. The frond is long, narrow, almost linear, and pinnate. The pinnz are perfectly distinct, and sometimes distant from each other, obtusely triangular, and lobed, and they are usually alternate on each side of the rachis; those at the lower part of the frond being generally farther from each other than the higher leaflets. 'The upper surface is nearly smooth, but a few minute hairs are scattered along the margin and under surface. The veining is not a very marked feature of the species. There-is no distinct mid-vein, but small veins branch into each lobe, not quite reaching the margin of the leaflet. At the extremity of these veins are placed the clusters of capsules, which soon form a crowded mass. The frond is of a brownish-green colour ; the roots black, wiry, and branched; and the underground stem very large in pro- portion to the frond. Many botanists consider that this species and the next should be united, as they doubt if there is any specific difference between them. ‘This fern is also known as Voodsia hyperborea. 2, Oblong Woodsia, or Ray’s Woodsia (//’. ilvénsis).—Fronds lanceolate or oblong, pinnate, hairy beneath. This species grows on the most elevated and bleak mountainous places, among the fissures of rocks. It has been found on Clogwynn-y-Garnedd, Snowdon, and Llynn-y-ewn, on Glyder Vawr, Wales; on the Clova mountains, Scotland; as well as in Durham, where Mr. Backhouse found it growing at the base of some basaltic rocks on the Durham side of the river Tees, about 200 yards below Cauldron Snout. It is said also to have been found formerly in Westmoreland, where a single frond was gathered from the old walls of Crosby Ravensworth Church; but these walls have now been taken down. ‘The fronds of this species are about two or three inches high, and are covered on both sides with shining hairs, which are, however, on the upper surface invisible to the naked eye. The clusters of spore-cases lie among these, on the under surface, and are almost hidden by them. ed, ayy >) w =). ik v hy \" FERN TRIBE 137 fern, whose graceful attitude and elegant outline won for it its distinctive name, is indeed the loveliest of all our larger ferns. It grows abundantly in many sheltered and moist woods, attaining there its greatest luxuriance, and its somewhat pale green fronds arising in such places to the height of three or four feet. It may often be seen, too, gracing spots of another character, for the slopes of grassy hills are not without its clumps. Walter Scott, alluding to this plant in ‘‘ Waverley,” mentions its love for the moist shady woodlands :— ‘* Where the copsewood is the greenest, Where the fountain glistens sheenest, Where the morning dew lies longest, There the Lady Fern grows strongest.” Calder Campbell, too, in some lines which he has written for this volume, well describes such a spot as the Lady Fern delights to haunt— ‘Tf you would see the Lady Fern, In all her graceful power, Go look for her where the woodlarks learn Love-songs in a summer bower ; Where not far off, nor yet close by A merry stream trips on, Just near enow for an old man’s eye To watch the waters run, And leap o’er many a cluster white Of crowfoots o’er them spread ; While hart’s-tongues glint with a green more bright, Where the brackens make their bed. Ferns all—and lovely all—yet each Yielding in charms to her Whose natural graces Art might teach High lessons to confer. **Go look for the pimpernel by day, lor Silene’s flowers by night ; For the first loves to bask in the sunny ray, And the last woos the moon’s soft light : But day or night, the Lady Fern May catch and charm your eyes, When the sun to gold her emeralds turn, Or the moon lends her silver dyes. - But seek her not in early May, : For a Sibyl then she looks, With wrinkled fronds that seem to say, ‘Shut up are my wizard books !’ Then search for her in the Summer woods, Where rills keep moist the ground, Where foxgloves from their spotted hoods Shake pilfering insects round ; Fair are the tufts of meadow-sweet That haply blossom nigh ; Fair are the whorls of violet Prunella shows hard by ; But not by burn, in wood or vale, Grows anything so fair As the plumy crest of emerald pale, That waves in the wind and soughs in the gale, Of the Lady Fern, when the sunbeanis turn To gold her delicate hair !” The Lady Fern is very generally distributed throughout England, and is still more common in Ireland, where it abounds on almost all the bogs. Iv.—18 138 FILICES Its vertical distribution is also wide, for it extends from sea-level to a height of 3,000 feet, where it usually assumes the form known as var. rheticum. The light and arrowy fronds arise in circular tufts from the rhizome. This is very large, extending itself some inches above the surface of the earth, and forming a base to the slender fronds. During early spring, when we wander into the woods for violets and primrose buds, we see numbers of little undeveloped fronds coiled up and thickly covered with their light brown scales, peeping from among the decayed leaves, which will soon be swept all away by the spring breezes. By the end of April, when the primrose needs no longer to be searched for, these little scrolls are unfold- ing too, and then they hang down, forming the figure of the shepherd’s crook, a dozen or more of the young fronds often in one clump. They live throughout the summer, towering above the hedge or woodland flowers, but they cannot bear the frost. There are several varieties of the Lady Fern. In the common form the lanceolate frond has a stalk usually about a third of its whole length, and scaly at the base. It is twice pinnate, the pinne being lanceolate and generally tapering. These are always again pinnate, the bases of these pinnules being sometimes connected by a narrow wing. The pinnules are lobed, often so deeply cut as to be pinnatifid, and the lobes are sharply toothed. 'The veining of this fern is very distinct. A mid-vein winds through each pinnule, alternate smaller veins arising from it, and these being again branched in an alternate direction. On the lowest branch, on the side nearest the top of the pinnule, about midway between the mid-vein and the margin, is the oblong slightly-curving cluster of cap- sules, covered by the indusium of the same form. Both the cluster and its covering, on the maturity of the capsules, contract at the ends and swell in the middle, thus becoming more curved, and assuming a more roundish form than in an earlier stage; the indusium also is then kidney-shaped. On one side the indusium is attached to the side of the vein on which it is seated; while on the other side, that which is towards the mid-vein, it becomes free, and is torn at the edge into thread-like segments. The fructi- fication is so abundant, that Sir J. E. Smith has remarked of this fern, ‘if a single plant were uninterrupted in its possible increase for twenty years, it would cover an extent equal to the surface of the whole globe.” In Ireland, where it is common on all the bogs, this fern is used for packing fruit, as we in England use the common brake. It is sometimes used also by fishermen, for Mr. Newman remarks of the plant, “On landing at Warren Point, near Newry, I was rather surprised to see what quantities of it were employed in packing the herrings there exhibited for sale.” This is a most variable fern, and certain of its many varieties have been regarded by some botanists as permanent, and so distinct as to deserve to be classed as species. The variety A. latiféliwm is one of these. It is a much less delicate plant than the ordinary form. Its frond is lanceolate, somewhat oblong ; its pinnules are broad, leafy, and set more closely together, lobed and deeply toothed at the edges, with the curved clusters of capsules lying near the hollow between two lobes. It has been found near Keswick, in Cumberland. It is probable that it only acquires its peculiarities from the situation in which it grows. LADY FERN, Athyrium filix-fcemima . Pl, 305, it i ‘ m wy SANE tn ay i‘ h a ; ee ay Ye ghey ne 7 A ec Tn AR ee mn * ate a ~~ Le tery Meri a a as sit é is * ® & . 2 gs , 4 ; be , os ‘ ar * Fk 4 » ' Ve <7 eG oh) aa FERN TRIBE 139 The variety termed 4. rhaticum is very distinct. It has more slender, twice-pinnate fronds than any other form of the Lady Fern, and its pinne and pinnules are smaller. The narrow lanceolate frond is erect, and rarely more than two feet high ; the pinne are taper pointed, and the very narrow pinnules end in a sharp point. Their edges, which are somewhat bluntly toothed, are rolled under so as almost to hide the serratures. The variety 4. molle has a short stalk, with broad and short scales. The frond rarely exceeds a foot in height, and is usually erect, and of a bright green colour. Its outline is egg-shaped and lanceolate. It is pinnate, having its lower pair of pinne short and turning downwards. The pinnules are flat and toothed, and connected at their base to the mid-rib by a narrow wing. The clusters of fructification are distinct. Other forms are produced by culture, some of which are very singular. Thus the variety multifidum has the tips of the frond and of the branches cut into numerous segments so as to form a tassel. This, too, is the case with a dwarf variety called crispum, which, with its tasselled fronds, looks in the closed case like a clump of parsley. This form was first found on Orah Hill, Antrim, Ireland, and has since been gathered from Braemar, in Scotland. Some of these varieties, both natural and cultural, produce a vast number of little bulbils on their fronds, by which the plant may be propa- gated with ease. The Lady Fern was formerly called Polypédium filix-feémina, and later botanists have termed it Asplénium filix-femina, Athyrium being but a section of the genus Asplenium. 10. ScALY SPLEENWORT (Céferach). Common Ceterach, or Scaly Spleenwort (C. officinérum).—Fronds linear-lanceolate, pinnatifid, covered beneath with chaffy scales; segments blunt. This fern is readily distinguished from any other British plant. It varies very little in form, and the whole of its under surface is thickly clothed with brown scales. The fronds are from two or three to six inches long, very thick, tough and leathery, the upper surface of a dark green hue, slightly downy, and having a brown edge, in consequence of the projection beyond the margin of the scales which are beneath. The outline is long, narrow, very deeply divided into rounded lobes, which are often again notched or cut into segments, and they stand in an oblique position towards the mid-rib. The whole of the under side is of rich brown colour from the dense mass of scales, and the short stalk is also scaly. The thick texture of the Fern renders the veining indistinct, and it can only be seen in the young fronds, which appear in May. A vein enters from the lower corner of the lobe, winding towards the top; the lateral veins branch in an alternate direction; and these are again forked towards their summits, crossing each other somewhere near the margin. The sori lie along the sides of these forked veins in a very regular manner, being at first quite hidden by the scales, but afterwards standing up distinctly from them, though, being brown and chaffy like the scales, the two are easily confounded except by a close observer. The short tough roots of this fern insinuate themselves effectually into the crevices of walls, and the tufts of Scaly Spleenwort are not uncommon on 18—2 140 FILICES ruins and ancient castles and churches, as well as on rocky places, especially in limestone districts, in England and Ireland ; but the plant is found chiefly in the western half of England and Scotland ; also in Wales, Ireland, and the Channel Isles. A variety found in the English Lake-district, in Devon, Perthshire, and Waterford, has the edges of the lobes crenately toothed ; it is therefore styled crenatum. The old Arabian writers said much in praise of its worth in complaints of the liver and spleen, and our herbalists eulogize its efficacy as an outward application to wounds. It appears to be the true Spleen- wort of the ancients, and the plant to which they attributed so great an effect in disorders of the spleen. The Cretan swine, when feeding upon it, were said to lose that organ altogether, and it was believed that, when taken to excess, the same injury was experienced by the human constitution. Is has of late years been recommended as a good medicine in cases of jaundice. The fern is evergreen, and it grows to a much larger size in warmer regions than in our country. It seems, however, to be the same plant, owing its luxuriance to the climate. The author has seen a specimen of a Scaly Spleenwort (C. aureum) brought from Madeira, in which some fronds of the tuft were fourteen inches long, though our native fronds are usually about three or four inches in length. During periods of hot dry weather the fronds of this fern become so shrivelled as to appear dead, but on the return of rain they at once become plump and fresh again. Ceterach, like Athyrium, is now generally regarded as a sub-genus or division of Aspleniwm. 11. HART’s-TONGUE (Scolopéndrium). Common Hart’s-tongue (8S. vulgdre).—Fronds oblong, strap-shaped, simple ; base heart-shaped. To those accustomed to wander about our green lanes and fields, no fern will less require a minute description than this. Its general features are known not alone to the botanist, but to every observer of plants, and it varies, under any circumstances, too little from its ordinary form to make it difficult of recognition. Its clumps of long, slender, bright green leaves, with a surface so glossy that the rain-drop runs off them, gather on sunny hedge-banks in almost every rural district of our land, and are still more often to be found on the moist and shady sides of woods, among the long grasses, or coarse herbage, or the tall stems of wild flowers. The clumps are circular, the fronds spreading out from the centre, and gracefully curving downwards. In May, when the hedges are full of blue-bells, and anemones, and rosy cranesbills, the young fronds may be seen daily uncoiling somewhat further, till all traces of their scroll-like form are lost, save a little curl at the tip of the frond, which in a few days is levelled too, and the pale green colour of the young frond gradually assumes its richer verdure. In June and July the Hart’s-tongue Fern is very bright and beautiful, of a delicate and tender green, quivering before the rough winds, but of too firm a texture to be stirred by a light summer’s breeze. The frond is long and narrow, tapering and acute at its upper end, and again gradually narrowing at the base, when it becomes very distinctly heart-shaped. Its margin is entire and waved, the leafy portion being placed on a short and shaggy stalk, which is of a purplish-brown colour at the base. While the frond is young, it has a downy or cottony substance on its under side, and often also on each side of of Tielnarum Ceterach Pi7305; 20 a ns : i 3 * FERN TRIBE 141 the mid-rib on its upper surface. The length of a full-grown frond is from six to thirty inches. It grows very luxuriantly on stone walls, at the borders of streams, or the sides of wells, and is sometimes found in mines or caverns. It is by no means a mountain fern, for it is not known at greater elevations than about 600 feet. Sir J. E. Smith says of its fronds: ‘In the now open vault by the great hall in Conway Castle, I have gathered them upwards of three feet long, and nearly five inches wide.” Sir W. J. Hooker found them in the moat at Kenilworth Castle more than two feet long. A very stout and strong mid-rib runs through the leafy part, from which forked veins arise, the smaller veins being parallel to each other, and running towards the margin, but ending just within it. Oblong clusters of fructification, some long and some short, lie in the direction of the veins, at short intervals, on the upper part of the leaf, occupying about two-thirds of its length. They are placed in oblique parallel lines on each side of the mid-vein, and when seen in their ripened state appear to be single. If these are examined when young, they may, however, be seen to be composed of two distinct patches, facing each other, and divided by a small line, which is finally hidden by their uniting into one mass. Each of the lines consists of a complete cluster, and when joined together this is called a twin-sorus. This twin-sorus is always placed between two bundles of veins, and covered by the thin white membrane-like indusium of the same formas the clusters. In an early stage, the indusia, touching each other, seem like one only; then they separate slightly, the distinction between them becoming daily more apparent, till they finally become widely separated and fall off. This plant was considered of some medicinal use by our forefathers, and was included in what were termed the five “capillary herbs.” The golden or common polypody, the common maidenhair, the common spleenwort, the wallrue, and Hart’s-tongue, formed this group, which was in early days held in great esteem. The Hart’s-tongue offers an enormous number of ee eee especially when cultivated, as it so often is, on rockwork. A very elegant and common variety, termed crispwm, is so waved and curled at the margin, that it becomes a leafy frill on each side of the mid-rib ; it is often of a much paler green than the common form of the Hart’s-tongue. Another well-known variety is that termed polyschides, in which the frond is narrow, linear, deeply and irregularly cut at the margin into roundish lobes. A third variety, lobitum, has its fronds strap-shaped below, widening at the upper part, and there cut into two or more acute lobes ; and a very beautiful variety, mulizfidum, has its fronds strap-shaped below, spread out at the upper part, and cut into crowded, more or less blunt, and wavy lobes. A fourth variety is very remarkable, and has been found on a wall near Taunton and at Strabane ; it is termed lacerdtum, and has its broad fronds deeply lobed or pinnatifid. The cultivated varieties are well-nigh endless, and some of them are very remarkable. Some forms of this fern are found, when under culture, to be viviparous : that is, buds arise upon the stem, which separate spontaneously from the plant itself, and become young ferns. A variety of Polystichum angulire 142 FILICES has been for some time known as viviparous, but from recent observations it would seem that the same peculiarity is observable in several of the British Ferns. 12. Harp Fern (biléchnum). Northern Hard Fern (J. boredle).—Barren fronds pinnatifid, pinnate towards base, with broad blunt segments ; fertile fronds pinnate, with narrow acute segments. Our only native species of this fern grows in handsome clumps, attracting the notice of the lover of plants by the marked difference between the barren and fertile fronds which spring from the same roots. It is by no means a rare fern; and many a rambler, intent on forming a wild nosegay, gathers its bright evergreen leaves to mingle with his bunch of ling, or heath flowers, or “bonnie broom.” Cowper had, perhaps, admired this among the ferns which grew on such spots as he describes in his rambles :— ‘The common overgrown with fern, and rough With prickly gorse, that shapeless and deformed, And dangerous to the touch, has yet its bloom, And decks itself with ornaments of gold.” But though this beautiful fern luxuriates especially on moist boggy lands, it is not confined to such localities; it grows also in woods and on banks, particularly such as are rendered moist by streams or pools, and where the soil is of sand or gravel. It ascends the mountain to an elevation of 4,000 feet. Though occurring in most counties of the kingdom, yet it is some- what local in its haunts, and not always to be found where we should soonest have looked for it. It is a fern readily distinguished, the barren fronds spreading more around the spot whence they arise, sometimes being quite prostrate on the ground, and having the pinne much closer together than in the taller erect fertile fronds, which are cut into so many slender divisions as to resemble the teeth of a comb; the barren ones having their upper segments only cut nearly to the mid-rib, while the fertile ones are distinctly pinnate. The former are about half, or rather more than half, the height of the fertile fronds, and have short scaly stalks. The fertile fronds, which are about a foot or a foot and a half high, have a dark brown stalk nearly half their length, with long pointed scales upon its surface, and are at once distinguished by their upright growth. Both kinds of fronds are bright green, and their veining is similar, except that in the fertile frond a long vein runs down each side of the mid-rib, and on this are placed the lines of fructification. Forked veins run almost to the margin on each side of the mid-vein, and are club-shaped at the extremity. When young the clusters of capsules are distinct, but they afterwards crowd into one linear mass. At an early stage they are covered by an indusium, which soon bursts open at the side nearest the mid-vein. Though growing on open heaths, the plant always seems finest when found under the shadow of bushes. Some authors are of opinion that this plant is not a bléchnum at all, and have removed it to the genus Lomaria, with the specific name of spicant. The clumps of Bléchnum are so handsome, among the wild flowers and grasses of summer, that we should be sorry to miss them, though they Nat size Scolopendrium vulgare H re © lS A 4 fa =) Ay n TONGUE HARTS a Pl, 302, FERN TRIBE 143 cannot be turned to any economical uses, nor will cattle eat of their crisp leaves. The plant was by old writers called Rough Spleenwort. Gerarde says: “There be empiricks or blind practitioners of this age, who teach that with this hearbe not only the hardnesse and swelling of the spleene, but all infirmities: of the liver also, may be effectually and in a very short time removed, insomuch that the sodden liver of a beast is restored to his former constitution againe, that is, made like unto a raw liver, if it bee boyled againe with this hearbe. But this is to be reckoned among the old wives’ fables, ' and that also which Dioscorides telleth of, touching the gathering of Spleen- wort by night, and other most vaine things which are found scattered here and there in old books, from which most of the later writers do not abstaine, who many times fill up their pages with lies and frivolous stories, and by so doing do not a little deceive young students.” The Spleenwort of Dioscorides was, however, apparently the Ceterach. 13. BRAKE (Ptéis). Common Brake (P. aquilina).