-
The Gift of Beatrix Farrand
to the General Library
University of Calif ornia,Berkeley
Ex
Libris
BEATRIX
FARRAND
IkANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURE
7;
vr
HOW TO KNOW THE
WILD FLOWERS
- . - - : X .
HOW TO KNOW THE
WILD FLOWERS
H (Buffce
TO THE NAMES, HAUNTS, AND HABITS OF OUR
COMMON WILD FLOWERS
BY
MRS. WILLIAM STARR DANA
ILLUSTRATED BY
MARION SATTERLEE AND ELSIE LOUISE SHAW
" The first conscious thought about wild flowers was to find out their names
the first conscious pleasure and then I began to see so many that I had not
previously noticed. Once you wish to identify them, there is nothing escapes,
down to the little white chickweed of the path and the moss of the wall."
RICHARD JEFFERIES
NEW EDITION, WITH COLORED PLATES
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1920
COPYRIGHT, 1893, 1895, 1900, BY
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
Add to Lib.
LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURE
Farrand Glf 1?
"
"
CONTENTS ARCH.
PAGE
Preface ......... vii
How to Use the Book ...... xi
List of Plates ........ xv
Introductory Chapter . . . . . . xxi
Explanation of Terms
Notable Plant Families . . .
Flower Descriptions:
l. wute . ...... /
//. Green ........ 113
///. Yellow ........ /22
7K Pink ........ 194
V. Red ... 254
VI. Blue and Purple
VII. Miscellaneous
Index to Latin Names ...... 333
to English Names . . . . , 339
of Technical Terms ..... 346
503
"One of these days some one will give us a hand-book of our wild flow-
ers, by the aid of which we shall all be able to name those we gather in out
walks without the trouble of analyzing them. In this book we shall have a
list of all our flowers arranged according to color, as white flowers, blue
flowers, yellow flowers, pink flowers., etc., with place of growth and time of
blooming."
JOHN BURROUGHS
PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION
IN offering the public an edition of " How to Know the Wild
Flowers," containing colored reproductions from the charming
and faithful sketches in water color of Miss Elsie Louise Shaw,
we feel sure that we are adding materially to the book's actual
value as well as to its attractiveness.
As color plates replace, in this edition, certain of the black
and white illustrations, these, with a few others have been
omitted and Miss Satterlee has added a number of new draw-
ings. Some of these black and white plates are of flowers not
before figured in the book, while others present in fresh forms
subjects already illustrated in it.
Quite a large number of flowers not found in previous edi-
tions are now described, and advantage has been taken of the
opportunity which the entire resetting of the book afforded for a
careful revision of the text. This amplification has seemed ad-
visable in view of the fact that, during the five years which have
elapsed since the publication of a thoroughly revised edition,
the peculiar charm or importance of certain plants has so forced
itself upon the authors consciousness, or else been brought to
her notice so emphatically by others, as to persuade her that
their inclusion would not transgress the restrictions originally
laid down in the chapter " How to Use the Book," restrictions
which still seem indispensable if the volume is to be kept small
enough to be a convenient companion in the woods and fields,
and simple enough to appeal to the unbotanical flower lover.
It is hoped that these additions will meet with the approval
of the public, which has already attested so generously its eager-
ness to know the wild flowers.
ALBANY April 25, 1000.
rii
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
THE pleasure of a walk in the woods and fields is enhanced
hundredfold by some little knowledge of the flowers which we
meet at every turn. Their names alone serve as a clew to their
entire histories, giving us that sense of companionship with our
surroundings which is so necessary to the full enjoyment of out-
door life. But if we have never studied botany it has been no
easy matter to learn these names, for we find that the very people
who have always lived among the flowers are often ignorant of
even their common titles, and frequently increase our eventual
confusion by naming them incorrectly. While it is more than
probable that any attempt to attain our end by means of some
" Key," which positively bristles with technical terms and out-
landish titles, has only led us to replace the volume in despair,
sighing, with Emerson, that these scholars
" Love not the flower they pluck, and know it not,
And all their botany is Latin names ! "
So we have ventured to hope that such a book as this will
not be altogether unwelcome, and that our readers will find that
even a bowing acquaintance with the flowers repays one gen-
erously for the effort expended in its achievement. Such an
acquaintance serves to transmute the tedium of a railway jour-
ney into the excitement of a tour of discovery. It causes the
monotony of a drive through an ordinarily uninteresting country
to be forgotten in the diversion of noting the wayside flowers,
and counting a hundred different species where formerly less
than a dozen would have been detected. It invests each boggy
meadow and bit of rocky woodland with almost irresistible charm.
vift
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
Surely Sir John Lubbock is right in maintaining that " those
who love nature can never be dull," provided that love be ex-
pressed by an intelligent interest rather than by a purely senti-
mental rapture.
The " Flower Descriptions " should be consulted in order to
learn the actual dimensions of the different plants, as it has not
always been possible to preserve their relative sizes in the illustra-
tions. The aim in the drawings has been to help the reader to
identify the flowers described in the text, and to this end they
are presented as simply as possible, with no attempt at artistic
arrangement or grouping.
We desire to express our thanks to Miss Harriet Procter, of
Cincinnati, for her assistance and encouragement. Acknowledg-
ment of their kind help is also due to Mrs. Seth Doane, of
Orleans, Mass., and to Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell, of Riverdale,
N. Y. To Dr. N. L. Britton, of Columbia College, we are in-
debted for permission to work in the College Herbarium.
NEW YORK, March 15, 1893.
HOW TO USE THE BOOK
MANY difficulties have been encountered in the arrangement
of this guide to the flowers. To be really useful such a guide
must be of moderate size, easily carried in the woods and fields ;
yet there are so many flowers, and there is so much to say about
them, that we have been obliged to control our selection and
descriptions by certain regulations which we hope will commend
themselves to the intelligence of our readers and secure their
indulgence should any special favorite be conspicuous by its
absence.
These regulations may be formulated briefly as follows :
1. Flowers so common as to be generally recognized are
omitted, unless some peculiarity or fact in their history entitles
them to special mention.
2. Flowers so inconspicuous as generally to escape notice are
usually omitted.
3. Rare flowers and escapes from gardens are usually omitted.
4. Those flowers are chosen for illustration which seem en-
titled to prominence on account of their beauty, interest, or fre-
quent occurrence.
5. Flowers which have less claim upojn the general public
than those chosen for illustration and full description, yet whiclf
are sufficiently common or conspicuous to arouse occasional curi-
osity, are necessarily dismissed with as brief a description as
seems compatible with their identification.
In parts of New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl-
vania and in the vicinity of Washington, I have been enabled to
describe many of our wild flowers from personal observation ;
and I have endeavored to increase the usefulness of the book by
*
HOW TO USE THE BOOK
including as well those comparatively few flowers not found
within the range mentioned, but commonly encountered at some
point this side of Chicago.
The grouping according to color was suggested by a passage
in one of Mr. Burroughs's " Talks about Flowers." It seemed,
on careful consideration, to offer an easier identification than
any other arrangement. One is constantly asked the name of
some " little blue flower," or some "large pink flower," noted
by the wayside. While both the size and color of a flower fix
themselves in the mind of the casual observer, the color is the
more definitely appreciated characteristic of the two and serves
far better as a clew to its identification.
When the flowers are brought in from the woods and fields
they should be sorted according to color and then traced to their
proper places in the various sections. As far as possible the
flowers have been arranged according to the seasons' sequence,
the spring flowers being placed in the first part of each section,
the summer flowers next, and the autumn flowers last.
It has sometimes been difficult to determine the proper posi-
tion of a flower blues, purples, and pinks shading so gradually
one into another a? *o cause difference of opinion as to the color
of a blossom among the most accurate. So if the object of our
search is not found in the firs' section consulted, we must turn
to that other one which seems mos, likely to include it.
It has seemed best to place in the White section those flowers
which are so faintly tinted with other colors as to give a white
effect in the mass, or when seen at a distance. Some flowers are
so green as to seem almost entitled to a section of their own, but
if closely examined the green is found to be so diluted with white
as to render them describable by the term greenish-white. A
white flower veined with pink will also be described in the White
section, unless its general effect should be so pink as to entitle it
to a position in the pink section. Such a flower again as the
Painted Cup is placed in the Red section because its floral leaves
are so red that probably none but the botanist would appreciat
xii
HOW TO USE THE BOOK
that the actual flowers were yellow. Flowers which fail to sug
gest any definite color are relegated to the Miscellaneous section.
With the description of each flower is given
1. Its common English name if one exists. This may be
looked upon as its " nickname," a title attached to it by chance,
often endeared to us by long association, the name by which it
may be known in one part of the country but not necessarily in
another, and about which, consequently, a certain amount of
disagreement and confusion often arises.
2. Its scientific name. This compensates for its frequent
lack of euphony by its other advantages. It is usually composed
of two Latin or Latinized words, and is the same in all parts
of the world (which fact explains the necessity of its Latin form).
Whatever confusion may exist as to a flower's English name, its
scientific one is an accomplished fact except in those rare cases
where an undescribed species is encountered and rarely admits
of dispute. The first word of this title indicates the genus of the
plant. It is a substantive, answering to the last or family name
of a person, and shows the relationship of all the plants which
bear it. The second word indicates the species. It is usually
an adjective, which betrays some characteristic of the plant, or
it may indicate the part of the country in which it is found, or
the person in whose honor it was named.
3. The English .title of the larger Family to which the plant
belongs. All flowers grouped under this title have in common
certain important features which in many cases are too obscure
to be easily recognized ; while in others they are quite obvious.
One who wishes to identify the flowers with some degree of
ease should learn to recognize at sight such Families as present
conspicuously characteristic features.
For fuller definitions, explanations, and descriptions than
are here given, Gray's text-books and ''Manual" should be
consulted. After some few flowers have been compared with
the partially technical description which prefaces each popular
one, little difficulty should be experienced in the use of a botan-
xiu
HOW TO USE THE BOOK
ical key. Many of the measurements and technical descriptions
have been based upon Gray's " Manual." It has been thought
best to omit any mention of species and varieties not included
in the latest edition of that work.
An ordinary magnifying-glass (such as can be bought for
seventy-five cents), a sharp penknife, and one or two dissecting-
needles will be found useful in the examination of the smaller
flowers. The use of a note-book, with jottings as to the date,
color, surroundings, etc., of any newly identified flower, is rec-
ommended. This habit impresses on the memory easily forgotten
but important details. Such a book is also valuable for further
reference, both for our own satisfaction when some point which
our experience had already determined has been forgotten, and
for the settlement of the many questions which are sure to arise
among flower-lovers as to the localities in which certain flowers
are found, the dates at which they may be expected to appear
and disappear, and various other points which even the scientific
books sometimes fail to decide.
Some of the flowers described are found along every country
highway, and it is interesting to note that these wayside plants
may usually be classed among the foreign population. They
have been brought to us from Europe in ballast and in loads of
grain, and invariably follow in the wake of civilization. Many
of our most beautiful native 'flowers have been crowded out of
the hospitable roadside by these aggressive, irresistible, and mis-
chievous invaders; for Mr. Burroughs points out that nearly
all of our troublesome weeds are emigrants from Europe. We
must go to the more remote woods and fields if we wish really
to know our native plants. Swamps especially offer an eagerlv
"ought asylum to our shy and lovely wild flowers.
xiv
LIST OF PLATES
Colored Plates are marked with *.
PLATE PAGB
I. *BLOOD-Roor Sanguinaria Canadensis, . . ?
II. RUE ANEMONE Anemonella thalictroides, . . 5
WOOD ANEMONE, . . . Anemone nemorosa, .... 5
III. STAR-FLOWER, Trienta Us Americana, ... 7
Maianthemum Canadense, . 7
IV. *PYXIE, Pyxidanthera barbulata, . . 8
V. CRINKLE-ROOT, .... Dentaria diphylla, . . . . 1 1
VI. MAY-APPLE, Podophyllum peltatum, . . 13
VII. EARLY SAXIFRAGE, . . . Saxifraga Virginiensis, . . 15
VIII. MITRE-WORT, Mitella diphylla, .... 17
IX. "LARGER WHITE TRILLIUM, Trillium grandiflorum, . . 18
X. SPIKENARD, Aralia racemosa, . . . . 21
XI. FALSE SOLOMON'S SEAL, . Smilacina racemosa, ... 25
XII. MAPLE-LEAVED VIBURNUM, Viburnum acerifolium, . . 27
XIII. ARROW-WOOD Viburnum dentatum, ... 29
XIV. ROUND-LEAVED DOGWOOD, Cornus circinata, .... 31
XV. RED-OSIER DOGWOOD, . . Cornus stolonifera, .... 33
XVI. "HAWTHORN, Cratcegas coccinea, .... 34
XVII. WHITE BANEBERRY, . . Actcea alba 35
XVIII. BUNCH-BER^RY, .... Cornus Canadensis, . . . 37
XIX. *BUCKBEAN, Menyanthes trifoliata, ... 38
XX. WATER ARUM, .... Calla palustris, 41
XXI. MOUNTAIN LAUREL, . . Kalmia latifolia 45
XXII. AMERICAN RHODODENDRON, Rhododendron Maximum, . 47
XXIII. WHITE SWAMP HONEY-
. SUCKLE Rhododendron viscosum, . . 49
XXIV. SQUAW HUCKLEBERRY, . Vaccinium stamineum, . . 53
XXV. *LABRADOR TEA, .... Ledum latifolium, .... 54
XXVI. SHIN-LEAF, Pyrola elliptica, 57
XXVII. PlPSISSEWA, Chimaphila umbellata, . . 59
XXVIII. WINTERGREEN, .... Gaultheria procumbens, . . 61
XXIX. NEW JERSEY TEA, . . . Ceanothus Americanus, . . 65
XXX. THIMBLE-WEED, .... Anemone Virginiana. ... 69
LIST OF PLATES
PLATE PAGE
XXXI. BLACK COHOSH, . . . Cimicifuga racemosa, ... 71
XXXII. ^PARTRIDGE VINE, . . Mitchella repens 72
XXXIII. BUTTON BUSH, .... Cephalanthus occidentalis, . 75
XXXIV. POKEWEED Phytolacca decandra, ... 79
XXXV. MEADOW-SWEET, . . . Spircea salicifolia, . . . . 81
XXXVI. ^THREE-TOOTHED CINQUE-
FOIL, Potentilla tridentata, ... 82
XXXVII. RATTLESNAKE PLANTAIN, Goodyera pubescens, ... 85
'XXXVIII. SWEET PEPPERBUSH, . . Clethra alnifolia, .... 87
XXXIX. WILD BALSAM-APPLE, . Echinocyslis lobata, ... 89
XL. TRAVELLER'S JOY, . . . Clematis Virginiana, ... 95
XLI. TURTLE-HEAD, .... Chelone glabra, 97
XLII. * WHITE HEATH ASTER, . Aster ericoides, 98
XLIII. *PoiNTED-LEAVED ASTER, Aster acuminatus 98
XLIV. BONESET, Eupatorium perfoliatum, . . 101
XLV. WHITE SNAKEROOT, . . Eupatorium ageratoides, . . 103
XLVI. LADIES' TRESSES, . . . Spiranthes cernua 107
XLVII. GRASS OF PARNASSUS, . Parnassia Caroliniana, . . in
XLVIII. CARRION-FLOWER, . . . Smilax herbacea, . . . .115
XLIX. POISON IVY, Rhus Toxicodendron, . . .117
L. RAGGED FRINGED ORCHIS, Habenaria lacera, . . . .119
LI. MARSH MARIGOLD, . . Caltha palustris, .... 123
LII. SPICE BUSH Lindera Benzoin 125
LIII. *YELLOW ADDER'S
TONGUE, Erythronium Americanum, . 126
LIV. *WoOD BETONY, . . . Pedicularis Canadensis, . .128
LV. SOLOMON'S SEAL, . . . Polygonatum bifiorum, . .129
LVI. BELLWORT Oakesia sessilifolia, '. . . .131
.... Uvularia perfoliata, . . . 131
LVII. *CYNTHIA, Krigia Virginica, . . . .134
LVIII. .... Clintonia borealis, .... 137
LIX. GOLDEN RAGWORT, . . Senecio aureus, 139
LX. INDIAN CUCUMBER ROOT, Medeola Virginiana, . . . 141
LXI. *YELLOW LADY'S SLIPPER, Cypripedium pubescens, . . 142
LXII. RATTLESNAKE-WEED, . . Hieracium venosum, . . .143
LXIII. *RouGH HAWKWEED, . Hieracium scabrum, . . . 146
LX1V. COMMON CINQUEFOIL, . Potentilla Canadensis, . . . 147
LXV. YELLOW AVENS, . . . Geum strictum, 149
LXVI. BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE, . . Diervilla trifida, . . . .151
LXVII. FOUR-LEAVED LOOSE-
STRIFE, Lysimachia quadrifolia, . .153
LXVIII. YELLOW LOOSESTRIFE, . Lysimachia stricta, .... 155
xvi
LIST OF PLATES
PLATE
T YTV ....
PAGE
Steironema ciliatum, . . .157
Lilium Canadense, .... 160
, Utricularia cornuta, . . .162
Hypericum perforatum, . . 165
Verbascum Thapsus, . . .167
Verbascum Blattaria, . . .169
Agrimonia Eupatoria, . . .173
LXX. *MEADOW LILY, . . .
LXXI. "HORNED BLADDERWORT
LXXII. COMMON ST. JOHN'S-
WORT
LXXIII. COMMON MULLEIN,
LXXIV. MOTH MULLEIN, . .
LXXV. AGRIMONY
LXXVI. PALE JEWEL-WEED,
LXXVII. EVENING PRIMROSE, .
LXXVIII. ELECAMPANE, ....
LXXIX. *WILD SUNFLOWER, .
LXXX. STICK-TIGHT, ....
LXXXI. LARGER BUR MARIGOLD,
LXXXII. SILVER-ROD, ....
LXXXIII. SMOOTH FALSE Fox-
GLOVE,
LXXXIV. *WITCH HAZEL, . . .
LXXXV. TRAILING ARBUTUS, .
TWIN-FLOWER, . . .
LXXXVI. *SPRING BEAUTY, . .
LXXXVII. *SHOWY ORCHIS, . .
T YYYVTTT *
CEnothera biennis, . . . .179
Inula Helenium 181
Helianthus giganteus, . . . 182
Bidens frondosa, . . . .183
Bidens chrysanthemoides, . . 185
Solidago bicolor ... 180
Gerardia quercifolia, . . . 191
Hamamelis Virginiana, . .192
Linncca borealis, .... 197
Claytonia Virginica, . . .198
Orchis spectabilis, . . . 200
Rhododendron Rhodora, . . 202
Silene Pennsylvania, . . . 203
Cypriptdium acaule, Frontispiece
Corydalis glauca, .... 207
Rhododendron nudiflorum, . 209
Poly gala paucifolia, . . .210
Poly gala paucifolia, . . .211
Poly gala polygama, . . .211
Polygata sanguinea, . . .211
Kalmia angusti folia, . . .213
Cypripedium spec labile, . .214
Pogonia ophioghssoides, . .217
Vaccinium macrocarpon, . .217
Calopogon pulchellus, . . .218
Apocynunt androscemifolium, 219
LXXXIX. WILD PINK, ....
XC. PINK LADY'S SLIPPER,
XCI. PALE CORYDALIS, . .
XCII. PINK AZALEA, . . .
XCIII. *FRINGED POLYGALA, .
XCIV. FRINGED POLYGALA, .
MlLKVVORT
XCV. SHEEP LAUREL, . . .
XCVI. *SHOWY LADY'S SLIPPER,
XCVII. "ADDER'S MOUTH, . .
AMERICAN CRANBERRY,
YPVITT *
XCIX. SPREADING DOGBANE, .
C. PURPLE-FLOWERING
RASPBERRY, . . .
