Plate VIII.
FLOWERS OF CHALKY SOILS.
- 1. Red Valerian.
- 2. Narrow-leaved Flax.
- 3. Tufted Horse-shoe Vetch.
- 4. Spiked Speedwell.
- 5. Pasque Flower.
- 6. Bee Orchis.
- 7. Yellow Oat Grass.
Chalky districts are notably attractive to the lover of flowers; for, not only do they yield a number of species that are almost essentially the offspring of calcareous soils, but also produce other blossoms, often in rich profusion, that are less restricted in their habitats.
The Rock Rose.
In the present chapter we shall note the principal flowers that grow principally or entirely in calcareous districts, the first being the Pasque Flower (Anemone Pulsatilla—order Ranunculaceæ), rare, it is true, but too beautiful to be omitted from our selection. This flower, shown on [Plate VIII], Fig. 5, may be seen on some chalky hills during May and June. It is of a silky nature, and the lovely purple blossoms often reach a diameter of an inch and a half. The leaves are doubly or trebly pinnate, with very narrow segments which increase in length after the flowers have faded. The bracts, which are some distance below the flower, have also linear segments; and the flowers droop while still in the bud, but the peduncle becomes erect as they expand. The stamens are yellow, and the fruits are provided with feathered hairs.
On chalky, sandy, and other dry soils we may meet with the Round Prickly-headed Poppy (Papaver hybridum—order Papaveraceæ), very much like the Common Poppy in general appearance, but readily distinguished by its general hairy character, and, more especially, by the globular, furrowed fruit covered with spreading bristles. The flowers vary from one to two inches in diameter, and the crimson or deep scarlet petals are often black at the base.
The Bitter Candytuft (Iberis amara—order Cruciferæ), which is so well known as a border-flower of our gardens, grows freely in some of the chalk districts of the South and East of England. Unlike most of the Crucifers, the flowers are not symmetrical, the two outer petals being much larger than the others. The inflorescence is a raceme, which, like that of the Wallflower, becomes longer as the flowering proceeds; and the colour of the petals is white, lilac or red. The height of this plant varies from six to nine inches, and the flowers bloom during July and August.