Part 20
The same order includes the Sheep's-bit (_Jasione montana_), also known as the Sheep's Scabious. It certainly resembles a Scabious in general appearance (see Fig. 5 of Plate VI), with its dense clusters of blue or deep lilac flowers, but may be readily distinguished from it by the united anthers of its five stamens, and by the absence of the involucel that surrounds the individual flowers of the Scabious flower-head. The dense cluster of flowers, surrounded by a whorl of many ovate bracts, might also be mistaken for that of a Composite at first sight; but here again we find exclusive distinguishing features, for the flowers of the cluster are not sessile on a common receptacle; and the fruits, instead of being one-seeded achenes, are two-chambered capsules. The plant is from six to twelve inches high; and its leaves are oblong or very narrow, wavy, blunt, and hairy. The flower-heads are hemispherical, about half an inch in diameter. Both calyx and corolla have five narrow, spreading lobes. The plant is common on heaths, and flowers from June to September.
We now come to those interesting plants known collectively as Heaths, and which add so much beauty to our heaths and moors. They belong to the order _Ericaceæ_, and are all readily distinguished by their bushy appearance, hard woody stems, and small, simple leaves arranged in pairs or whorls. The flowers, too, are very characteristic, each one having an inferior calyx of four sepals; a bell-shaped or pitcher-shaped, persistent corolla, with five lobes; eight stamens free from the corolla; and a four-chambered ovary that ripens to a capsule.
The Cross-leaved Heath (_Erica Tetralix_) is common all over Britain, especially so in the West. It is a wiry little shrub, from a foot to eighteen inches high, much branched at the base. Its leaves are short, narrow, downy above, fringed with stiff hairs, and arranged in whorls of four, each whorl forming a cross. The drooping flowers, which appear during July and August, are usually rose-coloured, occasionally white, and are arranged in close, terminal, one-sided clusters.
The Ciliated Heath (_Erica ciliaris_), perhaps the most beautiful of the British species, is found only in the West of England, but is really abundant on some of the Devon and Cornwall moorlands. It is of a somewhat straggling nature, and its ovate leaves, which are downy above, and fringed with stiff hairs, are in whorls of three or four. The flowers are sometimes nearly half an inch long, of a bright rose or crimson colour, and are arranged in broken, one-sided racemes. The corolla is pitcher-shaped, with four lobes round the narrow mouth. The plant reaches a length of from twelve to eighteen inches, and flowers from June to September.
Our last example of this genus--the Bell Heather or Fine-leaved Heath (_E. cinerea_)--is, perhaps, the commonest of all, for it abounds on the moors and heaths of nearly all parts of Britain. It is a very tough and wiry shrub, from one to two feet high, with narrow leaves in whorls of three or four, and smaller leaves in their axils. The flowers vary in colour, being either purple, crimson, rose, or occasionally white. They are in dense, leafy racemes, not one-sided, but rather regularly whorled. The time of flowering is from July to September.
In the same order is the Common Ling (_Calluna vulgaris_)--a straggling shrub, from one to three feet high, bearing rose-coloured, lilac or white flowers from July to September. This shrub may be identified at once by its leaves, which are very small, and closely overlapping in four rows. Its flowers are small, drooping, shortly stalked, each with two pairs of small bracts at its base; and are arranged in irregular, leafy racemes on the topmost branches.