CI. *PHILADELPHIA FLEA-
BANE
Erigeron Philadelphicus, . .222
Geranium Robertianum, . . 22$
CII. HERB ROBERT, . . .
xvii
LIST OF PLATES
PLATE PAGR
CIII. MOUNTAIN FRINUK, . Adlumia cirrhosa, .... 227
CIV. FlREWEED Epilobium angusti/olium, . . 231
CV. STEEPLE BUSH, . . . Spiraea tomentosa 233
CVI. *PlNK KNOTWEED, . . Polygonum Pennsylvanicum^ 234
CVII. PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE, . Lythrum Salicaria, . . . 235
CVIII. MEADOW-BEAUTY, . . Rhexia Virginica, .... 237
CIX. *LARGE SEA PINK, . . Sabbatia chloroides, .... 238
CX. ROSE MALLOW, . . . Hibiscus Moscheutos, . . .241
CXI. *MusK MALLOW, . . Malva moschata^ .... 242
CXII. MARSH St. JOHN'S-
WORT, Elodes campanulata, . . . 243
CXIII. TICK TREFOIL, . . . Dcsmodium Canadense, . . 245
CXIV. BOUNCING BET, . . . Saponaria officinalis, . . . 247
CXV. PURPLE GERARDIA, . . Gerardia purpurea 249
CXVI. JOE-PYE-WEED, . . . Eupatorium purpureum, . .251
CXVII. *WlLD COLUMBINE, . Aquilegia Canadensis, . . 254
CXVIII. WAKE ROBIN, . . . Trillium erectum 257
CXIX. *PAINTED CUP, . . . Castilleia coceinea 258
CXX. *PiTCHER PLANT, . . Sarracenia purpurea, . . . 260
CXXI. WOOD LILY, .... Lilium Philadelphicum, . .261
CXXII. TURK'S CAP LILY, . . Lilium superbum, .... 263
CXXIII. BUTTERFLY-WEED, . . Asclepias tuberosa, .... 265
CXXIV. TRUMPET HONEYSUCKLE, Lonicera sempervirens, . . 267
CXXV. *CARDINAL FLOWER, . Lobelia cardinalis, .... 268
CXXVI. LIVERWORT Hepatica triloba, ; ... 271
CXXVII. *BiRD-FOOT VIOLET, . Viola pedata 272
CXXVIII. *DoG VIOLET, . . . Viola canina ; var. Muhlen-
burgii 274
CXXIX. BLUETS Houstonia ccerulea 275
CXXX. WILD GERANIUM, . . Geranium maculatum, . . 277
CXXXI. SKULL-CAP Scutellaria galericulata, . . 283
CXXXII. *COMMON SPEEDWELL, Veronica ojficinalis, . . . 284
CXXXIII. WILD LUPINE, . . . Lupinus perennis 287
CXXXIV. *PURPLE FRINGED
ORCHIS, Habenaria fimbriata, . . . 288
CXXXV. SELF-HEAL, .... Brunella vulgaris, .... 289
CXXXVI. *ARETHUSA Arethusa bulbosa, .... 290
CXXXVII. BLUE VETCH, .... Vicia Cracca, 295
CXXXVIII. *PEPPERMINT, . . . Mentha Piperita, .... 296
CXXXIX. BLUEWEED Echium vulgare, .... 297
CXL. *PlCKEREL-WEED, . . Pontedaria cardata, . . . 298
CXLI. *HAREBELL, . . Campanufa rotundifolia, . . 298
LIST OF PLATES
PLAT
CXLII. NIGHTSHADE, . . .
CXLIII. SEA LAVENDER, . .
CXLIV. HOG PEANUT, . . .
CXLV. CHICORY
CXLVI. NEW ENGLAND ASTER,
CXLVII. *BLUE-WOOD ASTER, .
CXLVIII. *NEW YORK ASTER, .
CXLIX. IRON-WEED
CL. *BLAZING STAR, . .
CLI. *CLOSED GENTIAN, .
CLII. *FRINGED GENTIAN, .
CLIII. SKUNK CABBAGE, . .
CLIV. WILD GINGER, . . .
CLV. JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT, .
CLVI. *LlLY-LEAVED LlPARIS,
CLVII. BEECHDROPS, . . .
CLVIII. WILD BEAN,
Solatium Dulcamara, .
Statice Carolimana,
Amphicarpaa monoica,
Cichorium Intybus^ .
Aster Na Anglia,
Aster cordifolius. . .
Aster Novi Belgii, . .
Vernonia Noveboraensis t
Liatris scariosa, . . .
Gentiana Andrewsii, .
Gentiana crinita,
Symplocarpus f&tidus, .
Asarum Canadfnse,
A rise ma triphyllum, .
Liparis lilitfolia,
Epiphegus Virginiana,
Afios tuberosa, . . .
301
305
307
309
3U
3H
3H
315
316
3i8
320
323
325
327
328
329
331
" MOST young people find botany a dull study. So it is, as taught from
the text-books in the schools ; but study it yourself in the fields and woods,
and you will find it a source of perennial delight."
JOHN BURROUGHS.
HOW TO KNOW THE WILD FLOWERS
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
UNTIL a comparatively recent period the interest in plants
centred largely in the medicinal properties, and sometimes in
the supernatural powers, which were attributed to them.
" O who can tell
The hidden power of herbes and might of magick spell ? "
sang Spenser in the " Faerie Queene; " and to this day the names
of many of our wayside plants bear witness, not alone to the
healing properties which their owners were supposed to possess,
but also to the firm hold which the so-called " doctrine of sig-
natures " had upon the superstitious mind of the public. In an
early work on " The Art of Simpling," by one William Coles,
we read as follows: ''Yet the mercy of God which is over all
his works, maketh-Grasse to grow upon the Mountains and Herbes
for the use of men, and hath not only stamped upon them a dis-
tinct forme, but also given them particular signatures, whereby a
man may read, even in legible characters, the use of them."
Our hepatica or liver-leaf, owes both its generic and English
titles to its leaves, which suggested the form of the organ after
which the plant is named, and caused it to be considered ' ' a
sovereign remedy against the heat and inflammation of the
liver."*
Although his once-renowned system of classification has
since been discarded on account of its artificial character, it is
probably to Linnaeus that the honor is due of having raised the
*Lyte.
"ad
HOW TO KNOW THE WILD FLOWERS
study of plants to a rank which had never before been accorded
it. The Swedish naturalist contrived to inspire his disciples
with an enthusiasm, and to invest the flowers with a charm and
personality which awakened a wide-spread interest in the sub-
ject. It is only since his day that the unscientific nature-lover,
wandering through those woods and fields where
4 wide around, the marriage of the plants
Is sweetly solemnized "
IMS man-died to find the same laws in vogue in the floral as in
the animal world.
To Darwin we owe our knowledge of the significance of
color, form, and fragrance in flowers. These subjects have been
widely discussed during the last twenty-five years, because of
their dose connection with the theory of natural selection ; they
have also been more or less enlarged upon in modern text-books.
Nevertheless, it seems wiser to repeat what is perhaps already
known to the reader, and to allude to some of the interesting
theories connected with these topics, rather than to incur the risk
of obscurity by omitting all explanation of facts and deductions
to which it is frequently necessary to refer.
It is agreed that the object of a flower's life is the making of
seed, />., the continuance of its kind. Consequently its most
essential parts are its reproductive organs, the stamens, and the
pistil or pistils.
The stamens (p. xxxi) are the fertilizing organs. These pro-
duce the powdery, quickening material called pollen, in little
sacs which are borne at the tips of their slender stalks.
The pistil (p. xxxii) is the seed-bearing organ. The pollen-
grains which are deposited on its roughened summit throw out
minute tubes which penetrate the style, reaching the little ovules
in the ovary below, and quickening them into life.
These two kinds of organs can easily be distinguished in any
large, simple, complete flower (p. xxx). The pollen of ths sta-
mens, and the ovules which line the base of the pistil, can also
be detected with the aid of an ordinary magmfying-glass,
xxii
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
Now, we have been shown that nature apparently prefers that
the pistil of a flower should not receive its pollen from the stamens
in the same flower-cup with itself. Experience teaches that
sometimes when this happens no seeds result. At other times
the seeds appear, but they are less healthy and vigorous than
those which are the outcome of cross-fertilization the term
used by botanists to describe the quickening of the ovules in one
blossom by the pollen from another.
But perhaps we hardly realize the importance of abundant
health and vigor in a plant's offspring.
Let us suppose that our eyes are so keen as to enable us to
note the different seeds which, during one summer, seek to secure
a foothold in some few square inches of the sheltered roadside.
The neighboring herb-roberts and jewel- weeds discharge cata-
pult fashion several small invaders into the very heart of the
little territory. A battalion of silky-tufted seeds from the
cracked pods of the milkweed float downward and take lazy
possession of the soil, while the heavy rains wash into their im-
mediate vicinity those of the violet from the overhanging bank.
The hooked fruit of the stick-tight is finally brushed from the
hair of some exasperated animal by the jagged brandies of the
neighboring thicket and is deposited on the disputed ground,
while a bird passing just overhead drops earthward the seed of
the partridge berry. , The ammunition of the witch-hazel, too,
is shot into the midst of this growing colony ; to say nothing of
a myriad more little squatters that are wafted or washed or
dropped or flung upon this one bit of earth, which is thus trans-
formed into a bloodless battle-ground, and which is incapable of
yielding nourishment to one-half or one-tenth or even one hun-
dredth of these tiny strugglers for life !
So, to avoid diminishing the vigor of their progeny by self-
fertilization (the reverse of cross-fertilization), various species
take various precautions. In one species the pistil is so placed
that the pollen of the neighboring stamens cannot reach it. In
others one of these two organs ripens before the other, with
the result that the contact of the pollen with the stigma of the
xzm
HOW TO KNOW THE WILD FLOWERS
pistil would be ineffectual. Often the stamens and pistils are
in different flowers, sometimes on different plants. But these
pistils must, if possible, receive the necessary pollen in some way
and fulfil their destiny by setting seed. And we have been
shown that frequently it is brought to them by insects, occa-
sionally by birds, and that sometimes it is blown to them by the
winds.
Ingenious devices are resorted to in order to secure these
desirable results. Many flowers make themselves useful to the
insect world by secreting somewhere within their dainty cups
little glands of honey, or, more properly speaking, nectar, for
honey is the result of the bees' work. This nectar is highly
prized by the insects, and is in many cases the only object
which attracts them to the flowers, although sometimes the pollen,
which Darwin believes to have been the only inducement offered
formerly, is sought as well.
But of course this nectar fails to induce visits unless the bee's
attention is first attracted to the blossom, and it is tempted to
explore the premises ; and we now observe the interesting fact
that those flowers which depend upon insect-agency for their
pollen, usually advertise their whereabouts by wearing bright
colors or by exhaling fragrance. It will also be noticed that
a flower sufficiently conspicuous to arrest attention by its ap-
pearance alone is rarely fragrant.
When, attracted by either of these significant characteristics
color or fragrance the bee alights upon the blossom, it is some-
times guided to the very spot where the nectar lies hidden by
markings of some vivid color. Thrusting its head into the heart
of the flower for the purpose of extracting the secret treasure,
it unconsciously strikes the stamens with sufficient force to cause
them to powder its body with pollen. Soon it flies away to
another plant of the same kind, where, in repeating the process
just described, it unwittingly brushes some of the pollen from
the first blossom upon the pistil of the second, where it helps to
make new seeds. Thus these busy bees which hum so restlessly
through the long summer days are working better than they
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
know and are accomplishing more important feats than the mere
honey-making which we usually associate with their ceaseless
activity.
Those flowers which are dependent upon night-flying in-
sects for their pollen contrive to make themselves noticeable
by wearing white or pale yellow red, blue, and pink being with
difficulty detected in the darkness. They, too, frequently in-
dicate their presence by exhaling perfume, which in many
cases increases in intensity as the night falls and a clew to
their whereabouts becomes momentarily more necessary. This
fact partially accounts for the large proportion of fragrant
white flowers. Darwin found that the proportion of sweet-
scented white flowers to sweet-scented red ones was 14.6 per
cent, of white to 8.2 of red.
We notice also that some of these night-fertilized flowers
close during the day, thus insuring themselves against the visits
of insects which might rob them of their nectar or pollen, and
yet be unfitted by the shape of their bodies to accomplish their
fertilization. On the other hand, many blossoms which are
dependent upon the sun-loving bees close at night, securing the
same advantage.
Then there are flowers which close in the shade, others at
the approach of a storm, thus protecting their pollen and nectar
from the dissolving rain ; others at the same time every day.
Linnaeus invented a famous "flower-clock," which indicated
the hours of the day by the closing of different flowers. This
habit of closing has been called the " sleep of flowers."
There is one far from pleasing class of flowers which entices
insect-visitors not by attractive colors and alluring fragrance
but " by deceiving flies through their resemblance to putrid meat
imitating the lurid appearance as well as the noisome smell
of carrion."* Our common carrion - flower (Plate XLVIII),
which covers the thickets so profusely in early summer that
Thoreau complained that every bush and copse near the river
emitted an odor which led one to imagine that all the dead dogs
* Grant Allen.
HOW TO KNOW THE WILD FLOWERS
in the neighborhood had drifted to its shore, is probably an
example of this class, without lurid color, but certainly with a
sufficiently noisome smell ! Yet this foul odor seems to answer
the plant's purpose as well as their delicious aroma does that of
more refined blossoms, if the numberless small flies which it
manages to attract are fitted to successfully transmit its pollen.
Certain flowers are obviously adapted to the visits of in-
sects by their irregular forms. The fringed or otherwise con-
spicuous lip and long nectar-bearing spur of many orchids point
to their probable dependence upon insect agency for perpetua-
tion ; while the papilionaceous blossoms of the Pulse family also
betray interesting adaptations for cross-fertilization by the same
means. Indeed it is believed that irregularity of form is rarely
conspicuous in a blossom that is not visited by insects.
The position of a nodding flower, like the harebell, protects
its pollen and nectar from the rain and dew ; while the hairs in
the throat of many blossoms answer the same purpose and ex-
clude useless insects as well.
Another class of flowers which calls for special mention is that
which is dependent upon the wind for its pollen. It is interest-
ing to observe that this group expends little effort in useless
adornment. "The wind bloweth where it listeth " and takes
no note of form or color. So here we find those
" Wan flowers without a name,"
which, unheeded, line the way-side. The common plantain of
the country dooryard, from whose long tremulous stamens the
light, dry pollen is easily blown, is a familiar example of this
usually ignored class. Darwin first observed, that "when a
flower is fertilized by the wind it never has a gayly colored co-
rolla." Fragrance and nectar as well are usually denied these
sombre blossoms. Such is the occasional economy of that at
times most reckless of all spendthrifts nature !
Some plants certain violets and the jewel- weeds among
others bear small inconspicuous blossoms which depend upon
no outside agency for fertilization. These never open, thus
xxvi
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
effectually guarding their pollen from the possibility of being
blown away by the wind, dissolved by the rain, or stolen by
insects. They are called cleistogamous flowers.
Nature's clever devices for securing a wide dispersion of
seeds have been already hinted at. One is tempted to dwell at
length upon the ingenious mechanism of the elastically bursting
capsules of one species, and the deft adjustment of the silky sails
which waft the seeds of others ; on the barbed fruits which have
pressed the most unwilling into their prickly service, and the
bright berries which so temptingly invite the hungry winter
birds to peck at them till their precious contents are released,
or to devour them, digesting only the pulpy covering and allow-
ing the seeds to escape uninjured into the earth at some conven-
iently remote spot.
Then one would like to pause long enough to note the slow
movements of the climbing plants and the uncanny ways of the
insect-devourers. At our very feet lie wonders for whose eluci-
dation a lifetime would be far too short. Yet if we study for
ourselves the mysteries of the flowers, and, when daunted, seek
their interpretation in those devoted students who have made
this task part of their life-work, we may hope finally to attain at
least a partial insight into those charmed lives which find
" tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sekmons in Stones, and good in everything."
xxvii
EXPLANATION OF TERMS
THE comprehension of the flower descriptions and of the
opening chapters will be facilitated by the reading of the fol-
lowing explanation of terms. For words or expressions other
than those which are included in this section, the Index of
Technical Terms at the end of the book should be consulted.
The Root of a plant is the part which grows downward into
the ground and absorbs nourishment from the soil. True roots
bear nothing besides root-branches or rootlets.
" The Stem is the axis of the plant, the part which bears all
the other organs." (Gray.)
A Rootstock is a creeping stem which grows beneath the
surface of the earth. (See Blood -root and Solomon's Seal. Pis.
I. and LV.)
A Tuber is a thickened end of a rootstock, bearing buds,
" eyes," on its sides. The common Potato is a familiar ex-
ample of a tuber, being a portion of the stem of the potato plant.
A Corm is a short, thick, fleshy underground stem which
sends off roots from its lower face. (See Jack-in-the-Pulpit,
PL CLV.)
A Bulb is an underground stem, the main body of which
consists of thickened scales, which are in reality leaves or leaf
bases, as in the onion.
A Simple Stem is one which does not branch.
A Stemless plant is one which bears no obvious stem, but
only leaves and flower-stalks, as in the Common Blue Violet and
Liver-leaf (PI. CXXVI.).
A Scape is the leafless flower-stalk of a stemless plant. (See
Liver-leaf, PI. CXXVI.)
xxvni
EXPLANATION OF TERMS
An Entire Leaf is one the edge of which is not cut or lobed
in any way. (See Rhododendron, PI. XXII., and Closed Gen-
tian, PI. CLI.)
A Simple Leaf is one which is not divided into leaflets ; its
edges may be either lobed or entire. (See Rhododendron, PL
XXII. ; also Fig. i.)
.A
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
A Compound Leaf is one which is divided into leaflets, as
in Wild Rose, Pink Clover, and Travellers' Joy (PI. XL. ; also
Fig. 2).
A Much-divided Leaf is one which is several times divided
into leaflets (Fig. 3).
The Axil of a, leaf is the upper angle formed by a leaf or
leaf-stalk and the stem.
Flowers which grow from the axils of the leaves are said to
be Axillary.
When leaves or flowers are arranged in a circle around the
stem they are said to be Whorled, or to form a Whorl. (See Ind-
ian Cucumber-root, PL LX; Four-leaved Loosestrife, PL LXVII.)
A cluster in which the flowers are arranged each on its own
stalk along the sides of a common stem or stalk is called a
Raceme. (See Cardinal-flower, PL CXXV. ; Shin-leaf, PL
XXVI.)
A Corymb is the same as a raceme, except that it is flat
and broad, a raceme becoming a Corymb if the stalks of its
xxix
HOW TO KNOW THE WILD FLOWERS
lower flowers are lengthened while those of the upper remain
shorter.
A cluster in which the flower-stalks all spring from apparently
the same point, as in the Milkweeds, somewhat suggesting the
spreading ribs of an umbrella, is called an Umbel (PI. CXXIII.).
A cluster which is formed of a number of small umbels, all of
the stalks of which start from apparently the same point, is called
a Compound Umbel.
A close, circular flower-cluster, like that of Pink Clover or
Dandelion is called a Head. (Sunflower, PI. LXXIX.)
A flower-cluster along the lengthened axis of which the
flowers are sessile or closely set is called a Spike. (Mullein, PI.
LXXIII.)
A Spadix is a fleshy spike or head, with small and often im-
perfect flowers, as in the Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and Skunk Cabbage
(Pis. CLV. and CLIII. ; also Fig. 4).
Fig. 4. Fig. 5. Fig. 6.