—Fronds three-parted ; branches twice pinnate ; pinnules linear-lanceolate, the lower ones often pinnatifid or cut. The Brake or Bracken is the most common of all our ferns, and one well known to every one accustomed to the country. Though less elegant and graceful than some of our smaller species, yet it well deserves the epithet of feathery, when it attains a large size, and bows gracefully before the autumnal gale. Like many other ferns, it is not luxuriant on chalky soils, but is abundant on those which are stony or sandy ; sometimes half filling the copse by its plentiful growth, often forming picturesque clumps on the heathland, where ‘* Heath. bell dark and Bracken green” are among the most frequent plants. On the winter hedge large masses of the dead fronds may often be seen hanging about the boughs, and of one uniform pale brown colour, contrasting with the green leaves of polypody on the trunk of the tree, or with clumps of hart’s-tongue, among whose bright green fronds we may see the occasional tint of brown, which tells of the touch of winter. The tall branches of the Brake, too, bordering the park, form an excellent covert for game, and the deer are fond of Tying among them :— ‘*The wild buck bells from ferny brake.” The fronds, though often not more than a foot high, attain great luxu- riance in some places, and become taller than any other of our native ferns. They are sometimes ten or twelve feet in height, and their texture is crisp and brittle. In the north of England, and in various parts of Scotland, this fern is used for many domestic and economical purposes. In Scotland, country women may often be seen coming away from the heath laden with its young branches, which serve as food for swine ; and the peasant cuts it down in large quantities, and placing it in heaps to dry in the sun, and to be wetted by the rains, uses it when thus prepared for manure on his land ; or he cuts up some of the fresh fronds, and mingles them with hay as food for his horses. A writer in the Magazine of Natural History says, that in 144 FILICES many of the open mountainous parts of Wales, where it grows abundantly, the Brake is cut down in summer, and, “after being well dried, is burned by the cottagers in large heaps for the sake of the alkali contained in the ashes. When sufficiently burned, enough water is sprinkled on them to make them adhere together; they are then rolled into round balls, about two inches or two inches and a half in diameter. These balls are thoroughly dried, and carried about the neighbourhood for sale in the markets, and they - are also frequently kept by shopkeepers to supply their customers.” They serve the purpose of economising the use of soap. They are, before being used, thrown into the fire, and when thoroughly heated are placed in water, which thus becomes a strong ley. The ancients are supposed to have used both the fronds and stems of the Brake in diet drinks, and medicines for many disorders have, at various times, been made in our country from this fern. It is very astringent, and has been recommended for dressing and preparing kid and chamois leather ; while both in this and other lands the ashes, from the alkali which they contain, were found serviceable in the manufacture of soap and glass, until discoveries in chemistry suggested the use of other materials for the purpose. This very astringency seems to render the Brake unsuitable for the food of man, though some writers think that nutriment would be afforded by its large rhizome. ‘This is often ground to powder, and mixed with the flour used in making the bread eaten in some parts of Normandy ; but, perhaps, like the admixture of pine bark with the flour, used in some countries in the north of Europe, it adds rather to the quantity than to the nutritious quality of the bread. The rootstock of this Brake, however, as we are informed by Humboldt, serves the inhabitants of Palma and Gomera, in the Canary Islands, for food. They grind it, he says, to powder, and mix it with a small quantity of barley-meal. This composi- tion is termed gofio ; and the author adds, that the use of so homely a diet is a proof of the extreme poverty of the people of these islands. This naturalist saw both the Brake and our common northern hard fern growing in the Canaries in great luxuriance, though never attaining either the size or stateliness of the arborescent ferns of Equinoctial America and New Zealand. Our common Brake is one of the most frequent ferns in many parts of the United States of America. Sir Charles Lyell saw it in abundance on the mountains of New Hampshire, where the maples, with their crimson foliage, and the boughs of the spruce fir, and the rich flowers of the kalmia, waved in their glory above the moist ground, which was covered with the green bracken ; and it is in that land, as in ours, used for packing fruit. The author of these pages has often seen this fern employed for making a bright fire on the hearth, and has helped, during childhood, to gather it from the hedges of the cherry orchards of Kent, that the cherry-pickers might bind it over their baskets of fruit, its large fronds keeping the glossy cherries cool and fresh for the London markets. As a packing material for apples it is excellent, for it preserves their freshness better than any other substance, without imparting either the slightest colour or flavour. Both this plant and the male fern have been used in brewing. Professor Burnett observes. that from the analysis of the latter, made by Morin, it is probable that they would form one of the best substitutes for hops, as they contain both gallic yy Lhe f \ rt f CNW AY Ae) MY Wipe il WAN DIN LIS fY> 4) 1) HARD FERN , Blechnum boreale . Pl, 308, FERN TRIBE 145 acid and tannin, which are absent from most of the bitter plants that have been applied to this purpose, and which have failed from being unable to precipitate the glutinous mucilage which renders beer made without hops so liable to turn sour. This plant was, in all probability, the especial fearn of our Saxon ancestors ; for although in the sixteenth century several of the commoner ferns were well known and described, yet this is by far the most frequent and most conspicuous plant of the tribe in all parts of this kingdom. To its abundance in several places, doubtless, we owe the old names of various towns and villages, as Fearnham or Farnham, Farnhurst, Farnborough, Farnworth, and Farningham. To this fern, too, probably the old proverbs and poems refer. Several of the latter were collected from the secluded villages of our country by John Ray, but the rustic wisdom which they may be supposed to contain is not always apparent to modern readers. There was a homely proverb once in common use :— ‘* When the fern is as high as a spoon, You may sleep an hour at noon ; When the fern is as high as a ladle, You may sleep as long as you're able ; When the fern begins to look red, Then milk is good with brown bread.” The name of Brake, as well as the Scottish one of Bracken, is a very old one for this fern. In the old Anglo-Latin dictionary, published by the Camden Society, we find “ Brakane or Brakanbuske” described as “ferne or brakans.” The Editor, Mr. Albert Way, observes that Ray gives the word “brakes” as generally used in his day; and he adds, that it is generally retained in Norfolk and Suffolk. It is probably pretty general in most counties of the kingdom ; it is certainly the common name of the plant in Kent, and the fern is also usually called Brake in North America. Mr. Way observes in a note: “In the Household Book of the Earl of Northumberland, 1511, it appears that water of Braks was stilled yearly for domestic purposes.” In other old writers we find it called “ forne.” Thus, in the “Diary of Henry Machyn, Merchant Taylor of London,” written in 1552, we read of a man who was placed in the “pelere” for “selling potts of straberries, the whych the pott was not alff fulle, but fylled with forne.” The portion of the stem of the Brake just below the surface of the earth is often dug up by country children, and cut across, in order that they may see a figure represented by the bundles of tubes and fibres which lie among its cellular mass. Dark brown or black markings may be observed among the whitish substance. In some counties, as in parts of Kent, these marks are fancied to represent the letters JC—a fancy which originated, doubtless, in those superstitious times, when, little as men knew of the open page of Nature, they knew less still of the written page of God’s Word, and when they imagined that Nature pointed to truths taught only by revelation. In other places the markings are supposed to show the figure of an oak, and to have first grown there in memory of the tree which gave shelter to King Charles during his flight. An old tradition is yet told that James, the Iv.—19 146 FILICES unfortunate Duke of Monmouth, after the battle of Sedgemoor, concealed himself for some time successfully beneath the Bracken boughs. One day, however, emerging in some degree from his retreat, he sat down, and amused himself by cutting some of the stems of the fern under which he had slept on the past night. Some peasants, who noticed him, were surprised to see a man, clad in homely garb like their own, with delicate white fingers, on one of which glittered the diamond of a ring; and when, soon after, the reward was offered for the apprehension of Monmouth, they recalled the circumstance, and sought for him where he lay concealed beneath the withered heap of fern. No wonder that imagination could readily trace in the heart of the fern some semblance which could identify the plant with the remembrance of the two fugitive princes, the father and son, whose fates were so different. The oak-tree is still believed to be portrayed there ; and the author, during childhood, shared in a belief very general in the neighbour- hood of her home. In Germany, this figure is commonly called the Prussian Double Eagle ; and older, probably, than any other tradition is the received opinion that the marks in the fern stem represent an eagle, and gave to the plant one of its common names, the Eagle Fern. ‘This idea is casually alluded to in one of the colloquies of Erasmus, when one of the speakers observes of the Toadstone, or Crepaudine: “Perhaps they imagine the likeness of a toad ; as on cutting the root of fern we imagine an eagle.” In the thick shady woods in which our Brake luxuriates, its root-stems creep many feet below the surface of the soil. They are as thick as the finger, and covered with a beautiful soft velvety down. The young fronds, which appear in May, are curled and drooping, of a delicate whitish-green, and very tender, having both that starch-like odour and flavour peculiar to ferns. By September their bright green is touched with golden hue, which finally yields to the brown tint colouring the crisp fronds as they rustle in the winter winds. The outline of the frond of this fern is somewhat triangular, and it is either twice or thrice pinnate. The greater number of fronds are thrice pinnate, having several pair of pinne, with twice pinnate branches. In some cases all the pinnules are entire ; in others they are pinnatifid. The stalk is usually rather more than half the length of the frond; it is green, and while young somewhat downy ; but as the fern grows older, it becomes very hard and rigid, and has so many angles upon it, that many a wanderer in the woods has suffered from grasping it too hastily. In places where the fronds do not attain any luxuriance, they are more decidedly triangular ; they have then the appearance of being three-branched, because the other pairs of pinne, so usual on the finer specimens, are not in this case developed. The fronds of the Brake are almost all fertile ; yet, let us gather the plant at what season we may, no fructification is to be seen on its under surface until we search for it; not that the capsules are not abundant, for, during autumn, they cluster in profusion on almost every plant, but they are hidden under the margin. In this plant the margin of the frond forms the indusium. It is thickened into a rim, beneath which lies a row of capsules, which run all round the edge of the fern. If our fathers had known this fern only, we should not have wondered at the idea which some, at least, seem to have S4ISh Pieris aquilina PG 09, 5 FERN TRIBE ; 147 had, that ferns bore no seed. Pliny says: “Of ferns be two kinds, and they bear neither flower nor seed.” The general opinion some centuries later, however, was, that the fern-seed was visible only on St. John’s Eve, just at the precise moment at which the Saint was born :— ** But on St. John’s mysterious night, Sacred to many a wizard spell, The hour when first to human sight Confest, the mystic fern-seed fell.” The superstitious belief that he who could at that hour get some of the fern-seed became invisible, is frequently alluded to by our old poets. Shak- spere makes one of his personages say— ‘* We have the receipt of fern-seed ; we walk invisible.” Fletcher says— ‘**Had you Gyges’ ring, Or the herb that gives you invisibility ? And one of Ben Jonson’s characters thus refers to it :— ‘¢T had no medicine, Sir, to walk invisible ; No fern-seed in my pocket.” Yet the seeds (spores) of ferns are very numerous, and myriads are borne on the slightest summer breeze, like a thin vapour, and sent forth to fertilize our beautiful earth. Professor Lindley observes of the hart’s-tongue, which is but a small fern, that a little computation will show its means of dissem- ination to be prodigious. Each of its clusters, he tells us, consists of 3,000 to 6,000 capsules. Taking 4,500 as the average number, then each frond has avout 80 clusters, which makes 360,000 capsules per leaf; the capsules themselves contain about 50 spores or seeds, so that a single leaf of Hart’s- tongue may give birth to no fewer than 18,000,000 of young plants. Thus numerous and beautiful, too, in themselves, are the spores of ferns, enclosed within the elastic rings of their tiny cases, which are seen by the aid of a microscope to be covered over with markings so varied and so delicate, that the line of the finest pencil can scarcely represent them. The finger of God has traced them there, and left them to speak to us of His power and skill. Each pinnule of the Brake has a mid-vein, whence issue side veins, which are either opposite or alternate. These are twice forked before reaching the margin, where they unite with a vein which runs round the edge, and forms the receptacle for the clusters of capsules. The indusium consists of a white membranous fringed expansion of the thin skin of the upper surface, which rolls under so as to cover the fructification seated on the marginal vein. Beneath this line of capsules is another bleached and fringed membrane, very similar to the first, which is also apparently an expansion of the skin of the under surface. If the rhizome of the Brake be dug up undeveloped fronds of various ages will be found, as well as the decaying bases of fronds that have fallen ; it is found that the smallest of these immature fronds take two years to arrive at the glory of full expansion. The male fern and some others take as long. 19—2 148 FILICES The following lines were written for this volume by Mary Isabella Tomkins :— THE BRACKEN. As a coming screen grows the Bracken green, Up springeth it fair and free, Where in many a fold, grotesque and old, Twineth the hawthorn tree ; A covert meet from the noontide heat, For should you steal anear You may chance discern, ’neath the spreading fern, The antlers of the deer. It boasteth a name of mystic fame, For who findeth its magic seed A witching and weirdly gift may claim To help him at his need : Unseen, unknown, he may pass alone Who owneth the fern-seed spell ; Like the viewless blast, he sweepeth past, And walks invisible ! Have ye to learn, how the Eagle fern Doth in its heart enshrine An oak-tree like that which the hunter Hearne Haunted in days ‘‘ lang syne” ? An oak-tree small is repeated all Complete in branch and root, Like the tree whereunto King Charles did flee, When press’d by hot pursuit. To his son its shade gave but traitor aid When, striving to lie conceal’d, On foot he fled, in fear-and dread, From Sedgemoor’s fatal field : In doublet mean was a peasant seen, Wearing a priceless ring— He whom the voice of the people’s choice So late had hail’d their king. Oh, Eagle fern! when I thee discern, When thy wither’d leaf I meet, In places the careless foot might spurn, The crowded mart or street, Thou takest me back to thy birthplace fair, Where thou wavest in thy pride, And the form of the hare and the deer’s close lair Do ’mid thy stems abide. 14, MAIDEN-HAIR (Adidntum). True Maiden-hair (4. capillus-véneris)—Fronds bipinnate ; pinnules stalked, lobed, roundish, wedge-shaped, alternate; barren lobes serrated ; fertile lobes terminated by a linear-oblong cluster of fructification. Our only British species of this genus is easily known from all other native ferns by its fan-shaped leaflets, but the characteristics of the genus are to be found in the veining and the marginal fructification. The plant is called True Maiden-hair, to distinguish it from some other ferns which share with it its familiar name. It is one of the loveliest of our native plants, and in its wild state is among the most rare; but it is familiarly known to fern-lovers, because it is one of the most frequent ferns grown indoors. The main stalk of our Maiden-hair is seldom thicker than a packthread, and the little stalks which support the thin fan-shaped pinnules are so slight and elastic, so black MAIDEN HAIR, Adiantiim capillus-veneris . Pl. 310, FERN TRIBE 149 and hair-like, as to have gained for the fern its specific name. Its slender creeping rhizome is shaggy, with black hair-like scales, and the base of the stipes is of a rich red-brown colour. The fronds, which grow in lax tufts, make their appearance about May, and are matured by June: they are usually about six or seven, but sometimes twelve inches in height. They are either twice or thrice pinnate. The pinne, or branches, diverge alter- nately from the stalks; the little leaf-like pinnules are also alternate, and each is placed on a separate stalk. The form of the leaflets, though varying much in different situations, is yet more or less fan-shaped, the terminal one being often wedge-shaped. The margin is lobed, the barren lobes are serrated, but the edges of the fertile lobes are turned under, and thus form a membrane-like indusium to the clusters of fructification. The stalk is usually about half the length of the frond, and is glossy black, or deep purple. The veins in all the pinnules are two-branched or forked from the base, the branches extending in straight lines to the margins, where in the barren fronds they end in the marginal notches. In the fertile fronds, however, they extend into the indusium, and become the receptacle for the clusters. The bright cheerful evergreen tint, the elegant form and lightly waving attitudes of this fern, render it very attractive ; and when growing against the sides of the sea-rock or any moist place in any abundance, no fern exceeds it in beauty. Sir William Hooker remarks that this most delicate plant is very abundant in the south of Europe, where he has seen it lining the inside of wells, as it does the basin of the fountain at Vaucluse, with a tapestry of the tenderest green. It grows, sometimes, even on rocks washed occasionally by the spray. It is not a Scottish fern, but occurs on the south and west coasts of Ireland in great luxuriance ; in the Burren, Co. Clare, it attains a length of two feet. It is also plentiful in some spots in Wales, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands, but the only English localities for it are Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, and Shropshire. Mr. N. B. Ward sent specimens of the Maiden-hair to Mr. Newman from the neighbourhood of Ilfracombe, where he found it growing in great beauty on the face of the crevices of a rock in White Pebble Bay, in a dense mass, which commenced at the height of about twenty-five feet, and descended to within about five feet of the level of the sea. It prefers a perpendicular surface. It is a native of almost all tropical lands. Few ferns would be more graceful adornments to the sides of streams and pools, were it not so easily injured by the frost in exposed situations ; though in the Wardian case its green- ness is to be seen as well in the depth of winter as in the summer. The surface of the frond is always so smooth that water runs from it. Pliny had observed this, for he says, ‘In vain you plunge the Adiantum in water ; it always remains dry.” The fronds of this fern have, from earliest times, been used in this country as a remedy in pulmonary complaints. They yield, when boiling water is poured on them, some degree of mucilage, and emit at the same time a slight odour. That ancient writing known as the Arundel MS. says of this plant: ‘It mundifyeth the lunges, and the breste, and caccheth out wykede materes in hem;” while from the same authority we learn that “ Margery perles wastyn and fordon and cacchen out of the body wykede humours.” 150 FILICES The Maiden-hair seems to have been universally regarded as a cure for cough and difficulty of breathing; and Kalm relates that the American Indians have used it from time immemorial for this purpose. John Ray cites it as a cure for innumerable maladies; and later herbalists praised the decoction of the Maiden-hair, not as a remedy only for cough and other pectoral complaints, but as also a cure for jaundice, swollen joints, and many other diseases ; and affirmed that it “stayeth the falling or shedding of the hair, and causeth it to grow thick, fair, and well-coloured ;” though, in the preparation of the plant for this purpose, the herb termed smallage, which is our wild celery, was added, and both were boiled in oil and wine. The Canadian species of Maiden-hair (Adiantum peddtum) was introduced into this kingdom by John Tradescant. It grows in Canada in such profusion, that when the French were in possession of that country they were accustomed to send over large quantities of the plant to France, merely as a package for goods, and hence the druggists of Paris used this fern extensively instead of the True Maiden-hair. Both plants possess some astringency, and in France are still taken for coughs ; but the chief use of Maiden-hair in our times is in the preparation of Capillaire, which is made by boiling the fern into a syrup with sugar, and flavouring it with orauge-flowers. The French term our native species Capillaire de Montpellier, but they also call it Adianthe ; while the Dutch and Germans term it Venus-haar, and the Spaniards and Italians Adianto. It is a safer plant to use in decoction than the Canadian species, as that has some emetic properties, if taken in any quantity. Our beautiful plant grows in great abundance in the South Isles of Arran, off the coast of Galway, covering the rocks with its light-green fronds ; and the people of these isles use it as a substitute for tea. Sub-Order II. HyMENOPHYLLACEA. 15. BristLE FERN (Trichémanes). = Rooting Bristle Fern (7. radicans).—Fronds three or four times pin- natifid, segments alternate, linear, entire, or two-cleft, obtuse ; involucres solitary in the axils of the upper segments. This is an exceedingly beautiful fern, both in its form and in the delicate transparency of its texture. Hum- boldt remarks that every traveller mentions the elegant 'Trichomanes which covers the walls and roofs of the antique houses and chapels at Teneriffe, which, he says, in their deserted condition offer great treasures to the botanist. He adds that the ferns are nourished by the fogs which abound in the neighbourhood. Specimens from Madeira are to be found in the her- baria of most persons who have visited that island, more luxuriant, perhaps, but not more beautiful, than those found at Killarney. Our Bristle Fern delights in shade and moisture. It is found in several stations in Ireland— the Turk Waterfall, near Killarney, being one often visited by botanists, who have recorded the enthusiastic delight with which they have looked on the hundreds of delicate fronds which form green masses there. It was formerly seen by Mr. Newman very near the waterfall, but the guide of the place has sold so many pieces of this rare treasure to visitors that the plant is almost exterminated at that spot. It occurs, however, in several other localities, BRISTLE FERN, EUROPEAN Trichomanes radicans 311 Pi. J roa) ime FERN TRIBE 151 forming by its masses a rich verdant drapery to the wet rock, for it is only in places constantly moist that it can be found, the slightest exposure to drought withering its frail frond. Formerly it grew at Bingley, Yorks, and in recent years it has been found in Wales and the Isle of Arran, Scotland. It was in a mossy nook near Killarney, made greener by trickling waters, that a friend, who termed the nook the “ Birthplace of the Ferns,” and saw its matted fronds drooping among rocks, wrote for our volume the following lines: Beside a waterfall, where silvery mist, Even in summer, makes the noontide dim, Where clear brown shallow waters curl and twist Round moss-grown rocks tree-clasped by rootlets slim, Seated on stones that cumber sore the stream, Listening the tiny torrent’s whirl and dash, I Jove to dream a wildering noontide dream, Bright, swift, and changeful as the waters’ flash. Mark ye the ferns that clothe these dripping rocks, The crosier-headed ferns, most fresh and rare ; Their hair-like stalks, though trembling ‘neath the shocks Of falling spray-drops, rooted firmly there. What quaint varieties! The leaflets glow With a metallic lustre all their own, And velvet mosses, fostered by the flow, Gain a luxuriance elsewhere all unknown. It was owing to the occasional dryness of the atmosphere that, until the introduction of Mr. Ward’s closed cases, this fern withstood all attempts of the cultivator to rear it. If we take up any work on ferns written a few years prior to that invention, we find the author commenting on the absolute impossibility of domesticating the Bristle Fern as an ornamental plant, though in the glass cases it is now often to be seen, producing larger fronds than in its native locality, and by its green beauty delighting the eye of the dweller in the smoky town, or cheering the heart saddened by long sickness and absence from the scenes of Nature. In Mr. Ward’s interesting work on the growth of plants in closed cases—a little book honourable alike to the thoughtful intellect and kind heart of its writer—this gentleman says, that when making the experiments which led to his plan of glass cases, he was induced to commence with this, the most lovely of our flowerless plants, in con- sequence of its being the most intractable under ordinary culture; of its being, in fact, as he says, the “opprobriwm hortulanorum.” “ Loddiges,” says Mr. Ward, “who had it repeatedly, never could keep it alive; and Baron Fischer, the superintendent of the botanic establishment of the Emperor of Russia, when he saw the plant growing in one