John Keble's Parishes: A History of Hursley and Otterbourne

Chapter 23

FOXGLOVE (Digitalis purpurea).--All over the gravelly and peaty woods in splendid congregations of spires--called by the children poppies.

LESSER SNAPDRAGON (Antirrhinum Orontium).--Occasionally in gardens.

WILD SAGE (Salvia Verbenaca).--Ampfield.

SELF-HEAL (Prunella vulgaris).--Called Lady"s Slipper.

SKULLCAP (Scutellaria galericulata).--Itchen bank.

(S. minor).--Cranbury hedge on Romsey Road.

BLACK h.o.r.eHOUND (Bellota faetida).--Hursley hedges.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d BALM (Melittis Melissophyllum).--Ampfield Wood.

BETONY (Stachys Betonica).

(S. pal.u.s.tris).

(S. sylvatica).

(S. arvensis).

RED ARCHANGEL (Galeopsis Tetrahit).--Near Chandler"s Ford.

MOTHERWORT (Leonurus Cardiaca).--Alas, a dried specimen only remains of this handsome flower, which was sacrificed to a pig-stye on Otterbourne Hill.

WEASEL SNOUT or YELLOW NETTLE (Galeobdolon luteum).

WHITE ARCHANGEL, or BLIND NETTLE (Lamium alb.u.m).--sometimes with a purple flower.

(L. purpureum).--Everywhere.

BUGLE (Ajuga reptans).--All over the woods.

GERMANDER, WOOD-SAGE (Teucrium Scorodonia).--Cranbury Wood.

BUGLOSS (Lycopsis arvensis).--Sand-pit, Boyatt Lane.

VIPER"S BUGLOSS (Echium vulgare).--Chalk-pits.

GREAT YELLOW TOADFLAX (Linaria vulgaris).--In most hedges.

IVY-LEAVED T. (L. Cymbalaria).--Old wall of Merdon Castle.

FLUELLEN (L. Elatine).--In stubble-fields.

(L. spuria).--In the same locality.

CREEPING T. (L. repens).--Chandler"s Ford, and hedge of Romsey Road by Pot Kiln.

LESSER T. (L. minor).--Hursley.

SPEEDWELL (Veronica hederifolia).--Hursley, Ampfield.

(V. polita).

(V. Buxbaumii).--In fallow fields all the winter and spring.

(V. arvensis).

(V. officinalis).--Cranbury.

BIRD"S EYE (V. Chamvdrys).--Exquisite blue along the hedges on the chalk and clay.

(V. montana).--Ampfield.

(V. scutellata).

BROOKLIME (V. Beccabunga).--Esteemed a sovereign remedy for an old woman"s bad leg.

(V. Anagallis).--Less common, but both frequent the river and the marshes.

EYEBRIGHT (Euphrasia officinalis).--Downs and heaths.

RED EYEBRIGHT (Bartsia Odont.i.tes).--woods.

RED RATTLE (Pedicularis pal.u.s.tris).--Itchen meadows.

(P. sylvatica).--Otterbourne Hill.

YELLOW RATTLE (Rhinanthus Crista-galli).--Itchen meadows.

YELLOW COW-WHEAT (Melampyrum pratense).--Otterbourne Park.

TOOTHWORT (Lathraea squamaria).--South Lynch Wood.

BROOMRAPE (Orobanche repens).--Mallibar roadway.

(O. elatior).--Sparrow Grove.

(O. minor).--Clover-fields, Otterbourne. Wonderful brown parasites, all three.

VERVEIN (Verbena officinalis).--Road-sides.

GIPSYWORT (Lycopus europaerus).--Dell Copse and all bogs.

HORSE MINT (Mentha sylvestris).

(M. hirsuta).

(M. sativa).

(M. arvensis).

THYME (Thymus Serpyllum).--On many a bank does the wild thyme grow, with its perfume delicious.

MARJORAM (Origanum vulgare).--Banks of Winchester Road.

MONKEY FLOWER (Mimulus Luteus)--Bank of Itchen Ca.n.a.l, where it has spread considerably, though probably a stray.

BASIL THYME (Calamintha vulgaris).--Stubble-fields show this lovely little blue flower with a white crescent on the lip.

(C. menthifolia).--Merdon Castle.

BASIL (C. Clinopodium).--Itchen.

CAT MINT (Nepeta Cataria).--Hedge towards Stoneham.