A Spathe is the peculiar leaf-like bract which usually en-
velops a spadix. (See Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Skunk Cabbage,
Pis. CLV. and CLIII. ; also Fig. 5.)
A Bract is a leaf belonging to or subtending a flower-cluster
or a flower. It differs from the ordinary leaves usually in shape
or size, sometimes in texture and color. The flower of an orchid
is always subtended by a bract. (See Adder's Mouth, PI.
XCVII.)
Involucre is the name given to the circle or spiral collection
of bracts around a flower-cluster. (See Wild Sunflower, PI.
XXX
EXPLANATION OF TERMS
LXXIX., where the involucre surrounds what is probably con-
sidered a single flower, but what is actually a cluster of ray- and
disk-flowers ; also bunch-berry, PI. XVIII. ; where the involucre
consists of the four showy white leaves which are usually supposed
to be petals, while the greenish centre is actually a cluster of in-
conspicuous flowers.)
A leaf or flower which is set so close in the stem as to show
no sign of a separate leaf or flower -stalk, is said to be Sessile.
A Complete Flower (Fig. 6) is " that part of a plant which
subserves the purpose of producing seed, consisting of stamens
and pistils, which are the essential organs, and the calyx and
corolla, which are the protecting organs." (Gray.)
The green outer flower-cup, or outer set of green leaves,
which we notice at the base of many flowers, is the Calyx (Fig.
6 Ca). At times this part is brightly colored and may be thp
most conspicuous feature of the flower.
When the calyx is divided into separate leaves, these leaves
are called Sepals.
The inner flower-cup or the inner set of leaves is the Corolla
(Fig. 6, C).
When the corolla is divided into separate leaves, these leaves
are called Petals.
We can look upon calyx and corolla as the natural tapestry
which protects th delicate organs of the flower, and serves as
well, in many cases, to attract the attention of passing insects.
In some flowers only one of these two parts is present ; in such a
case the single cup or set of floral leaves is generally considered to
be the calyx.
The floral leaves may be spoken of collectively as the Peri-
anth. This word is used especially in describing members of
families where there might be difficulty in deciding as to whether
the single set of floral leaves present should be considered calyx
or corolla (see Lilies, Pis. LXX. and CXXI.) ; or where the
petals and sepals can only be distinguished with difficulty, as
with the Orchids.
The Stamens (Fig. 7) are the fertilizing organs of the flower.
HOW TO KNOW THE WILD FLOWERS
A stamen usually consists of two parts, its Filament (F), or stalk,
and its Anther (A), the little sac at the tip of the filament which
produces the dust-like, fertilizing substance called Pollen (p).
The Pistil (Fig. 8) is the seed-bearing organ of the flower.
When complete it consists of Ovary (O), Style (Sty), and
Stigma (Stg).
The Ovary is the hollow portion at the base of the pistil. It
contains the ovules or rudimentary seeds which are quickened
into life by the pollen.
The Style is the slender tapering stalk above the ovary.
The Stigma is usually the tip of the style. The pollen -grains
which are deposited upon its moist roughened surface throw out
..-A
Fig 7.
minute tubes which penetrate to the little ovules of the ovary
and cause them to ripen into seeds.
A flower which has neither stamens nor pistils is described
as Neutral.
A flower with only one kind of these organs is termed Uni-
sexual.
A Male or Staminate flower is one with stamens but without
pistils.
A Female or Pistillate flower is one with pistils but without
stamens.
The Fruit of a plant is the ripened seed-vessel or seed-vessels,
including the parts which are intimately connected with it or
them.
NOTABLE PLANT FAMILIES
ALTHOUGH the great majority of plant families can only be
distinguished by a combination of characteristics which are too
obscure to obtain any general recognition, there are some few
instances where these family traits are sufficiently conspicuous to
be of great assistance in the ready identification of flowers.
If, for instance, we recognize at sight a papilionaceous blos-
som and know that such an one only occurs in the Pulse family,
we save the time and energy which might otherwise have been
expended on the comparison of a newly found blossom of this
character with the descriptions of flowers of a different lineage.
Consequently it has seemed wise briefly to describe the marked
features of such important families as generally admit of easy
identification.
Composite Family. It is fortunate for the amateur botanist
that the plant family which usually secures the quickest recog-
nition should also e the largest in the world. The members of
the Composite family attract attention in every quarter of the
globe, and make themselves evident from early spring till late
autumn, but more especially with us during the latter season.
The most notable characteristic of the Composites is the
crowding of a number of small flowers into a close cluster or
head, which head is surrounded by an involucre, and has the
effect of a single blossom. Although this grouping of small
flowers in a head is not peculiar to this tribe, the same thing
being found in the clovers, the milkworts, and in various other
plants still a little experience will enable one to distinguish a
Composite without any analysis of the separate blossoms which
form the head.
xxxni
HOW TO KNOW THE WILD FLOWERS
These heads vary greatly in size and appearance. At times
they are large and solitary, as in the dandelion. Again they are
small and clustered, as in the yarrow.
In some genera they are composed of flowers which are all
similar in form and color, as in the dandelion, where all the
corollas are strap-shaped and yellow ; or, as in the common
thistle, where they are all tubular-shaped and pinkish-purple.
In others they are made up of both kinds of flowers, as in
the daisy, where only the yellow central or disk -flowers are
tubular-shaped, while the white outer or ray-flowers are strap-
shaped. The flower-heads of the well-known asters and golden
rods are composed of both ray and disk-flowers also; but while
the ray-flowers of the aster, like those of the daisy, wear a dif-
ferent color from the yellow disk-flowers, both kinds are yellow
in the golden rod.
If the dandelion or the chicory (PI. CXLV. ) is studied as an
example of a head which is composed entirely of strap-shaped
blossoms; the common thistle or the stick-tight (PI. LXXX.)
as an example of one which is made up of tubular -shaped blos-
soms ; and the daisy or the sun-flower (PI. LXXIX.) as an example
of one which combines ray and disk-flowers as the strap-shaped
and tubular blossoms are called when both are present there
need be little difficulty in the after recognition of a member of
this family. The identification of a particular species or even
genus will be a less simple matter ; the former being a task which
has been known to tax the patience of even advanced botanists
Mr. Grant Allen believes that the Composites largely owe
their universal sway to their " co-operative system." He says :
" If we look close into the Daisy we see that its centre com-
prises a whole mass of little yellow bells, each of which consists
of corolla, stamens, and pistil. The insect which alights on the
head can take his fill in a leisurely way, without moving from
his standing-place ; and meanwhile he is proving a good ally of
the plant by fertilizing one after another of its numerous ovaries.
Each tiny bell by itself would prove too inconspicuous to attract
much attention from the passing bee ; but union is strength for
NOTABLE PLANT FAMILIES
the Daisy as for the State, and the little composites have found
their co-operative system answer so well, that late as was their
appearance upon the earth they are generally considered at the
present day to be the most numerous family both in species and
individuals of all flowering plants." While those of us who
know the country lanes at that season when
" ranks of seeds their witness bear,"
feel that much of their omnipresence is due to their unsur-
passed facilities for globe- trotting. Our roadsides every autumn
are lined with tall golden -rods, whose brown velvety clusters
are compossed of masses of tiny seeds whose downy sails are set
for their aerial voyage ; with asters, whose myriad flower-headf
are traasformed into little puff-balls which are awaiting disso-
lution by the November winds, and with others of the tribe
whose hooked seeds win a less ethereal but equally effective
transportation.
Parsley Family. The most familiar representative of the
Parsley family is the wild carrot (p.po), which so profusely decks
the highways throughout the summer with its white, lace-like
clusters ; while the meadow parsnip is perhaps the best known of
its yellow members (p. 133).
This family can usually be recognized by the arrangement
of its minute flowers in umbels, which umbels are again so
clustered as to form a compound umbel whose radiating stalks
suggest the ribs of an umbrella, and give this Order its Latin
name of Umbellifcra.
A close examination of the tiny flowers which compose these
umbrella-like clusters discovers that each one has five white
or yellow petals, five stamens, and a two-styled pistil. Some-
times the calyx shows five minute teeth. The leaves are usually
divided into leaflets or segments which are often much toothed
or incised.
The Parsleys are largely distinguished from one another by
differences in their fruit, which can only be detected with the
aid of a microscope. It is hoped, however, that the more coin*
HOW TO KNOW THE WILD FLOWERS
mon and noticeable species will be recognized by means o*
descriptions which give their general appearance, season of
blooming, and favorite haunts.
Pulse Family. The Pulse family includes many of our com-
mon wood and field flowers. The majority of its members are
easily distinguished by those irregular, butterfly-shaped blos-
soms which are described as papilionaceous. The sweet pea is
a familiar example of such a flower, and a study of its curious
structure renders easy the after-identification of a papilionaceous
blossom, even if it be as small as one of the many which make
up the head of the common pink clover.
The calyx of such a flower is of five more or less and some-
times unequally united sepals. The corolla consists of five
irregular petals, the upper one of which is generally wrapped
about the others in bud, while it spreads or turns backward in
flower. This petal is called the standard. The two side petals
are called wings. The two lower ones are usually somewhat
united and form a sort of pouch which encloses the stamens and
style ; this is called the keel, from a fancied likeness to the
prow of an ancient vessel. There are usually ten stamens and
one pistil.
These flowers are peculiarly adapted to cross-fertilization
through insect agency, although one might imagine the con-
trary to be the case from the relative positions of stamens and
pistil. In the pea-blossom, for example, the hairy portion of
the style receives the pollen from the early maturing stamens.
The weight of a visiting bee projects the stigma and the pollen -
laden style against the insect's body. But it must be observed
that in this action the stigma first brushes against the dee, while
the pollen-laden style touches him later, with the result that the
bee soon flies to another flower on whose fresh stigma the de-
tached pollen is left, while a new cargo of this valuable material
is unconsciously secured, and the same process is indefinitely re-
peated.
Mint Family. A member of the Mint family usually exhales
an aromatic fragrance which aids us to place it correctly. If to
NOTABLE PLANT FAMILIES
this characteristic is added a square stem, opposite leaves, a two-
lipped corolla, four stamens in pairs two being longer than the
others or two stamens only, and a pistil whose style (two-
lobed at the apex) rises from a deeply four-lobed ovary which
splits apart in fruit into four little seed-like nutlets, we may feel
sure that one of the many Mints is before us.
Sometimes we think we have encountered one of the family
because we find the opposite leaves, two-lipped corolla, four
stamens, and an ovary that splits into four nutlets in fruit ; but
unless the ovary was also deeply four-lobed in the flower, the
plant is probably a Vervain, a tribe which greatly resembles the
Mints. The Figworts, too, might be confused with the Mints
did we not always keep in mind the four-lobed ovary.
In this family we find the common catnip and pennyroyal,
the pretty ground ivy, and the handsome Oswego tea (p. 264).
Mustard Family. The Mustard family is one which is
abundantly represented in waste places everywhere by the little
shepherd's purse or pickpocket, and along the roadsides by the
yellow mustard, and wild radish. (See Crinkle-root, PL V.)
Its members may be recognized by their alternate leaves,
their biting, harmless juice, and by their white, yellow, or pur-
plish flowers, the structure of which at once betrays the family to
which they belong.
The calyx of these flowers is divided into four sepals. The
four petals are placed opposite each other in pairs, their spread-
ing blades forming a cross which gives the Order its Latin name
CrucifercB. There are usually six stamens, two of which are in-
serted lower down than the others. The single pistil becomes
in fruit a pod. Many of the Mustards are difficult of identifica-
tion Without a careful examination of their pods and seeds.
Orchis Family. To the minds of many the term orchid only
suggests a tropical air-plant, which is rendered conspicuous either
by its beauty or by its unusual and noticeable structure.
This impression is, perhaps, partly due to the rude print m
some old text-book which endeared itself to our childish minds
by those startling and extravagant illustrations which are re-
zxxvii
HOW TO KNOW THE WILD FLOWERS
sponsible for so many shattered illusions in later life ; and partly
to the various exhibitions of flowers in which only the exotic
members of this family are displayed.
Consequently, when the dull clusters of the ragged fringed
orchids, or the muddy racemes of the coral-root, or even the
slender, graceful spires of the ladies' tresses are brought from
the woods or roadside and exhibited as one of so celebrated a
tribe, they are usually viewed with scornful incredulity, or, if
the authority of the exhibitor be sufficient to conquer disbelief,
with unqualified disappointment. The marvellous mechanism
which is exhibited by the humblest member of the Orchis family,
and which suffices to secure the patient scrutiny and wondering
admiration of the scientist, conveys to the uninitated as little of
interest or beauty as would a page of Homer in the original to
one without scholarly attainments.
The uprooting of a popular theory must be the work of years,
especially when it is impossible to offer as a substitute one
which is equally capable of being tersely defined and readily ap.
prehended ; for many seem to hold it a righteous principle to
cherish even a delusion till it be replaced by a belief which af-
fords an equal amount of satisfaction. It is simpler to describe
an orchid as a tropical air-plant which apes the appearance of
an insect and never roots in the ground than it is to master by
patient study and observation the various characteristics which
so combine in such a plant as to make it finally recognizable and
describable. Unfortunately, too, the enumeration of these un-
sensational details does not appeal to the popular mind, and so
fails to win by its accuracy the place already occupied by the in-
correct but pleasing conception of an orchid.
For the benefit of those who wish to be able correctly to place
these curious and interesting flowers, as brief a description as
seems compatible with their recognition is appended.
Leaves. Alternate, parallel-nerved.
Flowers. Irregular in form, solitary or clustered, each one
subtended by a bract.
Perianth. Of six divisions in two sets. The three outer
xxxvitt
NOTABLE PLANT FAMILIES
divisions are sepals, but they are usually petal-like in appearance.
The three inner are petals. By a twist of the ovary what would
otherwise be the upper petal is made the lower. This division is
termed the lip ; it is frequently brightly colored or grotesquely
shaped, being at times deeply fringed or furrowed ; it has often
a spur-like appendage which secretes nectar ; it is an important
feature of the flower and is apparently designed to attract insects
for the purpose of securing their aid in the cross-fertilization
which is usually necessary for the perpetuation of the different
species of this family, all of which give evidence of great modi-
fication by means of insect-selection.
In the heart of the flower is the column ; this is usually com-
posed of the stamen (of two in the Cypripediums), which is con-
fluent with the style or thick, fleshy stigma. The two cells of
the anther are placed on either side of and somewhat above the
stigma ; these cells hold the two pollen masses.
Darwin tells us that the flower of an orchid originally con-
sisted of fifteen different parts, three petals, three sepals, six
stamens, and three pistils. He shows traces of all these parts ir
the modern orchid.
FLOWER DESCRIPTIONS
4 fresh footpath, a fresh flower ; afresh delight "
RICHARD JEFFERIKS
1
WHITE
[White or occasionally White Flowers not described in White
Section.]
Liverwort. Hepatica triloba. April and May.
(Blue and Purple Section, p. 270.)
Trailing Arbutus. Epigcea repens. April and May.
(Pink Section, p. 195.)
White Adder's Tongue. Erythronium albidum. April and May.
, (Yellow Section, p. 126.)
Bluets. Houstonia carulea. May and June.
(Blue and Purple Section, p. 274.)
Beard-Tongue. Pentstemon pubescens and Pentstemon digitalis. June.
(Blue and Purple Section, p. 290.)
Wild Morning Glory. Convolvulus Americanus. Summer.
(Pink Section, p. 223.)
Moth Mullein. Verbascum Blattaria. Later Summer.
(Yellow Section, p. 170.)
Bouncing Bet. Saponaria officinalis. Later Summer.
(Pink Section, p. 248.)
. _ Occasional white varieties of other flowers maybe found.
fn this section also are placed flowers so pale as to give a white effect.
i
WHITE
BLOOD-ROOT.
Sanguinaria Canadensis, Poppy Family.
Rootstock, Thick ; charged with a crimson juice. Scape. -Naked ; one-
flowered. Leaves. Rounded ; deeply lobed. Flower. White ; terminal.
Calyx. Of two sepals falling early. Corolla. Of eight to twelve snow-
white petals. Stamens. About twenty-four. Pistil. One; short.
In early April the curled-up leaf of the blood-root, wrapped in
its papery bracts, pushes its firm tip through the earth and brown
leaves, bearing within its carefully shielded burden, the young
erect flower-bud. When the perils of the way are passed and a
safe height is reached, this pale, deeply lobed leaf resigns its
precious charge and gradually unfolds itself; meanwhile the bud
slowly swells into a blossom.
Surely no flower of the year can vie with this in spotless
beauty. Its very transitoriness enhances its charm. The snowy
petals fall from about their golden centre before one has had
time to grow satiated with their perfection. Unless the rocky
hillsides and wood-borders are jealously watched it may escape
us altogether. One or two warm sunny days will hasten it to
maturity, and a few more hours of wind and storm shatter its
loveliness.
Care should be taken in picking the flower if it must be
picked as the red liquid which oozes blood-like from the
wounded stem makes a lasting stain. This crimson juice was
prized by the Indians as a decoration for their faces and toma-
hawks.
PLATE I
B LOO D- ROOT . Sanguinaria Canadensis.
WHITE
SHAD-BUSH. JUNE-BERRY. SERVICE-BERRY.
Amelanchier oblongifolia. Rose Family.
A tall shrub or small tree found in low ground. Leaves. Oblong ;
acutely pointed; finely toothed; mostly rounded at base. Flowers.
White; growing in racemes. Calyx. Five-cleft. Corolla. Of five rather
long petals. Stamens. Numerous; short. Pistils. With five styles.
Fruit. Round; red; sweet and edible ; ripening in June.
Down in the boggy meadow, in early March, we can almost
fancy that from beneath the solemn purple cowls of the skunk-
cabbage brotherhood comes the joyful chorus
" For lo, the winter is past ! "
but we chilly mortals still find the wind so frosty and the woods
so unpromising that we return shivering to the fireside, and re-
fuse to take up the glad strain till the feathery clusters of the
shad-bush droop from the pasture thicket. Then only are we
ready to admit that
' ' The flowers appear upon the earth,
The time of the singing of birds is come. "
Even then, search the woods as we may, we shall hardly find
thus early in April* another shrub in blossom, unless it be the
spice-bush, whose tiny honey-yellow flowers escape all but the
careful observer. The shad-bush has been thus named because
of its flowering at the season when shad "run; " June-berry,
because the shrub's crimson fruit surprises us by gleaming from
the copses at the very beginning of summer ; service-berry, be-
cause of the use made by the Indians of this fruit, which they
gathered in great quantities, and, after much crushing and
pounding, made into a sort of cake.
WHITE
WOOD ANEMONE. WIND-FLOWER.
Anemone nemorosa. Crowfoot Family.
Stem. Slender. Leaves. Divided into delicate leaflets. Flower.
Solitary ; white, pink, or purplish. Calyx. Of from four to seven petal-
like sepals. Corolla. None. Stamens and Pistils. Numerous.
" Within the woods,
Whose young and half transparent leaves scarce cast
A shade, gay circles of anemones
Danced on their stalks ; "
writes Bryant, bringing vividly before us the feathery foliage of
the spring woods, and the tremulous beauty of the slender-
stemmed anemones. Whittier, too, tells how these
" wind-flowers sway
Against the throbbing heart of May."
And in the writings of the ancients as well we could find many
allusions to the same flower, were we justified in believing that
the blossom christened the "wind-shaken," by some poet
flower-lover of early Greece, was identical with our modern
anemone.
Pliny tells us that the anemone of the classics was so entitled
because it opened at the wind's bidding. The Greek tradition
claims that it sprang from the passionate tears shed by Venus
over the body of the slain Adonis. At one time it was believed
that the wind which had passed over a field of anemones was
poisoned, and that disease followed in its wake. Perhaps be-
cause of this superstition the flower was adopted as the emblem of
illness by the Persians. Surely our delicate blossom is far re-
moved from any suggestion of disease or unwholesomeness, seem-
ing instead to hold the very essence of spring and purity in its
quivering cup.