Still in the same order (_Ericaceæ_), but quite distinct from the Heaths, are a few moorland shrubs the berries of which are largely eaten by the country-folk. They belong to the genus _Vaccinium_, and have scattered, deciduous or evergreen leaves. We have noticed that in the heaths the ovary is superior, but in the present genus it is inferior; that is, it is situated below the calyx and corolla, which parts are attached to its upper border. The calyx has four or five lobes; and the corolla, which is bell-shaped or pitcher-shaped, has the same number of lobes or teeth. The stamens, eight or ten in number, are usually rendered peculiar by the tubular bristles that extend upwards from the anther cells. The berries are globular or nearly so, and contain several seeds. Some species of this genus are rare, but three, at least, may be included here. They are--
1. The Whortleberry or Bilberry (_Vaccinium Myrtillus_).--A smooth shrub, from six to eighteen inches high, common everywhere except in some of the eastern counties, flowering from April to June. Its stem is erect or spreading, branched, green, and sharply angular. The leaves are shortly stalked, ovate, serrate, seldom more than an inch long; and the flowers are nearly globular, with small teeth, drooping on short stalks, and placed singly in the axils of the leaves. They are of a greenish rose or flesh-colour, often tinged with red, and have a very waxy appearance.
2. The Great Bilberry or Bog Whortleberry (_Vaccinium uliginosum_).--A smaller and more woody shrub, from six to ten inches high, growing only in the moorland bogs of North Britain. Its stem and branches are round or scarcely angular, and usually procumbent and crooked. The leaves are small, obovate or round, entire, thin, deciduous, with the veins strongly marked on the under side; and the flowers are globular, of a pale pink colour, smaller than those of the last species. This species flowers during May and June.
3. The Red Whortleberry or Cowberry (_V. Vitis-idæa_).--A straggling, much branched, and woody shrub, from six to eighteen inches high, found chiefly on the mountainous heaths of the North. Its leaves are evergreen, obovate, dotted beneath, with the margins slightly rolled back; and the flowers are bell-shaped, of a pale pink or flesh-colour, arranged in rather dense, drooping clusters. The latter, which bloom from June to August, are followed by red, globular berries.
On wet, marshy heaths we occasionally meet with the Marsh Gentian (_Gentiana Pneumonanthe_). It is a very local plant, growing chiefly, though not exclusively, in the northern and midland counties of England. Its stem is erect, stiff, leafy and unbranched, usually from six to ten inches high; and its leaves are sessile, linear, obtuse, rather thick, the lower ones broader than the upper. The flowers, which bloom during August and September, are represented on Plate V.
In the same order (_Gentianaceæ_) is the Autumn or Small-flowered Gentian (_Gentiana Amarella_)--a little erect plant, from three to twelve inches high, common on dry heaths and stony pastures. Its stem is square, very leafy, simple or branched, often of a blue-green or purple colour; and the leaves are sessile, opposite, ovate or lanceolate. The flowers are of a pale purple colour, from half to three-quarters of an inch long, arranged in an oblong, leafy cluster. The calyx is divided quite half way down into five unequal, narrow segments; and the corolla has a broad tube with four or five ovate lobes that spread only in the direct rays of the sun. The time of flowering is August and September.
One of the Dodders--the Lesser Dodder (_Cuscuta Epithymum_)--is essentially a plant of heaths and moors, where it is parasitic on Heaths, Thyme, and other shrubby plants. It is described in Chapter XXIII, where will also be found a short account of its growth and parasitic habits.
Our only example of the _Scrophulariaceæ_ as far as this chapter is concerned--the Eyebright (_Euphrasia officinalis_)--is also a partial parasite, and is referred to, with other plants of the same nature, in Chapter XXIII. It is a little plant, the general appearance of which is shown in our illustration. It varies from one to eight inches high, and bears little lilac, lipped flowers, streaked with purple, with a rather large yellow spot at the base of the lower lip.
One of the Mints--_Mentha Pulegium_ (order _Labiatæ_)--well-known as a garden herb under the name of Pennyroyal, is to be found on damp heaths. Though not very common, it is widely distributed, occurring in nearly all parts of Great Britain. It is very aromatic, and is largely cultivated for use as a remedy for colds. The flowers are of a lilac colour, arranged in dense, distant whorls in the axils of the upper leaves. The calyx is downy without, hairy at the throat within; and the corolla has almost equal lobes, the upper of which is notched. The plant flowers in August and September.