of my cases, took off his hat, made a low bow to it, and said: ‘You have been my master all the days of my life?” On some rock-work in Mr. Ward’s fern-house this plant produced fronds fifteen inches in height by seven or eight in breadth—one-fourth larger than uncultivated specimens, either from Killarney or elsewhere. The small portion of Trichomanes represented in the plate is part of a very interesting specimen given to Mr. Dickes by Mr. N. B. Ward. The latter gentleman, in a letter to the author, says of it: “Some years since, when I had the pleasure of visiting Killarney with Dr. Harvey, we deter- mined to find out, if possible, another locality for U'richémanes radicans ; and to this end directed the driver to convey us to some portion of the shores of 152 FILICES the lake into which one of the mountain streamlets was continually dis- charging, well knowing that, in the course of such a rill from the mountain- top, there would occur many places suited to the growth of this moisture- loving plant. We were landed accordingly on the south side of the lake, amid a mass of osmunda, and after making our way up the stream a few hundred yards, surrounded by masses of rocks confusedly hurled, and coated with fine hymenophyllum, and various mosses and liverwort, Dr. Harvey, who was in advance, called out, ‘Kureka—Eureka! I hastened onwards, and saw a sight which might have repaid a much more lengthened and laborious search. In the inside of a natural cave, about five feet square, formed by four large masses of limestone, the Trichomanes was growing in its native beauty. One specimen, with a creeping rhizome three or four feet in length, and containing forty-eight perfect fronds, we divided, and my portion is now in the hands of your artist. The mouth of the cave faced the north, so that not a ray of solar light ever reached the plant within ; and to this cause I attribute the total absence of fructification on any one of the specimens.” The Bristle Fern has a slender creeping horizontal stem, which winds and branches so as to form a network over the rock, and is covered with black down. This woolly substance has been found by Mr. Andrews, when viewed under a lens of high power, to consist of articulated bristles, analogous to the scales on the stems of other ferns. The whole frond is so pellucid, the veins so prominent, and the green part so like a membranous wing around the veins, that it has more the appearance of a sea-weed than a fern. ‘The frond is between lanceolate and triangular in form, the divisions being so much waved as to give it a crisped appearance. It is three or four times pinnatifid, and the slender segments of which it is composed are either entire or two- cleft at the apex, and a strongly-marked and stout vein runs up the centre. Indeed, the veins are so prominent and rigid, that they seem the most con- spicuous part of the fern, and the frond might very well be said to consist of a number of firm veins, three or four times branched, and edged by a thin green membrane-like wing. Some of the terminations of the veins are sur- rounded by the green part, which forms a little cup in which lie the capsules of fructification. The involucre, as this is usually called, most commonly projects beyond the margin of the frond, but it sometimes lies within it, and the bristle is often four or five times the length of the cup, though in many cases scarcely exceeding it in length. The fronds are from three inches to a foot long, and mostly droop over the sides of the rocks. Though appearing in May, they are not matured till about November, nor do they attain their whole size or bear their fructification until the third year of their growth. Now that it is discovered to thrive so well in the closed cases, this plant is a favourite subject of the cultivator’s care. It requires a pure and constantly humid atmosphere, shade and warmth, and these conditions can all be given by the glass case. It may be grown also in an earthen pot standing in water, and covered with a bell-glass. A variety of this fern, of broader lanceolate, somewhat egg-shaped form, has been termed andrewsii, after its discoverer ; it is found at Kerry. The Bristle Fern is by various writers called Trichd- manes brevisétum, specidsum, and Hymenophyllum alatum. i TUNBRIDGE YILM-FERN, ‘Hymenophyllim tnubridgense WILSOWS F-F H. umlaterale Pi, 312, FERN TRIBE 153 16. Firmy Fern (Hymenophillum). 1, Tunbridge Filmy Fern (H. tunbridgénse). — Fronds pinnate ; pinne pinnatifid, forming a wing on each side of the rachis; the segments serrated and spinous. This delicate, flaccid, membrane-like fern grows in matted tufts, looking rather like a withered than a living plant, on account of its olive-brown tint, though when really dried in the herbarium it retains much elasticity. The slender, delicate Filmy Ferns are the smallest of our native species, and are somewhat like delicate mosses. The veins are so strongly marked, that, as in Trichomanes, they seem to form the fronds, the filmy cellular portion surrounding them like a wing. Their length is from one to three inches, they grow almost erect, and their outline is lanceolate, or somewhat egg-shaped. They are flat, and their pinne once or twice pinnatifid, their branches mostly on the upper side, though sometimes alter- nately on each side of the pinna. The clusters of capsules are formed round the axis of a vein, which runs beyond the margin of the frond—this vein, or receptacle, being enclosed in a kind of cup forming the involucre. This con- sists of two compressed valves, which are nearly round, and are swollen slightly at the base, and have a notched and spinous upper margin; and it is by this two-valved involucre that the genus is distinguished from the nearly allied Bristle Ferns. The rhizomes are creeping and very slender. This fern is not peculiar to Tunbridge Wells, though found on several moist rocks in that neighbourhood ; and having been first discovered there, the plant is known by the trivial name tunbridgénse. It is not a rare fern, as it grows amongst moss in damp and shady places, especially in mountainous or rocky districts in several parts of this country—as in Tilgate Forest, Sussex ; on Dartmoor, in Devonshire ; in many parts of Cornwall; in several localities of Cumberland, Westmoreland, Kent, Cheshire, Yorkshire, and Lancashire. It is also of frequent occurrence in Wales and Ireland, and in the latter country is sometimes very luxuriant. In Scotland it occurs as far north as Argyll, Stirling and Mull. 2. Wilson’s Filmy Fern or Scottish Filmy Fern (H. wnildterale). —Fronds pinnate ; pinne curving backwards; segments linear, entire, or two-cleft. This is a small film-like fern, growing on wet rocks in various parts of England and Wales, and very abundant in the Highlands of Scot- land, as well as in many parts of Ireland, in similar situations and localities as those given for H. tunbridgense. 'Though it grows, like the Tunbridge Fern, in matted tufts, and the two plants are often found on the same rock, yet it is a very distinct species. The fronds are much more rigid, of a darker brownish-green tint, somewhat drooping in attitude, and the pinnz turning back in a direction contrary to that of the fructification. They are about two or three inches long; their outline is linear-lanceolate and pinnate. They last for several years, and continue their growth even after the first season. The rachis is somewhat arched, and the pinne are convex above, all turning one way, so that the fronds are more or less one-sided. The wedge-shaped pinnz are cut into slender, blunt, pinnatifid segments, having a serrated and slightly spinous edge. The rigid veins are twice branched, and have a narrow leafy wing; but the main stalk of the fern is not winged, Iv.— 20 154 FILICES or scarcely so. The free ends of the veins are surrounded by the clusters of capsules, which are placed within a cup-shaped, brown, rigid involucre, the valves of which are convex throughout, touching only by their edges, which are quite entire. Some authors regard it as a variety, or at most sub-species, of H. tunbridgense. Sub-order III. OSMUNDACEA. 17. RoyaAL FERN (Osminda). Osmund Royal or Flowering Fern (0. regilis). — Fronds twice pinnate ; pinnules oblong, nearly entire, the lower base somewhat ear- shaped ; clusters in terminal panicles. This stately fern, which is also some- times called King Fern and Regal Fern, is so different in its appearance from our other British species, that the botanist only would know it to be a fern, unless the veining of its leafy frond were examined. It is the most conspicuous of all our native species, and well deserves its regal name, which, however, it appears to have owed to other circumstances than its stately form. Its name, Osminda, is of Saxon origin, and, perhaps, was given in honour of some one who in old times bore the name of Osmund. Osmunder was one of the titles of Thor, the Celtic Thunderer. Some believe the word itself to have signified domestic peace, from os, house, and mund, peace ; however, the word mund was evidently sometimes an adjunct signifying strength and power, and formed part of many a name in the olden time, as in Sigismund and Edmund. -It is in all probability the origin of the old word used by the herbalists, who relate of several plants that they “mundyfye” the system, apparently meaning that they give strength. Gerarde, when describing the stem of this fern, which on being cut through shows a whitish centre, calls this portion of the plant the ‘“ Heart of Osmund the Waterman”; a waterman of this name having, according to tradition, dwelt at Loch Tyne, and on one occasion, when bravely defending some of his family from the cruel Danes, sheltered them among the tall branches of this magnificent plant, which is more like a shrubby or tree fern than any other of our native species. The Flowering Fern is distributed more or less throughout the kingdom, occurring on bog lands, on the wet margins of woods, or on the hedge-bank watered by a stream, where its rootlets can have access to the water. It is rarely to be found in the eastern part of England and Scotland, though occasionally gratifying the lover of ferns by its unexpected appearance there. So abundant, however, is it, and so luxuriant in its growth, in many places in Devonshire and Cornwall, as well as about Connaught, in Ireland, that its masses form a marked feature of the scenery. It grows well, too, on the bogs of Lancashire; and sometimes its towering fronds enliven even the dreary sea-coast, where they thrive well on spots only just beyond the reach of the wave at high tide. It generally rises to the height of four or five feet, but tufts of its fronds, growing on the bank of the Clyde, have been measured by botanists, and were found to be eleven feet high. Generally its tall stalk rises erect, and its fruit-panicles overtop the plants which grow beside them; but sometimes this handsome plant acquires a drooping habit. FLOWERING PERN Osmunda regalis i Natural size Pl, 313, FERN TRIBE 155 Mr. Newman, referring to it, says: “I noticed a beautiful instance at _ Killarney, where it completely fringes the river between the lakes, and certainly forms a most prominent feature in that lovely but neglected portion of that far-famed scenery. ‘So altered is the usual character of this fern, that its long fronds arch gracefully over, and dip their masses of seed in the crystal water; while the saucy coots, from beneath the canopy it affords them, gaze fearlessly on the visitors who are continually passing by.” In _ the north of England it is found at an elevation of 1,000 feet. This fern is not difficult of culture, and growing in a large pot of earth kept in water, and placed in the shade, it makes a lovely ornament among the myrtles, and hydrangeas, and rhododendrons which so often grace the hall of a house. It also thrives well on the margin of pieces of water, or on rock-work near them. It is common to most European countries. The Germans call it Zraubenfarrn; the Dutch, Trosvaren,; the Italians and Spaniards, Osmunda ; and the French, Osmonde. The young fronds of the Osmunda are usually about ten or twelve in number, but they are sometimes fewer. Their large leaf-sprays are thin and crisp, and of a bright sea-green colour, usually assuming a deeper green as the plant grows older. The stalk, which is at first reddish-brown, afterwards becomes green, and contrasts well with the rich rust-brown spikes of fructifi- cation, which formerly misled people into the belief that this fern, at least, produced flowers. These shrub-like fronds are, however, annual, and some of them are barren. . They are lanceolate and twice pinnate, the pinne being either lanceolate, or lanceolate and egg-shaped, and the pinnules are oblong and nearly egg-shaped. They are also somewhat ear-shaped at the base, rounded at the upper part, and the margins are serrated. The pinnz at the upper portion of the fertile frond are so densely covered with the brown clusters of capsules, as to look something like spikes of flowers ; and they so contract the green leafy portion, that they leave only a green edge, and the mid-vein clear. Lower down on the frond we often see a pinnule or two thus contracted, and partly or wholly covered with the fructification ; and we may, during the earlier growth of the plant, trace the gradual contraction of the leafy part of the frond through all the stages, till it is converted into this panicle. This is often, when matured, two or three feet in length, and branched so as to be a yard wide. The barren fronds are leafy throughout, but differ in no other respects from the fertile ones. In their most luxuriant state, the fronds of this handsome plant are sometimes nearly two yards across. In the barren fronds we may easily perceive the mid-vein of each pinnule, with twice or thrice forked veins issuing from it to the margin. In the fertile fronds the clusters of capsules are seated on these veins, which are just sufficiently developed to form a receptacle. The capsules are nearly ~ globular, stalked, and two-valved. This plant, which appears in May, is matured by August, but is destroyed by the early winter frosts. It was formerly in much repute for its medicinal properties, but it is now little used, though its stem is astringent and some- what tonic. An old writer, who calls it also the Water Fern, says: ‘This hath all the virtues mentioned in other ferns, and is much more effectual 20—2 156 FILICES than they, both for inward and outward griefs, and is accounted good in wounds, bruises, or the like. The decoction to be drunk, or boiled into an ointment of oil asa balsam or balm, and so it is singular good against bruises, and bones broken or out of joint.” The root, when boiled, is very slimy, and is used in the north of Europe for stiffening linen. Sub-order TV. OPHIOGLOSSACE. 18. Moonwort (Botrjchium). 1. Common Moonwort (B. lwndria).—Frond pinnate ; pinne crescent- shaped or fan-shaped. It is on the dry open moor, amongst heather and heath-bells, that we must look for the Moonwort, which, though not a common plant, is more or less distributed throughout the United Kingdom. In England it seems to occur most frequently in the counties of Staffordshire, Surrey, and Yorkshire ; generally on old pasture-lands or heathy places: but it has occasionally been gathered in a wood. Like the royal fern, its habit differs much from that of ferns in general, and it is well named Moon- wort, from the usually crescent-shaped leafy pinne. Doubtless this form induced the old alchemists and professors of magic to value it so highly, for moon-shaped plants, or parts of plants, were readily believed to indicate some wondrous potency. And several old poets refer to it :— ‘* And I ha’ been plucking plants among Hemlock, henbane, adder’s tongue ; Nightshade, Moonwort, Ibbard’s-bane, And twice by the dogs was like to be ta’en.” Many of our oldest writers on plants had most firm assurance of strange powers possessed by this fern: thus Cole remarks—‘“‘It is said, yea, and believed, by many, that Moonwort will open the locks wherewith dwelling- houses are made fast, if it be put into the keyhole; as, also, that it will loosen the locks, fetters, and shoes from those horses’ feet that goe on the places where it groweth ; and of this opinion was Master Culpeper, who, though he railed against superstition in others, yet had enough of it himself, as may appear by his story of the Earl of Essex his horses, which being drawne up in a body, many of them lost their shoes upon White Down in Devonshire, neer Tiverton, because Moonwort grows upon the heaths.” George Wither, writing 1622, says— ‘There is an herb, some say, whose vertue’s such It in the pasture, only with a touch, Unshoes the new-shod steed.” There were herbalists, however, even in those credulous times, who denounced this belief ; as did Turner, who published his “ British Physician ” in 1687, and who says, that the plant is neither smith, farrier, nor picklock ; yet even he prizes the fern for its medicinal virtues, and declares himself confident that it is the moon’s herb. Gerarde mentions the use of this fern by the alchemists, who, he says, called it Martagon. It appears to have entered into some of those compositions over which so many men spent their nights and days in fruitless labour and frequent disappointment. It may be, however, that now and then some unexpected good resulted from J MOONWORT , 2. COMMON ADDERS Lc INGUE . Botrychium lunaria , E Ophioglossum vuléatum Si skal be AGG ar QO. Jusitanicum Pl, Sih, FERN TRIBE 157 their labours, just as the German chemist Glauber, in his ardent pursuit of alchemy, discovered the sulphate of soda, since called Glauber’s Salts. Gerarde, who calls the notions prevalent in his time of the magical powers of the Moonwort “drowsy dreams and illusions,” yet held the general opinion of its medical efficacy, and its use as an application to wounds. The frond of our common Moonwort rises very early in spring, and would not, in its young condition, suggest the idea that it was a fern. It seems at first but an upright simple stem, about an inch high, but this is in fact a bud, enclosing the frond within it; the lower part or rachis of the frond, thus covered up, is thicker than the upper part, and the two branches of the young frond face each other, the fertile being clasped by the barren one, while the whole is closely wrapped in scale-like sheaths. The plant, when in June it has become fully developed, is from three to eight, or more rarely ten, inches in height, of a dull yellowish-green colour, the lower part or stipes being succulent and hollow, and having at its base the remains of the scale- like sheath which once invested it. About halfway up it divides into two branches. The leafy branch is pinnate, and from three to eight pairs of crescent or fan-shaped leaflets are closely crowded upon it, their outer margin indented with slightly-rounded notches. The veins radiate towards the margin, one vein extending into each notch. The fertile branch of the fern is erect and branched, the branches being generally about the same in number as the pinnules on the leafy branch; these side pinne are again divided into lesser branches, on which the fructification grows. This forms a spike distinct from the leafy expansion, and is not, as in Osminda, a con- traction of the green part, nor are the clusters or capsules crowded, like those of that fern, into a mass; but though nearly touching each other, they are separate, and arranged in single rows along the branches of the spike. The capsules are globular in form, without stalks, smooth, composed of two concave valves, and are at first yellow and afterwards brown. The fern varies in different situations, and in one form the pinnz are pinnatifid ; but it is at all times so distinct from any other British fern that it is never difficult of recognition. It is known throughout Europe and Northern Asia. It is sometimes called Osminda lundria. 2. Chamomile-leaved Moonwort (B. matricaricefoliwm).—A form known to the botanists two centuries ago as occurring in this country, and distinguished by Ray as Lunaria minor foliis dissectis, is mentioned in some modern works as B. rutaceum, and specimens collected on the Sands of Barry by Mr. Cruickshanks, in 1839, have been by some referred to under this name, whilst others consider them more correctly named B. matricariefolium. Unfortunately, only a drawing (reproduced in Newman’s “ British Ferns”) exists of the Barry examples. In 1887, Dr. St. Brody found on the seashore at Stevenston, Ayrshire, a Moonwort which appears to agree with the Conti- nental L. matricariefolium. A figure and description of it were given by Mr. W. Whitwell, F.L.S., in the Journal of Botany, 1898, and the publicity thus ensured will probably set botanists searching for it, and perhaps result in its addition to the lists of undoubted British ferns. It differs from &. lunaria in having a longer stipes and more stunted leafy portions, the pinne lance-shaped and pinnatifid, the lobes somewhat wedge-shaped. The 158 FILICES—FERN TRIBE fructification, too, takes more the form of a cyme, the branches being of more equal length. 19. ADDER’S-TONGUE (Ophiogléssum). 1. Common Adder’s-tongue (0. vulgdiwm).—Barren frond egg-shaped, blunt ; fertile frond club-shaped. This is a common plant, abundant in many parts of England, and easily known from any other fern. One who was not a botanist would describe its full-grown frond as being a green leaf, sending up from its base a stalk bearing a spike. If we look for this plant in May, we may find the bud underground: this was formed in the previous autumn, and on being opened, it may be seen to enclose not only the leaf and spike for the next year, but also the rudiment of the leaf for the year after. The plant, when seen in the middle of the month of June, at which time it is fully developed, is erect, with a long smooth succulent stem, of a pale green colour, a leaf of a deeper green tint, not with forked veins like most ferns, but with veins forming a net-work ; while from the inner part of the leaf rises the stalk, which varies from about an inch to three inches in length. The spike on this stalk tapers towards the summit, and is formed of two lines of crowded capsules imbedded in its substance, and occupying its two opposite sides. The capsules, which are globose, are filled with a fine dust, like the pollen of flowers. When fully ripened they discharge their contents, which are spores, and if the soil is moist, the plant becomes so plentiful in the pastures in the course of a few summers as to injure them greatly. Though local in distribution, yet in parks and clayey pastures we might sometimes gather a basketful of plants in the course of a few hours. It is no marvel that our forefathers called it Adder’s-tongue, or Adder’s-spear, for, like the reptile after which it was named, it was believed to have great power for evil, and not only to destroy the grass among which it grew, but to injure the cattle which fed upon it. The plant was, however, prized as a remedial agent by the old herbalists. Gerarde said of it, that it would, when boiled in olive oil, afford “a most excellent greene oyle, or rather a balsam for greene wounds, comparable to oyle of St. John’s Wort, if it doth not far surpasse it ; whose beauty is such that very many artists thought the same to be mixed with verdigrease.” No doubt many of the vegetable remedies for wounds were rendered serviceable by the oil with which the juices were so frequently mingled. A preparation, called the “Green Oil of Charity,” is in some counties still deemed a panacea ; and Adder’s-spear ointment, made of our fern, mingled with plantain and other herbs, is in much use in villages, and its green leaves are yet laid on wounds to heal them, serving doubtless to cool the inflammation, and also to unite the edges of a wound inflicted by a sharp instrument. Culpepper praises the juice of the leaves mingled with the distilled water of horse-tail, as a “singular remedy ” for internal wounds. Large quantities of the plant are gathered in some villages of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey, and prepared according to the old prescriptions. The barren frond of the Adder’s-tongue is often forked, or even deeply lobed at the extremity, and sometimes two or three spikes of fructification may be seen on one plant; but, excepting in luxuriance of growth, the fern exhibits little variation. The French call the plant Langue de serpent ; the Germans LYCOPODIACEAt—CLUB-MOSSES 159 term it Natterziinglein ; and it is also the Adderstong of the Dutch; the _ Lingua serpentina of the Italians ; and the Liketunga of the Swedes. 2. Lesser Adder’s-tongue (0. lusiténicum).