PLATE II
WOOD ANEMONE. Anemone nemorosa. RUE ANEMONE. A nemontlla, thalictroidts.
5
WHITE
RUE ANEMONE.
Anemonella thalictroides. Crowfoot Family.
Stem. Six to twelve inches high. Leaves. Divided into rounded leaf-
lets. Flowers. White or pinkish ; clustered. Calyx. Of five to ten petal-
like sepals. Corolla. None. Stamens. Numerous. Pistils. Four to fif-
teen.
The rue anemone seems to linger especially about the spread-
ing roots of old trees. It blossoms with the wood anemone,
from which it differs in bearing its flowers in clusters.
STAR-FLOWER.
Trienialis Americana. Primrose Family.
Stem. Smooth; erect. Leaves. Thin; pointed; whorled at the summit
of the stem. Flowers. White; delicate; star-shaped. Calyx. Generally
seven-parted. Corolla. Generally seven-parted ; flat ; spreading. Stamens.
Four or five. Pistil. One.
Finding this delicate flower in the May woods, one is at once
reminded of the anemone. The whole effect of plant, leaf, and
snow-white blossom is starry and pointed. The frosted tapering
petals distinguish it from the rounded blossoms of the wild straw-
berry, near which it often grows.
Maianthemum Canadense. Lily Family.
Stem. Three to six inches high ; with two or three leaves. Leaves.
Lance-shaped to oval; heart-shaped at base. Flowers. White or straw-
color; growing in a raceme. Perianth. Four-parted. Stamens. Four.
Pistil. One, with a two-lobed stigma. Fruit. A red berry.
It seems unfair that this familiar and pretty little plant should
be without any homely English name.* Its botanical title signi-
fies " Canada Mayflower," but while undoubtedly it grows in
Canada and flowers in May, the name is not a happy one, for it
abounds as far south as North Carolina, and is not the first blos-
som to be entitled " Mayflower."
In late summer the red berries are often found in close prox-
imity to the fruit of the shin-leaf and pipsissewa.
* In parts of the country it is called " Wild Lily of the Valley."
6
PLATE
STAR FLOWER.
Trientalis American^
Fruit. Flower.
Maianthemum Canadense.
7
WHITE
GOLD THREAD.
Coptis trifolia. Crowfoot Family.
Scape. Slender; three to five inches high. Leaves. Evergreen; shin-
ing; divided into three leaflets. Flowers. White; solitary. Calyx. Of
five to seven petal-like sepals which fall early. Corolla. Of five to seven
club-shaped petals. Stamens. Fifteen to twenty-five. Pistils. Three to
seven. Root. Of long, bright yellow fibres.
This decorative little plant abundantly carpets the northern
bogs and extends southward over the mountains. Its delicate
flowers appear in May, but its shining, evergreen leaves are
noticeable throughout the year. The bright yellow thread-like
roots give it its common name.
EARLY EVERLASTING. PLANTAIN-LEAVED EVER-
LASTING.
Antennaria plantaginifolia. Composite Family.
Stems. Downy or woolly, three to eighteen inches high. Leaves.
Silky, woolly when young ; those from the root, oval, three-nerved ; those on
the flowering stems, small, lance-shaped. Flower-heads. Crowded; clus-
tered ; small ; yellowish-white ; composed entirely of tubular flowers.
In early spring the hillsides are whitened with this, the earli-
est of the everlastings.
CHOKEBERRY.
Pyrus arbuti folia. Rose Family.
A shrub from one to three feet high. Leaves. Oblong or somewhat
lance-shaped ; finely toothed ; downy beneath. Flowers. White or pink-
ish ; rather small ; clustered. Calyx. Five-cleft. Corolla. Of five petals.
Stamens Numerous. Pistil. One, with two to five styles. Fruit.
Small, pear-shaped or globular, dark red or blackish.
Among the earliest shrubs of the year to flower is the choke-
berry. Its white or pink blossoms, despite their smaller size,
indicate a close kinship to those of the apple-tree. They are
found during the spring months in swamps and thickets, and
PLATE IV
PYX\E.Pyxidanlltera barbulala.
WHITE
also on the mountain sides all along the Atlantic coast, as well as
farther inland. The red or blackish fruit suggests superficially a
huckleberry.
PYXIE. FLOWERING-MOSS.
[PI. IV
Pyxidanthera barbulala- Order Diapensiacea.
Stems, Prostrate and creeping; branching. Leaves. Narrowly lance-
shaped ; awl -pointed. Flowers. White or pink; small ; numerous. Calyx.
Of five sepals. Corolla. Five-lobed. Stamens. Five. Pistil. One,
with a three-lobed stigma.
In early spring we may look for the dainty white flowers of
this delicate moss-like plant in the sandy pine-woods of New
Jersey and southward. At Lakewood they appear even before
those of the trailing arbutus which grows in the same localities.
The generic name is from two Greek words which signify a
small box and anther, and refers to the anthers, which open as if
by a lid.
CRINKLE-ROOT. TOOTHWORT. PEPPER-ROOT.
[PI. V
Dentaria diphylla. Mustard Family.
Rootstock. Five to ten inches long; wrinkled; crisp; of a pleasant, pun-
gent taste. Stem. Leafless below : bearing two leaves above. Leaves.
Divided into three toothed leaflets. Flowers. White; in a terminal cluster.
Calyx. Of four early-falling sepals. Corolla. Of four petals. Stamens.
Six ; two shorter than the others. Pistil. One. Pod. Flat and lance -
shaped.
The crinkle-root has been valued, not so much on account
of its pretty flowers which may be found in the rich May woods,
but for its crisp, edible root, which has lent savor to many a
simple luncheon in the cool shadows of the forest.
TOOTHWORT,
Dentaria laciniata. Mustard Family.
Rootstock. Tuberous ; sometimes more or less bead-like. Stem-leaves.
Deeply parted ; the divisions gash-toothed. Flowers. White or pink; in
a terminal cluster ; otherwise as in above, but usually appearing somewhat
earlier in the spring.
WHITE
SPRING-CRESS.
Cardamine rhomboidea. Mustard Family.
Rootstock. Slender; bearing small tubers. Stem. From a tuberous
base; upright; slender. Root-leaves. Round and often heart-shaped.
Stem-leaves. The lower rounded, the upper almost lance-shaped. Flowers.
White; large; clustered. Calyx. Of four early-falling sepals. Corolla.
Of four petals. Stamens. Six; two shorter than the others. Pistil.
One. Pod. Flat ; lance-shaped ; pointed with a slender style tipped with
a conspicuous stigma ; smaller than that of the crinkle-root.
The spring-cress grows abundantly in the wet meadows and
about the borders of springs. Its large white flowers appear as
early as April, lasting until June.
WHITLOW-GRASS.
Draba verna. Mustard Family.
Scapes. One to three inches high. Leaves. All from the root; oblong
er lance- shaped. Flowers. White ; with two-cleft petals ; clustered.
Calyx. Of four early-falling sepals. Corolla. Of four petals. Stamens.
Six; two shorter than the others. Pistil. One. Pod. Flat; varying
from oval to oblong-lance-shaped.
This little plant may be found flowering along the roadsides
and in sandy places during April and May. It has come to us
from Europe.
WATER-CRESS.
Nasturtium ojficinale. Mustard Family.
Leaves. Divided into roundish segments. Flowers. White, clustered.
Calyx. Of four early-falling sepals. Corolla. Of four petals, twice the
length of the sepals. Stamens. Six ; two shorter than the others. Pistil.
One. Pod. Linear.
Although the water-cress is not a native of North America it has
made itself so entirely at home in many of our streams that we
hardly look upon it as a stranger. Whoever, after a long ramble
through the woods on a summer morning, has plucked its fresh,
pungent leaves from some sparkling stream and added them to his
frugal sandwich, looks upon the little plant with a sense of famil-
iar gratitude, which we rarely feel toward an alien.
10
PLATE V
CRINKLE-ROOT. Dentaria diphylla.
IX
WHITE
The name nasturtium, signifying twisted nose, is said to be
given to this genus on account of the effect supposedly produced
on the nose by eating the acrid leaves.
SHEPHERD'S PURSE.
Capsella Bursa-pastoris. Mustard Family.
Stem. Low; branching. Root-leaves. Clustered; incised or toothed
Stem-leaves. Arrow-shaped; set close to the stem. Flowers. White-,
clustered. Calyx. Of four early-falling sepals. Corolla. Of four petals.
Stamens. Six; two shorter than the others. Pistil. One. Pod. Tri-
angular, heart-shaped.
This is one of the commonest of our wayside weeds, working
its way everywhere with such persistency and appropriating
other people's property so shamelessly, that it has won for itself
the nickname of pickpocket. Its popular title arose from the
shape of its little seed-pods.
ROCK CRESS.
Arabis hirsuta. Mustard Family.
Erect; one to two feet high. Stem-leaves. Oblong or lance-shaped;
sometimes toothed ; partly clasping by a somewhat heart-shaped base.
Flowers. Small ; greenish white ; clustered. Calyx. Of four early-falling
sepals. Corolla. Of four petals. Stamens. Six; two shorter than the
others. Pistil. One. Fruit. A long, narrow, flattened pod.
During May and June in rocky places, especially northward,
we find this flower in abundance.
SMALL BITTER CRESS.
Cardamine hirsuta. Mustard Family.
Stem. Three inches to two feet high ; springing from a spreading clus-
ter of root-leaves. Leaves. Pinnate. Flowers. Small; white ; clustered.
Calyx. Of four early-falling sepals. Corolla. Of four petals. Stamens.
Six, two shorter than the others. Pistil. One. Pod. Linear. Very
narrow ; erect or ascending.
The small bitter cress is a plant found in flower from May to
July. Its spreading cluster of pinnately divided root-leaves is
specially noticeable near the rocky banks of streams.
12
PLATE VI
Fruit.
MAY-APPLE. Podopkyllum peltatum.
13
WHITE
MAY APPLE. MANDRAKE.
[PI. VI
Podophyllum peltatum. Barberry Family.
Flowering-stem. Two-leaved ; one-flowered. Flowerless-stetns. Ter-
minated by one large, rounded, much-lobed leaf. Leaves (of flowering-
stems). One-sided; five to nine-lobed, the lobes oblong; the leaf-stalks
fastened to their lower side near the inner edge. Flower. White ; large ;
nodding from the fork made by the two leaves. Calyx. Of six early-falling
sepals. Corolla. Of six to nine rounded petals. Stamens. Twice as many
as the petals. Pistil. One, with a large, thick stigma set close to the
ovary. Fruit. A large, fleshy, egg-shaped berry ; sweet and edible.
" The umbrellas are out ! " cry the children, when the great
green leaves of the May-apple first unfold themselves in spring.
These curious-looking leaves at once betray the hiding-place of
the pretty, but, at times, unpleasantly odoriferous flower which
nods beneath them. They lie thickly along the woods and
meadows in many parts of the country, arresting one's attention
by the railways. The fruit, which ripens in July, has been given
the name of " wild lemon," in some places on account of its
shape. It was valued by the Indians for medicinal purposes,
and its mawkish flavor still seems to find favor with the children,
notwithstanding its frequently unpleasant after-affects. The
leaves and roots are poisonous if taken internally, and are said
to have been used as a pot herb, with fatal results. They yield
an extract which has been utilized in medicine.
HARBINGER-OF-SPRING. PEPPER AND SALT
Erigenia bulbosa.
Stem. Three to nine inches high ; from a deep round tuber. Leaves.
One or two ; divided into linear-oblong leaf -segments. Flowers. White ;
small ; few ; in a leafy-bracted compound umbel.
The pretty little harbinger-of-spring should be easily identified
by those who are fortunate enough to find it, for it is one of the
smallest members of the Parsley family. It is only common in
certain localities, being found in abundance in the neighbor-
hood of Washington, where its flowers appear as early as March.
14
EARLY
Virginunsk.
WHITE
DUTCHMAN'S BREECHES. WHITE-HEARTS.
Dicentra Cucullaria. Fumitory Family.
Scape. Slender. Leaves. Thrice-compound. Flowers. White and
yellow; growing in a raceme. Calyx. Of two small, scale-like sepals.
Corolla. Closed and flattened ; of four somewhat cohering white petals
tipped with yellow ; the two outer large, with spreading tips and deep
spurs ; the two inner small, with spoon-shaped tips uniting over the anthers
and stigma. Stamens. Six. Pistil. One.
There is something singularly fragile and spring-like in the
appearance of this plant as its heart-shaped blossoms nod from
the rocky ledges where they thrive best. One would suppose
that the firmly closed petals guarded against any intrusion on
the part of insect visitors and indicated the flower's capacity for
self-fertilization ; but it is found that when insects are excluded
by means of gauze no seeds are set, which goes to prove that
the pollen from another flower is a necessary factor in the con-
tinuance of this species. The generic name, Dicentra, is from
the Greek and signifies two-spurred. The flower, when seen,
explains its two English titles. It is accessible to every New
Yorker, for in early April it whitens many of the shaded ledges
in the upper part of the Central Park.
SQUIRREL CORN.
Dicentra Canadensis. Fumitory Family.
The squirrel corn closely resembles the Dutchman's breeches.
Its greenish or pinkish flowers are heart-shaped, with short,
rounded spurs. They have the fragrance of hyacinths, and are
found blossoming in early spring in the rich woods of the North.
EARLY SAXIFRAGE.
[PI. VII
Saxifraga Virginiensis . Saxifrage Family.
Scape. Four to nine inches high. Leaves Clustered at the root ; some-
what wedge-shaped ; narrowed into a broad leaf-stalk. Flowers. White ;
small ; clustered. Calyx. Five-cleft. Corolla. Of five petals. Stamens.
Ten. Pistil. One, with two styles.
In April we notice that the seams in the rocky cliffs and hill-
sides begin to whiten with the blossoms of the early saxifrage.
16
PLATE VIII
MITRE-WORT.-^//*
17
WHITE
Steinbrech stonebreak the Germans appropriately entitle this
little plant, which bursts into bloom from the minute clefts in
the rocks and which has been supposed to cause their disintegra-
tion by its growth. The generic and common names are from
saxum a rock, andfrangere to break.
FOAM-FLOWER. FALSE MITRE-WORT.
Tiarella cordifolia. Saxifrage Family.
Stem. Five to twelve inches high ; leafless, or rarely with one or two
leaves. Leaves. From the rootstock or runners ; heart-shaped ; sharply
lobed. Flowers. White; in a full raceme. Calyx. Bell-shaped; five-
parted. Corolla. Of five petals on claws. Stamens. Ten ; long and slen-
der. Pistil. One, with two styles.
Over the hills and in the rocky woods of April and May the
graceful white racemes of the foam-flower arrest our attention.
This is a near relative of the Mitella or true mitre-wort. Its
generic name is a diminutive from the Greek for turban, and is
said to refer to the shape of the pistil.
MITRE-WORT. BISHOP'S CAP.
[PI. VIII
Mitella diphylla. Saxifrage Family.
Stem. Six to twelve inches high ; hairy ; bearing two opposite leaves.
Leaves. Heart-shaped ; lobed and toothed ; those of the stem opposite and
nearly sessile. Flowers. White ; small; in a slender raceme. Calyx.
Short ; five-cleft. Corolla. Of five slender petals which are deeply incised,
Stamens. Ten ; short. Pistil. One, with two styles.
The mitre-wort resembles the foam-flower in foliage, but
bears its delicate, crystal-like flowers in a more slender raceme.
It also is found in the rich, woods, blossoming somewhat later.
LARGER WHITE TRILLIUM.
Trillium grandiflorum. Lily Family.
Stem. Stout ; from a tuber-like root stock. Leaves. Ovate ; three in a
whorl, a short distance below the flower. Flower. Single ; terminal ; large;
white, turning pink or marked with green. Calyx. Of three green, spread-
ing sepals. Corolla. Of three long pointed petals. Stamens. Six. Pis-
18
PLATE IX
vf' V
V
LARGER WHITE TRI LLI U M. Trillium grandijiorum.
til. One, with three spreading stigmas. Fruit. A large ovate, somewhat
angled, dark purple berry.
This singularly beautiful flower is found during April and
May. Its great white stars gleam from shaded wood borders or
from the banks of swift-flowing streams.
The nodding trillium, T. cernuum, bears its smaller white
or pinkish blossom in a manner which suggests the may apple,
on a stalk so curved as sometimes quite to conceal the flower be-
neath the leaves. This is a fragrant and attractive blossom,
which may be found in the early year in moist shaded places.
The painted trillium, T. erythrocarpum, is also less large and
showy than the great white trillium, but it is quite as pleasing.
Its white petals are painted at their base with red stripes. This
species is very plentiful in the Adirondack and Catskill Moun-
tains.
TWIN-LEAF. RHEUMATISM-ROOT.
Jejfersonia diphylla. Barberry Family.
A low plant. Leaves. From the root ; long-stalked ; parted into two
rounded leaflets. Scape. One flowered. Flower. White ; one inch broad.
Sepals. Four, falling early. Petals. Eight ; flat, oblong. Stamens.
Eight. Pistil. One, with a two-lobed stigma.
The twin-leaf is often found growing with the blood-root in
the woods of April or May. It abounds somewhat west and
southward.
CHOKE-CHERRY.
Prunus Virginiana. Rose Family.
A shrub two to ten feet high. Leaves. Oval br oblong ; abruptly
pointed ; sharply toothed. Flowers. White, in erect or spreading racemes
terminating leafy branches. Calyx. Five cleft. Corolla. Of five spread-
ing petals. Stamens. Fifteen to twenty. Pistil. One. Fruit. Round,
red or almost black, in drooping clusters.
In April or May, along the country lane where the oriole
flashes in and out among the blossoms, and the blue-bird "with
the earth tinge on his breast and the sky tinge on his back,"
IQ
WHITE N
is resting on the fence rail, singing his simple song of joy in
the perfect season, the long white flower-clusters of the choke-
cherry arrest our attention. In August, or sometimes late in
July, these same lanes are decorated by drooping clusters of the
dark red acid fruit, well known to the country children, who
perhaps gave the shrub its peculiar name.
WILD SARSAPARILLA.
Aralia nudicaulis. Ginseng Family.
Stem. Bearing a single large, long- stalked, much-divided leaf, and a
shorter naked scape which bears the rounded flower-clusters. Flowers.
Greenish-white; in umbels. Calyx. With short or obsolete teeth. Corolla.
Of five petals. Stamens. Five. Fruit. Blacker dark-purple; berry-
like.
In the June woods the much-divided leaf and rounded flower-
clusters of the wild sarsaparilla are frequently noticed, as well as
the dark berries of the later year. The long aromatic roots of
this plant are sold as a substitute for the genuine sarsaparilla.
The rice-paper plant of China is a member of this genus.
GROUND-NUT. DWARF GINSENG.
Aralia trifolia. Ginseng Family.
Stem. Four to eight inches high. Leaves. Three in a whorl ; divided
into from three to five leaflets. Flowers. White ; in an umbel. Fruit.
Yellowish; berry-like. Root. A globular tuber.
The tiny white flowers of the dwarf ginseng are so closely
clustered as to make " one feathery ball of bloom," to quote Mr.
Hamilton Gibson. This little plant resembles its larger relative
the true ginseng. It blossoms in our rich open woods early in
spring, and hides its small round tuber so deep in the earth that
it requires no little care to uproot it without breaking the slender
stem. This tuber is edible and pungent tasting, giving the
plant its name of ground-nut.
