AMONGST THE WILD FLOWERS- MARCH AND APRIL

AMONGST THE WILD FLOWERS.- "MARCH AND APRIL."

By W.G.S. 

Some of our earliest spring flowers are shown in the accompanying picture.

One of the first and commonest is the wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa); it has a lovely white flower, with a golden centre, supported on a slender crimson stem; it abounds in woody places, and often grows in such abundance, as to perfectly whiten the ground. The generic name anemone means "the wind," and the flowers are said to open only when buffeted by the wind. Flowering as it does in the windy month of March, it generally gets the full benefit of the north-easters of that season. 

The sweet violet (Viola odorata), so fond of hiding itself on shady banks, is one of the greatest favourites of spring; its delicious but heavy fragrance always betrays its presence. It was at one time in great repute with the old herbalists. one of whom. in enumerating its virtues, says amongst other strange things, that it takes away the ruggednesse of the windpipe, and iawes (jaws). 

The bluebell, or wild hyacinth (Scilla nutans), is another great ornament to our woods and shady places in spring. It often causes the very ground to look blue, as if covered with one complete carpet of its beautiful and fragrant blossoms. In old books we find it called "Blew English Hare Bells." and "Iacint." It was referred to the hyacinth tribe in honour of the boy Hyacinthus, who perished whilst playing with Apollo, and from whose blood this flower was said to have sprung. "The roote is Bulbus," says an old author, "ful of a slimy, glewish iuice, which will serve to set feathers vpon arrowes in steed of glew, or to paste books with; wherof is made the best starche,next vnto that of wake-robin." He also tells us, that "it helpeth against the venomous bitings of the fielde spider, and that it will procure haire in beardless men."

Another extremely graceful plant of our banks and woods is the wood sorrel, or shamrock (Oxalis acetosella); its delicate white flowers and tender green leaves are sensitive to a degree, both, leaves and flowers, drooping and closing, as the evening approaches during humid weather. The plant has a refreshing acid juice, hence its generic and specific names. 

The beautiful white flower over the bullfinch's back is the broad leaved garlic, or "ramsons"
 (Allium ursinum), it has a rank and disagreeable smell, to which it perhaps owes its specific name. 

We will complete our description with a reference to the orchid, figured (Orchis mascula), the Greek word "orchis" has reference to the two remarkable tubers at the base of these plants. Although the orchis tribe greatly attracted the attention of our old herbalists, they appear to have ascribed no extraordinary properties to it; one writer, for instance, in speaking of a British orchid, says "haue nothing to write being not sufficiently knowne to the eld, which we should imagine to be th writers: no, nor, to the new."; case for one of the best authorities, refers a certain species of orchid Corallorhiza to the fungus tribe, and compares it with which to him was also a fungus, the "toothwort" of our hazel hedges, with these words:- "there is also another sort heereof founde, not differing from the precedent, the chiefe difference consisteth in that that this plant is altogether lesser; in other respects like Orbi mascula, is the earliest blooming orchis of the year, it bears an odor which is at certain times agreeable, but at others, especially the evening, very disagreeable; it is, however, one of the handsomest plants of our spring flora." The author above quoted says: "Ther is no great vse of these in phisicke," but as he immediately atntowards, says, whilst speaking of a patent, after he endured fower and fortie fits (44), was cured therewith have been made of the orchids in some occult way.

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THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON ALMANACK FOR 1869