—Barren frond linear, or linear-lanceolate ; fertile frond club-shaped. This is a little plant, very much resembling the Common Adder’s-tongue in miniature, having the spike produced from among its bright-green tiny leaves in the same manner, but not exceeding altogether two or three inches in height. It had long been known to botanists as a native of Southern Europe, but it was discovered in the year 1854 to be wild in Guernsey. Mr. George Wolsey then found it among the short herbage of some rocks not far from Petit Bot Bay, on the south coast of the island. It has since been found in Guernsey growing wild in meadows, its fronds being in perfection in the latter part of January. Hooker regards it as a sub-species of O. vulgatum, but its several divergences from that form induce others to regard it as specifically distinct. The root- stock is more tuberous, the blade of the frond more lance-shaped and much narrower, and the spores are smooth, whilst those of 0. vulgatum are rough with tubercles. It cannot be regarded as a local form, for it is found in twenty other countries. 3 Order CIII. LYCOPODIACEAX—_CLUB-MOSSES. This order consists of flowerless evergreen plants, with simple, veinless, usually taper-pointed leaves, with their capsules seated in the angle formed by the leaf and the stem, or raised in spikes at the top of the stem. The capsules are destitute of a ring, and are 2 or 3-valved. CiuB-moss (Lycopdédium).—Capsules 1-celled, 2-valved, containing minute spores (microspores) ; or 3-valved, enclosing a few large spores (macrospores) ; stems rigid, clothed with short leaves. JL. selaginoides is by some authors placed in the genus Selaginella, which with Jsoetes constitutes the order Selaginellacee. Name from lycos, a wolf, and pous, a foot, from a fancied resemblance of the branches to the paw of a beast. 1. CLuB-mMoss (Lycopédium). 1. Common Club-moss, Stag’s-horn-moss, Fox-tail, Wolf’s- claw (L. clavétum).—Leaves scattered, linear, curved inwards, hair pointed ; spikes stalked, two or three together ; scales egg-shaped, somewhat triangular, serrated. This Club-moss is the commonest of all the species. It occurs in abundance on moors and bogs, and on most of the mountains in the north of England, Wales, and Scotland. It is found in similar places in many of the northern parts of Europe and Asia, and from Canada to Pennsylvania, in America. It is a fine-looking plant, having creeping stems some feet in length, and bearing many branches, which are at first a little raised from the ground, but which soon become prostrate. It is sometimes very luxuriant, and Mr. Newman mentions having frequently found plants on a hill near Farnham, in Surrey, measuring ten or twelve yards in circumference. Its stems are attached to the soil, at every part where they touch it, by scattered yellowish roots, and its branches cross each other, so as to forma large green network over the soil; hence the Swedes call the plant Matte-grass. 160 LYCOPODIACEA The stiff wiry branches and stems of the Stag’s-horn are thickly sur- rounded with small narrow leaves of a lanceolate form, flat and smooth, but with slightly-toothed edges. The thread-like point, which terminates each little leaf, gives a greyish tint to the otherwise bright-green hue of the plant. The upright stalks, on which the spikes are placed, are destitute of leaves, but have some small leaf-like scales irregularly disposed in whorls around them, and pressed close to their surface ; they are pointed, but have not the hair-like points of the leaves. The spikes of fructification, which are usually more than an inch long, are placed each on a partial stalk about twice its length—one or two, or sometimes three, of these terminating the main stalk. They are formed of a number of triangular, egg-shaped, leaf-like bracts, or involucres. The capsules are placed in the angle formed by the bract and the stem. Lach is two-valved, kidney-shaped, of a pale yellow colour, and filled with sulphur-coloured powder, single particles of which are too small to be seen by the naked eye. After these dust-like spores have escaped, the bracts all turn downwards, and thus greatly alter the appearance of the spike. Though this is the largest of our native Lycopodiums, yet in some other lands, as in the humid regions of the tropics, and in the United States of America, other species form a very conspicuous part of the herbage, not always creeping along the soil like large mosses, but standing erect, like miniature trees. Even these, however, are small in comparison with the club-mosses of older ages; for the geologist finds in the coal strata large species of similar plants, the Lepidodendrons, the numerous kinds of which must have formed an essential part.of the vegetation of the forests of remote epochs. They have, with the ferns and horse-tails, contributed more than any other plants to furnish those beds of coal which form so important a material of our comfort, and which have supplied the immense means for the diffusion of knowledge, science, and manufactures, by means of the steam- ship, the locomotive, and the printing-press. Those ancient plants, the Lepidodendrons, have stems of the same essential structure as those of our Club-mosses, are branched in the same way, and have similar leaves and fructification. While, however, our Lycopodiums are so moss-like that the older botanists described them as mosses, the fossil Lepidodendrons must have attained the height of trees, and had thick bases to their stems as large as the trunks of our oaks or firs. Leaves some inches long grew on their stems and branches, and under their shadow were developed those large ferns and horse-tails which are so abundant in the coal-measures, that ferns seem at one time to have formed more than three- fifths of the earth’s vegetation. Doubtless they aided by their living growth the purification of the atmosphere, and how much we owe to their decom- posed substance no pen can describe. If these gigantic plants are not exactly identical with the modern Lycopodiacew, yet they are so nearly so that little difference can be discovered by those who have most patiently and skilfully investigated the plants of the coal strata. Our native Club-mosses have no very great beauty to recommend them to our notice, save the green tint which they give to the hill-side or mountain- slope, or dripping rock or waterfall. They are a peculiarly alpine tribe of plants, LZ. inunddtum being the only species frequent in the low lands of the bt COMMON CLUB MOSs, Lycopodium clavatum INTERRUPTED C.M ¥ a; . anhotinuim SAVIN-LEAVED Cc M, as) ak pinum . ‘ Pl, 315, 6 MARSH al Wt SMa Cc -M, aw L M , UB LESSER ALPINE C.M, selaginoides selago Imundatum . ———, > , > eed 4 ee re ~ CLUB-MOSSES 161 south-east of England. The stems of all are clothed with leaves densely crowded upon them, and overlapping like the tiles on a roof—an arrange- ment which the botanist terms imbricated. The fructification is placed in the axils of the leaves or bracts, that is, in the angles between these and the stems; and it generally grows in a cone at the top of the stem. It consists of kidney-shaped capsules, which have from one to three valves. Two distinct substances lie enclosed in the capsules of some species. One kind is a small dust-like powder, composed of smooth grains ; and the other consists of three or four globular-shaped fleshy bodies, many times as large as the powder. The powder is produced by all the species of Club-moss ; but the larger fleshy bodies occur but in a few, and are not found in the Stag’s-horn. The Club-mosses are called in Italy Licopodia, and in Holland Wolfsklaw, and the Germans call the plant Kolbenmos. In Sweden, wreaths of our common species are commonly worn on festive occasions by the peasantry ; and Anna Howitt, when describing the May festival at Starnberg, in Germany, says: “ People arrived even faster and faster ; there were parties in carriages, with servants and gentlemen; there were parties on foot, the gentlemen with wreaths of ivy or Stag’s-horn Moss twisted round their straw or felt hats, with gentians, cowslip, or primula flowers stuck into their buttonholes.” Wordsworth alludes to a similar mode of using the moss in the north of England : ‘* Or with that plant which in our dale We call Stag’s horn or Fox’s tail, Their rusty hats they trim ; And thus, as happy as the day, Those shepherds wear their time away.” Mr. Matthew Arnold, too, refers to the plant :— ** Under the glittering hollies Iseult stands Watching her children play ; their little hands Are busy gathering spars of quartz, and streams Of Stag’s-horn for their hats. Anon with screams Of mad delight, they drop their spoils and bound Among the holly clumps and broken ground, Racing full speed, and startling in the rush The fell-fares and the speckled missel-thrush Out of their glossy covert. But when now Their cheeks were flush’d, and over each hot brow Under the feather’d hats of the sweet pair In blinding masses shower’d the golden hair, Then Iseult called them to her.” Very pretty ornaments were, in former days, made of the Club-moss for summer stoves, and English ladies seem to have worn it occasionally as a head-dress. Gerarde says :—‘‘Some have made hat-bands, girdles, and also bands to tie such things as they have before gathered, for the which purpose it most fitly serveth.” His description of the plant is very graphic: “Some pieces thereof are six or eight feet long, consisting, as it were, of many hairy leaves, set upon a tough string, very close couched, and compact together ; from which are also sent forth certaine other branches, like the first ; in sundrie places there be sent downe fine little strings, which serve instead of Iv.—21 162 LYCOPODIACEA roots, wherewith it is fastened to the upper part of the earth, and taketh hold likewise upon such things as grow next unto it. There spring also from the branches bare and naked stalks, on which grow certaine ears, as it were, like the catkins or blowings of the hasell-tree, in shape like a little club, or the reed-mace, saving that it is much lesser, and of a yellowish-white colour, very much resembling the clawe of a wolfe ; whereof it hath its name.” He adds, however, that the “knobby catkins are altogether barren, and bring forth neither seede nor flowre.” The astringent properties of this Club-moss were greatly praised by the herbalists, and the plant was used for a variety of disorders. John Ray mentions that a decoction of the Club-moss was taken in that dreadful disease, the Plica Polonica—hence the plant had the old name of Plicaria ; but it is little used medicinally now, except by the people of the Orkney Islands, who administer it in some diseases of their cattle. The powdery dust (spores) is of a very inflammable nature, and was formerly called vegetable sulphur, being collected for fireworks, and to represent lightning at theatres. It flashes’ when thrown into a flame; and it was brought in large quantities into this country from Sweden and Germany, until some preparation of rosin super- seded its use in representations of this kind. It seems almost impossible to moisten this powder with water, for, when laid on the surface of liquid in a basin, the finger may be plunged to the bottom of the vessel without being wetted. This substance has also been used for ameliorating wines. Several species of Club-moss might remind one of a miniature tree ; and Mr. Fortune relates, in his ‘‘ Wanderings in China,” an amusing anecdote referring to a curious dwarf species which he found on the hills of Hong-Kong. He dug up this plant, and carried with him into the town. The Chinese to whom he showed it were quite in a rapture of delight at its appearance, and all the servants and coolies on the spot gathered round the basket, to admire this curious little plant. As Mr. Fortune had never seen them express so much admiration except on one occasion, when he had shown them a cactus called Old Man, he naturally inquired into the cause of their satisfaction at the appearance of the Lycopodium. They replied in Canton English, “Oh ! he too muchin handsome ; he grow only a leete every year, and suppose he be one hundred year oula, he only so high ”—holding up their hands an inch or two higher than the Club-moss. ‘This little plant,” says Mr. Fortune, “is very pretty, and naturally takes the form of a dwarf tree in miniature, which was doubtless the reason of its being so much a favourite with the Chinese, who think that a tree attains its greatest beauty when its growth is stunted by their ingenuity.” 2. Interrupted Club-moss (L. annétinum).— Leaves scattered, tipped with a spine, and edged with small serratures ; ‘spikes without stalks, terminal ; scales roundish, with a tapering point, membranous and jagged. This plant is so local in growth that it is little known in England, though found in Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire, at Rumworth Moss in Lanea- shire, Teesdale in Durham, Bowfell in Cumberland, and Langdale in West- moreland. It grows also on Glyder Vawr, on Snowdon, though when seen in 1836, by Mr. Wilson, it had become reduced to a solitary root, and was without fructification. In some districts of Scotland it is very abundant, as CLUB-MOSSES 163 it is in many mountainous regions, especially in the north of Europe, growing on wild open places, at a great elevation, or in pine-woods ; it is also plentiful in some parts of North America. Mr. Watson describes it as pretty frequent between 500 and 850 yards on the mountains of Clova and the west of Aber- deenshire ; but adds, ‘“‘I have never seen it above 900 yards, or below 500.” This Club-moss receives its specific name from the somewhat jointed or interrupted appearance of its branches, which arises from the leaves being at shorter intervals and less spreading. The creeping stem sends out, here and there, several upright branches, from one to four inches long; but it is less branched than L. clavatum. The length of these is increased every year, and the points of the annual growths are very visible, giving to the stem its interrupted appéarance. These upright branches are often again divided, and the spike is usually on the sixth or seventh joint of the branch when fertile, but some branches are barren. This is a large species, sometimes growing even to the height of a foot from the ground; and its narrow leaves, which spread out on all sides of the stems, are arranged in five rows, which, how- ever, are not very distinctly marked. The little saw-edged and stiffly-pointed leaves are without stalks; they are of a yellowish-green colour, and have each a distinct mid-rib. On the older parts of the stem, the leaves not only spread more than on those newly grown, but they sometimes turn down- wards. The spike of fructification is at the top of the leafy branch, without a partial stalk, and about an inch long. It is oblong, and the bracts or scales upon it are nearly round, with a long narrow point, and a jagged membranous margin. When the spores are matured and burst from their capsules, these scale-like leaves turn downwards. 3. Flat-stemmed Club-moss (L. complandtum).—Stems stiff, wiry, waved, sparingly leaved; leafy branches im clusters, stem flattened, leaves in 2—4 rows of two sizes; spikes one or more, stalked. This species, whose only British stations are in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, is a plant of the heath-clad hill and stony moor. Its stem reaches a length of a foot and a half; and the two side rows of leaves or its branches will be found to be attached by their base and concave, whilst those of the upper and under rows are free, more awl-shaped and shorter, as well as more erect. 4. Savin-leaved Club-moss (ZL. alpinwm).—Leaves overlapping each other, in four rows, acute, keeled, entire ; spikes terminal; branches erect and clustered. This is a pretty evergreen species, of a much brighter tint than any other of our Club-mosses. It grows in great abundance on the grassy slopes in the hilly and mountainous districts of Scotland, large tracts of ground being rendered of a rich green by its trailing stems. It occurs in England on the mountains of Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Cumberland, and again in Hants and Somerset, as well as in Ireland. It grows in several Welsh localities, as at Carnedd David, in Carnarvonshire, at an elevation of 3,000 feet. On the northern mountainous regions of Europe, as in Lapland, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Germany, and Switzerland, it is a common plant, as it also is on the high lands of Canada. This species is regarded by Sir Joseph Hooker as a sub-species of L. com- planatum, from which it differs in several points. Its English name was 21—2 164 LYCOPODIACEA given from the resemblance of its branches, with the leaves pressed closely around them, to those of the savin (Juntperus sabina). 'The roots are very strong and wiry, and are formed of branched, downy, stout fibres. The stem creeps close to the surface of the ground, and bears, at irregular intervals, several upright branches, which are repeatedly divided in a forked manner, forming a close tuft, level at the top, and somewhat fan-shaped. These are shorter than in LZ. complanatum, not flattened, and the leaves are all of one kind. These are lanceolate and pointed, the edges without serra- tures, and they are somewhat boat-shaped, being hollowed out in front where they fit the stem. The leaves overlap each other, and are in four rows, the branches having a somewhat square form. Those branches bearing the spikes of fructification are rather longer than the barren ones, and twice forked. The spikes as a rule are solitary, and have no distinct stalk. The scales are membranaceous, flat, broad at the base, tapering upwards and pointed, and placed very closely together. Between each scale and the stem lies a pale yellow, kidney-shaped capsule, filled with minute, yellowish spores. When these are dispersed the scales turn downwards, and the spike bends down into a semicircular form. This plant is said, by Sir W. J. Hooker, to be used in several countries to dye woollen cloths of a yellow colour. In Ireland, cloth is commonly dyed by boiling it with the Lycopodium, and with the leaves of the bog whortleberry. The flavour of this Savin-leaved Moss is bitter and somewhat aromatic. 5. Marsh Club-moss (ZL. inunddétum). — Stem creeping; branches simple; leaves and scales linear, acute, curved upwards; spikes solitary. Though this plant is rare in Scotland, and the midland and northern counties of England, it is less so in the south, though always local. In Ireland it is very rare. It may be often seen on moist heathy moors, especially where the surface has been pared for turf-growing, amid gorse and broom, not usually forming a mossy tract of wide extent, but occurring here and there, in patches, all over the bog. It is not so conspicuous a plant as to be noticed by many except botanists. Its habit is prostrate—the stem, which is two or three inches long, being closely pressed to the surface of the soil, and attached to it by a few short, but stout, tough, and branched fibres. The branches are simple, the barren ones lying along the ground; the fertile ones upright. All parts of the plant are thickly covered with narrow leaves without serratures, but acutely pointed; those leaves which are on the barren stems all curving upwards. This plant, during the period of its growth, lengthens at the point, the other end gradually decaying. The winter, which stops the growth, does not arrest the decay, so that little is left of the stem to produce the next year’s foliage, while the withered remains of summer look like a number of black marks or lines among the short grass of the heath in spring, resembling a plant which has been scorched and blackened by fire. The green portion of the Club-Moss is very small at this season, for many plants perish wholly in the winter, and it is only the vigorous ones which may now be seen putting forth their new leaves. The spikes of fructification are produced in autumn, each being at the top of a footstalk rather longer than itself, and nearly of the same thickness; and, as well as the spike, being surrounded by green linear scales rather larger at CLUB-MOSSES 165 the base, and sometimes having one or two minute teeth at the sides. The capsules lie between the scales and the stem; they are of a pale yellowish- — green, and filled with yellow dust-like spores. 6. Prickly Club-moss, or Mountain Moss (L. selaginoides).—Stems procumbent ; leaves lanceolate, acute; spikes solitary; scales egg-shaped. This plant is not in any degree prickly in the true sense of the word, and, indeed, its smaller degree of rigidity renders it less so to the touch than most of the species. Its stem is creeping, two or three inches long, very weak and slender, lying close to the ground, and repeatedly branched. The whole plant is covered with lanceolate delicate leaves, their margins beset with small spiny teeth. The fertile branches differ from the winding barren ones in their erect growth, the barren ones being quite trailing. The former have also their leaves longer and more pressed to the stalk, and the terminal spike of fructification is about an inch long. This is thickly covered with scales, pressed close to its surface, and having their edges jagged with spiny teeth. This is the only British species bearing both the kinds of fructification alluded to in the description of the genus. The lower scales have the pale yellow capsules seated at their base, containing three or four large spores, equal in size to the seeds of many flowering plants ; and the capsules of the upper ones contain the dust-like powder which agrees with the spores of the Lycopodiums in general. The spike is annual, decaying immediately after the dispersion of its contents. This is a more northern species than the last, it being generally distributed over the bogs and marshy grounds of Scotland and the north of England, coming only as far south as Lincoln, Derby and Chester. It also occurs in Wales and Ireland. In the Highlands of Scotland it reaches an altitude of 3,300 feet. Also known as Selaginella selaginoides. 7. Fir Club-moss, Upright Fir-moss (LZ. seldgo).—Stem erect, with forked branches ; leaves in eight rows ; fructification axillary. This is among our most generally distributed Club-mosses, and is more frequent in this kingdom than any species except the common Club-moss. It often grows on the summits of lofty mountains, as on Snowdon, and on the “ dark brow of the mighty Helvellyn”; yet it is a common plant, too, on the heathy lands of lower districts. It is a moss of old repute among the Highlanders, Selago being the ancient name of some succulent plant, and derived, accord- ing to De Theis, from the Celtic sel, sight, and jach, salutary, because useful in complaints of the eyes. From the same root, sel, was formed Selma, the name of Fingal’s Hall, which corresponds to the modern name Bellevue. The plant is still used in the Highlands, where it is made into an irritating ointment, which is rubbed on the eyelids with good effect in some diseases of the eye, and an infusion of this Club-moss is considered by the High- landers a valuable medicine for several disorders; but it should be used with caution, for its properties are powerful, and too large a dose causes giddiness, and even convulsions, while it is sufficiently caustic to serve as a blister to the skin. It is also used in Skye and some other places, instead of alum, to fix the dye; and Linneus mentions that it is employed by the Swedes to destroy vermin. The Fir Club-moss is not difficult of recognition, even to the unpractised 166 MARSILEACEA# botanist. It usually grows, at first, in a much more erect position than any other native species, though, after a time, it becomes in some measure trailing. Its fructification, too, differs from that of the others, not being arranged in terminal catkin-like spikes, but being produced in the axils of the leaves along the upper branches of the stem. The stems are from three to six inches in height ; the plant attaining occasionally, in sheltered situations, a still greater size. One stem only issues from the root, and this is branched two or three times in a forked manner, till it forms a cluster, which is flat at the top, and has from six to ten alternate divisions. The branches are very tough and rigid, their thickly crowded leaves overlapping each other. These little lanceolate leaves are acute and glossy, smooth on the edges, very stiff, and of a rich green colour. The capsules of fructification are rather large, kidney-shaped, two-valved, and filled with pale yellow minute dust-like spores. The plant likewise forms buds, and seems chiefly propagated by their means. These curious little stalked buds consist of three or four egg-shaped leaves of different sizes, placed in the axils of the leaves, chiefly towards the summits of the branches. Order CIV. MARSILEACEA—PEPPERWORTS. These are flowerless plants, bearing capsules without a ring, either enclosed within the swollen base of the leaves, or rising from the rootstock of the plant, and containing macrospores and microspores attached to thread- like receptacles. 