20
PLATE X
A flower cluster.
SPIKENARD. A ralia racemosa.
21
WHITE
GINSENG.
Aralia quinque folia. Ginseng Family.
Root- Large and spindle-shaped ; often forked. Stem. About one foot
high. Leaves. Three in a whorl ; divided into leaflets, flowers. Green-
ish-white ; in a simple umbel. Fruit. Bright red ; berry-like.
This plant is well known by name, but is yearly becoming
more scarce. The aromatic root is so greatly valued in China for
its supposed power of combating fatigue and old age that it can
only be gathered by order of the emperor. The forked specimens
are believed to be the most powerful, and their fancied likeness
to the human form has obtained for the plant the Chinese title
of Jin-chen (from which ginseng is a corruption), and the Indian
one of Garan-toguen, both which, strangely enough, are said
to signify, like a man. The Canadian Jesuits first began to ship
the roots of the American species to China, where they sold at
about five dollars a pound. At present they are said to com-
mand about one-fifth of that price in the home market.
SPIKENARD.
IPI. x
Aralia racemosa. Ginseng Family.
Root. Large and aromatic. Stem. Often tall and widely branched,
leafy. Leaves. Large ; divided into somewhat heart-shaped, toothed, and
pointed leaflets. Flowers. Greenish-white; small; in clusters in early
summer. Fruit. Dark purple, red, or black ; berry-like.
The spikenard is conspicuous chiefly in autumn, when its
partially ripened clusters of glass-like fruit are sure to excite, by
their rich beauty, the curiosity of the passer-by.
BRISTLY SARSAPARILLA.
Aralia hispida. Ginseng Family.
Stem. One to two feet high ; bristly, leafy, terminating in a stalk bear-
ing several umbels of small white flowers, leaves. Divided into ovate OT
oval leaflets. Flowers. White, small, in roundish clusters.
In June or July, in open, somewhat rocky or sandy piaces,
the bristly sarsaparilla is conspicuous by reason of its pretty
22
WHITE
rounded flower clusters. Later in the year its umbels of dark
blue or purple fruit are even more noticeable than were the
blossoms.
CANADA VIOLET.
Viola Canadensis. Violet Family.
Stem. Leafy ; upright ; one to two feet high. Leaves. Heart-shaped ;
pointed; toothed. Flowers. White, veined with purple, violet beneath,
otherwise greatly resembling the common blue violet.
We associate the violet with the early year, but I have found
the delicate fragrant flowers of this species blossoming high up
on the Catskill Mountains late into September ; and have known
them to continue to appear in a New York city-garden into No-
vember. They are among the loveliest of the family, having a
certain sprightly self-assertion which is peculiarly charming, per-
haps because so unexpected.
The tiny sweet white violet, V. blanda, with brown or pur-
ple veins, which is found in nearly all low, wet, woody places in
spring, is perhaps the only uniformly fragrant member of the
family, and its scent, though sweet, is faint and elusive.
The lance-leaved violet, V. lanceolata, is another white
species which is easily distinguished by its smooth lance-shaped
leaves, quite unlike those of the common violet. It is found in
damp soil, especially eastward.
CREEPING SNOWBERRY.
Chiogenes serpyllifolia. Heath Family.
Stem. Slender; trailing and creeping. Leaves. Evergreen; small;
ovate; pointed. Flowers. Small; white; solitary from the axils of the
leaves. Calyx. Four-parted ; with four large bractlets beneath. Corolla.
Deeply four-parted. Stamens. Eight. Pistil. One. Fruit. A pure
white berry.
One must look in May for the flower of this plant ; but it is
late in the summer when the beautiful little creeper especialJ)
challenges our admiration. Studded with snow-white berries, U
nearly covers some decaying lo^ which has fallen into a lonely
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Adirondack stream. Or else it thickly carpets the peat-bog
where we are hunting cranberries, or brightens the moist mossy
woods which earlier in the year were redolent with the breath
of the twin-flower. Its aromatic flavor suggests the wintergreen
and sweet r ;irch.
FALSE SOLOMON'S SEAL.
Smilacina racemosa. Lily family.
Stem^ Usually curving ; one to three feet long. Leaves. Oblong;
veiny. Flowers. Greenish-white; small ; in a terminal raceme. Perianth.
* -Six-parted. Stamens. Six. Pistil. One. Fruit. A pale red berry
speckled with purple.
A singular lack of imagination is betrayed in the common
name of this plant. Despite a general resemblance to the true
Solomon's seal, and the close proximity in which the two are
constantly found, S. racemosa has enough originality to deserve
an individual title. The position of the much smaller flowers is
markedly different. Instead of drooping beneath the stem they
terminate it, having frequently a pleasant fragrance, while the
berries of late summer are pale red, flecked with purple. It puz-
zles one to understand why these two plants should so constantly
be found growing side by side so close at times that they al-
most appear to spring from one point. The generic name is
from smtlax, on account of a supposed resemblance between the
leaves of this plant and those which belong to that genus.
BLACK HAW.
Viburnum prunifolium. Honeysuckle Family.
A tall shrub or small tree. Leaves. Oval; finely and sharply toothed.
Flowers. White ; small ; in flat-topped clusters. Calyx Five-toothed.
Corolla. Wheel-shaped ; five-lobed. Stamens. Five. Pistil. One.
Fruit. Berry-like; oval; black, or with bluish bloom.
In May one of the most beautiful and noticeable of our
white-flowered shrubs or trees is the black haw. Its flat, circular
flower-clusters are usually very perfect and spotless. They are
massed abundantly along the country lanes -
24
PLATE X)
FALSE SOLOMON'S SElL.-Smilacina racemosa.
25
WHITE
HOBBLE BUSH. AMERICAN WAYFARING-TREE.
Viburnum lantanoides. Honeysuckle Family.
Leaves. Rounded ; pointed ; closely toothed ; heart-shaped at the base ;
the veins beneath as well as the stalks and small branches being covered
with a rusty scurf. Flowers. White; small; in flat-topped clusters; ap-
pearing in April and May. Calyx, Corolla, etc. As in above. Fruit.
Coral-red ; berry-like.
The marginal flowers of the flat-topped clusters of the hob-
ble-bush, like those of the hydrangea, are much larger than the
inner ones, and usually are without either stamens or pistils ; their
only part in the economy of the shrub being to form an attractive
setting for the cluster, and thus to allure the insect visitors that
are usually so necessary to the future well-being of the species.
The shrub is a common one in our northern woods and moun-
tains, its coral-red, berry-like fruit and brilliant leaves making it
especially attractive in the later year. Its straggling growth,
and the reclining branches which often take root in the ground,
have suggested the popular names of hobble-bush and wayfaring-
tree.
MAPLE-LEAVED VIBURNUM. DOCKMACKIE.
Viburnum acerifolium. Honeysuckle Family.
A shrub from three to six feet high. Leaves. Somewhat three-lobed,
resembling those of the maple ; downy underneath. Flowers. White ;
small; in flat-topped clusters. Calyx. Five-toothed. Corolla. Spread-
ing; five-lobed. Stamens. Five. Pistil. One. Fruit. Berry-like;
crimson turning purple.
Our flowering shrubs contribute even more to the beauty of
the June woods and fields than the smaller plants. The vibur-
nums and dogwoods especially are conspicuous at this season,
abundantly lining the roadsides /with their snowy clusters.
When the blossoms of the maple-leaved viburnum or dockmackie
have passed away we need not be surprised if we are informed
that this shrub is a young maple. There is certainly a resem-
blance between its leaves and those of the maple, as the specific
26
PLATE XII
acerifolmm.
Flower enlarged.
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name indicates. To be sure, the first red, then purple berries,
can scarcely be accounted for, but such a trifling incongruity
would fail to daunt the would-be wiseacre of field and forest.
With Napoleonic audacity he will give you the name of almost
any shrub or flower about which you may inquire. Seizing
upon some feature he has observed in another plant, he will im-
mediately christen the one in question with the same title
somewhat modified, perhaps and in all probability his author-
ity will remain unquestioned. There is a marvellous amount of
inaccuracy afloat in regard to the names of even the commonest
plants, owing to this wide-spread habit of guessing at the truth
and stating a conjecture as a fact.
WITHE-ROD.
Viburnum cassinoides. Honeysuckle Family.
A shrub five to twelve feet high. Leaves. Ovate or oval, thick, smooth.
Flowers. White, much as in above. Fruit. First pink, then turning
dark blue or blackish with a bloom.
The withe-rod blossoms in early summer. The first pink,
then dark blue fruit, is noticeable and very decorative in August
in wet or sandy places.
ARROW-WOOD.
Viburnum dentatum. Honeysuckle Family.
A shrub from five to fifteen feet high. Leaves. Broadly egg-shaped;
sharply toothed ; strongly veined. Flowers. White ; small ; in flat-topped
clusters. Calyx, etc. As in above. Fruit. Dark blue.
This is a not uncommon shrub in wet places. Its white
flower-clusters are noticeable in June along the wooded roadsides.
There are many other species of viburnums which are common
in certain localities. If an analysis of the flower shows it to be-
long to this genus, Gray's "Manual" should be consulted for
further identification,
28
PLATE XIII
Flower enlarged.
ARROW-WOOD. Viburnum dentatum.
29
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ROUND-LEAVED DOGWOOD.
Cornus circinata. Dogwood Family.
A shrub Six to ten feet high. Leaves. Rounded; abruptly pointed.
Flowers. Small ; white ; in flat, spreading clusters. Calyx. Minutely
four-toothed. Corolla. Of four white, oblong, spreading petals. Stamens.
Four. Pistil. One. Fruit. Light blue ; berry-like.
The different members of the Dogwood family are important
factors in the lovely pageant which delights our eyes along the
country lanes every spring. Oddly enough, only the smallest
and largest representative of the tribe (the little bunch-berry,
and the flowering-dogwood, which is sometimes a tree of goodly
dimensions), have in common the showy involucre which is
usually taken for the blossom itself; but which instead only sur-
rounds the close cluster of inconspicuous greenish flowers.
The other members of the genus are all comprised in the
shrubby dogwoods ; many of these are very similar in appear-
ance, bearing their white flowers in flat, spreading clusters, and
differing chiefly in their leaves and fruit.
The branches of the round-leaved dogwood are greenish and
warty-dotted. Its fruit is light blue, and berry-like.
The bark of this genus has been considered a powerful tonic,
and an extract entitled " cornine," is said to possess the proper-
ties of quinine less strongly marked. The Chinese peel its twigs,
and use them for whitening their teeth. It is said that the
Creoles also owe the dazzling beauty of their teeth to this same
practice.
ALTERNATE-LEAVED DOGWOOD.
Cornus alternifolia. Dogwood Family.
A shrub or tree eight to twenty-five feet high. Branches. Greenish
streaked with white. Leaves. Alternate ; clustered at the ends of the
branches ; oval ; long-pointed. Floivers. White ; small ; in broad, open
clusters. Calyx, Corolla, etc. As in above. Fruit. Deep blue on red-
dish stalks.
In copses on the hillsides we find this shrub flowering in May
or June. Its deep blue, red-stalked fruit is noticeable in late
summer,
30
PLATE XIV
ROUND-LEAVED DOGWOOD. Cornus circinata.
31
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PANICLED DOGWOOD.
Cornus paniculata. Dogwood Family.
A shrub four to eight feet high. Branches. Gray ; smooth. Leaves.
Narrowly ovate ; taper-pointed ; whitish but not downy beneath. Flowers,
White ; small ; in loose clusters. Calyx, Corolla, etc. As in other dog-
woods. Fruit. White.
Along the banks of streams and in the thickets which mark
the limits of the meadow we find this shrub in flower in June or
early July.
RED-OSIER DOGWOOD.
Cornus stolonifera. Dogwood Family.
A shrub from three to six feet high. Branches (especially the young
shoots). Bright purplish-red. Leaves. Ovate; rounded at base; short-
pointed ; roughish ; whitish beneath. Flowers. White ; small ; in flat
clusters. Calyx, Corolla, etc. As in other dogwoods. Fruit. White or
lead-color.
This is a common shrub in wet places, especially northward,
flowering in June or early July ; being easily identified through-
out the year by its bright reddish branches, and after midsum-
mer by its conspicuous lead-colored berries.
BEARBERRY.
Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi. Heath Family.
A trailing shrub. Leaves. Thick and evergreen ; smooth ; somewhat
wedge-shaped. Flowers. Whitish; clustered. Calyx. Small. Corolla
Urn-shaped; five-toothed. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One. Fruit.
Red; berry-like.
This plant blossoms in May or June, and is found on rocky
hillsides or in sandy soil. Its name refers to the relish with which
bears are supposed to devour its fruit.
HAWTHORN. WHITE-THORN.
Cratoegus coccinea. Rose Family.
A shrub or small tree, with spreading branches, and stout thorns or
spines. Leaves. On slender leaf-stalks; thin; rounded; toothed, some-
times lobed. Flowers. White or sometimes reddish ; rather large; clus-
32
PLATE XV
Flower enlarged,
RED-OSIER DOGWOOD. Cornus stolonifera.
33
WHITE .
tered ; with a somewhat disagreeable odor. Calyx. Urn-shaped ; five-
cleft. Corolla. Of five broad, rounded petals. Stamens. Five to ten or
many. Pistil. One with one to five styles. Fruit. Coral-red.
The flowers of the white-thorn appear in spring, at the same
time with those of many of the dogwoods. Its scarlet fruit
gleams from the thicket in Septenaber.
COCKSPUR THORN.
Crategus Crus-galli. Rose Family.
A shrub or low tree. Thorns. Smooth ; slender ; often four incnes
long. Leaves. Thick; dark green; shining above; somewhat wedge-
shaped ; toothed above the middle ; tapering into a very short leaf-stalk.
Flowers. White; fragrant; in clusters on short side branches. Calyx,
Corolla, etc. As in above. Fruit. Globular ; red, in late summer or
autumn.
The cockspur thorn flowers in June. Its red fruit, somewhat
suggesting a crab-apple, is conspicuous throughout the autumn
and winter.
There are several other species of thorn, and if a flower be
found which proves, on analysis, to belong to this genus, a
reference to Gray's " Manual " will lead to its farther identifi-
cation.
BEACH PLUM.
Prunus maritima. Rose Family.
A low straggling shrub. Leaves. Ovate or oval, finely toothed.
Flowers. White ; showy ; clustered, appearing before the leaves. Calyx.
Five-lobed. Corolla. Of five obovate petals. Stamens. Numerous.
Pistil. One. Fruit. Roundish, purple, with a bloom.
During the months of April and May the flowers of the beach
plum are conspicuous on the sand-hills of our coast. The fruit
ripens in the fall.
PLATE XVI
HAWTHORN. Cratasgns coccinea.
PLATE XVII
WHITE BANEBERRY. Aetna alba*
35
WHITE
MOUNTAIN HOLLY.
Nemopanthes fascicularis. Holly Family.
A much-branched shrub ; with ash-gray bark. Leaves. Alternate ; ob-
long ; smooth; on slender leaf-stalks. Flcnvers. White; some perfect;
others unisexual ; solitary or clustered in the axils of the leaves on long,
slender flower-stalks. Calyx. Minute or obsolete. Corolla. Of four or
five spreading petals. Stamens. Four or five. Pistil. One. Fruit.
Coral-red ; berry-like.
The flowers of this shrub appear in the damp woods of May.
Its light red berries on their slender stalks are noticed in late
summer when its near relation, the black alder or winterberry,
is also conspicuous. Its generic name signifies flower with a
thread-like stalk.
WINTERBERRY. BLACK ALDER.
Ilex verticillata. Holly Family.
A shrub, common in low grounds. Leaves. Oval or lance-shaped ;
pointed at apex and base; toothed. Flowers. White; some perfect,
others unisexual ; clustered on very short flower-stalks in the axil of the
leaves; appearing in May or June. Calyx. Minute. Corolla. Of four
to six petals. Stamens. Four to six. Pistil. One. Fruit. Coral-red;
berry-like.
The year may draw nearly to its close without our attention
being arrested by this shrub. But in September it is well-nigh
impossible to stroll through the country lanes without pausing to
admire the bright red berries clustered so thickly among the leaves
of the black alder. The American holly, /. opaca, is closely re-
lated to this shrub, whose generic name is the ancient Latin title
for the holly-oak.
WHITE BANEBERRY.
[PI. XVII
Actcea alba. Crowfoot Family.
Stem. About two feet high. Leaves. Twice or thrice-compound ; leaf-
lets incised and sharply toothed. Flowers. Small ; white ; in a thick, ob-
long, terminal raceme. Calyx. Of four to five tiny sepals which fall as the
flower expands. Corolla. Of four to ten small flat petals with slender
claws. Stamens. Numerous, with slender white filaments. Pistil One,
36
PLATE XVIII
BUNCH-BERRY. Cornus Canadensu
with a depressed, two-lobed stigma. Fruit. An oval white berry, with a
dark spot, on a thick red stalk, growing in a cluster, which is sometimes a
very conspicuous feature of the woods of midsummer.
The feathery clusters of the white baneberry may be gathered
when we go to the woods for the columbine, the wild ginger,
the Jack-in-the-pulpit, and Solomon's seal. These flowers are
very nearly contemporaneous and seek the same cool shaded
nooks, all often being found within a few feet of one another.
The red baneberry, A. rubra^ is a somewhat more northern
plant and usually blossoms a week or two earlier. Its cherry-red
(occasionally white) berries on their slender stalks are easily dis-
tinguished from the white ones of A. alba, which look strikingly
like the china eyes that small children occasionally manage to
gouge from their dolls' heads.
RED-BERRIED ELDER.
Sambucus racemosa. Honeysuckle Family.
Stems. Woody; two to twelve feet high. Leaves. Divided into leaflets.
Flowers. White ; resembling those of the common elder, but borne in py-
ramidal instead of in flat-topped clusters. Fruit. Bright red ; berry-like.
The white pyramids of this elder are found in the rocky
woods of May. As early as June one is startled by the vivid
clusters, of brilliant fruit with which it gleams from its shadowy
background.
BUNCH-BERRY. DWARF CORNEL.
[PI. xvin
Cornus Canadensis. Dogwood Family.
Stem. Five to seven inches high. Leaves. Ovate ; pointed ; the upper
crowded into an apparent whorl of four to six. Flowers. Greenish ; small ;
in a cluster which is surrounded by a large and showy four-leaved, petal-like
white or pinkish involucre. Calyx. Minutely four-toothed. Corolla. Of
four spreading petals. Stamens. Four. Pistil. One. Fruit. Bright
red ; berry-like.
When one's eye first falls upon the pretty flowers of the
bunch-berry in the June woods, the impression is received that
each low stem bears upon its summit a single large white bios-
PLATE XIX
B U C K B E A N .Menyanlhes trifoliata.
WHITE
som. A more searching look discovers that what appeared like
rounded petals are really the showy white leaves of the involucre
which surround the small, closely clustered, greenish flowers.
The bright red berries which appear in late summer make
brilliant patches in the woods and swamps. Occasionally the
plant is found flowering also at this season, its white stars show-
ing to peculiar advantage among the little clusters of coral-like
fruit. It is closely allied to the well-known flowering-dogwood,
which is so ornamental a tree in early spring.
In the Scotch Highlands it is called the " plant of gluttony,"
on account of its supposed power of increasing the appetite. It
is said to form part of the winter food of the Esquimaux.
BUCKBEAN.
IPI. xix
Menyanthes trifoliata. Gentian Family.
Scape, About one foot high. Leaves. Long stemmed; divided into
three oblong leaflets. Flowers. White or reddish ; clustered along the
scape. Calyx. Five-parted. Corolla. Five-cleft; short funnel-form;
white; bearded on the upper surface. Stamens. Five. Pistil. One, with
a two-lobed stigma.