In the same order is the Wild Thyme (_Thymus Serpyllum_)--a little, wiry, prostrate plant, with an aromatic odour, very abundant on the dry heaths of most parts of Britain, flowering from June to August. Its stem is thin but hard, and much branched, the numerous flowerless branches usually forming a dense tuft close to the ground. The flowers are purple, in whorls of five or six in the axils of the upper leaves. The calyx is lipped, of a deep red colour, and its mouth is closed with hairs after the corolla is shed. The corolla is of a paler colour, and indistinctly divided into two lips, the upper of which is erect and notched, while the lower is cleft into three lobes. The time of flowering is from June to August.
The Wood Sage or Wood Germander (_Teucrium Scorodonia_) is very abundant on damp heaths, and is also commonly seen in hedgerows and on banks, especially in hilly and heathy districts. It is an erect plant, from one to two feet high, with a hard, hairy, slightly-branched stem. Its paired leaves are stalked, ovate or cordate, toothed, downy, and much wrinkled like the leaves of the true Sages. The flowers are yellowish white, arranged in pairs on terminal and axillary racemes, with a small bract at the foot of each short flower-stalk. Although not very conspicuous, they are very attractive to bees, providing abundance of nectar. There is no true upper lip to the corolla, the upper part being deeply cleft, with a small lobe on each side; and the stamens and stigma project beyond the petals. This plant flowers during July and August.
On moist heaths, especially in the west of Britain, we commonly meet with the Lesser Skull-cap (_Scutellaria minor_), another of the Labiates. It is a little plant, seldom more than six inches high, with pale pink flowers that bloom from July to October. The stem is rather slender, and branched; and the paired leaves are broadly ovate below, narrower above, obtuse, very shortly stalked, and either entire or slightly toothed. The flowers are only a quarter of an inch long, shortly stalked, and usually placed singly in the axils of the leaves. The calyx has two lips, the upper of which bears, on the middle of its back, a prominent hollow scale; and the corolla has a long tube with two small lips, the lower of which is divided into three lobes.
The Dwarf Silky Willow (_Salix repens_--order _Salicaceæ_) is very common on heaths. It is a small, straggling shrub, from one to three feet high, sometimes erect, but more commonly procumbent and rooting at the base, with slender branches. Its leaves are often less than an inch in length, oblong or narrow, with recurved margins, shining above and silky below. When young, the leaves are silky on both sides; and the young twigs and the buds are also clothed with a silky down. The flowers are imperfect, and are in short, sessile, erect, oblong catkins, which appear in April and early May, before the leaves. The male and female flowers grow on different shrubs; but in both cases the catkins are about half an inch long, with a few leafy bracts at the base, and the flowers are intermixed with silky scales. The capsules split when ripe, liberating numerous minute seeds that are tufted with long, white, silky hairs.
The Juniper (_Juniperus communis_), one of the few British conifers, is not uncommon on dry, gravelly or chalky downs, more especially in the North. It is a profusely-branched, evergreen shrub, either erect or procumbent, and usually from one to five feet high. Its leaves are very narrow, half an inch or less in length, concave above, terminating in a very sharp point, and arranged three in a whorl. The male and female flowers grow on separate shrubs, and are clustered in minute catkins, about a twelfth of an inch long, sessile in the axils of the leaves. The fruit is a bluish-black, berrylike cone, about a third of an inch in diameter. The Juniper flowers during May and June.
Passing now to the _Orchidaceæ_ we have to note two species, the first of which is the Autumnal Lady's Tresses (_Spiranthes autumnalis_), a moderately common plant on the dry downs of South Britain, flowering from August to October. It has two or three thick, oval tubers; and a slender stem, from four to eight inches high, with sheathing, acute scales. The radical leaves, four or five in number, are about an inch long, ovate, sharp, and form a tuft by the side of the stem. The flowers are small, white, scented, and form a single, spiral line on the stem; but while each flower is turned to one side, its bract is erect on the other side of the stem. The sepals and petals are much alike. The upper sepals are joined to the petals, and the lateral ones curve over the base of the lip of the corolla.