1. QuILLWoRT (Iso¢tes).—Capsules surrounded by the bases of the hollow leaves, containing two sorts of spores, some larger than the pollen-like dust which accompanies them. Name from isos, equal or alike, and ¢éfos, the year, because evergreen. 2. Prnuwort (Piluldria).—Capsules globular, 2—4-celled, each cell con- taining two different kinds of bodies. Name pilula, a little pill, which its fructification resembles. 1. QuILLWoRT (Jsoétes). 1. European Quillwort, or Merlin’s Grass (J. lacistris).—Leaves awl-shaped, bluntly four-sided, with four-jointed tubes. The Quillworts are _ aquatic plants, and our only native species of the genus is abundant at the bottom of lakes and ponds in some hilly districts. The plant renders such a spot very beautiful, as, when seen through the crystal waters, it looks like a meadow of the richest green hue, and, as it is perennial, it adorns them at all times of the year. It occurs in lakes, reservoirs of water, and on marshes and other inundated places in the north of England and Wales, and is frequent in some of the Scottish lakes. Mr. Knapp, remarking on the soil of the Highlands, says that a considerable portion of it is formed chiefly by the granite of rocks, the felspar, quartz, and mica having been disintegrated by the elements, and mingled with a little vegetable earth; and that the EUROPEAN QUILLWORT, Isoetes CREEPING PILL-WORT lacustris Pilularia Slobulifera PI Si, Dibba hs lan cd f aha ee poe " : vie RD ay PEPPERWORTS 167 roots of plants and the lower leaves are generally sprinkled with glittering specks of mica. “So general,” says this writer, “is the diffusion of this ‘micaceous earth through Scotland, that we have found the roots of Jsoétes lacistris, digged up from the bottom of Loch Lomond, partaking of this tribute from the mountains, though in an inferior degree to a truly alpine plant.” The Quillwort occurs in the marshy lands and waters of several parts of Europe, and seems more abundant in Sweden and Denmark than elsewhere. - In France the plant is called L’Jsote des étangs, and in Germany Der Brachsem- farrn. Mr. Gardner, when in Brazil, collected, from a marsh by the side of a river, specimens of a Quillwort which appeared to be identical with the British species, and adds: ‘‘The sight of this plant recalled pleasing recollec- tions of long-past times, and I could not refrain from indulging in a lengthened train of reflection, which ended by comparing it with myself— a stranger in a strange land, and associated with still stranger companions.” The Quillwort occurs also in the northern parts of North America. To those unacquainted with the plant, its long quill-like leaves would seem, when growing in the water, to be those of some kind of grass, which by its ready growth was quite filling up the pool. It abounds in some of the lakes of Denbighshire, and in those of Llanberis; and at Rydal and the other Westmoreland lakes, and in waters near Coxwold, in Yorkshire, as well as at Prestwich Carr in Northumberland, it has long been known and admired for the beauty and greenness which it gives to the still waters. It is found at an elevation of 2,000 feet in the Highlands. At the base of the long awl-shaped leaves of this singular plant is a roundish corm, which is brown and spongy on the outside, but is, within, white and firm. From these tubers descend a number of long, tubular, somewhat pellucid roots, which are sometimes forked at their extremities. Some botanists have eaten these tubers when young, and consider them to be perfectly innocuous, though having an earthy flavour. The leaves, which arise from the crown of the tuber, are of a somewhat olive-green colour, very brittle, and from four to seven inches long ; they are dilated at the base, and clasp around the inner leaves, and their margin is membranaceous. The upper part of the leaf is nearly round, and formed of four hollow tubes, separated from each other by the transverse partitions, which give to the - plant its jointed appearance. They taper at the upper part into a sharp point. It is within these broad bases of the leaves that the fructification lies concealed. The capsules are round and hard. Some of them contain roundish bodies, which finally separate into three triangular valves. The other set of capsules contains extremely minute pollen-like spores. There are two forms of this Quillwort found in our waters; one—the type—having leaves slender, erect, and densely tufted, the other (I. echinospora), having them thicker, shorter, paler, and more spreading ; but whether these are distinct species, or whether their variation is referable to some accidental circumstance in the conditions of their growth, seems uncertain. The Quillwort cannot always be easily gathered by botanists, though in some ponds fish root it up, and leave portions of it at the edge of the water. They are said to feed upon the plant. It is also most eagerly devoured by 168 MARSILEACEAA—PEPPERWORTS cattle when placed within their reach, and is believed to be very nutritious — food for them. 2. Porcupine Quillwort (J. hystriz).—Leaves thread-like, the tubes obscure, and the sheath quite enveloping the capsule. This is a much smaller plant than the common species, and instead of growing at the bottom of lakes, this is found on moist sandy soil that is subject to occasional inunda- tion. It gets its name from the fact that the corm is clothed with the horny prickly bases of the old leaves. The slender leaves are erect only for about two-thirds of their length, then they curve over outwardly. The macro- spores, which are white, are studded with blunt tubercles. So far the only locality recorded for this plant in the British Isles is in Guernsey, where it was found in 1860 by Mr. George Wolsey, to whom we are also indebted for the discovery of the lesser adder’s-tongue. It fruits in May and June. Also known as I. dwricz. 2. PILLWoRT (Pilularia) Creeping Pillwort or Pepper-grass (P. globulifera).—Leaves thread- like ; stem creeping; capsules slightly stalked, roundish, and hairy. This plant winds along the grass of wet meadows, or in the mud at the margins of lakes or pools, making little show on the moist lands when inundated with the winter’s rains, but lying during summer more or less exposed to view. It is, however, easily.overlooked, and was long unnoticed by several of our most eminent botanists, though it grew in abundance in the neighbourhood in which they resided. The Rev. W. T. Bree found it at Coleshill Pool, in Warwickshire, in so great plenty, that he says he has seen it covering the shore to a great extent; yet Mr. Purton remarked, some years since: ‘This must be the rarest of our indigenous plants, as it is not mentioned in the Cambridge, Oxford, or Bedford Floras; nor is it noticed as a Warwickshire plant in that accurate and laborious work, Dr. Withering’s ‘ Arrangement.’ ” It is now known to be not uncommon. It grows on the marshes near Pen- zance, in Cornwall; about Polwhele, Devonshire ; at Maiden Down, in Somersetshire ; near Warminster, in Wiltshire; on Esher Common, and at Roehampton, Surrey, and a large number of well-known localities—being distributed here and there over most parts of the kingdom. In Ireland it is found but rarely in the west and north-east. It is familiar to botanists throughout the greater part of Europe. In France it is La Pilulaire, in Germany Pillenfarrn, whilst it is the Pillenkruid of the Dutch. This plant is never found in deep water, but forms verdant masses on places occasionally overflowed. Its long entangled stem is hollow, and not larger than a stout thread ; and its younger portion is invested with small scale-like hairs. It is occasionally branched ; and issuing from it, at intervals of half an inch or more, are small tufts of slender roots, which descend into the soft soil. Three or four fibres are in each tuft, and immediately above each set of fibres rises, from the upper part of the stem, a tuft of from two to six thread-like leaves. These leaves are hollow, bristle-like, about two inches long, and bright green. They are divided into cells, and, when young, are rolled up like the leafy ferns: they unroll gradually, at first hanging down like a shepherd’s crook, but by degrees they become erect. EQUISETACEA—_HORSETAILS 169 The capsules containing the spores are placed on short stalks just at the base of the leaves, in the angle formed by the leaf and stem. They are about the size of a peppercorn, and closely covered with jointed hairs of a light-brown colour. They consist of four cells, and, when quite ripe, split open from the upper part into quarters, which still remain on the little stalk. The spores are placed along the centre of the valves, forming four rows ; and the lower part is occupied by granular bodies, and the upper by pollen-like powder. The larger grains are the macrospores, and the smaller microspores. The macrospore develops into a prothallus upon which arises an arche- gonium, which is fertilized by the contents of the microspore. Order CV. EQUISETACEZ:—HORSETAILS. These are leafless, flowerless, sometimes aquatic plants, with a hollow subterranean, creeping stem, and erect hollow fronds marked with lines, and sheathed at the bases of the joints. The fructification is produced in terminal spikes or catkins, either placed on the stem of the branched frond, or on a separate simple frond of earlier growth. HorseEtalL (Equisétum).—Stems jointed and tubular, fertile ones mostly unbranched and succulent ; barren stems with whorled branches ; fructifica- tion in a catkin. Name from equus, a horse, and seta, a hair, because some of the barren fronds resemble the tail of a horse. HORSETAIL (Equisetum). 1. Cornfield Horsetail (£. arvénse).—Barren stems, with few furrows, slightly rough; branches rough, with three or four simple angles; fertile stem unbranched, with few loose distant sheaths. This is by far the commonest of our native Horsetails, some of which are known to all who observe the plants which grow wild. These plants are commonly called Jointed Ferns, or Leafless Ferns, though they have not a very obyious affinity with the leafy species commonly recognised as ferns. hey are destitute of any green expansions ; they are jointed at regular intervals, the joints or knots being solid, and surrounded by membranaceous toothed sheaths, while the portions between the joints are hollow. Their branches are rigid and whorled, and the fructification placed in cone-like heads made of scales, to the lower face of which the spore-cases are attached in a row round the margin. The stem is chiefly composed of cellular matter, but towards the outer portion there is a layer of woody fibre. The cuticle, or thin skin, which covers the Horsetails, is in all the species regularly and beautifully coated with particles of flint, arranged in lines and other forms, often not the five hundredth part of an inch in diameter. These particles were discovered by Sir D. Brewster to lie, in the greater number of cases, in simple straight lines ; but others are grouped into oval forms like the beads of a necklace, and connected together by a minute chain of particles. The Horsetails are readily distinguished by their leafless stems and the Iv.—22 170 EQUISETACEA: hollow angular channelled branches, which are in most cases whorled around © them. The different species are not, however, always very readily discrimi- nated, several of these being very similar, and the structure of the sheaths around the joints, and the ridges on the surface of the stems, often form the chief features of their distinction. The Cornfield Horsetail is not, like most of the species, peculiar to marshy soils, but springs up everywhere, and is not only an annoyance to the farmer, who finds it difficult of eradication from his corn or pasture lands, but is also often a troublesome intruder into the garden. Most of us have amused ourselves in childhood by giving a sudden pull to the stem or branch, and thus separating it into small portions, leaving the sheath in which each portion was enveloped disclosed to view, and needing no microscope by which to discover its little sharp membranous teeth. This species has a long creeping root-stem, which is hollow, very much branched, and jointed like the stem which rises above the ground ; and it throws out at each joint a whorl of tough fibrous roots. It has two kinds of fronds, the one fertile, and without branches ; the other barren, and surrounded by the green whorls of rigid branches. The fertile stem rises above ground in March, and is matured by April or May, at which season the barren stems may often be seen, lately emerged from the earth, arrayed in the most delicate green colour, and very brittle. When the fertile stem has attained maturity, it is, when growing on soils suitable to it, about eight or ten inches high, but it is more frequently about half that height. It is hollow, succulent, pale brown, without furrows, and divided at intervals into joints; the length of the spaces between the joints is very variable, the joints at the lower part of the stem being usually closer together than at the upper. The sheaths are yellowish at the base, and have about ten dark-brown or black slender teeth, with very sharp points. The upper sheaths are longer than the lower ones, and the black teeth are often tipped with white, and have a clear white margin. The cone-like fructification is at the top of the stem, and is about an inch long, tapering upwards, terminating in a blunt point, and standing on a distinct foot-stalk about half its length. It is of a pale, or sometimes of a reddish-brown colour. The capsules are attached to round scales, and arranged in whorls around them. The number of scales varies, but they are not so numerous in this species as in some others. In May, when the catkin is matured, and sheds its numerous fine green spores, these, like the spores of other species, are, by the aid of the microscope, seen to be surrounded by delicate threads, which uncoil with such curious movements, that when looking at them we can scarcely persuade ourselves that the motion is purely mechanical, and is not the result of animal life. The oblong capsules, when ripe, open by two valves, and discharge their powder-like spores or seeds. The barren frond of this Equisetum is avery different-looking plant, and is handsomer than the fertile one. When first it rises, it seems merely a hollow pointed stem, for its branches are not then seen. It is, however, when fully grown, two or two and a half feet high, and has whorls of long, green, rigid, and four-angled branches, either half-way down, or throughout its whole length, and two or more fronds rising from the same part of the ] CORN HORSETATI 3 LOO SMOOTH NAKED Equisetum arvense e 2 ROUCH : E . hmosnum , 4 MARS I i. hyemale 3,2 be palustre Pl. 317, HORSETAILS 171 creeping stem. In shady situations, as when overtopped by the rising corn, these deep green branches become very long and scattered ; but in the drooping attitude which they assume, and in the close growth of ordinary specimens, they are thick enough to remind us of the tail cf a horse, and in some cases they are again branched. ‘The stem is slightly marked with from six to nineteen furrows, and both stem and branches are rough with the minute particles of flint with which they are coated. The sheaths also are furrowed, and their ribbed wedge-shaped teeth have often a white thin line round the margin. This rigid plant is a very unwelcome intruder on the pastureland, as cattle, except when pressed by hunger, leave it untouched, and when eaten it is said in some instances to have proved very injurious, though sheep and horses seem to eat it with impunity. It sometimes runs all over the land, and is most difficult of extirpation. It is equally common in other parts of Europe, as well asin Asia and North America. It is in France called Préle ; and this, or some very similar species, is the Kannenkraut of the Germans. The Dutch call some common Horsetail Akkeriy paardestaart ; and these plants are the Hquiseto of the Italians and Spaniards, while several of the species are commonly known in Cochin-China by the name of Mahoang, and are called Chwostch by the Russians. The Horsetails are found in every latitude except the high south, abounding in northern temperate regions and a few being found in sub-tropical parts of America and Asia, and at the Cape of Good Hope. Our native species were, by the old writers, termed Shave-grasses, and as this Corn Horsetail has much of the roughness given by the particles of flint, and as it is the most frequent species, it is probably the plant sold in Queen Elizabeth’s time by the “ Herbe-women of Chepeside,” under the names of Shave-grass and Pewter-wort, or. Vitraria, though it would doubtless have been considered inferior to the EF. hyemdle, which Gerarde calls “the small and naked Shave-grass, wherewith fletchers and combe-makers doe rub and polish their worke.” It was very serviceable in the kitchens of olden times, and was doubtless used for cleaning the wooden spoons and platters, the “breen” of our forefathers, as well as the “ garnish” of pewter. Although in early days the tables of the opulent were served with silver, yet in humbler households wooden articles were commonly used at the daily meals, until the fifteenth and sixteenth century, when pewter came into general use among the higher classes ; though not until the beginning of the eighteenth century were the articles made from it sufficiently cheap to admit of their - being seen at any save the rich man’s table. Harrison, referring to this in 1580, says that in some places “beyond the sea, a garnish of good flat pewter of an ordinarie making is esteemed almost so pretious as the like number of vessels that are made of silver, and in maner no less desired amongst the great Estates, whose workmen are nothing so skilful in that trade as ours ;” and the prices which he gives of the various articles prove their great costliness. The Shave-grasses served for cleaning either kind of ware ; and this Corn Horsetail is still used by the dairymaids in Yorkshire for cleansing wooden milk-pails; while the larger and less frequent plant, the Rough Horsetail, has long been known to our polishers of marble and 22—2 172 EQUISETACEZ other similar substances, and, under the name of Dutch Rush, has been imported in large quantities from Holland for their use. 2. Rough Horsetail, Shave-grass, Dutch Rush (£. hyemdle).— Stem erect, rough, strongly marked with lines, usually biennial or perennial ; sheaths short, pressed close to the stem; teeth falling off. This species has not, like the last, two distinct kinds of fronds, those which bear the catkins being, in all other respects, exactly like those which are barren. It has none of the whorled tail-like branches around the main stem, though now and then a single branch is produced from the base of one of its sheaths. Its roots are strong and black, and its creeping underground stem extends to a great distance, and is jointed and branched by the whorled fibrous roots. The main stem of the frond is usually erect, two or three feet high, hollow, tapering towards the summit, and marked with from eight to thirty-four ridges. These ridges render the stem so rough to the touch that they are like a file, and their crystals of flint display, under the microscope, the most exquisitely beautiful arrangement. They abound both in the inner and outer cuticle, and form a complete framework to the plant. By some chemical process, the silica may be wholly freed from the vegetable portion, and the entire form of the stem and branches of the Horsetails preserved in beautiful clear crystal ; and when the vegetable remains are washed after the process, they are found to be quite free from a single particle of flint. The sheaths of this species clasp the stem quite closely, and are marked, though less strongly, with the same number of ridges. Black membranous bristle-shaped teeth, equal also in number to the ridges, terminate the sheath, soon dis- appearing, and leaving its margin indented with roundish notches, though the teeth of the sheath just beneath the cone remain. The teeth, which are at first pale glaucous-green, become afterwards black; they are pale in the middle, and have a deep black ring both at the top and base of the sheath. The catkin of this plant is small, and of a dark colour, and usually ter- minates the deep green stem ; or, if placed at the side, is never at any great distance from its summit. The scales, which are from forty to fifty in number, are marked with two or three lines. This is not a common species, and is apparently very local in those coun- ties in which it occurs, while it is almost unknown in the midland and southern parts of England. It has been found in moist woods at Hawthorn- den, Durham; in the neighbourhood of Newcastle; in Cumberland and Westmoreland ; near Scarborough, in Yorkshire, and several other northern localities ; also in South Kent, and in several places in Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. It is common in many moist lands and woods in some continental countries, as in Germany and Switzerland. In Holland it grows in plenty, and attains great luxuriance on the numerous embankments and by the sides of canals; and the large quantity of the plant brought annually to the London market has led many botanists to think that its culture along our sandy coasts would be of value from a commercial point of view, and that at the same time it would form a firm soil at the margin of the waters. Mr. Francis, who observes that on such places it would grow rapidly and luxuri- antly, and would yield a considerable profit, adds: “The Dutch are well HORSETAILS 173 acquainted with the value of its long and matted roots in restraining the _ wasting effects of the ocean, which would soon undermine their dykes, were it not for the Hquisétum hyemdle which is planted upon them.” Either this, or some other species, was also highly commended for medicinal virtues, and the expressed juice put into the nostrils, and applied at the same time on the neck, was said to stop the bleeding of the nose. The fresh juice is also used externally as a remedy for wounds. There is a var. mooret with annual stems, the sheaths loose and their teeth blunt with white tips; this variety has been reported from Wicklow. 3. Water Horsetail, or Smooth Naked Horsetail (£. limdésum). —Stem erect, smooth, naked, or branched ; sheaths shut, closely pressed to the stem; teeth numerous. Many lovers of stream-sides, of the music of rippling waters, and the beauty of wild flowers, have seen this plant fringing the stream, and mingling with its forget-me-nots, willow herbs, and golden flag flowers. It is not infrequent, and is found occasionally in running streams, but is more often to be seen in pools and ditches, its stems standing up in the water or around it, sometimes a yard high. The stem of the Smooth Horsetail is marked with from ten to thirty distinct ribs, but they are not so raised as to render it harsh to the touch, and their flinty coat is thinner, and formed of more delicate particles than that of some other species. Some of the stems are quite without branches ; others have, about the middle, irregular whorls of branches; sometimes there is about half a whorl here and there ; in other cases there is a single branch; so that the plant exhibits the most irregular and scattered mode of branching ; but the branches are never long and spreading like those of the Corn Horsetail, nor are they ever rough. The presence of the catkin on the fertile stem forms the only difference between it and the barren one. ‘This is terminal on the main stem, or more frequently on some of the uppermost branches, and it is bluntly egg-shaped. The scales, which are more than a hundred in number, are black, and the capsules are pale coloured. The numerously- toothed sheaths are very short. This plant is so much less flinty in its nature than either of the other species, that it is better fitted for fodder for cattle in this country, though it does not seem to be relished by them while in a green state ; but Linnzus says, that in Sweden it is cut up for their food, and that the reindeer feed on it when dried, though they will not eat common hay. Mr. Knapp, who, in his “ Journal of a Naturalist,” remarks that it is a favourite food for the common water-rat, adds: “A large stagnant piece of water in an inland county, with which I was intimately acquainted, and which I very frequently visited for many years of my life, was one summer suddenly infested with an astonishing number of the short-tailed water-rat, none of which had pre- viously existed there. Its vegetation was the common products of such places, excepting that the larger portion of it was densely covered with its usual crop, the Smooth Horsetail. This constituted the food of these crea- tures, and the noise made by their champing it we could distinctly hear in the evening at many yards’ distance.” 