If luck favors us, in May or early June, we are tempted deep
into the long grass of some treacherous swamp by the beautiful
white flowers of the buckbean. These grow about one foot
above the ground,* the white beards which fringe their upper sur-
faces giving them a peculiarly delicate and feathery appearance.
WILD CALLA. WATER ARUM.
[PL XX
Calla palustris. Arum Family.
Leaves. Long - stemmed ; heart-shaped. Apparent Flower. Large;
white. Actual Flowers. Small ; greenish ; packed about the oblong spadix.
Although only eight or ten inches high, this plant is pecul-
iarly striking as it rises from the rich soil of the swamp, or from
the shallow borders of the stream. The broad smooth leaves at
once remind one of its relationship to the so-called " calla-lily "
39
WHITE
of the greenhouses, a native of the Cape of Good Hope ; and
the likeness is still more apparent in the white, petal-like (al-
though flat and open) spathe which tops the scape ; so that even
one knowing nothing of botanical families would naturally chris-
ten the plant "wild calla." The first sight of these white
spathes gleaming across a wet meadow in June, and the closer
inspection of the upright, vigorous little plants, make an event
in the summer. None of our aquatics is more curious and inter-
esting, more sturdy, yet dainty and pure, than the wild calla.
LIZARD'S TAIL.
Saururus cernuus. Pepper Family.
Stem. Jointed; often tall. Leaves. Alternate; heart-shaped. Flowers,
White ; without calyx or corolla ; crowded into a slender, wand-like ter-
minal spike which nods at the end. Stamens. Usually six or seven. Pis-
tils. Three or four, united at their base.
The nodding, fragrant spikes of the lizard's tail abound in
certain swamps from June till August. While the plant is not
a common one, it is found occasionally in great profusion, and
is sure to arrest attention by its odd appearance.
MOONSEED.
Menispermum Canadense. Moonseed Family.
Stem. Woody; climbing. Leaves. Three to seven-angled orlobed;
their stalks fastened near the edge of the lower surface. Flowers. White
or yellowish ; in small loose clusters ; unisexual. Calyx. Of four to eight
sepals. Corolla. Of six to eight short petals. Stamens and Pistils. Oc-
curring on different plants. Fruit. Berry-like; black, with a bloom.
Clambering over the thickets which line the streams, we no-
tice in September the lobed or angled leaves and black berries of
the moonseed, the small white or yellowish flowers of which
were, perhaps, overlooked in June.
40
PLATE XX
WATER ARUM. Calla falustris.
WHITE
CLOUD-BERRY. BAKED APPLE BERRY.
Rubus Chamtzmorus. Rose Family.
Stem. Low, simple. Leaves. Two or three ; roundish kidney-shaped;
usually somewhat five-lobed, finely toothed, wrinkled. Flmver. Solitary ;
white. Calyx. Five-parted. Corolla. Of five white obovate petals.
Fruit. A berry of a few reddish or amber-colored grains; edible.
This quaint pretty little plant I have found springing from
beds of golden brown sphagnum, on one of the Cranberry Isl-
ands, off Mount Desert. Gray assigns it to the "highest peaks
of White Mountains, coast of eastern Maine, and north and west
to the Arctic regions." It is one of the plants which is found in
Alaska, as well as along our own coast.
COMMON BLACKBERRY. HIGH BLACKBERRY.
Rubus villosus. Rose Family.
A shrub one to six feet high, armed with stout prickles. Leaves. Di-
vided into three to five leaflets. Flowers. With five-parted calyx; five
petals; numerous stamens and pistils. Fruit. Black.
Though the common blackberry seems almost too well known
to need description, yet occasionally its flowers arouse some
doubt and curiosity in the mind of the wanderer along those
country lanes, where its blossoming branches form so beautiful
and luxuriant a border.
RUNNING SWAMP BLACKBERRY.
Rubus hispidus. Rose Family.
Stems. Slender; creeping ; beset with small, weak prickles. Leaves.
Divided into three, or rarely five, leaflets. Flowers. With five-parted
calyx ; five white petals ; numerous stamens and pistils. Fruit. Nearly
black when ripe, of few grains.
Over the mosses in the swamp the running swamp blackberry
trails its reddish stems with their thick, smooth, shining leaves,
and in errly summer their white flowers. A few weeks later we
42
WHITE
find the first, red, then blackish berries. It is a charming plant,
and one is tempted to carry home, for decorative purposes, a few
of its long lithe strands.
LOW BLACKBERRY. DEWBERRY.
Rubus Canadensis. Rose Family.
A trailing shrub, armed with scattered prickles or nearly naked ; branches
erect or ascending. Leaves. Divided into three ovate or oval leaflets.
Flowers. With five-parted calyx ; five white petals ; numerous stamens and
pistils. Fruit. Black, edible, delicious.
The dewberry is found in dry ground, trailing along the
roadside, or in dry, perhaps rocky fields. It ripens earlier than
the common blackberry.
MOUNTAIN LAUREL. SPOONWOOD. CALICO-BUSH.
Kalmia latifolia. Heath Family.
An evergreen shrub. Leaves. Oblong; pointed; shining; of a leath-
ery texture. Flowers. White or pink ; in terminal clusters. Calyx.
Five-parted. Corolla. Marked with red ; wheel-shaped; five-lobed ; with
ten depressions. Stamens. Ten ; each anther lodged in one of the depres-
sions of the corolla. Pistil. One.
The shining grtfen leaves which surround the white or rose-
colored flowers of the mountain laurel are familiar to all who
have skirted the west shore of the Hudson River, wandered
across the hills that lie in its vicinity, or clambered across the
mountains of Pennsylvania, where the shrub sometimes grows to
a height of thirty feet. Not that these localities limit its range ;
for it abounds more or less from Canada to Florida, and far in-
land, especially along the mountains, whose sides are often
clothed with an apparent mantle of pink snow during the month
of June, and whose waste places are, in very truth, made to blos-
som like the rose at this season.
The shrub is highly prized and carefully cultivated in Eng-
land. Barewood Gardens, the beautiful home of the editor of
WHITE
the London Times, is celebrated for its fine specimens of moun-
tain laurel and American rhododendron. The English papers
advertise the approach of the flowering season, the estate is
thrown open to the public, and the people for miles around flock
to see the radiant strangers from across the water. The shrub is
not known there as the laurel, but by its generic title, Kalmia,
The head gardener of the place received with some incredulity
my statement that in parts of America the waste hill-sides were
brilliant with its beauty every June.
The ingenious contrivance of these flowers to secure cross-
fertilization is most interesting. The long filaments of the sta-
mens are arched by the fact that each anther is caught in a little
pouch of the corolla ; the disturbance caused by the sudden alight-
ing of an insect on the blossom, or the quick brush of a bee's wing,
dislodges the anthers from their niches, and the stamens spring
upward with such violence that the pollen is jerked from its hid-
ing-place in the pore of the anther-cell on to the body of the in-
sect-visitor, who straightway carries it off to another flower upon
whose protruding stigma it is sure to be inadvertently deposited.
In order to see the working of this for one's self, it is only nec-
essary to pick a fresh blossom and either brush the corolla quickly
with one's finger, or touch the stamens suddenly with a pin,
when the anthers will be dislodged and the pollen will be
seen to fly.
This is not the laurel of the ancients the symbol of victory
and fame notwithstanding some resemblance in the form of the
leaves. The classic shrub is supposed to be identical with the
Laurus nobilis> which was carried to our country by the early
colonists, but which did not thrive in its new environment.
The leaves of our species are supposed to possess poisonous
qualities, and are said to have been used by the Indians for sui-
cidal purposes. There is also a popular belief that the flesh of a
partridge which has fed upon its fruit becomes poisonous. The
clammy exudation about the flower-stalks and blossoms may
serve the purpose of excluding from the flower such small insects
as would otherwise crawl up to it, dislodge the stamens, scatter
44
PLATE XXI
MOUNTAIN LAUREL. Kalmia latifolia.
4S
WHITE
the pollen, and yet be unable to carry it to its proper destine
tion on the pistil of another flower.
The Kalmia was named by Linnaeus after Peter Kalm, one of
his pupils who travelled in this country, who was, perhaps, the
first to make known the shrub to his great master.
The popular name spoonwood grew from its use by the Ind-
ians for making eating-utensils. The wood is of fine grain and
takes a good polish.
The title calico-bush probably arose from the marking of the
corolla, which, to an imaginative mind, might suggest the cheap
cotton-prints sold in the shops.
AMERICAN RHODODENDRON. GREAT LAUREL.
Rhododendron maximum. Heath Family.
A shrub from six to thirty-five feet high. Leaves. Thick and leathery ;
oblong; entire. Flowers. White or pink; clustered. Calyx. Minute;
five-toothed. Corolla. Somewhat bell-shaped; five-parted; greenish in
the throat ; with red, yellow, or green spots. Stamens. Usually ten.
This beautiful native shrub is one of the glories of our coun-
try when in the perfection of its loveliness. The woods which
nearly cover many of the mountains of our Eastern States hide
from all but the bold explorer a radiant display during the early
part of July. Then the lovely waxy flower-clusters of the Amer-
ican rhododendron are in their fulness of beauty. As in the
laurel, the clammy flower-stalks seem fitted to protect the blos-
som from the depredations of small and useless insects, while the
markings on the corolla attract the attention of the desirable bee.
In those parts of the country where it flourishes most luxuri-
antly, veritable rhododendron jungles, termed " hells" by the
mountaineers, are formed. The branches reach out and interlace
in such a fashion as to be almost impassable.
The nectar secreted by the blossoms is popularly supposed to
be poisonous. We read in Xenophon that during the retreat of
the Ten Thousand the soldiers found a quantity of honey, of
which they freely partook, with results that proved almosf ^atal.
46
PLATE XXII
AMERICAN RHODODENDRON.-&*o&<&K
47
WHITE
This honey is said to have been made from a rhododendron
which is still common in Asia Minor, and which is believed to
possess intoxicating and poisonous properties.
Comparatively little attention had been paid to this superb
flower until the Centennial Celebration at Philadelphia, when
some fine exhibits attracted the admiration of thousands. The
shrub has been carefully cultivated in England, having been
brought to great perfection on some of the English estates. It is
yearly winning more notice in this country.
The generic name is from the Greek for rose-tret.
WOOD SORREL.
Oxalis Acetosella. Geranium Family.
Scape. One-flowered; two to five inches high. Leaves. Dirided into
three clover-like leaflets. Flower. White, veined with red ; solitary. Calyx.
Of five sepals. Corolla. Of five petals. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One
with five styles.
Surely nowhere can be found a daintier carpeting than that
made by the clover-like foliage of the wood sorrel, when studded
with its rose-veined blossoms, in the northern woods of June.
At the very name comes a vision of mossy nooks where the sun-
light only comes on sufferance, piercing its difficult path through
the tent-like foliage of the forest, resting only long enough to be-
come a golden memory.
The early Italian painters availed themselves of its chaste
beauty. Mr. Ruskin says : " Fra Angelico's use of the Oxalis
Acetosella is as faithful in representation as touching in feeling.
The triple leaf of the plant and white flower stained purple prob-
ably gave it strange typical interest among the Christian
painters."
Throughout Europe it bears the odd name of " Hallelujah "
on account of its flowering between Easter and Whitsuntide, the
season when the Psalms sung in the churches resound with that
word. There has been an unfounded theory that this title sprang
from St. Patrick's endeavor to prove to his rude audience the
48
/LATE XXII]
WHITE SWAMP HONEYSUCKLE. Rhododendron viscosum.
WHITE
possibility of a Trinity in Unity from the three-divided leaves.
By many thh ternate leaf has been considered the shamrock of
the ancient Irish.
The English title, " cuckoo -bread," refers to the appearance
01" the blossoms at the season when the cry of the cuckoo is first
heard.
Our name sorrel is from the Greek for sour and has reference
to the acrid juice of the plant. The delicate leaflets " sleep " at
night. That is, they droop and close one against another.
SWEET CICELY.
Osmorrhiza longistylis. Parsley Family.
One to th ee feet high. Root, Thick; aromatic; edibie. Leaves,-
Twice or thrice-compound. Flowers, White \ small ; growing in a some-
what flat-topped cluster.
This is one of the earliest- flowering of the white Parsleys.
Its roots are prized by country children for their pleasant flavor.
Great care should be taken not to confound this plant with the
water -hemlock, which is very poisonous, and which it greatly
resembles, although flowering earlier in the year. The generic
name is from two Greek words which signify scent and root.
WHITE SWAMP HONEYSUCKLE. CLAMMY AZALEA.
[PI XXIII
Rhododendron viscosum. Heath Family.
A shrub from three to ten feet high. Leaves, Oblong. Flowers,
White ; clustered ; appearing after the leaves. Calyx-lobes. Minute. Co-
rolla. White; five-lobed; the clammy tube much longer than the lobes.
Stamens, Usually five ; protruding. Pistil. One; protruding.
The fragrant white flowers of this beautiful shrub appear in
early summer along the swamps which skirt the coast, and occa-
sionally farther inland. The close family resemblance to the
pink azalea (PI. XCII.) will be at once detected. On the
branches of both species will be found those abnormal fleshy
growths, called variously < swamp apples ' ' and * ' May apples, ' '
50
WHITE
which are so relished by the children. Formerly these growths
were attributed to the sting of an insect, as in the *< oak apple ; "
now they are generally believed to be modified buds.
SWEET BAY. LAUREL MAGNOLIA.
Magnolia glauca. Magnolia Family.
A shrub from four to twenty feet high. Leaves. Oval to broadly lance-
shaped ; from three to six inches long. Flowers. White; two inches
long ; growing singly at the ends of the branches. Calyx. Of three sepals.
Corolla. Globular ; with from six to nine broad petals. Stamens. Numer-
ous ; with short filaments and long anthers. Pistils. Many ; packed so as
to make a sort of cone in fruit. Fruit. Cone-like ; red ; fleshy when ripe ;
the pistils opening at maturity and releasing the scarlet seeds which hang by
delicate threads.
The beautiful fragrant blossoms of the sweet bay may be
found from June till August, in swamps along the coast from
Cape Ann southward. This is one of the shrubs whose beauty
bids fair to be its own undoing. The large flowers are sure to
attract the attention of those ruthless destroyers who seem bent
upon the final extermination of our most pleasing and character-
istic plants.
COMMON BLACK HUCKLEBERRY.*
Gaylussacia resinosa. Heath Family.
One to three feet high. Stems. Shrubby ; branching. Leaves. Oval
or oblong; sprinkled more or less with waxy resinous atoms. Flowers.
White, reddish, or purplish ; bell-shaped ; growing in short, one-sided clus-
ters. Calyx. With five short teeth. Corolla. Bell-shaped, with a five-
cleft border. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One. Fruit. A black, bloomless,
edible berry.
The flowers of the common huckleberry appear in May or
June ; the berries in late summer. The shrub abounds in rocky
woods and swamps.
* There is a great similarity between many of the Heaths. For more accu-
rate identification than can be here given, Gray's Manual should be consulted.
WHITE
DANGLEBERRV.
Gaylussacia frondosa. Heath Family.
A loosely branched shrub ; from three to six feet high. Leaves. Ob-
long ; blunt; pale beneath. Flowers. Much as in above, but borne in
loose, slender clusters. Fruit. A large blue berry with a whitish bloom ;
sweet and edible.
The dangleberry is found along the coast of New England
and in the mountains farther south. It flowers in May or June.
COMMON BLUEBERRY.
Vaccinium corymbosum. Heath Family.
A tall shrub (from five to ten feet high). Flowers. White or reddish ;
very similar to those in above (Gaylussacia}, but borne in short clusters ; ap-
pearing in spring or early summer. Fruit. A sweet edible berry ; blue or
black, with a bloom ; in late summer.
The common blueberry is found in swamps and low thickets.
LOW BLUEBERRIES.
Vaccinium. Heath Family.
Six inches to three feet high. Flowers. White or reddish- white ; ap-
pearing in spring or early summer. Calyx, Corolla, etc. As in other mem-
bers of this genus. Fruit. A large blue berry ; sweet.
The low blueberries usually ripen in July or August. They
are found on dry hills from New Jersey northward, being espe-
cially abundant in New England.
SQUAW HUCKLEBERRY.
Vaccinium stamineum. Heath Family.
Two or three feet high. Stems. Diffusely branched. Flowers.
Greenish-white or purplish ; suggesting somewhat those of the blueberry and
huckleberry, but noticeable especially for their protruding stamens. Fruit.
A globular or pear-shaped, few-seeded berry.
This large greenish or yellowish berry is hardly edible. The
pretty, fragrant flowers appear in June, and are easily recognized
by their protruding stamens. The leaves are pale green above
and whitish underneath.
PLATE XXIV
Fruit
SQUAW HUCKLEBERRY. Vaccinium stamineum.
53
WHITE
BOG BILBERRY.
Vaccinium uliginosum. Heath Family.
Low; spreading; tufted; from four inches to two feet high. Leaves.'
Oblong; pale; not toothed. Flowers. White or reddish; solitary, or two
or three together, set close to the stem. Corolla. Usually f our- toothed
short; urn-shaped. Fruit. A sweet berry ; black with a bloom.
The bog bilberry is found blossoming in early summer on
the high mountain-tops of New England and New York, also
farther west and northward.
MARSH ANDROMEDA.
Andromeda polifolia. Heath Family.
An evergreen shrub from six to eighteen inches high. Leaves. Thick ;
long and narrow ; smooth ; with rolled edges ; dark green above, white
beneath. Flowers. White or pinkish ; crowded in drooping clusters at the
ends of the branches. Calyx. Of five sepals. Corolla. Five-toothed,
urn-shaped. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. one.
This pretty evergreen is found in boggy places from Pennsyl-
vania and New Jersey northward, flowering in June. It was
named Andromeda by Linnseus because he found it "always
fixed on some little turfy hillock in the midst of the swamps, as
Andromeda herself was chained to a rock in the sea." Before
expansion the flowers are usually bright red.
STAGGER-BUSH.
Andromeda Mariana. Heath Family.
Two to four feet high. Leaves. Thin ; oblong. Flowers. White or
reddish. Calyx, Corolla, etc. Much as in above.
The nodding flowers of the stagger -bush appear in early sum-
mer. They are clustered on leafless shoots or branches, and are
usually in low, dry places, from Rhode Island southward. The
English name refers to the supposition that the foliage is poison-
ous to sheep.
M
PLATE XXV
LABRADOR JEk.- Ledum lalijolium.
WHITE
Leucothoe racemosa. Heath Family.
Four to ten feet high. Leaves. Narrowly oblong ; acute. Flowers.
White and fragrant. Calyx, Corolla, etc. Much as in above.
In moist thickets, usually near the coast, we find in May and
June the long, dense, usually erect, one-sided flower-clusters of
the Leucothoe.
LEATHER-LEAF.
Cassandra calyculata. Heath Family.
A much-branched shrub from two to four feet high. Leaves. Oolong;
nearly evergreen ; leathery and shining above ; rusty beneath. Flowers.
White ; in the axils of the small upper leaves, forming one-sided, leafy clus-
ters which are less dense than those of the Leucothoe.
In April or May the leather-leaf is found flowering in wet
places.
Cassiope hypnoides. Heath Family.
One to four inches high. Stems. Tufted ; procumbent. Leaves.
Needle-shaped ; evergreen. Flowers White or rose-colored ; solitary ;
nodding from erect, slender stalks. Calyx. Of four or five sepals. Co-
rolla. Deeply four or five cleft. Stamens. Eight or ten. Pistil. One.
This pretty moss-like little plant is found on the mountain
summits of New York and New England. Its delicate nodding
flowers usually appear in June.