The other plant of this order is the very common Spotted Palmate Orchis (_Orchis maculata_), abundant on the moist heaths and commons of most parts of Britain, flowering from June to August. Its root has two or three flattened tubers with long, finger-like lobes; and the stem is solid, erect, from six inches to more than a foot high. The leaves are ovate below, narrow above, and usually marked with many dark spots. The spike of flowers is dense, oblong or pyramidal in form, and two or three inches long. At the base of each flower is a bract usually shorter than the ovary. The flowers are pale purple, lilac, or (occasionally) white, and are generally conspicuously marked with irregular lines and spots of a deeper tint. The sepals are spreading, about a quarter of an inch long; and the petals are arched over the column. The lip is broad, deeply three-lobed, more or less toothed, either flat or with the lateral lobes slightly turned back. The spur is slender and a little shorter than the ovary. This Orchis is represented on Fig. 6 of Plate VI.
Our single example of the _Liliaceæ_ is the Butcher's Broom (_Ruscus aculeatus_), the only British monocotyledonous shrub. It is of a very dark green colour, varies from one to four feet in height, and is occasionally met with on the wooded heaths of the southern counties. Its rigid, evergreen, leaflike appendages, which are ovate in form, terminating in a sharp spine, are not really leaves, but leaflike branches or _cladodes_; for, it will be observed, they bear the flowers and fruits, which are attached to their centres. The only leaves possessed by the plant are the minute, deciduous scales, from the axils of which the cladodes grow. The flowers are white, very small, with a deeply six-cleft, persistent perianth, each one attached to the centre of a cladode by a very minute stalk. They are always on the upper side of the cladode, though it generally happens that they are turned downwards by a twisting of the base of the leaflike branch. The flowers are always imperfect, the male and female blossoms growing on separate shrubs, and both have a small bract at the base. The ovary of the latter develops into a rather large, scarlet, berry-like fruit containing one or two seeds. The flowers appear during March and April.
Two of the Rushes (order _Juncaceæ_) are very common on heaths and moors. One of these is the Heath Rush (_Juncus squarrosus_), which appears on Plate VI. This is a rigid Rush, varying from four to ten inches high, flowering in June and July. Its stems are stout, solid, and generally leafless; and the leaves are narrow, grooved, usually less than half the length of the stem. The flowers are brown, either distinct or in clusters of two or three, arranged in a compound raceme, with a perianth of shining segments membranous at the margins, and about a sixth of an inch long. The capsules are blunt, but terminate in a pointed bristle.
The other is the Field Woodrush (_Luzula campestris_), a small plant, usually from four to six inches high, flowering from March to June, and often very abundant among the grass of hilly pastures and heaths. Its leaves are fringed with long, soft, white hairs; and the flowers, which are of a very dark brown colour, are arranged in three or four round or oval spikes. The segments of the perianth are very sharp, about an eighth of an inch long, with membranous margins; and the capsules are blunt.
We conclude this chapter with a brief notice of two of the Grasses of heaths and downs. One of these is the Common Quaking Grass or Totter Grass (_Briza media_).--A very pretty, erect grass, rather rigid, from six to eighteen inches high, common on dry downs except in the extreme North of Britain, flowering during June and July. Its stems are tufted, or sometimes slightly creeping; and its leaves are narrow and flat. The spikelets are round or broadly ovate, nearly a quarter of an inch long, more or less tinged with purple, on the long, slender branches of a loose, spreading panicle three or four inches long. The broad glumes are all similar in shape, but decrease in size upwards, and are not bristled.
The other is the Common Mat Grass (_Nardus stricta_), a densely tufted, wiry grass, from four inches to a foot in height, common on heaths and moors, flowering in June and July. The leaves are very fine and stiff, quite bristle-like. The flowers are in a one-sided spike, from one to three inches long, the one-flowered spikelets being placed alternately in two rows, in the notches of the central axis. The spikelets are often of a reddish or purplish colour, and each has a single, narrow, pointed glume, about a third of an inch long, an inner glume with a short bristle, three stamens, and a single style.
