The green leaves are dark, and are covered with soft hairs. Each leaf is divided into three parts, which are very deeply cut up all round the edge. You will easily recognise this Buttercup if you remember three things. 1. The flower-stalk has no groove. 2. The little green sepals do not fold back close to the stalk. 3. The root has no bulb. 4. MARSH MARIGOLD This is one of our handsomest wildflowers. It grows abundantly in springtime by the side of ponds, or on the marshy edge of a slow-running stream. It looks like a large, thick Buttercup. The Marsh Marigold is closely related to the Buttercup family, though it differs from the Buttercups in various ways. The five bright yellow petals of the flowers are glossy, and have little veins running up from the bottom. In the centre of these petals there is a big bunch of yellow stamens, with a group of green seed-vessels amongst them. If you look at the back of an open flower you will see that there are no green sepals such as there are in the Buttercups. The flower-stalks are thick and hollow, with ridges along the sides. They snap off easily when gathered, but very soon they lose their stiffness and become soft and flabby. This means they are thirsty, and if you give them plenty of water to drink they will soon be as stiff as when they were growing. The green leaves of the Marsh Marigold are dark above, but underneath they are much lighter. They are very glossy and smooth, and each leaf is covered with a fine network of veins. In shape they are like a heart with crinkled edges. PLATE II: 1. WALLFLOWER. 2 WILD MUSTARD. 3. HEDGE MUSTARD. 1. WALLFLOWER The Wallflower, as its name tells you, likes to grow on walls. In early spring you will see it on the top of old walls or high up on the broken roof of a ruined castle. How did it get there? The wind or the birds must have carried the seed. The flowers are a rich golden yellow, and they have a delightful scent. Each flower has four beautiful petals, which are broad above with a long strap forming the lower part. In the centre where these four petals meet, you can just see the tips of the stamens peeping out: but the seed-vessel is hidden from sight. The four sepals are a dark purple colour, and they form a cup in which the lower or strap-shaped part of the petal is held. Those flowers which are nearest the foot of the stem open first. You will often find eight or ten yellow flowers blooming at the same time and a bunch of dark purple buds at the end of the stem. The stem of the Wallflower is tough and woody near the ground, but further up it is green and smooth. The leaves are narrow pointed straps with smooth edges. They are dark green, but sometimes they have a touch of purple at the tips. 2. WILD MUSTARD This is a plant the farmers are very sorry to see. They do not want it among the corn, but in springtime the fields are often covered with its yellow flowers.