LABRADOR TEA.
[PI. XXV
Ledum latifolium. Heath Family.
An erect shrub from one to three feet high. Leaves. Thickly clothed
beneath with a rusty wool ; edges rolled ; narrowly oblong. Flowers. White,
small; in clusters at the ends of the branches. Calyx. Very small ; five-
toothed. Corolla. Of five petals. Stamens. Five or ten. Pistil. One.
The dense woolliness which clothes the lower side of the
leaves of Labrador tea easily identifies it. It is found upon the
mountains, and in boggy places, from Pennsylvania north and
westward.
SS
WHITE
ONE-FLOWERED PYROLA.
Moneses grandiflora. Heath Family.
Scape. Two to four inches high. Leaves. Rounded; thin; veiny;
toothed; from the roots. Flower. White or rose-colored; solitary; half
an inch broad. Calyx. Five- parted. Corolla. Of five rounded widely
spreading petals. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One; protruding; with a large
five-rayed stigma.
This lovely little plant is found in flower in the deep pine
woods of June or July. It has all the grace and delicacy of its
kinsman, the shin-leaf and pipsissewa, but, if possible, is even
more daintily captivating. The generic name is from two
Greek words signifying single and delight, in reference to the
" beauty which is a joy" of the solitary flower, and betraying
the always pleasing fact that the scientist who christened it was
fully alive to its peculiar charm.
SHIN-LEAF.
Pyrola elliptica. Heath Family.
Scape. Upright ; scaly ; terminating in a many-flowered raceme. Leaves.
From the root; thin and dull; somewhat oval. Fl*r7/*tfa racemosa.
71
WHITE
avoid them. Fortunately they are sufficiently conspicuous to be
admired at a distance, many a newly cleared hill-side and wood-
border being lightened by their slender, torch -like racemes which
flash upon us as we travel through the country. The plant was
one of the many which the Indians believed to be efficacious for
snake-bites. The generic name is from cimex a bug, and/ugare
to drive away.
CULVER'S ROOT.
Veronica Virginica. Figwort Family.
Stem. Straight and tall ; from two to six feet high. Leaves. Whorled ;
lance- shaped ; finely toothed. Flowers. White; small; growing in slender
clustered spikes. Calyx. Irregularly four or five-toothed. Corolla. Four
or five-lobed. Stamens. Two; protruding. Pistil. One.
The tall straight stems of the culver's root lift their slender
spikes in midsummer to a height that seems strangely at variance
with the habit of this genus. The small flowers, however, at
once betray their kinship with the speedwells. Although it is,
perhaps, a little late to look for the white wands of the black
cohosh, the two plants might easily be confused in the distance,
as they have much the same aspect and seek alike the cool re-
cesses of the woods. This same species grows in Japan and was
introduced into English gardens nearly two hundred years ago.
It is one of the many Indian remedies which were adopted by
our forefathers.
PARTRIDGE VINE.
Mite he I la rep ens. Madder Family.
Stems. Smooth and trailing. Leaves. Rounded; evergreen; veined
with white. Flowers. White or pinkish ; fragrant ; in pairs. Calyx.
Four-toothed. Corolla. Funnel-form, with four spreading lobes ; bearded
within. Stamens. Four. Pistil. One, its ovary united with that of its
sister flower ; its four stigmas linear.
At all times of the year this little evergreen plant fulfils its
mission of adorning that small portion of the earth to which it
72
PLATE XXXII
PARTRIDGE VI N E. Mitchella repens.
WHITfe
finds itself rooted. But only the early summer finds the partridge
vine exhaling its delicious fragrance from the delicate sister
blossoms which are its glory. Among the waxy flowers will be
found as many of the bright red berries of the previous year as
have been left unmolested by the hungry winter birds. This
plant is found not only in the moist woods of North America,
but also in the forests of Mexico and Japan. It is a near relative
of the dainty bluets or Quaker ladies, and has the same pecul-
iarity of dimorphous flowers (p. 274).
COMMON ELDER.
Sambucus Canadensis. Honeysuckle Family.
Stems. Scarcely woody ; five to ten feet high. Leaves. Divided into
toothed leaflets. Flowers. White; small; in flat-topped clusters. Calyx.
Lobes minute or none. Corolla. With five spreading lobes. Stamens.
Five. Pistil. One, with three stigmas. Fruit. Dark-purple.
The common elder borders the lanes and streams with its
spreading flower-clusters in early summer, and in the later year
is noticeable for the dark berries from which " elderberry wine '*
is brewed by the country people. The fine white wood is easily
cut and is used for skewers and pegs. A decoction of the leaves
serves the gardener a good purpose in protecting delicate plants
from caterpillars. Evelyn wrote of it : "If the medicinal prop-
erties of the leaves, berries, bark, etc., were thoroughly known,
I cannot tell what our countrymen could ail for which he might
not fetch from every hedge, whether from sickness or wound."
The white pith can easily be removed from the stems, hence
the old English name of bore-wood.
The name elder is probably derived from the Anglo-Saxon
add a fire and is thought to refer to the former use of the
hollow branches in blowing up a fire.
73
WHITE
SPURGE.
Euphorbia corollata. Spurge Family.
Stem. Two or three feet high. Leaves. Ovate ; lance-shaped or linear
Flowers. Clustered within the usually five-lobed, cup-shaped involucre,
which was formerly considered the flower itself ; the male flowers numerous
and lining its base, consisting each of a single stamen ; the female flower
solitary in the middle of the involucre, consisting of a three-lobed ovary
with three styles, each style being two-cleft. Pod. On a slender stalk
smooth.
In this plant the showy white appendages of the clustered
cup-shaped involucres are usually taken for the petals of the
flower ; only the botanist suspecting that the minute organs with-
in these involucres really form a cluster of separate flowers of
different sexes. While the most northerly range in the Eastern
States of this spurge is usually considered to be New York, we
are told that it has been recently naturalized in Massachusetts.
It blossoms from July till October.
GREAT BURNET
Poterium Canadense. Rose Family.
One to six feet high. Leaves. Divided into numerous ovate or oblong
leaflets. Flowers. White; small. Calyx. White; corolla-like, four-
lobed. Corolla. None. Stamens. Four, long-exserted, club-shaped, white,
Pistil. One.
A conspicuous midsummer arrival in many of our wet mead-
3ws, more especially perhaps in those near the sea, is the great
burnet. This is a tall showy plant, with foliage suggestive of
the Rose family to which it belongs, and long-stalked spikes of
feathery white flowers, the lower ones opening first, leaving the
upper part of the spike in bud. These flowers owe their feath-
ery appearance to the long white stamens, of which each blossom
seems chiefly to consist, the four petal-like lobes of the calyx fall-
ing early, and the pistil being inconspicuous.
74
PLATE XXXK
Flowor.
BUTTON - BU SH Cephalanthus occidentals*
75
WHITE
BUTTON-BUSH.
[PI. XXXIII
Cephalanthus occidentalis. Madder Family.
A shrub three to eight feet high. Leaves. Opposite or whorled in
threes; somewhat oblong and pointed. Flowers. Small; white; closely
crowded in round button-like heads. Calyx. Four -toothed. Corolla.
Four-toothed. Stamens. Four. Pistil. One, with a thread-like protrud-
ing style and blunt stigma.
This pretty shrub borders the streams and swamps throughout
the country. Its button-like flower-clusters appear in midsum-
mer. It belongs to the family of which the delicate bluet and
fragrant partridge vine are also members. Its flowers have a jas
mine-like fragrance.
BROOK-WEED. WATER PIMPERNEL.
Samolus Valerandi. Primrose Family.
Stem. Six to twelve inches high ; leafy. Leaves. Somewhat oval 01
wedge-shaped. Flowers. White; small; growing in clusters. Calyx.*
Five-cleft. Corolla. Somewhat bell-shaped ; five-cleft. True Stamens.
Five. False Stamens. Five. Pistil. One; globe-shaped.
This plant is found throughout the country, in wet places,
flowering at any time from June till September.
Dalibarda repens. Rose Family.
Scape. Low. Leaves. Heart-shaped ; wavy-toothed. Flowers.
White ; one or two borne on each scape. Calyx. Deeply five or six-parted,
three of the divisions larger and toothed. Corolla. Of five petals. Sra-
mens. Many. Pistils. Five to ten.
The foliage of this pretty little plant suggests the violet ;
while its white blossom betrays its kinship with the wild straw-
berry. It may be found from June till September in woody
places, being one of those flowers which we seek deliberately,
whose charm is never decreased by its being thrust upon us in-
76
WHITE
opportunely. Who can tell how much the attractiveness of the
wild carrot, the dandelion, or butter-and-eggs would be en-
hanced were they so discreet as to withdraw from the common
haunts of men into the shady exclusiveness which causes us to
prize many far less beautiful flowers ?
ROUND-LEAVED SUNDEW.
Drosera rotundifolia. Sundew Family.
Scape. A few inches high. Leaves. Rounded, abruptly narrowed into
spreading, hairy leaf-stalks ; beset with reddish, gland-bearing bristles.
Flowers. White ; growing in a one-sided raceme, which so nods at its apex
that the fresh-blown blossom is always uppermost. Calyx. Of five sepals.
Corolla. Of five petals. Pistil. One, with three or five styles, which are
sometimes so deeply two-parted as to be taken for twice as many.
' What's this I hear
About the new carnivora?
Can little plants
Eat bugs and ants
And gnats and flies ?
A sort of retrograding :
Surely the fare
Of flowers is air,
Or sunshine sweet ;
, They shouldn't eat,
Or do aught so degrading! "
But by degrees we are learning to reconcile ourselves to the
fact that the more we study the plants the less we are able to at-
tribute to them altogether unfamiliar and ethereal habits. We
find that the laws which control their being are strangely sug-
gestive of those which regulate ours, and after the disappearance
of the shock which attends the shattered illusion, their charm is
only increased by the new sense of kinship.
The round-leaved sundew is found blossoming in many of
our marshes in midsummer. When the sun shines upon its
leaves they look as though covered with sparkling dewdrops,
hence its common name. These drops are a glutinous efcuda-
17
WHITE
tion, by means of which insects visiting the plant are first capt-
ured ; the reddish bristles then close tightly about them, and it
is supposed that their juices are absorbed by the plant. At all
events the rash visitor rarely escapes. In many localities it is
easy to secure any number of these little plants and to try for
one's self the rather grewsome experiment of feeding them with
small insects. Should the tender-hearted recoil from such reck-
less slaughter, they might confine their offerings on the altar of
science to mosquitoes, small spiders, and other deservedly un-
popular creatures.
D. Americana is a very similar species, with longer, narrower
leaves.
The thread-leaved sundew, D. filiformis, has fine, thread-like
leaves and pink flowers, and is found in wet sand along the
coast.
" A little marsh-plant, yellow green,
And pricked at lip with tender red.
Tread close, and either way you tread
Some faint black water jets between
Lest you should bruise the curious head.
You call it sundew : how it grows,
If with its color it have breath,
If life taste sweet to it, if death
Pain its soft petal, no man knows :
Man has no sight or sense that saith. "
SWINBURNE.
POKEWEED. GARGET. PIGEON-BERRY.
Phytolacca decandra. Pokeweed Family.
Stems. At length from six to ten feet high ; purple-pink or bright red ;
stout. Leaves. Large; alternate; veiny. Flowers. White or pinkish;
the green ovaries conspicuous ; growing in racemes. Calyx. Of five
rounded or petal-like sepals, pinkish without. Corolla. None. Stamens.
Ten. Pistil. One, with ten styles. Fruit. A dark purplish berry.
There is a vigor about this native plant which is very pleas-
ing. In July it is possible that we barely notice the white flow-
78
PLATE XXXIV
/
Fruit
WHITE
ers and large leaves; but when in September the tall purple
stems rear themselves above their neighbors in the roadside
thicket, the leaves look as though stained with wine, and the
long clusters of rich dark berries hang heavily from the branches,
we cannot but admire its independent beauty. The berries serve
as food for the birds. A tincture of them at one time acquired
some reputation as a remedy for rheumatism. In Pennsylvania
they have been used with whiskey to make a so-called " port-
wine. ' ' From their dark juice arose the name of ' ' red-ink
plant," which is common in some places. The large roots are
poisonous, but the acrid young shoots are rendered harmless by
boiling, and are eaten like asparagus, being quite as good, I have
been told by country people.
Despite the difference in the spelling of the names, it has
been suggested that the plant was called after President Polk.
This is most improbable, as it was common throughout the
country long before his birth, and its twigs are said to have been
plucked and worn by his followers during his campaign for the
presidency.
BUNCH FLOWER.
Melanthium Virginicum. Lily Family.
Stem. Three to five feet high ; rather slender ; leafy. Leaves. Linear.
Flowers. Greenish yellow turning brown ; in a rather dense panicle. Per-
ianth. Of six somewhat heart-shaped, petal-like sepals raised on slender
claws, each one bearing two dark glands at base. Stamens. Six. Pistil,
^One, with three styles.
This plant derives its name from the way in which the small
flowers are bunched or crowded together on top of the tall stems.
Usually the lower flowers are staminate ; the upper pistillate.
It grows in wet meadows from Rhode Island to Florida, and
blossoms from June to August.
PLATE XXXV
MEADOW-SWEET. Spiraa.
81
Zygadenus elegans. Lily Family.
Stem. Smooth; slender; one to three feet high, from bulb. Leaves.
Linear, flat, keeled. Flowers. Greenish- white, panicled. Perianth. Ot
six, thin, petal-like sepals, each one marked with a large obcordate gland
at base. Stamens. Six. Pistil.- One, with three styles or stigmas.
Throughout midsummer, in New York and parts of New Eng-
land, in wet and, in my experience, rocky places, these pretty
lily-like flowers are in their prime. They rejoice especially in
the neighborhood of mountain streams. I have found their
tufted clusters, wet with the spray of falling water, springing
from such moist precipitous rocks as harbor the harebell and the
bulbous bladder fern. Indeed, in my mind, they are associated
altogether with such remote enchanted spots, where the swift
rush of the stream and the notes of the shy wood birds alone
break the stillness*
MEADOW-SWEET.
[PI. XXXV
Spirtza salicifolia. Rose Family.
Stem. Nearly smooth; two or three feet high. Leaves. Alternate;
very broadly lance-shaped ; toothed. Flowers. Small; white or flesh-col-
or ; in pyramidal clusters. Calyx. Five-cleft. Corolla. Of five rounded
petals. Stamens. Numerous. Pistils. Five to eight.
The feathery spires of the meadow-sweet soar upward from
the river banks and low meadows from July onward. Unlike
its pink sister, the steeple-bush, its leaves and stems are fairly
smooth. The lack of fragrance in the flowers is disappointing,
because of the hopes raised by the plant's common name. This
is said by Dr. Prior to be a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon mead-
wort, which signifies honey-wine herb, alluding to a fact which is
mentioned in Hill's " Herbal," that "the flowers mixed with
mead give it the flavor of the Greek wines."
Although the significance of many of the plant-names seeing
clear enough at first sight, such an example as this serves to
show how really obscure it often is.
82
PLATE XXXVI
THREE-TOOTHED CINQUEFOIL Potcntilla tridentala.
WHITE AVENS.
Geum album. Rose Family*
Stem. Slender ; about two feet high. Root-leaves. Divided into from
three to five leaflets, or entire. Stem-leaves. Three-lobed or divided, or
only toothed. Flowers. White. Calyx. Deeply five-cleft, usually with
five small bractlets alternating with its lobes. Corolla. Of five petals.
Slam ens. Numerous. Pistils. Numerous, with hooked styles which be-
come elongated in fruit.
The white avens is one of the less noticeable plants which
border the summer woods, blossoming from May till August.
Later the hooked seeds which grow in round bur-like heads
secure wide dispersion by attaching themselves to animals or
clothing. Other species of avens have more conspicuous golden-
yellow flowers.
THREE-TOOTHED CINQUEFOIL.
Potentilla tridentata. Rose Family.
Stems. Low; one to ten inches high; rather woody at base; tufted.
T, eaves. Divided into three oblong leaflets, which are thick, and coarsely
three-toothed at their apex. Flowers. White ; clustered. Calyx. Five-
cleft. Corolla. Of five petals. Stamens. Many. Pistils. Many in a
head.
The strawberry-like blossoms of this pretty little plant ap-
pear in summer. They are found on the mountain-tops of the
Alleghanies, and also along the New England coast, and the
shores of the Great Lakes.
RATTLESNAKE-PLANTAIN.
[PI. XXXVII
Goodyera pubescens. Orchis Family.
Scape. Six to twelve inches high. Leaves. From the root in a sort of
flat rosette ; conspicuously veined with white ; thickish ; evergreen. Flo^v-
ers. Small ; greenish-white ; crowded in a close spike.
The flowers of the rattlesnake-plantain appear in late sum-
mer and are less conspicuous than the prettily tufted, white-
veined leaves which may be found in the rich woods throughout
WHITE
the year. The plant has been reputed an infallible cure for
hydrophobia and snake-bites. It is said that the Indians had
such faith in its remedial virtues that they would allow a snake
to drive its fangs into them for a small sum, if they had these
leaves on hand to apply to the wound.
WHITE FRINGED ORCHIS.
Habenaria blephariglottis. Orchis Family.
About one foot high. Leaves. Oblong or lance-shaped ; the upper
passing into pointed bracts. Flowers. Pure white ; with a slender spur
and fringed lip ; growing in an oblong spike.
This seems to me the most exquisite of our native orchids.
The fringed lips give the snowy, delicate flowers a feathery ap-
pearance as they gleam from the shadowy woods of midsummer,
or from the peat-bogs where they thrive best ; or perhaps they
spire upward from among the dark green rushes which border
some lonely mountain lake. Like the yellow fringed orchis,
which they greatly resemble in general structure, they may
be sought for in vain many seasons and then will be discov-
ered, one midsummer day, lavishing their spotless loveliness
upon some unsuspected marsh which has chanced to escape our
vigilance.
NORTHERN WHITE ORCHIS.
Habenaria dilatata. Orchis Family.
Stem. Slender; leafy. Leaves. Long and narrow. Flowers. Small;
white ; with an incurved spur ; growing in a slender spike.
The mention of the northern white orchis recalls to my mind
one midsummer morning in a New England swamp, where
tangles of sheep laurel barred the way, branches of dogwood
and azalea snapped into my eyes, while patches of fragrant ad-
ders' mouths and fragile Calopogons just escaped being trodden
underfoot, and exacted, by way of compensation, a breathless
but delighted homage at their lovely shrines. Among tall-
84
PUTE xxxy
RATTLESNAKE PLANTAIN.- Goodyera fubesccn*
growing ferns, springing from elastic beds of moss, here I first
found the slender, fragrant wands of this pretty orchid.
LARGE ROUND-LEAVED ORCHIS.
Habenaria orbiculata. Orchis Family.
Scape. Stout, bracted, one to two feet high. Basal leaves. Two, verj
large, orbicular, spreading flat on the ground, shining above, silvery be-
neath. Flowers. Greenish-white, spreading in a loose raceme, with linear
and slightly wedge-shaped lips and curved, slender spurs about an inch
and a half long.
The peculiar charm of this orchid lies in its great flat rounded
shining leaves, which spread themselves over the ground in an
opulent fashion that seems to accord with the spirit of the deep
pine woods where they are most at home. The tall scape with
its many greenish- white flowers reaches maturity in July or
August.
SWEET PEPPERBUSH. WHITE ALDER.
Clethra alnifolia. Heath Family.
A shrub from three to ten feet high. Leaves. Alternate ; ovate ; sharply
toothed. Flowers. White; growing in clustered finger-like racemes.
Calyx. Of five sepals. Corolla. Of five oblong petals. Stamens. Ten;
protruding. Pistil. One ; three-cleft at apex.