4. Marsh Horsetail (Z. palistre).—Stem erect, with numerous branches, rough ; sheaths long and loose ; teeth long andfew. ‘This is a very 174 EQUISETACEAL common species, growing often in great abundance near standing water, and covering places where water has been drained, or growing among the wild flowers of the bog, and reminding us of Clare’s lines :— ‘* Here Horsetail round the water’s edge In bushy tufts is spread, With rush and cutting leaves of sedge That children learn to dread ; Its leaves like razors, mingling there, Oft make the youngster turn, Leaving his rushes in despair, A wounded hand to mourn.” The creeping underground stem of this species is nearly as large as the stem of the frond, black, and smooth, and has tufts of black fibres descending from it. The main stem of the frond is perfectly erect, about fifteen inches high, with five to twelve prominent ribs and deep furrows, rough to the touch, though less so than in some of the species, and whorled throughout, except at the base, with numerous branches. The joints are invested with nearly cylindrical sheaths, which, being much larger than the stem, loosely clasp it, some of the upper ones being nearly twice as large as the stem itself. The number of marginal teeth on the sheath is the same as that of the ribs on the stem. They are light-coloured, with black or light-brown tips, and membranous margins. The fertile and barren stems are alike, their branches — greatly varying in length in different circumstances. The cone of fructifica- tion is slender, about an inch long, and standing on a footstalk. The whorls of scales are, at an early period, crowded into a black mass, but after a while are quite separated, showing the white capsules attached to the margin. In June, when these catkins are fully ripened, they become of a- brown colour, and, after discharging the spores, wither away ; but the bright green whorls of rigid branches remain green till late in the autumn. There are some singular varieties of this plant, which, however, appear to be dependent on soil and situation, and not to become permanent. One form has been termed polystachya. Instead of the one cone usually placed, in the ordinary form of the Horsetail, on the central stem, several of the branches of the two upper whorls terminate in cones, which are usually darker coloured than the commoner cone, more compact in form, and appear later in the season. Another, and rarer variety, called alpina or subnudum, is very much smaller than the ordinary plant, scarcely more than three or four inches high, having the lower part of the stem prostrate, and the branches only about the base of its stem. It is apparently but a dwarfed condition of the plant, probably caused by want of nutriment, the result of growth on a soil less favourable to luxuriance, or of having been cropped by animals. 5. Wood Horsetail (£. sylvdticwm).—Stem erect, branches compound, bending downwards; sheaths loose; catkin blunt. ‘This pretty species differs so much from our other Horsetails, that it is readily distinguished even at a glance. Its pale green fronds are by far the most elegant and graceful of our native species. In wet sandy places in the north of this kingdom the plant is not infrequent, and it must be described rather as local than rare in this country. In Germany and Holland it is very common ; it HORSETAILS 175 grows, too, in Prussia and Switzerland, as well as in North America and Northern Asia. It is found at a greater altitude than any other species. It is plentiful in the Highlands of Scotland and in the north of Ireland, and also in several parts of Yorkshire and other northern counties ; and is found occasionally in some southern localities, as on Apse Heath, Isle of Wight, and at times in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Devonshire, and other counties. Mr. Newman mentions that it grows in the Hampstead and Highgate woods. and says that it is remarkable that it was seen there as long since as the time of Lobel. He adds: “In Scotland I observed it growing with peculiar luxuriance in the vicinity of Loch Tyne, in a little fir-wood on a hill-side. The fructification had entirely disappeared, and each stem had attained its full development, and every pendulous branch its full length and elegance. Altogether I could have fancied it a magic scene, created by the fairies for their especial use and pleasure. It was a forest in miniature, and a forest of surpassing beauty. It is impossible to give an idea of such a scene, either by language or illustration.” Sir William Hooker likened such a group to a miniature grove of larches. The brown creeping stem of the Wood Horsetail is branched, and is tufted with fibrous roots. This plant has two kinds of fronds; they have both erect stems; and both, when fully grown, are surrounded by compound branches, though these are fewer on the fertile than on the barren stem. The fertile stems are at first quite without branches, but these soon develop them- selves, and are generally from six to eight number. The stem is from half a foot to two feet in height, of.a dull faded-looking green colour, succulent, and having from ten to eighteen slender ridges, with corresponding furrows. It is not so rough nor so firm as in most of the species, on account of the extreme minuteness of the flinty particles in the cuticle. The margins of the sheaths are cut into three or four lobes, and the sheaths are large and loose ; the lower half are pale green, and the lobes of a bright brown colour, and they are marked with the same number of ribs as the stem. The whorled branches are slender, about two inches long, curving downwards; and a marked feature of this species is, that these branches have other branches growing at their joints. These secondary branches are from half an inch to an inch long. The cone, which is matured in April, is long, somewhat taper- ing, and of a pale brown colour, standing on a slender stalk longer than itself. The scales are more than eighty in number, and when ripened disperse a great number of pale greenish-coloured spores. The cone dies away long before the stem or branches have begun to wither, but it is rarely seen, for this species does not often bear fruit. . The barren stems, which are of a much less succulent nature than the fertile ones, are taller and more slender, and bear more branches; their sheaths, too, though similar, are smaller, and fit the stem more closely, and their ribs are more strongly marked. The compound branches are often crowded on the stem, the side branches being about four inches long, and bearing at every joint a whorl of branches about half that length. Some- times these are again branched, and drooping down in whorl beyond whorl, the frond becomes exceedingly elegant, narrowing upwards to a slender point, which droops too with the weight of lengthening branchlets. The terminal 176 EQUISETACEA branches are three-ribbed, and somewhat triangular in form, and each joint. is terminated by three long pointed teeth of the same colour as itself.’ 6. Shade Horsetail, or Blunt-topped Horsetail (Z. wmbréswm).— Barren stem very rough, particularly above, branches simple ; fertile stem either unbranched, or with simple branches and larger sheaths. This species has not hitherto been found in many places in this kingdom, though it occurs in marshes in some parts of Yorkshire, and about the Westmoreland Lakes ; at Wynch Bridge, Teeside, Durham ; near Warkworth, in Northumberland ; near Mere Clough, Manchester ; as well as in several Scottish habitats; and in the mountain glens of Antrim, in Ireland. It was first discovered in the latter locality by Mr. T. Drummond, and hence this plant was formerly termed EL. drummondii, but it has since been ascertained to be the species called, by Willdenow, E. wmbrésum, and by Ehrhart, E. pratense. This species has three kinds of stem: one bearing fructification only, a second bearing both fruit and branches, and a third with branches only. The fertile stems are rigid, about six inches high, of a pale sea-green hue, and with large, loose, and remarkably white sheaths, having a brown rim at the base of the teeth. These are long, narrow, and sharp, and are pale brown with white edges. The oval catkin, composed of forty or fifty scales, is at the top of the stem, and of a light brown colour ; at first seated on the topmost sheath, but shortly rising on a footstalk. It is matured in April. The branched fertile stems have sheaths midway in size between those of the two other kinds of fronds. Whorls of branches are produced at the uppermost joints. The cone, which is terminal on the stem, is smaller than in the ordinary form of the fertile trond, while the number of branches is fewer than in the barren stem. The barren stem is erect, and from eighteen to twenty inches in height ; it is very rough, and has about twenty sharp ridges. A few joints at the base are without branches, the joints on the higher part of the stem produc- ing whorls of from ten to sixteen drooping branches, which gradually spread so as to form larger circles. The sheaths are smaller than those of the fertile stem, clasping it more tightly, and have teeth similar in colour, but shorter, fewer, and less prickly. The slender branches are about four inches long, 3- or 4-ribbed, and their loose sheaths terminate in three or four short, sharply- pointed teeth, tipped with pale brown. 7. Great Horsetail, Great Water Horsetail, or Great Mud Horsetail (£. telmatéia).—Barren stems erect, with thirty to forty branches in each whorl ; fertile stems with loose sheaths. This is the largest of our British Horsetails. It is a very graceful plant, and when growing in any quantity, it might remind one of those pictures of oriental palm-groves familiar to all readers of Eastern travel. It is the barren stem of this Horsetail which is so handsome, growing erect to a height of six or seven feet, decked from its summit nearly to its base with spreading whorls of delicate green branches; and few would see a luxuriant specimen on the stream-side without admiring its grace. On the stouter part of this tall stem the whorls consist of from thirty to forty branches, which are again branched. The whorls on the upper part are very numerous, and the branches six or eight inches long; but towards the base the whorls are more distant, and GREAT WATER -HORSETAIL , Ine 1 VARIEGATED ROU E,. yaisetum telmateja GH ii varieSatum ; ; HORSETAILS 177 the branches shorter. The stems, which are pale green, are at their thickest _ part of the size of a stout walking-stick, gradually tapering upwards, and becoming very slender at the top. Their smooth surface is delicately marked with from twenty to forty lines, which, running on into the sheaths, become there more distinct. The sheaths are about half an inch long, the lower part green, the upper encircled by a dark brown ring, and they fit the stem closely. The teeth are slender, dark brown with white edges, and often growing in twos or threes together. The branches have frequently at their second joints from two to five secondary branches; and their sheaths terminate in four or five teeth, each of which extends into a slender black bristle with two toothed ribs, a character which is very useful in determining the species. The fertile stems of this species are much shorter than the barren ones, rarely exceeding a foot in height. They are succulent, reddish-white, smooth, and unbranched, with large, loose, funnel-shaped sheaths, the lower ones smaller than the upper. These sheaths, which are pale green at the lower, and dark brown at the higher part, are distinctly marked with lines, and have from thirty to forty long slender teeth. The catkins are two or three inches long, and have an immense number of scales arranged in whorls around them, the lower scales forming distinct rings. This is not an uncommon though a somewhat local plant; and notwith- standing its name of Water Horsetail, it grows quite as often, or more so, on sandy or clayey moist soils, as on the borders of rivers or ponds, and in bogs, nor is it frequently, if ever, to be seen growing in the water. Its under- ground stem creeps far in the moist earth, where its black wiry roots increase rapidly, and are very abundant. When this Horsetail grows in large masses, as it sometimes does in the neighbourhood of London, a third kind of stem is occasionally to be found in August, smaller and shorter than the ordinary stem, its sheaths less spreading, and its cone smaller. This is a dwarfed form of the plant, owing to the spot on which it occurs being not sufficiently moist for its luxuriant growth. This is also known as EZ. maximum. 8. Variegated Rough Horsetail (Z. variegdtum).—Stems trailing or erect; sheaths black at the top; teeth few, white, not falling off. This is one of the plants of the sea-shore, and one which, if it occurs in any quantity, proves valuable in binding down the loose sands. Its underground stem creeps for a long way just beneath the surface of the soil, and its root is formed of numerous whorls-of fibres. It sometimes grows inland, on the banks of lakes, rivers, and in ditches, and under such circumstances becomes more luxuriant than on the sea-sands. In this species the fertile and barren stems are alike; they are scarcely if at all branched, except at the base, but they have numerous branches just at the surface of the soil, or on the underground stem just below it. Occa- sionally the erect stems have a branch, very similar to the stem itself, arising from a joint here and there. The stems, which are about a foot high, are grooved, having from four to fourteen strong ridges. The sheaths, which are ribbed like the stems, are green below and black above, and their margins are fringed with black teeth of the same number as the ridges on the stem. These teeth have thin white edges and bristle-points. Iv.—23 178 EQUISETACE—HORSETAILS The catkins are borne at the summit of some of these stems, and are small, black, and pointed, sometimes seated on the uppermost sheath, some- times elevated on a short footstalk ; they have very few scales. One variety of this plant is by some writers considered a distinct species, and is called #. arendrium. It is small, slender, and trailing, and the stem has about six furrows. The £. wilsini of some writers appears to be but another form of EF. variegdtum ; it is much stouter, taller, and more erect in habit, being sometimes three feet high. The stems are usually without branches, but are sometimes slightly branched. They have about ten ridges, but are not very rough. The sheaths, which are scarcely larger than the stem, are green, with a black rim at the margin. The teeth are short and blunt, black, and edged with white, and the cone is small, black, and pointed. The £. variegdtum is abundant on sand hills, on parts of the Cheshire coast, at Wardrew in Northumberland, and elsewhere. It is found chiefly in the north, and several localities in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland are recorded as places of its growth. 9. Mackay’s Rough Horsetail, or Long-stemmed Horsetail (L. mackaii).—Stem simple, or very slightly branched, rough; sheaths close ; teeth slender, not falling off. This plant, which occurs in moist woods and mountain glens in Scotland, and in the north-east of Ireland, is a slender and almost unbranched species, the fertile and barren fronds being alike, save that the former bears a cone. The stems of the fronds arise from a branched rhizome, and are erect, and from two to four feet high. When they happen to be branched the branches are few, and are chiefly on the lower part of one or two of the side stems. The stem is deeply furrowed, having a double row of raised-points along the edges, and the furrows vary from eight to fourteen in number. The sheaths, which clasp the stems very closely, are, like them, marked with lines, and terminate with the same number of teeth. These are very narrow, awl-shaped, black, with thin white margins, ultimately entirely white. The black oblong catkin has a little point at the top, and its scales are about thirty in number. This plant was first discovered in 1833 by two botanists, Dr. Mackay and Mr. Whitla, in Colin Glen, near Belfast. It has since been found in the Den of Airly, in Forfarshire ; and on the banks of the Dee, in Aberdeen- shire ; as well as at Calton Glen, in Antrim; and Ballyharrigan Glen, Londonderry. It is the E. trachyodon of Braun, and is regarded by Sir J. D. Hooker as merely a variety of E. variegatum. THE END. L INDEX TO ORDERS AND GENERA 23—2 I. INDEX TO ORDERS AND GENERA. ACER. = Aceras ACERINEX ‘ Achillea . ; Aconitum : Acorus ACOTYLEDONES Actea . Actinocarpus Adiantum Adonis Adoxa Aigopodium A&thusa . Agrimonia Agrostemma . Agrostis . Aira Ajuga . : Alchemilla . Alisma . 3 ALISMACEX Allium Allosorus - Alnus Alopecurus Althea . AMARANTHACE Amaranthus . AMARYLLIDEX AMENTACER . Ammophila . Anacharis 5 Anagallis . Anchusa é Andromeda Anemone Angelica Antennaria Anthemis Anthoxanthum Anthriscus Anthyllis - Antirrhinum . Apargia . Apium APOCYNEZ . Aquilegia Arabis ARALIACE Arbutus . Arctium. ; Arctostaphylos Arenaria Aristolochia ARISTOLOCHIE Armeria . AROIDEE Arrhenatherum Artemisia Arthrolobium Arum Asarum . 2 Asparagus . Asperugo . Asperula Asplenium Aster a Astragalus. Athyrium Atriplex . . Atropa Avena ‘ Azalea . . Ballota . ‘j BALSAMINEE . Barbarea Bartsia . Bellis BERBERIDEZ . Berberis . A Beta Betonica 182 Betula Bidens Blechnum Blysmus BorRAGINE Borago . Borkhausia Botrychium Brachypodium Brassica Briza Bromus . Bryonia . Buffonia Bunium . Bupleurum BurTroMacEx Butomus Buxus Cakile Calamagrostis Calamintha Callitriche Calluna . Caltha CALYCIFLORZ . Calystegia Camelina Campanula CAMPANULACEZ: CAPRIFOLIACE Capsella. Cardamine Carduus Carex Carlina . Carpinus Carum P CARYOPHYLLEZ Castanea Catabrosa Caucalis. CELASTRINEZ . Centaurea Centranthus Centunculus . Cerastium CERATOPHYLLEX Yeratophyllum Ceterach , Cherophyllum Cheiranthus . Chelidonium . CHENOPODIACER Chenopodium Cherleria Chlora Vol. Page lii, 144 li. 161 iv. 142 Thee Mate: ie 252 i, - 265 li. 136 iv. 256 iv. 94 i. 69 iv. 80 rh atols: ible ad t(S) 1. 128 1) O18) ie Oe iv. 10 ive, lO his 13" 1 ees L133 iv. 67 ii ON, li. 9 Tee ee D0) i: 6 Thy Alife hep Re li. 197 rhe IS) li. 95 i) 4D tea OG li. 148 vie eto me 156 lil. 193 ie 49 ree AKGLG, iii. 180 lv. 69 li. 78 1s, 6S He SDT uu, ri4 ii. 7S i ea 2b it, lO i tO iv. 139 ii.. 74 i. 66 Tee coS iii, 88 iii. 90 if) ROS ii. 2438 INDEX TO ORDERS AND GENERA Chrysanthemum Chrysosplenium Cicendia Cichorium Cicuta Circa CISTINEZ: Cladium Claytonia Clematis Cnicus -. Cochlearia Colchicum Comarum ComposItTa CONIFER Conium . Convallaria CONVOLVULACE® Convolvulus . Corallorhiza . Coriandrum CoRNEE Cornus CoROLLIFLORZ: Coronopus Corrigiola Corydalis Corylus . Cotoneaster Cotyledon Crambe . CRASSULACE Cratezgus Crepis Crithmum Crocus CRUCIFERAE CUCURBITACE® Cuscuta . Cyclamen Cynodon Cynoglossum . Cynosurus GYPERACE Cyperus. Cypripedium . Cystopteris Dactylis . Daphne . Datura . Daucus . Delphinium Dentaria Dianthus DiIcoTYLEDONES Digitalis INDEX TO ORDERS AND GENERA Digitaria DioscorE® Diotis DIpsAcExz Dipsacus Doronicum Draba Drosera . DROSERACEE . Dryas Echinophora . Echium . Elatine . ELATINEE HWLEAGNACEZ . Eleocharis Elymus. EMPETREX Empetrum Epilobium Epimedium Epipactis Epipogium EQUISETACEZ . Equisetum Eranthis Erica E:RICACEX Erigeron ERIOCAULEZ . Eriocaulon Eriophorum . Erodiuim Eryngium Erysimum . ‘ Erythrea Euonymus . . Eupatorium .: Euphorbia EUPHORBIACEX Euphrasia Fagus Fedia ‘ Festuea . ; s Filago . ; : FILIcEs . ; ‘ Foeniculum Fragaria Frankenia FRANKENIACEE Fraxinus Fritillaria Fumaria _ FumaRIACEZ . Vol. IV. 1. Page 99 236 163 117 118 180 50 88 88 221 G. Gagea . Galanthus . Galeobdolon . Galeopsis Galinsoga Galium . Gastridium Genista . Gentiana GENTIANEX GERANIACEE . Geranium Geum . Gladiolus Glaucium Glaux GLUMACEX o ta Ce” eo) 8 Veh Sen ele 8) ay ee) 2 Oh) 8 eee 33 Gnaphalium . Goodyera GRAMINEE ” - GROSSULARIEX Gymnadenia . Habenaria HaLoraGEx Hedera . Helhanthemum Helleborus Helminthia Helosciadium Heracleum Herminiuia Herniaria Hesperis Hieracium Hierochloe Hippocrepis Hippophaé Hippuris Holeus . Holosteum Honckenya Hordeum Hottonia Humulus Hutchinsia HyDROCHARIDACEE Hydrocharis . Hydrocotyle . HYMENOPHYLLACEX Hymenophyllum Hyoscyamus . HYPERICINEX Hypericum Hypocheris . Vol. 183 Page 254 235 49 47 162 106 66 176 238 238 154 155 223 229 184 INDEX TO ORDERS AND GENERA Iberis Ilex ILICINEE ILLECEBRACEX Tlecebrum Impatiens Inula IRIDEX . Tris Isatis Isnardia : Isoetes . ‘ - Isolepis . , Jasione . Juncace J UNCAGINACE® Juncus . Juniperus K. Knappia Knautia Kobresia Koeleria : Koniga . . Labial 4 Lactuca . Lagurus. Lamium Lapsana Lastrea . Lathrea Lathyrus Lavatera Leersia . LEGUMINOS# . Lemna . LEMNACE LENTIBULARLA Leontodon Leonurus Lepidium Lepturus Leucojum Ligusticum Ligustrum . . LIniace® Limosella Linaria . : LINE . * ‘ Linnea . Vol. Page 48 226 226 18 | 19 161 ’Marrubium | Museari . Linosyris - 4 “ Linum Liparis . Listera . Lithospermum Littorella Lloydia . Lobelia . LOBELIACES . Lolium . Lonicera LORANTHEE Lotus Luzula . Lychnis . LyYCOPODIACEX Lycopodium . Lycopsis Lycopus : 5 Lysimachia . : : LYTHRARIZ . - - Lythrum : : ° M. Maianthemum Malaxis . Malva MALVACE MARSILIACE® Matricaria Matthiola Meconopsis Medicago Melampyrum MELANTHACE® Melica Melilotus Melittis . Mentha . Menyanthes . Menziesia Mercurialis Mertensia - Mespilus : . Meum . : : Milium . : é Mimulus Mecenchia Molinia . Moneses Monochlamydes MonocoryLEDONES Monotropa MOoNoOTROPER Montia . : . Mulgedium Vol. Page ii. 168 i, 1360 ii. “re iii. 214 li. 256 11. 80 rhe etsy: li. 206 ii. 206 iv. 95 ii. 101 li. 90 pit )35 iv. 8 1. nt iv. 1598 iv. 159 li. 263 i. eo in, "74 ii. 10 li, ol iii. 243 ins Qik i,” 138 i. 133 iil. | Joe iv. 66 ii. 189 i, 767, ijiwel is AIS lit, pls ii. @2on iv.) ail i. 182 iti. 59 ili, de li. 243 li. 218 iii. 118 li. 2bF i. (262 ii. 60 iv. 65 iii, . 24 i. ai iva li. 226 1 ‘L i. Ti lii. 205 ii. 295 ii, 228 i. ee ii. 183 iii. 247 Myosotis = Myosurus Myrica . : Myriophyllum Myrrhis . NAIADACEX Naias Narcissus Nardus . Narthecium Nasturtium Neottia . Nepeta . Nuphar . Nymphea NYMPH ACE C£nanthe F (#nothera OLEACE ONAGRARIE Onobrychis Ononis Onopordum OPHIOGLOSSACE Ophioglossum Ophrys . ORcHIDEX Orchis Origanum Ornithogalum Ornithopus . OROBANCHE . Orobanche Orobus . ORONTIACEX .: Osmunda OSMUNDACES . OXALIDEX Oxalis Oxyria : Oxytropis . Peonia . PANICACE Panicum Papaver PAPAVERACEE Parietaria Paris Parnassia ‘ Pastinaca : INDEX TO ORDERS AND GENERA Vol. li. i. iii. ii. ii. Page 258 19 148 8 75 233 215 Pedicularis Peplis Petasites Petroselinum . Peucedanum . Phalaris Phleum Phragmites Physospermum Phyteuma Pieris Pilularia Pimpinella Pinguicula . < Pinus) 3 2 : PLANTAGINE Plantago PLUMBAGINE: Poa POACER . POLEMONIACE® Polemonium . Polycarpon Polygala POLYGALE® Polygonatum . POLYGONEX Polygonum POLYPODIACE® Polypodium Polypogon Polystichum . Populus . PORTULACES.. Potamogeton . Potentilla Poterium Primula. PRIMULACES . Prunella. Prunus . Pteris Pulicaria Pulmonaria Pyrola Pyrus Quercus, R. Radiola . RANUNCULACE Ranunculus Raphanus Reseda RESEDACEX Vol. A apeitlts iii. i a ie eee CF dk Ie lv. —24 185 Page 15 12 172 46 63 62 64 90 71 205 129 168 51 63 195 83 83 79 74 55 245 245 20 95 94 243 99 100 109 109 66 126 170 Aa 24 225 242 67 66 59 212 143 183 255 223 252 184 186 RHAMNEX Rhamuus Rhinanthus Rhynchospora Ribes ; Rosa RosAacEx Rubia RUBIACEX Rubus Rumex . Ruppia . Ruseus . Sagina Sagittaria Salicornia Salix ser Salsola . Salvia Sambucus Samolus Sanguisorba . Sanicula SANTALACER . Saponaria Sarothamnus . Saussurea Saxifraga SAXIFRAGEZA . Scabiosa. Scandix . Scheuchzeria . Schcenus Scilla Scirpus . ScLERANTHEX Scleranthus Scolopendrium Serophularia . SCROPHULARINEX . Scutellaria Sedum Sempervivum Senecio . Serratula Seseli Sesleria . Setaria . Sherardia Sibbaldia Sibthorpia Silaus Silene Simethis Sinapis . Sison : Sisymbrium Vol. a. ie Page 170 171 INDEX TO ORDERS AND GENERA Sisyrinchiwn . Sium Smyrnium Solanum SOLANEX Solidago Sonchus. Sparganium . Spartina Spergula Spirea . Stachys . Staphylea Statice Stellaria. Stipa Stratiotes Sueda Subularia Symphytum . TAMARISCINEX Tamarix Tamus . Tanacetum Taxus Teesdalia | Teucrium THALAMIFLOR.E Thalictrum Thesium Thlaspi . Thrincia THYMELEX Thymus. Tilia TILIACE2E Tillea Tofieldia Tordylium Torilis Tragopogon Trichomanes . Trichonema . Trientalis Trifolium Triglochin Trigonella TRILLIACEX . Trinia Triodia . Triticum Trollius . Tulipa Turritis . Tussilago Typha TyPHACE.E Vol. Ulex ULMACER Ulmus UMBELLIFERZ Urtica URTICACEE Utricularia VACCINIE Vaccinium Valeriana VALERIANEE . Verbascum Verbena. VERBENACEE . Veronica Viburnum INDEX TO ORDERS AND GENERA Vol. Page | U. Vicia ee Villarsia iii, 135 | Vinea iii, 136 | Viola ii, 37 | Viouackm iii. 127 | Viscum . owe 8- ews iii. 126 lll. 64 Ww. Wolffia . g ’ V. Woodsia ‘ - - ni. 207 A A li. 208 X c - Ta) Li: ’ ‘ : ii. 113 | Xanthium . . . lil 95 = lll 61 Z, 111 60 ili. 2 | Zannichellia . ii. 99 | Zostera . 