XVII
IN THE CORN FIELD
The flowers included in the present chapter are to be found principally in cultivated fields; but since they are more particularly associated with corn crops, or occur so commonly in those fields in which grain is one of the products included in the rotation adopted, we separate them from the other flowers of the field, and consider them under the above head.
It will be observed that the majority of the flowers thus dealt with are summer-bloomers that flower while the ears of corn are filling out, and consequently are in fruit at the time of harvest. Hence, when the corn is cut, their seeds are shaken from the ripe fruits, or the fruits are themselves levelled to the ground, with the result that those which are not ploughed too deeply into the soil spring up almost in the same position in the following season.
Starting with the species of the Buttercup family (order _Ranunculaceæ_), we take first the beautiful Pheasant's Eye (_Adonis autumnalis_), which is sometimes seen among the corn, especially in the fields of the southern counties. The plant is not a native, but has become well established as a wild flower in several parts, though it is common in only a few localities. It is erect, from six to twelve inches high, and flowers in summer and autumn. The coloured illustration on Plate VII, Fig. 6, renders a written description unnecessary.
The little Mouse-tail (_Myosurus minimus_) of the same order is a very different kind of plant. It seldom exceeds a height of five or six inches, and is commonly only two inches high. Its leaves are all radical, very narrow, fleshy, and measure only from one to three inches, including the stalk; and the little yellowish-green flowers, which bloom from April to June, are solitary on radical stalks. Each flower has five spreading sepals which are prolonged downward at the base into a short spur; five very narrow, tubular petals; a few stamens; and a spike-like cluster of many carpels in the centre. As the fruit ripens the cluster of carpels lengthens into a slender spike from an inch to an inch and a half long. This species is rather common in the South and South-East of England, and is to be seen most frequently in moist fields.
The Corn Crowfoot (_R. arvensis_) is a slightly hairy plant, with a branched stem from six to eighteen inches in height. The whole is of a pale green colour, and the leaves are deeply cut into narrow, lobed segments. The flowers are pale yellow, about half an inch in diameter, with spreading sepals; and are usually placed opposite the leaves. Their carpels are few in number, comparatively large, flattened, and covered with hooked spines. This is an abundant species, especially in the southern counties, and is most common in weedy fields in which corn-crops have been previously raised. It flowers from May to July.
The same order (_Ranunculaceæ_) includes the Field Larkspur (_Delphinium Ajacis_) which sometimes grows wild in corn-fields. It is not indigenous, but has been introduced from South Europe; and the wild plants are probably escapes from cultivation. The stem is from nine to eighteen inches high, with a few spreading branches; and the leaves are all deeply cut into very narrow segments. The flowers are blue, pink or white, and are arranged in a long, terminal raceme. The five sepals are coloured, the posterior one prolonged into a narrow, hollow spur about half an inch long. There are only two petals, and these are united into a narrow spur which lies within that of the calyx. The fruit consists of a single, downy follicle that contains several seeds. This plant flowers during June and July.
We have now to notice a few of the favourite Poppies (order _Papaveraceæ_); and although these are generally easily distinguished, even by the tyro, from the flowers of other orders, we think it advisable to call attention to the leading features of the group. These plants have a milky sap, and leaves without stipules. Their flowers are large, regular, on long stalks, and droop when in the bud. There are only two sepals, and they generally drop very early. The petals, four in number, are very thin and delicate, crumpled in the bud; and the stamens are numerous. The ovary is peculiar, consisting of one cell that is partially divided by a number of membranes (_placentas_) which pass from the wall towards the centre. It is surmounted by a disc on which are several radiating stigmas, corresponding in number with the membranes within. The fruit opens when ripe by the formation of pores just under the edge of the disc.