Plants -- Identification; Wild flowers -- Great Britain
Our last example of the _Umbelliferæ_ is the Rough Chervil
(_Chærophyllum temulum_), which is very common in hedgerows, among the
undergrowth of woods, and in other shady places. It has a slender stem,
from one to three feet high, swollen at the joints, spotted with purple,
and rendered rough by short hairs. The leaves, which are also rough and
spotted, are bipinnate, with ovate leaflets that are cut into segments
terminating abruptly in a sharp point; and they assume a rich purple
tint that makes the plant a conspicuous object in the autumn. The
flowers are white, in terminal compound umbels which droop in the bud.
The bracts are few in number or altogether absent, but there are several
secondary bracts which are fringed and bent downwards.
Passing now to the order _Caprifoliaceæ_, we have to deal with the
well-known and favourite Honeysuckle or Woodbine (_Lonicera
periclymenum_), so highly prized on account of its lovely fragrant
flowers. It is a climbing plant, often reaching a height of ten or
twelve feet, supporting itself by twining its woody stem round
surrounding shrubs and trees in hedges and the open spaces of woods. The
beautiful flowers, which are yellow within, and more or less tinged with
red outside, are arranged in terminal, stalked heads; and the united
petals form widely-gaping lips. The plant blooms from June to September,
and displays its crimson berries in the autumn.
Two other species of Honeysuckle occur in our hedges, but neither of
these is common. One is the Upright Honeysuckle, which has an erect
stem; downy, stalked leaves; and pale yellow, scentless flowers that
grow in pairs in the axils of the leaves. The other is the Perfoliate
Honeysuckle, so called because its upper leaves are united at their
bases, with the stem running through them. In this one the flower-heads
have no stalks.
[Illustration: THE GREAT HEDGE BEDSTRAW.]
In the Bedstraw family (order _Rubiaceæ_) we have two very common,
hedgerow plants--the Great Hedge Bedstraw (_Galium Mollugo_) and the
Goose-grass or Cleavers (_G. Aparine_). The first is a very straggling
plant, with a square stem, thickened at the joints, that often reaches a
length of four or five feet. Its leaves are elliptical, with apex
terminating suddenly in a bristle-like point, and margins roughened by
prickles that are either at right angles or pointing more or less
forward. They are arranged in whorls, usually of eight, but sometimes
six. The little white flowers, which bloom during July and August, are
arranged in panicles with spreading branches, the lower of which are
either horizontal or bent downward. The fruit is smooth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account