24— Vol. Fee pete pete =e Caen Teen Wear ee Pky} iv. iv. ii. iv. iv. . bk 187 Page 197 244 235: 82 82 90: 23 116 196 29 29 Aik ; prey. n aS i f a Ane th ey ayy ate Il. GENERAL INDEX t rd Pee II. ABELE ; Aconite, Winter Acorn, old uses of . dearth of, calamity Acotyledons a ational Ndder’ s- Teak : Adder’s-tongue, Common Lesser : Agrimony Hemp old aia repute of Alchemilla, old medical uses of Alder glutinous ‘nature of. medical uses of economic uses of Alderkars of our ancestors Alexanders use of, as a pother b Alkanet, Common Evergreen economic uses of Allseed . Alpine Fern, Rough plants, remarks on . lines alluding to, Coleridge Alyssum, Sweet Amaranth : household Ta8e8 Of Anacharis, introduction of, into our rivers wonderful increase of eaten by waterfowl by Andromeda used in tanning used in intoxicating liquors. Anemone, Blue Moanin Wood . Yellow Wood ., GENERAL INDEX. Angelica. uses of : Apple, use of sour juice . early culture by monks Drayton’s account of medical and household uses : Arbutus . Archangel, Wild Yellow Arctic Bramble Aromatic principle, on the nature of . Arrow-grass, Mud . Sea. Arrowhead : nutritious tubers ae Arum, Common Roman Asarabacea Ash remarks superstitions respecting . roots serve to drain moist lands . Asparagus spots where found wild use of, among the ancients culture of, in old Eng- lish gardens. Aspen , : trembling of, to by poets . old tradition ing wood of. : old use of, by patten- makers . Asphodel, Bog Scottish . : Avens, Common, associated with old paintings and architecture . ; Mountain, silken plumes of. ; referred a . Page 61 62 255 256 256 258 220 238 45 192 Avens, Water clove-like scent of root of: medical uses of Awlwort, Water Axil ; ; Azaleas, Trailing ‘ ° B. Bald-money . Balm, Bastard Balsam . curious seed- vessel . Baneberry poisonous nature Barberry irritability of stamens of . medical uses of uses in dyeing and tan- mpeg % Mildew, supposed ‘effect on corn Barley, Meadow Seaside Wall Wood Barren wort elasticity of anthers Bartsia, Alpine Red Yellow disliked by cattle root-parasite Basil, or Basil-thyme Wild : : Bastard Balm Stone-Parsley . Toad-fiax, Erect 3 Lint-leaved Beaked-Parsley, Common Garden : ; Wild Beak-rush, Brown’. White Beam, White. Bean, ancient opinions of Bear-berry, Black . Red : ; fruits eaten Beard-grass, Annual Perennial Bed-straw, Cross- leaved Cross-wort Great Hedge . Least Mountain Rough-fruited . Rough Marsh . Smooth-fruited Smooth Heath Upright . il. i L i, i i GENERAL INDEX Vol. Bed-straw, Wall . Warty-fruited . White Water . Yellow good dye of used as medicine for epi- lepsy origin of name of Beech : several interesting trees of whether the Fagus of the Romans various uses of fais uses of wood uses of leaves . Beech Fern Beet, Sea use of, as an edible vege- table Bell - flower, Clustered, alii local name of : Corn Creeping . Giant Ivy-leaved . Nettle-leaved . Peach-leaved . Rampion ; Round-leaved, the Hare- e- bell of poets Spreading lines on, by ‘R. Nicols and Walter Scott structure of corolla of Bent-grass, Bristle-leaved Brown Dense- Rowand Fine ‘ Fiorin Marsh Spreading Silky Betony, Wood 2 : medical properties of old proverbs respecting . Bilberry . d = Great ; Bindweed, Field . Great Hooded Seaside medical and economic uses of : Birch, Common Dyin F allusion of poets to. medical repute of old usages with boughs of various uses of bark of Bird-cherry Bird's-eye Primrose Lird’s-foot Bird’s-foot Trefoil, ssi Common. Greater Slender Bird’s-nest, Common Yellow : not parasitic . - Birthwort : Bishop’s-weed Bistort, Common . Viviparous medical and economic uses of used as food Bitter-cress, Hairy Large-flowered Narrow-leaved irritable seed-pods . Bitter-sweet . Bitter Vetch, Black Tuberous Blackberry, various old uses of ‘ : lines on, by Elliott . : Blackthorn, early bloom al- luded to by Graham leaves substituted for tea fruits used in adulterating wine astringent nature of ‘fruits of juice used for marking ink Bladder-Campion . : remarkable fungi on Bladder-fern, Alpine Brittle . Laciniated A Mountain ° Bladder-nut . - Bladderseed, Cornish “ Bladderwort, ‘Greater . Intermediate ; Lesser ‘ singular structure of Blinks ; Blite, Annual Bea 3 Shrubby Sea . Blue-bell : ‘ ¥ Blue-bottle eg Blue-eyed Grass ‘ Blysmus, Broad-leaved . Narrow-leaved Bog-Asphodel not eaten by sheep . old uses of Bog Myrtle Bog Orchis singular leaves of Bog-rush, Black tubercles or GENERAL INDEX Vol. Page iz, 194 1, 1B? i. 103 ie 194 Ta. D4: Tie fie 225 Mien Le i. 49 iii. 100 iii. 101 ii. 100 Tee OU i De i 56 ie) iG 1 pkmeests. ie eee: i 206 i. 2O5 ToD They Sia rh, @ Pale i ole a 214 woeats i os: i, 108 1 108 iv. 129 iv. 128 iv. 129 iv. 136 i, 169 tise lit. (64 ii 6D iin =6o iit) iGo fie a lS lil. 97 ie. (OF ili. 250 li. 159 lii. 230 V2.4 oo ive. “roo iv.. LO iver LO iver. 10 lii. 143 rte ad ie ie OTT: ive" it Borage . highly prized i in old times Borkhausia, Bristly Smaller Rough Stinking . Box value of wood of . Bracken : 2 - Bracts = 2 - Brake, Common . = Roek Bramble, Arctic Buckthorn-leaved A Common 5 3 ° Glandular Hard-leaved Hornbeam-leaved Stone : Strawberry- leaved . Upright . uses of twigs ; lines on, by Elliott . Bristle Fern . 3 : Bristle-grass, Glaucous . Green : Rough a Brome-grass, Barren . Corn : ; False : : : Great ss Hairy Smooth . Smooth Rye Soft ; Spreading : Taper Field . ° Tumid Field Upright . Upright Annual Brooklime Brookweed Broom economical uses OE. medical uses of originated the name oF Plantagenet . Broom-rape, Branched . Clove-scented . Greater . ; Ivy : Lesser 5 Pieris . : ; Purple . . . Red z ‘ A Sand Tall . : : culture of, in botanic gardens parasitic nature of . sweet odour of Red. LV. 2: lv. See ee ee Cis Taal We hae ORC at Faw pak Page oa pase aliess as nti cian ae as pa ven ad ds4dse443 9 ee egqgqga iv. 5 276 194 Bryony, Red-berried medical uses of poisonous nature of Bryony, Black beauty of, in various seasons old and modern iediaal uses of : poisonous properties of Buck-bean . ‘ Flower of Liber by medical and economical uses of. Buckler-fern, Broad Crested Heath Marsh Rigid Buckthorn, Alder : : ig Common Sea Buckwheat. Climbing Common Copse . early culture of various uses of Buffonia. Bugle, Common Pyramidal Yellow Bugloss, Common Viper’ s Purple Viper’s Small Bullace . Bulrush, Goan: Glaucous. Burdock , adhesive burs . Bur Marigold, Nodding Trifid singular str ucture of fruits of Burnet fondness of cattle for Burnet Saxifrage, Common Greater . ; use of, as cosmetic . Bur Parsley, Great Small Bur-reed Branched Floating . Unbranched used to dye hair yellow Butcher’s-broom peculiar appearance of flowers : various names of Butter-bur . thought to cure the plague a ii. ii. Page 16 17 16 236 236 16 196 241 241 241 172 173 | GENERAL INDEX Vol. Buttercup, Chervil-leaved Creeping . Pale Hairy é Buttercups, acridity of . Butterwort, Alpine Common Large Pale C. Cabbage, Isle-of-Man Sea - Calamint, Common Lesser Wood . household uses one Calyx . , Cancin, Bladder . Moss P Red Sea. Stemless . White Canary-grass, Common . Reed Candy-tuft antiscorbutic of Properties - Canker-rose, allusion io by Shakspere Caraway, Common Tuberous Whorled . valued in old times . Cardamine, the lady-smock of Shakspere use of, as salad Carline-Thistle : medical properties of use of, as hygrometer Carpenter’s Herb . : Carrot Seaside , leaves worn instead of feathers referred to by Dray ton Catch-fly, Common Corn : English . : ae insect trap Italian Lobel’s 2 Night-flowering Nottingham Red Alpine Red German Sea. Spanish . ; Cat’s-ear, Long-rooted Fee pte pete pete pete pete ble Pete fete bate pete Pete pete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cat’s-ear, Smooth . Spotted Cat- Mint fondness of cats for medical properties of old notion respecting the root of. : Cat’s-tail é Cat’s-tail Grass, Alpine j Common . 3 Michel’s : Purple-stalked Rough Seaside : Celandine, Large, poisonous juice of : old notion of use of, by swallows Lesser . rejected by cattle uses of leaves . Celery, Wild . ‘ noxious when growing near water . : Centaury, Broad-leaved . Common. : Dwarf-branched Dwarf-tufted . medical properties of Ceterach, Common Chaffweed, Small . Chamomile, Common Corn Ox-eye Sea. Stinking . : medical properties of formerly prized for its odour . ? Charlock Jointed + Chequers Cherry, Morello Wild various uses of fruits of . first planted in our orchards quotations from old English poets on . annual feast of, at Ham- burg Chervil . Broad-leaved . Rough Tawny- fruited F é Chestnut, Spanish or Sweet . use of fruits of, in various countries names of places derived from , GENERAL INDEX vol. Page ! 130 130 54 54 54 54 15 64 64 65 65 65 65 Chickweed, Common a cosmopolite . Field Jagged Water Wintergreen Chicory Cicely ; old uses in cooking and medicine ‘ Cinquefoil, Common Creeping Hoary . Orange Alpine Purple Marsh . Saw-leaved Shrubby . Spring Strawberry- -Howered Strawberry-leaved . Three-toothed . White Clary Cleavers. filter made of stems of seeds used for coffee Clematis, Wild acrid j juice leaf-stalks serving as s ten- drils seeds with feather y ‘tails . Cloudberry : Clove, meaning of, in medieval deeds . Clove Pink : ; Gillyflower . : Clover, Crimson Dutch Purple Red z Teasel- headed. White Zig-zag seeds lying long dormant poetic associations of Club rush, Blunt-edged . Chocolate-headed Least Salt-marsh Scealy-stalked . Sharp ; Triangular Wood - Club-moss, Common . Fir. : Flat- stemmed . Interrupted Marsh Prickly ; Savin-leaved . Pate pede fant ponte fete pede fete feate fede pede bee fee oi] OP CE oF NERO ae etter rely nec™ ce a =p =n i= be pe se sia Het pate pete fade Pas pete ate fends fee fee ede ee i Vn Cae ST YG, < aos aie eiaater, « S 195 . Page 119 119 127 119 18 74 143 75 75 228 227 226 228 230 228 226 228 226 229 229 229 31 110 110 111 159 165 163 162 164 165 165 196 Cockle of Scripture-writers Cock’s-foot-grass, Rough Cole-seed : Colouring property ‘of Madder, ; how discovered . Colt’s-foot vitality of rootstock use of, in medicine . Columbine, Common . Feathered (see Meadow Rue) ; - lines on, by Browne dangerous properties Columna’s Trichomena . Comfrey, Common Tuberous : ; use of, as food for c cows . Consciousness ascribed to vegetables . lines on, by Wordsworth and W. 8. Landor Convolvulus, Field Hedge Seaside Coral-root Gmelin’s leafless nature of . Cord-grass, Many- gone Twin-spiked Coriander ancient and modern use of 2 Cormeille of Highlanders Corn Blue-bottle, ancient legends of lines on, by Clare . aa blue colour afforded es xcasarsaaniaolers gardens Corn-Cockle . Cornel Dwarf berries, oil of. Cornfield, flowers of, lines on by Longfellow Corn-flag Cornish Bladder seed Moneywort Corn-salad, Carinated Common A Hairy-headed . Sharp-fruited . Smooth-fruited Corolla, forms of : Corydalis, Solid-rooted . White Climbing Yellow Cotoneaster Cotton-grass, Alpine “ol. ie 1. ii. ii. Page 116 81 72 106 173 GENERAL INDEX Cotton-grass, Broad-leaved Hare’s-tail Narrow-leaved Round-headed Slender . 2 F Cotton Thistle : - Cotton-weed . Couch-grass . Cowberry Cow-bane Parsnip . - poisonous properties OL: used for intoxication Cow-wheat, Common Yellow Crested . Lesser Yellow Purple d liked by kine . root-parasites . Cowslip . used as cosmetic, as ‘salad, and in wine. Crab kr Crakeberry Cranberry . Crane’s-bill, Bloody Blue Meadow . Crowfoot Dove’s-foot “ees Dusky . : ; . Jagged-leaved 2 : Knotted . : , Long-stalked . = 3 Mountain - - . Round-leaved . Shining . : Small-flowered Stinking . Wood Creeping Jenny Crocus, Golden Least Purple . Naked-flowering Purple Spring . Saffron ; use of, in saffron Crow-berry, uses of fruits Crowfoot, Bulbous. Celery-leaved . Corn J Creeping. Ivy-leaved Meadow . Mud : Rigid-leaved Water. River : Small-flowered : Three-lobed Water . Water acridity of iii. lii. Pe pe pete pete pte fate pete fete pete pete pete et ee ei) (Oe ee ke ie ho woe Oe le Cruciform plants, wholesome nature of . ; Cuckoo-buds of Shakspere Cuckoo-flower Saeko’ s- meat Cuckoo Pint . great heat evolved by spadix of preparation of root as food F 5 old medical use Biot : use of, for starch Cudweed, Dwarf Highland Jersey . : - Marsh . . : Currant, Black . - Red : : Tasteless uses of Cut-grass : : : Cyclamen, singular coiled stalks of : é Cyperus, Brown False Cyphel . D. Daffodil . Anglo-Saxon name of early culture in gardens . admiration of, by old poets injurious properties of Daisy early associations with lines on, by Chaucer, Leyden, and Drayton . use of, in old devices uses of, in medicine and charms Damask Violet Dame’s Violet Dandelion uses of leaves for salad, and roots for coffee medical uses lines on, by Lowell . Danewort 3 Dead-nettle, Cut- leaved . Henbit é Intermediate . Red y economic uses aes White Yellow . : Deptford Pink : Devil’s-bit Scabious, old belief respecting . GENERAL INDEX Vol. [el el el on ld area we oO Re Page 42 ie 56 pa 166 17 Dewberry. lines alluding to, by Clare Dicotyledons . Divining-rod Cornwall Dock, Alpine . : formerly used for rhu- barb ‘ Bloody-veined ‘used as spinach . Broad-leaved . : difficulty of eradication Gi- anecdote respecting, by Dr. Keith Curled used in " cutaneous affections Fiddle Golden Grainless Water Great Water . Meadow . Sharp. ‘ Yellow Marsh. - Dodder, Clover 2 Flax Greater . Lesser parasitic gr owth of . old opinion of medical uses of Dog-nettle Dog’ s-tail-grass, Crested Rough . Dog’s- tooth- Grass, Creeping . : Dogwood Dropwort : Dropwort, Water . poisonous nature of thought to be the poison of Socrates . Duckweed, Gibbous Greater , Ivy-leaved Lesser Wolff's mode of flowering de- scribed : ‘ Dutch Rush . Dwale . Dyer’s Rocket, use of, indyeing Dyer’s-weed . ; Dyer’s Whin . still uihed = E. Farth-nut . . nutritious roots br. ‘ Eglantine of old poets . . ii. iL Bie BE ee - “ feb ae iets be et iat 198 Elder, Common Dwarf . lines referring to, by Clare flower-buds used for capers medical uses described by Evelyn notion that Judas hanged himself on . Jew’s ear fungus on Elecampane . medical properties of Ellhorn . : ‘ Elm, Broad- leaved Common Wych = .. early flowering of lines on, by Mant uses of wood of economic and medical uses of various parts of Enchanter’s has aan Al- pine é ; Common reasons why so called hooks on fruit Eryngo, Field Sea. Evening Primrose . uses of roots . Everlasting, Mountain . Pearly used to deck graves Eyebright, Common use of, for eyes, alluded to by Milton, Drayton, Spenser, and Thomson various opinions respect- ing : s : i \. 4a ge FE . False Brome-grass, Heath Slender : Feather-grass Featherfoil Feathered Columbine Felwort . Fennel ’. Hog’s Water old household 1 uses of medical uses of reference to’ uses of by ancients " Fenugreek Ferns 2 Bladder . Bristle Buckler . Vol. il. tis ii. FE ets fats fs ets fs ets fete ts es ts Page | 96 | 99 96 96 97 GENERAL INDEX Ferns, Filmy . Hard Lady Parsley Polypody Royal Shield Wood’s Fescue-grass, Barren Meadow . Reed Sheep’s . Single- -glumed . Tall A Tall-bearded Feverfew medical uses of Figwort, Balm-leaved Ehrhart’s Knotted . Water Yellow use of roots in famine Filago, Common Least Narrow- leaved Filbert, growth of . Filmy Fern, Scottish Tunbridge Wilson’s . Finger-grass, Hair y Smooth Fir, Scotch . in the Highlands uses of Flag, Corn Purple Sweet Yellow Flax, Cathartic Common Narrow-leaved Perennial culture of, in Britain original lines on, by M. I. Tomkins scriptural and other an- cient allusions to . various uses of Flax-seed : . Flea-bane, Alpine . Blue : Canada Common Common, supposed u use of, by Patriarch Job . experiments on Small . i Fleawort, Field Marsh Vol. Flixweed Flower-de-luce, ancient t use of beauty of seed-vessels of . old medical uses of . P peculiarity of een Oh +. Flowering Fern é _ Flowering Rush old use of seeds and roots peculiar structure of Flowering Willow . Tluellin : : Fool’s-Parsley poisonous nature of Forget-me-not, medical and economical uses of lines on, by Mr. Noel original lines on, by Mrs. Abdy origin ‘of name, as given by Mills crigin of name, according to Agnes Strickland name universal in Europe Foxglove poisonous properties and medical uses of Yox-tail Grass, Alpine Floating . Meadow . Orange-spiked Slender Tuberous Fritillary origin of various names of Frog-bit Fruit, forms of Fumitory, Common Least-flowered Ramping Small-flowered ; lines alluding to, Pye Shak- spere used as cosmetic why so called . Furze, Common Dwarf admiration of Linneus and Dillenius for . original lines on, by M. i. Tomkins ‘ G. Gagea, Yellow Gale, Sweet . Galingale : Galinsoga, Small-flowered Gang-flower . Garlic, Babington’ s Ge at Round-headed ‘ GENERAL INDEX | Vol. Page 64 228 229 228 229 154 10 10 10 1 23 56 56 260 258 259 258 259 259 17 18 61 61 60 62 61 61 255 255 209 Garlic, Broad-leaved Chive Crow Great Round-headed Sand : Small Round-headed Streaked Field Triangular-stalked . old opinion of the medi- cinal virtues of planted in monastery gardens ‘ prized by ancient Egyp- tians Gean Gentian, Alpine Field Marsh Small-flowered Spring . lines on, by Mant medical properties of Gentianella, Guernsey Least. Germander, Annual Wall : Water Wood . ; Gilliflower, Clove . Dame's Queen’s . : Gipsywort, Common Glasswort, ab icicle Jointed formerly used in making glass. : ; Globe-flower . gathered for garlands Goat’s-beard, Pew Yellow . roots of, used as food Golden-rod formerly prized as a vul- nerary . . Golden Samphire . Gold of Pleasure, and its eco- nomic uses . Goldylocks, Flax- leaved Good King Henry . Goodyera, Creeping Gool-ridings of Scotland Gooseberry early mention of lines on, by Mant culture of, by artisans Goose-foot, Fig-leaved . Maple-leaved . Many-seeded . Mercury . : Nettle-leaved . lll. 199 . Page 249 249 249 247 248 249 248 249 248 248 248 215 240 240 238 240 239 239 239 241 241 45 45 45 44 102 77 77 30 97 96 96 19 19 128 127 128 176 117. 182 52 168 93 216 189 28 28 28 29 92 92 91 93 91 200 GENERAL INDEX Vol. Page Goose-foot, Oak-leaved . iii. 92 | Hawk’s-beard, Hones Red : : : iii, 92 Small . Stinking . ii. 90 Smooth Upright . Mi. 91 Succory- leaved White. iii. 92 | Hawkweed, Alpine formerly boiled for Spin- Common Mouse-ear ach i, 93 Honey-wort Goose-grass ii. 110 Narrow-leaved Gout-weed i 49 Orange . Grape Hyacinth iii. 247 Rough- bordered Grasses . «lB AL Shrubby Broad-leaved RA) eves oe iv. 583—100 Wall cle oe Grass of Parnassus i, -149 Wood. Grass-wrack . ty. Bo supposed to strengthen uses of iv. 30 the sight . : Green-weed i LG used by alchymists . Hairy i.) 197 "|| Hawthorn. ”. Needle Tene 1 allusions to by ‘RB. Nicols . Gromwell, Common ii. 256 by Wordsworth ‘ Corn : ii. 256 lines on, by Spenser Creeping . ii. 257 of Cawdor Castle . Smooth ii, 257 of the ‘‘ Deserted Village” Ground Ivy iii, 55 of Glastonbury, supersti- gallson . iii, 56 tion respecting : medical properties of iii, 55 original lines on, by old use of, in ale ~ tip = 35 Adams Ground Pine, medical use Hazel, Common of iii, 46 Wych : Groundsel, Common ii. 177 | Hazel-treein spring . Mountain i. Ss in autumn Stinking . is > 178 fruits and leaves of, found root worn as charm. Le jae in bogs 3 Guelder Rose, Common. Ree ae) 0) names of places derived Mealy . . i.7)' 98 from Geme Fine-leaved . iv. 114 opinion of antiquaries on hazel-branches found in H tombs . : Heartsease . Habenaria, Entire . ‘i iii. 222 | Heath, Ciliated Green . iii. 221 Cornish . Small White iii, 221 Cross-leaved Hair-grass, Early Ve) | 70) Fine-leaved . . Grey ive 70 Trish : Silvery iy. #70 Mackay’s Smooth Ly. “a0 Mediterranean Tufted iv. 69 St. Dabeoc’s Wavy iv. » 70 economic uses of . Hard Fern iv. 142 lines on, by Leyden Hard-grass, Sea iv. 97 most social of plants Hare’s-ear, Common . 52 old tradition of, respect- Falcate-leaved Th) Oe ing ale i Narrow-leaved ii, 52 | Heather Slender ii. 53 | Heath Fern . Hare’s-tail-grass, Ov ate . iv. 65 | Heath-grass, Decumbent Hart’s-tongue iv. 140 | Hedge-Mustard, Common Hartwort, Great i. .68 Fine-leaved . Small ; ii. 67 | Hedge-Parsley, Knotted ° Hawk-bit, Autumnal ii. 129 Spreading : Rough ii, 129 Upright . Hawk’s-beard, Marsh 136 Hellebore, Green Hellebore, Stinking early bloom of Mant’s lines on Helleborine, Broad-leaved Large White . Marsh . Narrow-leaved White Purple Hemlock believed to be the Koneion of the ancients poisonous nature of Water . : Hemp-Agrimony medical uses of Hemp-Nettle, Common. Downy . : Large-flowered Red : ; Henbane poisonous nature of Herb Christopher . Herb of Grace Herb Paris country names of : experiments on, by Gesner poisonous nature of singular structure of Herb Robert . medical properties of Herb Twopence . Hog’s-fennel, Broad- d-leaved Marsh . Sea. Holly . : : : churches decked with economic uses of . lines on, by Mant superstitions respecting . Sea. : ; : Holly Fern Holy-grass, Northern Honewort . Honeysuckle, Common : Perfoliate ; Hooded Bind-weed, medical properties of ; Hop : first cultivated in this country - nature of narcotic prin- ciple ; medical and economic uses very early mention of Horehound, Black. White medical Pageants of Hornbeam : GENERAL INDEX EP EE: . Page 21 Vol. Hornbeam, Gerarde’s descrip- tion of Seattle old use of, in hedges = ibe Horned Pondweed . : =r Ive Hornwort, Common . eli: Unarmed : ii. Horse-blob (see Marsh Mari- gold) . . i Horseradish 4 eee Horse-tail, Blunt- ‘topped a ge Cornfield : 5 ive Great . : +) iv. Long- stemmed : dive Mackay’ s Rough . aye, Marsh . : 7 oh Rough . : - LV Shade : : iE Ave Smooth Naked ‘ ale Variegated Rough . =, We ater . ; ee Wood . = ine Hound’s-tongue, Common a ght Green-leaved . . Sp attic disagreeable odour 2) oe ee Houseleek . ie considered a preservative from the effects of light- ning . a) Hie old medical uses of. li. referred to in lines by Leyden : ; Pane Hutchinsia, Rock . : Te Hyacinth, Grape . ; x Na Wild ‘ : ; a ie 13 Inflorescence, forms of . Sees Insectivorous plants . ee : ee Inula, Willowddaved g et Tris, Stinking. : : a Yellow . = ili. large size of seed- vessels of : 2 iii. mention of, in old works lii. use of seeds as coffee Awesiite use of roots for toothache iii. Isnardia : : : Seats Ivy : ad uals hung at door of vintry Stik lines on, by Mant . nop hes old uses of . he Te on buildings, effects Of ene on trunks of trees . is use of, in garlands . og tale J. Jack-by-the-Hedge : om as Jack-go-to-bed- at. -noon . oer ae lve 26 176 169 176 178 178 173 172 176 173 177 174 267 267 267 128 Jacob’s-ladder astringent property ‘of Juniper . old super stition connected with uses of fruits of K. Kecksies : Kidney- Vetch, medical and economical uses of Knappia, Early Knapp’s-grass Knapweed, Black . j Brown-rayed . : Greater . : C Jersey 2 Knautia, Field ‘ Knawel, Annual Perennial Knotgrass, Common Robert’s Seaside . Whorled. fondness of sheep fares said to be good for silk- worms. : Kobresia, Compound- headed . Koeleria, Crested Koniga, Seaside Lady Fern Lady-smocks . Lady’s-fingers 2 Lady’s Mantle, Alpine Common Field Lady’s Slipper Lady’s-tresses, Drooping Fragrant Summer . Lamb’s Lettuce Larkspur Lavender, Sea Leaves, forms of Leek, Wild Lent Lily Leopard’s-bane, Great Plantain-leaved : believed to be poisonous . Lettuce, Acrid Ivy-leaved Least Prickly : Strong-scented narcotic milky juice of remarks on, by Christison and Duncan Vol. ii. it. iii. iii. iil. ii. Puge 245 245 198 199 196 GENERAL INDEX Lily of the Valley . fondness of Hanov erians for old medical use e of flowers of various old names of Lime-tree, Broad-leaved Common Downy . é Small-leaved . Linden-tree 1Wrtayegs 3 Linnea, Two- flowered : ; given to Linnzus as crest prized in Sweden Linnean System Livelong : Lloydia, Mountain Lobelia, Acrid Water noxious properties of London Pride Rocket . Long Purples, lines by Clare alluding to Loosestrife, Creeping Great Yellow . Purple Tufted Wood : medical properties of Lousewort, Marsh . Pasture . ; effect of on sheep Lovage . eaten by Highlanders Lucerne Lung-wort, Common Narrow- leaved Lyme-grass Pendulous Sea Upright . M Madder, Field : Wild, red dye of Madwort, German Maidenhair White Male Fern ; Mallow, Common . Dwarf Hispid Marsh Musk Tree medical properties of mentioned by Job . tree, near Hyéres Vol. iii. Pee ee bate Bete ete pete ete bee ee asa TAS Seb SEM Tae ear lt ale ed 182 255 256 113 266 148 1338 120 133 136 139 138 136 137 135 136 137 Mallow, Marsh singular old use of . Maple, Common Greater . : variously tinted foliage 3 wood used for mazers and dishes . Mare’s-tail Marigold, Bur Corn Marsh Rooting Marjoram . medical and “household uses of. : : : Marsh Cinquefoil . Fern : Isnardia . Marigold, acridity of Marshwort, Least . Pencatubent Masterwort old and modern medical uses of ; : Mat-grass May, old usages “connected with . lines on, by Chaucer and Spenser May Lily Mayweed, Scentless Stinking . Meadow-grass, ae Annual . z Borrer’s Sea . 5 Bulbous . : Creeping . : Dwart Wheat . Flat-stemmed . : Floating . ‘ : Hard é ‘ - Procumbent . 3 Reed F Reflexed . Roughish ; Smooth-s alked Wavy Wood . 