This is one of the handsomest of our wildflowers. It grows abundantly in
woods, on banks and in fields, and it flowers all summer and autumn.
The Foxglove is a tall plant with a very stiff stem, from one side of
which hang beautiful rose-pink and purple bells.
These fairy bells are daintily scolloped round the mouth, and the pale
pink lining inside is dotted all over with purple spots. When you look
down the mouth of a Foxglove bell you see that two long and two short
stamens with large yellow-heads are clinging to its side, and rising
from the centre of the bell there is a fat green seed-vessel which sends
up a slender yellow thread.
Those bells which are nearest the bottom of the stem come out first, and
the buds are always found at the top. Behind each bell there are five
green sepals with sharp points, and wherever the flower-stalk joins the
main stem there is always a small green leaf.
The Foxglove leaves are broad and long, and they are pointed at the end.
Each leaf is covered with a network of fine veins. These leaves are
grey-green in colour, and the underside is hoary with soft, white woolly
down.
PLATE XLII: 1. BROAD-LEAVED WILLOW HERB 2. CORN COCKLE
3. CROSS-LEAVED PINK HEATH