The Tansy (_Tanacetum vulgare_) is common in the hedgerows of most localities, and is easily recognised by the powerful odour and bitter taste of its leaves and flowers. It has a creeping root; an erect, strong stem, which is either quite smooth or (generally) slightly downy; and large, pinnate leaves, with narrow, deeply-toothed or pinnatifid segments. There are a large number of flower-heads, nearly half an inch in diameter, of a bright yellow colour, and arranged in large flat-topped corymbs. This plant is common in most parts of Britain, grows to a height of about three feet, and flowers during August and September. [Illustration: THE CREEPING THISTLE.] The Mugwort (_Artemisia vulgaris_) is a very common roadside plant in most districts, valued by many villagers as a remedy for rheumatism. It has a short, woody rootstock; and erect, branching stems varying from two to four feet in height. The leaves are deeply cut into narrow, acute segments which are either coarsely serrate or lobed. They are green and smooth above, but very white with a woolly down below. The flower-heads are very numerous, erect, and arranged in a somewhat crowded, long, terminal panicle. Each head is surrounded by a woolly involucre, and consists of from fifteen to over twenty florets, either all perfect or including a few without stamens. They are oval in form, and of a reddish or yellowish-brown colour. The plant blooms throughout the summer. [Illustration: THE TANSY.] In the same genus is the Absinth or Wormwood (_A. Absinthium_), which is not so tall or so slender as the last species, from which it may readily be distinguished by its powerful aroma and bitter taste. The whole of the plant is whitish with a close, fine down; and the erect stems, from one to two feet high, are stiff and hard. The leaves are very similar to those of the Mugwort, but are much broader, are silky on both sides, and the narrow lobes of the leaves are blunt at the tips. The flower-heads are also similarly arranged, but they are almost globular in form, very silky, and more or less drooping. The florets are numerous, and of a dull yellow colour, the central ones being mostly fertile, while the outer, without stamens, are small, and often barren. The plant flowers during August and September, is not so common as the last species, but is abundant in districts near the sea.