3 Meadow Rue, Alpine : Lesser i Yellow Meadow-sweet 3 old medical uses of. ; original lines on, by Mrs. Cox); Meadow Saffron : peculiarity of ripening seeds of : : fatal to animals medicinal properties GENERAL INDEX iv. . Page 138 138 150 152 150 151 8 161 189 20 21 42 43 230 Meadow Saffron, gc eaaa nature of . : Medick, Black Bur 3 Purple Spotted . Toothed . Yellow 5 Medicks, singular seed-vessels of : : : Medlar . ; Melic-grass, Mountain . Wood Melilot, Common Yellow Field White odour of . : medical use of Menziesia, Irish Scottish . Mercury, Annual . Dog’s Perennial Mertensia, Seaside Meu Mezereon poisonous fruits of . medical and economic uses of. Michaelmas Daisy . leaves sold for Samphire Mignonette, Wild . original lines on, by Calder Campbell Milfoil, Common Water ; Woolly Yellow Milk Parsley . Milk Thistle . Milk Vetch, Alpine - Purple } Sweet . , : Milkwort sub-species of . : Millet-grass, a ge Mint, Corn Horse Marsh Narrow-leaved Pepper- . ‘ Round-leaved . Spear- Water F cultivation for drugs and perfumes medical and culinary uses of ‘ = reference to, in New Tes- tament " 26—2 203 fe) ed, ge 257 181 181 182 181 182 182 181 262 71 71 182 183 183 185 183 218 218 118 118 118 257 60 112 113 113 175 176 78 78 8 194 196 64 134 139 197 197 195 95 97 65 39 33 38 39 37 34 d4 38 204 Mistletoe ancient and modern usages connected with . antiquity of use of at Christmas : Druidical superstitions re- specting medical properties of mode of growth of . trees on which it grows . Mithridate Mustard confection Meenchia, Upright . Moneses, Large-flowered Moneywort : Cornish . Monkey-flower, Yellow . Monk’s-hood . Monk’s Rhubarb Monocotyledons Moon Daisy Moonwort, Chamomile-leaved Common. Moor-grass, Blue Moschatel scent strongest at evening original lines on, eae A. Paley Moss- Canton Mossy Cyphel Motherwort . ; medical uses of Mountain Ash ‘ old and modern supersti- tions connected with uses of fruits of Mountain Avens, White Mountain Fern. Mouse-ear Chickweed, Alpine Broad-leaved . , : _Broad-leaved Alpine Common Four-cleft Five-stamened Stitchwort Water Mouse-tail . Mud-rush, Bristle- sti alked Floating . Round Cluster- headed Savi’s ; Mudwort, Common Mugwort medical properties of old fancies respecting Mullein, Dark Great Large- flowered Moth White iv. = ee pete te is ag « . . pate pate fale bate fete fede pele bende pete mae ae ea eG Reb ae AG AS See Page 90 91 94 91 92 GENERAL INDEX Mullein, Yellow ipa y- uses of Mustard, Common orn Hedge . Mithridate Tower White Wild Mustard-seed, medical | and. economic uses of N. Naias, Flexible Greater . Names of plants, Latin . Narcissus, Pale Poet’s emetic proper ties of poetic eae of Navew . Nectary . Nettle, Great. Roman Camden’s eorareee on Small “ singular structure of sting of - 9 . various economic and medical uses of . value of, to insects . virulence of several species of é A Nightshade, Black Deadly . : poisonous property and medical uses of . = historic and poetic allu- sions to : Woody é Nipplewort, Common Dwarf : ; Nit-grass, Awned . : ; Nonsuch : : - Noonday Flower . ° O. Oak . . . galls on, how caused lines of Bernard Barton on . names of places derived from : ‘ old associations of . peculiar characteristics of various interesting trees of iii. iii. ill. iii. Oak Kern) ss Oat, Bristle-pointed Downy Flat- stemmed . Narrow-leaved Wild Yellow Oat-like grass Old Man’s Beard Onion, Rush-leaved Sea, or Vernal Squill Orache, Frosted: Sea Grass-leaved . Shrubby . : Spreading Fruited . Halberd-leaved Narrow-leaved . Stalked Sea : Triangular-leaved . old uses of Orchis, Bee Bog : : Butterfly, Lesser Great Dwarf Dark- winged Early Purple . Fen P Fly. Fragrant Goodyer’ s Great Brown- -winged Green Man Musk Winged Habenaria Lady’s Slipper Lax-flowered . Lizard Marsh ‘ - Military . : “ Monkey . Pyramidal ; Spider . : : : Late E Spotted . Orpine . : old customs " connected with Osier, Common Fine Basket Golden Green-leaved . Smith’s . Stipuled . Osmund Royal Ox-eye . 3 acrid juice of . ‘ use of, against ‘insects Oxlip ’ ; Ox-tongue GENERAL INDEX Vol. iv. lv. iv. Page 111 88 89 89 89 83 89 72 Oxytropis, Hairy . ‘ Yellowish : BP: Paigle ‘ Panick- -grass, Loose Pansy, its old names and poetic associations Paris, Herb Parsley, Bur . Common Corn Hedge : , Beaked, Common . Garden Wild ancient uses of Parsley Fern . Parsley Piert . Parsnip . Cow various economic uses of Pasque-flower acridity of i Easter eggs stained by its juice . Pea, Broad-leaved Everlasting Narrow-leaved Everlast: ing Seaside Everlasting Legend of Pear ; ‘ : : ‘ several remarkable trees . use of, for perry various old names and uses of . Wardon, remarks on, by if La 5 De Turner Pearlwort, Annual. Procumbent Sea. Pellitory old medical repute of Penny-cress Alpine Perfoliate : sheep fond of . Penny-royal . ; Pennywort, Wall . Peony lines on, by Bowles Moutan, anecdote of old superstitions nected with Pepper-Saxifrage foetid nature of Pepper-wort, Broad-leaved Field Hairy con- Vol. il. li. 237 114 242, 202 202 203 203 252 254 255 254 253 117 116 117 132 132 44 45 45 45 39 21 25 25 26 25 60 60 47 AT 48 206 Pepper-wort, Narrow-leaved . formerly used to season dishes . Perfoliate Penny-cress, fond- ness of sheep for : Periwinkle, Greater Lesser medical properties of referred to by Chaucer Persicaria, Amphibious . Biting Creeping. Lax-flowered . Pale-flowered . Slender-headed Spotted . Highland superstition re- specting hindrance of, in draining land ; - : pungent nature of . Petty-whin Pheasant’s-eye, Corn ; Physic-garden, ancient, plants of : : : ; : Picris, Hawkweed . Pilewort : Pillwort, Creeping . Pimpernel, Bastard Bog Scarlet supposed barometer . medical properties of Water . ; : Pink, Cheddar Clove. Deptford. Maiden . Mountain Proliferous Pipewort, Jointed . Pistil Plantain, Buck’ s-horn Greater ? Hoary Ribwort . Sea-side . Water . Waybread : lines alluding to, by old and modern poets medical uses of : Ribwort, worth of, on pasture lands Ploughman’s Spikenard good oil furnished by Plum Plume Thistles Polypody, Alpine Beech Vol. 1. Page | 47 47 GENERAL INDEX Polypody, Common Limestone Oak Pond-weed, Broad- leav ed Close- leaved : Curly Fennel- leaved. Grass-wrack-like Grassy . Griffith’s . Hair-leaved Horned . Lance-leaved . Lanceolate Long-leaved floating Long-stalked . Oblong : Perfoliate Plantain-leaved Reddish . Sharp-leaved . Shining . Slender-leav ed Small Various-leaved uses of, to aquatic animals Poplar, Black Grey : Trembling White various uses of: Poppy, Common Red . Long Rough-headed Long Smooth-headed Opium . Round Rough- headed Scarlet Horned Violet Horned Yellow Horned Welsh flowers of cul tivated lands Red, lines alluding to, by "Agnes Strickland uses of seeds of . White, narcotic proper- ties of : : medical uses of Yellow Horned,fold use of in incantations lines referring to, by Agnes Strickland Portland Sago, formerly made in Portland. Prickly Fern, Angular- lobed . Common. Prickly-toothed Fern, Broad . Common ; Narrow . Soft 127 126 127 Prickly-toothed Fern, Tri- angular j 3 Primrose, Bird’s- eye Common Scottish . lines on . by Mrs. Abay . i Privet medical “and. economic uses of flowers and fruits of Procession-flower . Purple Loosestrife, Common Hyssop-leaved astringent proper 'y of Purslane, Sea Water Q. Quaking-grass, Common Small. Quillwort, European Porcupine R. Radish, Sea . : : 5 Wild : : - Ragged Robin ; Ragwort, Broad-leaved . Common Great Fen Hoary Inelegant Marsh use of, in medicine . Rampion, Round-headed Spiked Ramsons medical use of old proverb respecting powerful odour of . Rape. Raspberry Mountain Rattle, Hairy or Large Yellow Yellow, parasitic nature of Receptacle Recurved Fern Red Rot. Reed, Common Small Reed-mace, Great . Lesser uses of pollen and down of Rest-harrow, Common . Small Rigid Fern . Rock-brake, Curled GENERAL INDEX Vol. iv. lii. iii. ili. ili. iii. ii. Pege 122 72 179 119 114 ! Rock-eress F Alpine. A a Bristol . 5 = Fringed . . Hairy : : Tower . ; : Rocket, Dyer’s Sand Z Shrubby . Wall : singular srowth of, ‘after great fire of London Rock-rose, Common Hoary tae ipaved. Spotted . White : : ; Rogation - flower, old cere- monies connected with Root, forms of Rose, Burnet-leaved Cinnamon Dickson’s : Dog, Bracteated Close-styled Common 3 : Glaucous . ; : Trailing . : . Downy-leaved Dwarf Trish : Prickly Unexpanded Sabine’s . Slight-scented Briar Small - flowered Sweet Briar Small-leaved Sweet Briar True Sweet Briar Villous Wilson’s . allusions to, by historians and poets : lines on, by E. B. Browning medical and economical uses of. F of Scripture writers original lines on, by Caro- line White . Rossolis . : Royal Fern Runsh or Charlock Rupture-wort Rush, Baltic . Black-headed . Black spiked . Blunt-flowered Capitate . : Clustered Alpine Coast : Common. 5 Pate ede pete pete pete bee pte feat ele fee Tee TRS RUE > ees as an Ta =r . fate pete pete pede pete pee CiGN fata Sit Ties Tite’ J ie tee ee ee eee ee Wr Cee Wr el, Fate ae eae es ee Ee ea Ree wee ee fade pede pete pete pee Cie Cs ae ae 3 208 Rush, Dense-headed Dwarf Flowering Great Sharp Sea Hard Heath Lesser Bog. Sharp Sea Little Bulbous Round-fruited . Sharp-flowered Shining-fruited Slender . Spreading Soft 5 5 Thread : Three-flowered Three-leaved . Toad Two-flow ered . Wood. Rushes . formerly spread i in apart. ments . “ : lines on, by Clare by Crabb old and present use of use of, in paper-making . in cordace in consolidating the soil Rye-grass, Annual Flax. Bearded . : Common Saffron Crocus - eostliness of narcotic properties of old use of, in cookery prescribed as medicine by old writers . used as a colouring agent Meadow . 2 - Sage, Meadow Wild p medical uses of remarkable stamens various household uses of Wood . used instead of hops Saintfoin economic uses of St. John’s Wort, Bearded Hairy : imperforate Large-flowered Linear-leaved . Marsh Mountain and medial GENERAL INDEX Vo’. Page iv. iv. lv. iv. lv. lv. De bm pe ee te ee ee pe 55; Se SO Oe Oe COD 1D bw DONA DENHONTNEAOMANAGHMUBNENOCwO®D 96 St. John’s Wort, Perforated . Small Upright Square: stalked Trailing . 2 medical uses of uses of, on Midsummer- eve Salad Burnet, ‘leaves formerly eaten . : planted for pasture . Sallow, Dark-leaved Ferruginous Grey Great Round: leay ed Long-leaved Round-eared : Trailing . Sallow-thorn . Salsafy . Salt-wort formerly grow! n for soda. Samphire ‘ , Golden Prickly gathering lines referring to, by Agnes Strickland : use of, as pickle Sand Rocket . : Sandwort, Alpine . Bog Fine-leay ed Fringed . : Level-topped . Norwegian Purple Seaside Thyme- leaved Three-nerved . Vernal Sanicle . deleterious nature of Satin-flower Sauce-Alone . Saussurea, Alpine . Saw-wort Saxifrage, Alpine Brook Alternate-leaved Golden . Burnet : Z Clustered Alpine Common Golden Drooping Bulbous . Geranium Golden Kidney-shaped London Pride . Mossy Mountain Meadow . Pepper Purple Mountain Saxifrage, Rue-leaved Starry . Tufted Alpine . White Meadow Yellow Marsh. » Mountain Seabious, Devil’s-bit Small : Scheuchzeria, Maral Scorpion-grass Creeping - Early Field Field Rock Tufted Upright . Yellow and Blue A : Scotch Fir, beauty of High- land forests of peculiar form of, on open wastes uses of wood . Scottish Lovage Seurvy-grass, Common . Danish English . medical uses of Sea-Blite, Annual . Shrubby . Sea-Buckthorn , berries eaten in various countries. : anecdote of, by J.J. Rous- seau. Sea-Heath, Powdery Smooth . Sea-Holly : ; uses of roots and leaves ; roots of, the ‘kissing comfits ” of old writers Sea-Kale, ariecdote of Dr. Lettsom respecting Sea-Lavender, Remote- flowered Spreading Spiked Upright Spiked : retains its beauty long after gathering Sea-Milkwort Sea-Pink 5 Sea-Purslane . A Sea-Rocket, geo Sea- Radish Sea Reed, Baltic Common Sea Ruppia . Sedge, Axillary- clustered Black . Boenninghausen’ s Bracteated Marsh . GENERAL INDEX Vol. bee, BEE: B: oe 5 | Sedge, Close-headed eee Common | Cord-rooted Creeping i ca saa headed Curved . Distant spiked Dwarf Capillary Silvery Elongated Few-flowered . Fingered Flea Glaucous Heath Great Great Common Panicled . Pendulotis Greater Prickly Green-ribbed . Grey Hairy Hare’s-toot Hedge Hoary Large Downy- fruited Lesser Common Panicled . Little Prickly . Long Bracteate Loose Loose-flowered Alpine Loose Pendulous Mountain Mud i Oval-spiked Pale Paradoxical . Pendulous Wood Pink-leaved . : Prickly oak headed : Rigid. : Rock 5 Round- headed Russet Salt Marsh Scorched Alpine Sea Short Brown- spiked Spiked Bladder Slender-beaked Bottle leaved spiked . Smooth-stalked Soft Brown Starved Wood Straight-leaved Water Tawny Three-nerved . Tufted Bog Vernal iv. Iv. lv. iv. 210 Sedge, White . Yellow Seed A Self-heal old use of, as vulner ary . Service, True Wild Setewall : Shamrock, Four- leaved, an- cient superstition of whether wood-sorrel or clover . Shave-grass Sheep’s-bit . ; Shepherd's-needle . Shepherd’s Purse old medical use of universal growth of Shepherd’s Staff Sherardia, Blue Shoreweed Sibbaldia , Sibthorpe’s Money- wort Sicklewort : Signatures, Rocirine Ol. Silver-weed Simethis discovery of Skirret Skull-cap, Common Lesser peculiar aan of piraceara of Sloe Smallage Small- Reed, N Purple Wood Snake’s-head . Snakeweed Snapdragon, Gre at Lesser Snowdrop old name of Snowflakes, probably intro- duced from Germany . Snowflake, Spring . Summer . Soap of Scripture writers plant used for, by ancients Soapwort used in w ashing linen saponine contained by Soft-grass, Creeping Meadow . : Solomon's Seal, Angular Common Narrow-leaved fancies respecting remedy for bruises . \ ALYOw iv. lv. ile iil. lil. lp 1 li. Page 44 48 5 59 59 259 259 114 186 185 172 205 73 45 46 45 118 118 87 229 25 59 244 225 246 246 52 60 60 60 212 45 67 67 67 255 100 20 19 235 235 236 236 236 106 106 105 105 105 71 72 246 244 243 244 246 GENERAL INDEX Vol. Sorrel, Common Mountain Sheep’s . Wood , anti-scorbutic properties of 2 2 ; old use of, for verjuice root affords dye used in making bread in Sweden : Southernwood, Field Sow-bread . Sow-thistle, Alpine Blue Common Annual Corn : Sharp-fringed ‘Annual Tall Marsh . properties of Spearwort, Great . Lesser Serpent’s- tongue medicinal uses of Speedwell, Alpine . Blue Rock . Blunt-fingered Brooklime Buxbaum’s . = Common Flesh- coloured Germander Green Procumbent Field Ivy-leaved Marsh Mountain Spiked Thyme-leaved Vernal Wall Water ‘ : lines alluding to, Wordsworth lines on, by Mant . medical uses of original lines on, Adams use of, as tea . Spignel . Spike-rush, Creeping Least . Many- stalked . Spindle-tree . poisonous properties of use of, indyeing . . various uses of : Spirea, Willow-leaved . Spleenwort, Alternate-leav ed. Black . Common Wall Forked Green by by err iv. Spleenwort, Green Lanceolate Scaly 5 Sea. Smooth Rock . ‘Wall Rue : Spring Beauty, Perfoliate Sandwort F Spurge, Broad-leaved Caper. Coral-like Hairy Cypress . Dwarf Trish P Leafy-br anched Marsh Petty . Portland : Purple Sea. Sun Wood acrid and dangerous pro- perties of : medical uses of Spurge Laurel bark used as a stimulating application . ; Spurrey, Awl- pene Corn : Knotted . Pearlwort 2 cultivated in Holland sensitiveness of, to atmo- spheric changes : Spur Valerian Squill, Autumnal . Twin-leaved Vernal beauty of Squinancy-wort Stag’s-horn:Moss . Stamens ; Star-fruit Star of Bethlehem, Common, or Eleven-o’clock- ss Drooping Spiked roots of, eaten thought to be Dove’ s-dung of ‘Scripture F Star of Jerusalem . : Star Thistle, Common . Jersey Yellow Sitarwort, Water Sea. : Stems, forms of . Stinking Chamomile, offensive odour of medical properties of GENERAL INDEX Palla Vol. Page | : Vol. Page iv. 130 | Stipules. : i. 3 iv. 139 | Stitchwort, Bog rey) ap. iv. 1385 Glaucous ree Gal iv. 182 Greater . Tepe lOO iv. 183 Lesser Ffame B> an PAL fie pS Wood . iy Ae ii. 18 | Stock, Great Sea a) Ae 169 iii. 120 Hoary Shrubby i, 61 iii. 122 | Stonecrop, Biting . ii. 26 ii 120 Crooked . : aosit 26 iii, 121 English . it. -- 25 ii. 122 Hairy ii 25 ii 120 Rose-root : il 24 aie b2 St. Vincent’s Rock . : ii 27 ili. 120 Tasteless Yellow li 26 lie, 22, Thick-leaved . ii 25 ii. 122 Welsh Rock il 27 iii, 119 White . ; : . i, 24 iii... 121 lines alluding to, by ta.) 149 Clare . beet: 26 iii, 123 old medical repute of il.ga, 20 Stork’s-bill, Hemlock 160 iii. 121 Musky i. 160 me 120 Sea. , ; Sy lap LOL ii. 114 curious movements of seed-vessels of Teutoil iii. 114 | Strapwort, Sand Hie LD i. 119! Strawberry, Hautboy i. 232 ee LS Wood 1, 230 ieee LD medical uses of : i, 2380 apy Ag anecdote of, by Hollinshed i 281 i. 118 | Strawberry- -tree ili. 220 lines on, by Mant ii. 221 ae ELS fruits of, eaten i. 221 ii. 114 | Succory. amen Ack iin 252 cultivated for salad. i. 145 lit, 252 numerous household uses Ti. Qo2 of,in old times . li. 145 iii, 252 probably one of the bitter ii. 112 herbs of the Israelites. ii. 145 iv. 159 roots mingled with coffee ii. 145 i. 4 | Succulent plants, remarks on ii. 26 ict le tenacity of life of ii. 26 Sulphur-weed Tig. Oe iii. 253 | Sundew, Great i 94. ili. 253 Round-leaved . i 88 iii. 252 Spathulate a eS iii. 253 anecdote respecting, of young Swedish botanist i. 94 ih © PAs insectivorous habits i 90 ii, 128 often unexpanded i. 89 ii. 160 | Sweet Alyssum i. §=653 ii. 160 Cicely Leg, ), 05 ii, 161 Flag ive, Bt il 8 Sedge. 3 Aver ae i 175 old use of, in garlands AV ee i 2 still strewed in Norwich Cathedral iv 21 li. 193 uses of root iv 22, ii. 193 | Sweet Briar . i. 245 212 Vol. Sweet Gale . iii. use in dy eing, and for household purposes ._ iii. Sycamore 1 heh Systems of Classification a Ty. Tamarisk 4 ii. introduction of, into this country ‘ : aie 5 mention of, by ancients . ii. in Scripture . a Manna derived from rae | 3 Tansy . ; - ‘ Si 3 eaten at Easter : ats | 2 Tare, Hairy . - : Jae Slender . ; : = economic uses of . of Pas Tassel-grass . : ; RY: mode of flowering . LEK Teasel, Fuller’s . : Sraceiie Small . : : ea Wald °' “. ; i elt old practices connected with . ; Rie i use of, in carding wool a Teesdalia, "Naked- stalked bas Thale-cress . ; Ane Thistle, Carline . ; Atri Common Cotton . 9/8 Creeping Plume . ig We Dwarf Plume. ; 7 a Marsh Plume. : 5 ate Meadow Plume ; aa “oats Melancholy Plume . Ree Milk > ‘ ee its Musk : : : ee Scotch . ; ; Satie Spear Plume . : Meas I Slender-flowered . Pes | Star : i ; May Stemless. ? , sn ane Welted . : iy Woolly-he: aded . oY ay great length of roots of . ii. leaves and shoots used for food é ii. original lineson, by Adams ii. ready dispersion of seedsof ii. Thorn-Apple . : , ta poisonous nature of ah wile Thorow-wax . : P . =a Thrift, Common . : . at. Matted . ; ; ney) Plantain-leaved : 2) a Thrincia, Hairy . ; et Nae Thyme . iil. economic and household uses of : ; Te Page 143 143 © 152 | i 13 13 13 14 | 15 163 163 | 201 202 201 28 28 118 119 | 118 118 119 46 58 156 153 150 153 150 152 | 152 149 148 148 149 148 160 158 148 | 152 151 149 155 149 268 269 130 GENERAL INDEX | Thyme, medical uses of . Tillea, Mossy Toad-flax, Bastard. Creeping Blue Diffuse . Ivy-leaved Least tound-leav ed. Sharp-pointed. Upright Purple Yellow anecdote of, Linnzus formerly usedin poisonous preparations medical properties of Toothwort S parasitic nature of . Tormentil . Tower Mustard | Travellers’ Joy : Treacle- nine Garlic. Hare’s-ear | Worm-seed | Tree of the People Trefoil, Bird’s-foot é Boccone’s . respecting | Hare’s-foot Hop E : - Lesser Yellow. Reversed Rigid . Slender Yellow Z F Smooth Round-headed . Soft-knotted : Starry-headed ; Strawberry-headed . Subterranean . Suffocated Sulphur-coloured Teasel-headed. ; : Upright Round-headed . | Trichonema . : Tulip, Wild Tulipomania . Turnip, Common . Tutsan . Tway-blade, Common Heart-leaved . Twig-rush, Prickly Vi. Valerian, Great Greek : Heart-leaved . Small Marsh . the Spikenard of the an- cients . ' ‘ Venus’ Bath . pte Pete bate pete ets pete ete Lae heh OY Alea ATs aS Tr es _ Dee ee Le ee eh ell oe a Sa ae Se a OR ee ea ee a) iii. ee Vernal Grass, Sweet-scented . Veronica, origin of name of . Vervain . "uses of, by Druids and Romans 3 : . old traditions of . alluded to by old oer Vetch, Bitter . : Bush Common Hairy Horse-shoe Joint Rough- podded Parple Yellow . : Smooth-podded : 5 Yellow Spring Tufted Wood . Wood Bitter uses of . : Vetchling, Blue Marsh : Crimson . - Meadow . Rough-podded Yellow 3 Villarsia 3 Vine, Wild. See Clematis V iolet, Cream-coloured . Dog ‘ ‘ . Hairy . : ° Marsh - Pansy ‘ Peach-leaved . Sand Sweet Wood Yellow Mount win dispersion of seeds of fertilization of in old gardens ; lines on, by Willis . medical properties of poetic associations with . Viper’s Bugloss great beauty of Virgin’s Bower - : W. Wall-fiower : lines on, by Moir medical properties of Wall Pennywort Wall Rocket . Wall Rue Wall Spleenwort Wart-Cress Lesser ; former use of, for sulad : GENERAL INDEX Vol. lv. iil. iil. be ade ede el ie Taree) t bets pete pede pede pede bade pede pede poms fede pede pede feds fede pede pede pends pes pede femdl® feats feds feds fons fede pede ede poate fends penis feds bet jade fede pets fee bee bee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . e e Page 59 3 61 61 61 62 205 200 199 200 207 207 199 200 201 200 199 198 197 199 200 204 205 66 67 67 21 76 133 136 54 54 54 Water-blob. See Marsh hea gold . - Water-Cress . iodine and sulphur in in origin of common proverb use as salad, referred to by Herrick . Water - Dropwort, Callous- fruited ‘ $ Common. : - Fine-leaved . < Hemlock : 2 Parsley . : = : River 4 F a Sulphur -wort . = “ Water-Hemlock : Water-Lily, Great . Least : Yellow f roots of, used to de- stroy crickets use of roots of, as food Cowper’s lines on Noel’s lines on useful in nee tanning use of, in of apan and other countries Water - Milfoil, flowered Spiked. Whorled . Water - Parsnip, Broad- leav ed Narrow-leaved Water- Pepper é Water-Plantain, Floating Greater . Lesser old medicinal u uses of Water-Purslane Water- Radish Water-Soldier rapid growth of Water-Starwort, Autumnal Pedunculated . Vernal and Alternate- | Water-Thyme Water-Violet . Water-wort, Six- stamened Eight- stamened Way Bennet . Waybread Wayfaring-tree, uses of . Weasel-snout, Yellow Weld , A Wheat, Creeping Crested Fibrous-rooted Rushy Sea White Beam-tree ee ee en eae) 263 214 White-rot deleterious proper ties of . Whitlow-grass, Rock Speedwell-leaved Twisted Vernal . Yellow Alpine . acridity of old presage respecting Whorl-grass, Water Whortleberry . Bog. Marsh Red . for jelly . lines on, by Coleridge and Nicholls use of, in colouring win Wildenow’s Fern . ; : Willow, Ambiguous Apple-leaved Auricled-leaved Blunt-stipuled Brown . Common White Crack Cuspidate Dark-leaved : Dark Long-leaved . Don's. ~. : Downy Mountain Dwarf Silky Goat : used as palm : Green Whortle-leaved Grey ; : : Intermediate . Least . smallest of British trees . Little Tree Netted Purple Reticulated Rose Rosemary-leay ed Rusty-branched Sadler’s . Sand : Sharp- stipuled Silky-leaved Small Tree Smith’s . Smooth-leaved Alpine Soft Shaggy Stipuled . : Sweet Bay-leaved Tea-leaved Woolly Broad- leaved beauty of . Vol. Page ii. 42 Mis? 9) AD, yl L \51 hepee taal ee 0) 1,.> 90 ii 50 ae) 50 iv. 69 i. 208 i. 209 ii, 210 ii, 210 ii, 208 li, 209 i, 210 iV.) Lar ili, 159 iii, 169 iii, 161 ili, 158 iii. 159 iii, 156 iii, 154 iii, 154 by ally iii. 158 i1,, 159 ui. 160 iii, 159 | ili, 163 ii. 168 iii. 168 | iii, 163 in LG iii. 169 iii. 169 iii. 158 li. 160 ili. 150 ui. 160 LT, who i 158 iii, .159 im: 70 iii. 160 iii, 153 iii, 161 li, 168 iii, 161 iii, 168 iii. 168 ui. 161 iii, 154 iii, 167 iii. 170 is LTO GENERAL INDEX Willow, Wrinkled . Yellow . . Willow-herb, Alpine Broad Smooth-leaved Chickweed-leaved Great Hairy Narrow-lea, ed ; Pale Smooth-leaved Rose Bay Small-tlowered Hair y Spear-leaved . ; Square-stalked Willow-leaved Inula Willow-thorn Wilson’s Fern Winter Aconite Winter-cress . Harly . « Winter-green, Chickweed Intermediate 3 Lesser ; Round-leaved . Serrated . Woad, Dyers’ use of, by ancient Britons and Anglo-Saxons used as dye instead of indigo . Waxen, use of, in dyeing Woodbine, early leafing of. lines on . Wood-broom . Woodruff, Field Small Sweet Wood - rush, Hairy ; Curved Mountain Field Great Hairy Narrow-leaved Spiked . Wood Sanicle Woodsia, Alpine Oblong Ray’s. Round-leay ea: Wood-sorrel, Common . Yellow dispersion of seed of oxalic acid in . sensibility of . : Wormseed Treacle-mustard . Wormwood, Common Sea. uses of, in various liquors Woundwort, Alpine Corn Downy Hedge Broad laaved Pee Bh Bb Bt ee pe pe: EE Ei EIB BSE es eta. pe Woundwort, Marsh Pale Annual nutritive tubers of . repute of, as vulnerary Wych Elm Hazel es Yarrow, Common . Dotted-leaved . Sneeze-wort . Woolly Yellow lines on, by Agnes Strick- land - medical uses of é Yellow Cress, 7 ane Annual GENERAL INDEX Vol. iii. ill. Paze 52 53 53 53 139 139 194 194 194 196 195 195 62 62 Yellow Cross, Creeping . Yellow Weed. Yellow-wort Yew Lister’s experiments on. connection of, with church- yards . growth of, in old and present time in Druidical worship medical use of opinions of Roger Ascham respecting opinions respecting the wholesomeness of fruits supposed fatal nature of . use of, in archery : various uses of the tree . 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