Nearly all our flowering shrubs are past their glory by mid-
summer, when the fragrant blossoms of the sweet pepperbush be-
gin to exhale their perfume from the cool thickets which line
the lanes along the New England coast. There is a certain luxu-
riance in the vegetation of this part of the country in August
which is generally lacking farther inland, where the fairer flow-
ers have passed away, and the country begins to show the effects
of the long days of heat and drought. The moisture of the air,
and the peculiar character of the soil near the sea, are responsi-
ble for the freshness and beauty of many of the late flowers which
we find in such a locality.
Clethra is the ancient Greek name for the alder, which this
plant somewhat resembles in foliage.
86
PLATE XXXVIIi
$WEET PEPPERBUSH.-C&Mm
WHITE
WILD BALSAM APPLE.
Echinocystis lobafa. Gourd Family.
Stem. Climbing; nearly smooth ; with three-forked tendrils. Leaves.
Deeply and sharply five-lobed. Flowers. Numerous ; small ; greenish-
white ; unisexual ; the staminate ones growing in long racemes, the pistillate
ones in small clusters or solitary. Fruit. Fleshy ; oval ; green ; about
two inches long ; clothed with weak prickles.
This is an ornamental climber which is found bearing its
flowers and fruit at the same time. It grows in rich soil along
rivers in parts of New England, Pennsylvania, and westward ;
and is often cultivated in gardens, making an effective arbor-
vine. The generic name is from two Greek words which sig-
nify hedgehog and bladder, in reference to the prickly fruit.
COLIC ROOT. STAR-GRASS.
Aletris farinosa. Bloodwort Family.
Leaves. Thin ; lance- shaped ; in a spreading cluster from the root.
Scape. Slender; two to three feet high. Flowers. White; small, grow-
ing in a wand-like, spiked raceme. Perianth. Six-cleft at the summit ;
oblong-tubular. Stamens. Six, orange-colored. Pistil. One, with style
three-cleft at apex.
In low wet meadows and in grassy woods the tall white
wands of the colic root shoot above its companion plants. At
the first glance one might confuse its long clusters with the
twisted spikes of ladies' tresses, but a closer examination reveals
no real likeness between the blossoms of the two plants. Then,
too, the flat rosette of lance-shaped leaves from which springs
the white wand of flowers is a distinguishing feature of the colic
root.
Its blossoms are wrinkled and rough outside, with a look of
being dusted with white meal, whence springs its generic title,
the Greek word for " a female slave who grinds corn." They
have a faint raspberry-like fragrance. This is really a striking
and interesting plant.
83
PLATE XXXIX
Single flower.
WILD BALSAM-APPLE. Echinocystis iobata.
89
WHITE
COMMON YARROW. MILFOIL.
Achillea Millefolium. Composite Family.
Stem. Simple at first, often branching near the summit. Leaves.
Divided into finely toothed segments. Flower- heads. White, occasionally
pink ; clustered ; small ; made up of both ray and disk-flowers.
This is one of our most frequent roadside weeds, blossoming
throughout the summer and late into the autumn. Tradition
claims that it was used by Achilles to cure the wounds of his
soldiers, and the genus is named after that mighty hero. It
still forms one of the ingredients of an ointment valued by the
Scotch Highlanders. The early English botanists called the
plant "nose-bleed," "because the leaves being put into the
nose caused it to bleed ; " and Gerarde writes that " Most men
say that the leaves chewed, and especially greene, are a remedie
for the toothache." These same pungent leaves also won it the
name of "old man's pepper," while in Sweden its title signi-
fies field hop, and refers to its employment in the manufacture
of beer. Linnaeus considered the beer thus brewed to be more
intoxicating than that in which hops were utilized. The old
women of the Orkney Islands hold "milfoil tea" in high re-
pute, believing it to be gifted with the power of dispelling mel-
ancholy. In Switzerland a good vinegar is said to be made
from the Alpine species. The plant is cultivated in the gardens
of Madeira, where so many beautiful and, in our eyes, rare, flow-
ers grow in wild profusion.
WILD CARROT. BIRD'S NEST. QUEEN ANNE'S LACE.
Daucus Car ota. Parsley Family.
Stems. Tall and slender. Leaves. Finely dissected. Flowers.
White ; in a compound umbel, forming a circular flat-topped cluster.
When the delicate flowers of the wild carrot are still unsoiled
by the dust from the highway, and fresh from the early summer
rains, they are very beautiful, adding much to the appearance of
the roadsides and fields along which they grow so abundantly as
qo
WHITE.
to strike despair into the heart of the farmer, for this is, per-
haps, the " peskiest " of all the weeds with which he has to con-
cend. As time goes on the blossoms begin to have a careworn
look and lose something of the cobwebby aspect which won
them the title of Queen Anne's lace. In late summer the
flower-stalks erect themselves, forming a concave cluster which
has the appearance of a bird's nest. I have read that a species
of bee makes use of this ready-made home, but have never seen
any indications of such an occupancy.
This is believed to be the stock from which the garden car-
rot was raised. The vegetable was well known to the ancients,
and we learn from Pliny that the finest specimens were brought
to Rome from Candia. When it was first introduced into
Great Britain is not known, although the supposition is that it
was brought over by the Dutch during the reign of Elizabeth.
In the writings of Parkinson we read that the ladies wore carrot-
leaves in their hair in place of feathers. One can picture the
dejected appearance of a ball-room belle at the close of an enter-
tainment.
WATER HEMLOCK. SPOTTED COWBANE.
Cicuta maculata. Parsley Family.
Stem. Smooth ; stout ; from two to six feet high ; streaked with purple.
Leaves. Twice or thrice-compound ; leaflets coarsely toothed. Flowers.
White ; in compound umbels, the little umbels composed of numerous
flowers.
This plant is often confused with the wild carrot, the sweet
Cicely, and other white-flowered members of the Parsley family ;
but usually it can be identified by its purple-streaked stem. The
umbels of the water hemlock are also more loosely clustered than
those of the carrot, and their stalks are much more unequal. It
is commonly found in marshy ground, blossoming in midsummer.
Its popular names refer to its poisonous properties, its root being
said to contain the most dangerous vegetable poison native to
our country, and to have been frequently confounded with that
of the edible sweet Cicely with fatal results.
9
WHITE
COW PARSNIP.
Hcracleum lanatum. Parsley Family.
Stem. Stout, often two inches thick at base, four to eight feet high,
ridged, hollow, green. Leaves. The lower large, compound in three di-
visions, leaflets lobed and sharply notched ; on short leaf-stems which are
much inflated and clasp the stalk; rank-smelling. Flowers. In spreading,
flat-topped clusters, white, with heart-shaped, notched petals ; outer flow-
ers larger than inner ones, and with irregular petals.
In swampy places this great vigorous looking plant, which
blossoms in early summer, is often a conspicuous, and despite
its coarseness, not altogether an unpleasing feature.
PURPLE-STEMMED ANGELICA.
Angelica atropurpwea. Parsley Family.
Stem. Stout, four to six feet high, smooth, dark purple. Leaves.
The lower very large, with inflated leaf-stems ; compound in two or three
divisions, these divided into lance-shaped or ovate sharply-toothed leaflets.
Flowers. White or greenish, in large spreading more or less flat-topped
clusters.
In early summer, especially along the banks of streams and
rivers, the great purple-stemmed angelica may be found spreading
its flat-topped clusters of small greenish flowers. This plant may
be distinguished from the cow parsnip by its purple stem, and
by its numerous pinnately-arranged leaflets.
SANICLE. BLACK SNAKE-ROOT.
Sanicula Marylandica. Parsley Family.
Stem. One to four feet high. Leaves. Three to seven -parted ; the
divisions sharply cut. Flowers. Greenish-white or yellowish, small ;
borne in small button-like heads in a two to four-rayed umbel which tops
the stem ; some perfect, others staminate only. Fruit. Round and
prickly.
This plant, which is uninteresting in appearance and hardly
suggestive of the Parsley family, blossoms in our wet woods dur-
ing the summer.
02
WHITE
WATER PARSNIP.
Slum cicutce folium. Parsley Family.
Two to six feet high. Stem. Stout. Leaves. Divided into from three
to eight pairs of sharply toothed leaflets. Flowers. White, in compound
umbels.
This plant grows in water or wet places throughout North
America. I have found it in great abundance both in swamps
along the coast, and bordering mountain streams far inland.
Its Parsley-like flower-clusters at once indicate the family of
which it is a member.
MOCK BISHOP-WEED.
Discopleura capillacea. Parsley Family.
One or two feet high, occasionally much taller. Stems. Branching.
Leaves. Dissected into fine, thread-like divisions. Flowers. White ; very
small ; growing in compound umbels with thread-like bracts.
This plant blossoms all summer in wet meadows, both inland
and along the coast; but it is especially common in the salt-
marshes near New York City. It probably owes its English
name to the fancied resemblance between the bracted flower-
clusters and a bishop's cap. Its effect is feathery and delicate.
WATER HOREHOUND.
Lycopus sinuatus. Mint Family.
Stem. Erect ; one to three feet high ; acutely four-angled. Leaves.
Opposite ; oblong or lance-shaped ; pointed ; irregularly toothed or deeply
parted, or some of the upper merely wavy-margined. Flowers. Small ;
mostly white; in close whorls in the axils of the leaves. Calyx-teeth.
Usually five; with short, sharp points. Corolla. Bell-shaped; nearly
equally four-lobed. Stamens. Four (the upper pair slender and conspicu-
ous but sterile). Pistil. One, with a two-lobed style. Ovary. Deeply
four-lobed ; splitting when ripe into four little nutlets.
This plant abounds in wet places, flowering throughout the
summer.
93
WHIT6
BUGLE-WEEiX
Lycopus Virginicus. Mint Family.
Stem. Six inches to two feet high; obtusely four-angled. Flowers.
Much as in above. Calyx-teeth. Usually only four ; barely pointed.
The bugle-weed is found in wet places across the continent.
WHITE VERVAIN.
Verbena urticafolia. Verbena Family.
Three to five feet high. Leaves. Oval ; coarsely toothed. Flowers.
Small ; white ; in slender spikes.
It almost excites one's incredulity to be told that this unin-
teresting-looking plant, which grows rankly along the highways,
is an importation from the tropics, yet for this statement the
botany is responsible.
TRAVELLER'S JOY. VIRGIN'S BOWER.
Clematis Virginiana. Crowfoot Family.
Stem. Climbing ; somewhat woody. Leaves. Opposite ; three-divided.
Flowers. Whitish ; in clusters ; unisexual. Calyx. Of four petal-like se-
pals. Corolla. None. Stamens and Pistils. Indefinite in number; oc-
curring on different plants.
In July and August this beautiful plant, covered with its
white blossoms and clambering over the shrubs which border the
country lanes, makes indeed a fitting bower for any maid or
traveller who may chance to be seeking shelter. Later in the
year the seeds with their silvery plumes give a feathery effect,
which is very striking.
This graceful climber works its way by means of its bending
or clasping leaf-stalks. Darwin has made interesting experi-
ments regarding the movements of the young shoots of the
Clematis. He discovered that, "one revolved, describing a
broad oval, in five hours, thirty minutes ; and another in six
hours, twelve minutes; they follow thr course f the sun."
94
TRAVELLER'S JOY.- Clematis Virginian*.
WHITE
GROUND CHERRY.
Phy salts Virginiana. Nightshade Family.
A strong-scented, low, much-branched and spreading herb. Leaves.
Somewhat oblong or heart-shaped ; wavy-toothed. Flowers. Greenish or
yellowish- white ; solitary on nodding flower-stalks. Calyx. Five-cleft ;
enlarging and much inflated in fruit, loosely enclosing the berry. Corolla.
Between wheel-shaped and funnel-form. Stamens. Five; erect; with
yellow anthers. Pistil. One. Fruit. A. green or yellow edible berry
which is loosely enveloped in the much-inflated calyx.
We find the ground cherry in light sandy soil, and are more
apt to notice the loosely enveloped berry of the late year than
the rather inconspicuous flowers which appear in summer.
TURTLE-HEAD.
Chelone glabra. Figwort Family.
One to seven feet high. Stem. Smooth; upright; branching. Leaves.
Opposite; lance - shaped ; toothed. Flowers. White or pinkish; grow-
ing in a spike or close cluster. Calyx. Of five sepals. Corolla. Two-
lipped ; the upper lip broad and arched, notched at the apex ; lower lip
three-lobed at the apex, woolly bearded in the throat. Stamens. Four per-
fect ones, with woolly filaments and very woolly, heart-shaped anthers, and
one small sterile one. Pistil. One.
It seems to have been my fate to find the flowers which the
botany relegates to " dry, Sandy soil " flourishing luxuriantly in
marshes ; and to encounter the flowers which by right belong
to " wet woods " flaunting themselves in sunny meadows. This
cannot be attributed to the natural depravity of inanimate ob-
jects, for what is more full of life than the flowers ? and no one
would believe in their depravity except perhaps the amateur-
botanist who is endeavoring to master the different species of
golden-rods and asters. Therefore it is pleasant to record that
I do not remember ever having met a turtle-head, which is
assigned by the botany to "wet places," which had not gotten
as close to a stream or a marsh or a moist ditch as it well could
without actually wetting its feet. The flowers of this plant are
more odd and striking than pretty. Their appearance is such
96
PLATE XL.
T(JRTLE-HEAD.-CVk&* tfabra.
P7
WHITE
that their common name seems fairly appropriate. I have heard
unbotanical people call them " white closed gentians."
COMMON DODDER. LOVE VINE.
Cuscuta Gronovii. Convolvulus Family.
Stems. Yellow or reddish ; thread-like ; twining ; leafless. Flowers.
White ; in close clusters. Calyx. Five-cleft. Corolla. With five
spreading lobes. Stamens. Five. Pistil. One, with two styles.
Late in the summer perhaps we are tempted deep into some
thicket by the jasmine-scented heads of the button-bush or the
fragrant spikes of the Clethra, and note for the first time the tan-
gled golden threads and close white flower-clusters of the dodder.
If we try to trace to their source these twisted stems, which the
Creoles know as ''angels' hair," we discover that they are
fastened to the bark of the shrub or plant about which they are
twining by means of small suckers ; but nowhere can we find
any connection with the earth, all their nourishment being ex-
tracted from the plant to which they are adhering. Originally
this curious herb sprang from the ground which succored it un-
til it succeeded in attaching itself to some plant ; having accom-
plished this it severed all connection with mother-earth by the
withering away or snapping off of the stem below.
The flax-dodder, C. Epilinum, is a very injurious plant in
European flax-fields. It has been sparingly introduced into this
country with flax-seed.
THORN-APPLE. JAMESTOWN WEED.
Datura Stramonium. Nightshade Family
Stem. Smooth and branching. Leaves. Ovate ; wavy toothed or
angled. Flowers. White; large and showy ; on short flower-stalks from
the forks of the branching stem. Calyx. Five-toothed. Corolla. Fun-
nel-form ; the border five-toothed. Stamens. Five. Pistils. One. Fruit.
Green ; globular ; prickly.
The showy white flowers of the thorn-apple are found in
waste places during the summer and autumn, a heap of rubbish
98
PLATE XLII
WHITE HEATH ASTER. Aster ericoidcs.
PLATE XLIII
V
POINTED LEAVED ASTER. Aster acuminatus.
WHITE
forming their usual unattractive background. The plant is a
rank, ill-scented one, which was introduced into our country
from Asia. It was so associated with civilization as to be called
the " white man's plant " by the Indians.
Its purple-flowered relative, D. Tatula, is an emigrant from
the tropics. This genus possesses narcotic-poisonous properties.
WHITE ASTERS.
[PI. XLII.-XLIIl
Aster. Composite Family.
Flower-heads. Composed of white or sometimes purplish ray-flowers
with a centre of yellow disk-flowers.
While we have far fewer species of white than of blue or
purple asters, some of these few are so abundant in individuals
as to hold their own fairly well against their bright-hued rivals.
The smooth, slender, somewhat zigzag stem of the white
wood aster, A. corymbosus, is green or purple, with reddish
streaks. Its leaves are thin, the lower ones large, heart-shaped,
and somewhat coarsely toothed, the uppermost small, oval, and
tapering. The white flower-heads are borne in loose leafy clus-
ters. The plant is found blossoming during the month of August
in open woods and along the shaded roadsides.
Bordering the dry fields at this same season and later, we
notice the spreading wand-like branches, thickly covered on their
upper sides with tiny flower-heads, as with snow-flakes, of the
white heath aster, A. ericoides. This plant is easily distinguished
by its small rigid linear leaves. The lower leaves, however, are
much larger and somewhat wedge-shaped.
The pointed -leaved aster, A. acuminatus , is easily identified
by means of the oblong-pointed leaves, which are crowded so
close to the top of the stem as to give often the effect of being
whorled just below the white, or sometime purplish, flower-clus-
ters. This is peculiarly a wood-loving plant.
A. umbellatus is the tall white aster of the swamps and moist
thickets. It sometimes reaches a height of seven feet, and can
99
WHITE
be identified by its long tapering leaves and large, flat flower
clusters.
A beautiful and abundant seaside species is A. multiflorus.
Its small flower-heads are closely crowded on the low, bushy,
spreading branches ; its leaves are narrow, rigid, crowded, and
somewhat hoary. The whole effect of the plant is heath-like ; it
also somewhat suggests an evergreen.
MILD WATER-PEPPER.
Polygonum hydropiperoides. Buckwheat Family.
Stem. One to three feet high; smooth; branching. Leaves. Alter-
nate; narrowly lance-shaped or oblong. Flowers. White or flesh-color;
small; growing in erect, slender spikes. Calyx. Five-parted. Corolla.
None. Stamens. Eight. Pistil. One, usually with three styles.
These rather inconspicuous but very common flowers are
found in moist places and shallow water.
The common knotweed, P. avtculare, which grows in such
abundance in country door-yards and waste places, has slender,
often prostrate, stems, and small greenish flowers, which are clus-
tered in the axils of the leaves or spiked at the termination of
the stems. This is perhaps the " hindering knotgrass " to which
Shakespeare refers in the "Midsummer Night's Dream," so
terming it, not on account of its knotted trailing stems, but be-
cause of the belief that it would hinder the growth of a child.
In Beaumont and Fletcher's " Coxcomb " the same superstition
is indicated :
" We want a boy
Kept under for a year with milk and knotgrass. "
It is said that many birds are nourished by the seeds of this
plant.
too
PLATE XLIV
BONESET. Eutatorittm perfolidtum*
101
WHIT!
CLIMBING FALSE BUCKWHEAT.
Polygonum scandens.- Buckwheat Family.
Stem. Smooth ; twining, and climbing over bushes ; eight to twelve feet
high. Leaves. Heart or arrow shaped; pointed; alternate. Flowers.
Greenish or pinkish ; in' racemes. Calyx. Five- parted ; with colored mar-
gins. Corolla. None. Stamens. Usually eight. Pistil. One, with
three styles. Seed-vessel. Green ; three-angled ; winged ; conspicuous in
autumn.
In early summer this plant, which clambers so perseveringly
over the moist thickets which line our country lanes, is compara-
tively inconspicuous. The racemes of small greenish flowers are
not likely to attract one's attention, and it is late summer or
autumn before the thick clusters of greenish fruit, composed of
the winged seed-vessels, arrest one's notice. At this time the
vine is very beautiful and striking, and one wonders that it could
have escaped detection in the earlier year.
BONESET. THOROUGHWORT.
[PI. XLIV
Eupatorium perfoliatum. Composite Family.
Stem. Stout and hairy ; two to four feet high. Leaves. Opposite ;
widely spreading; lance- shaped ; united at the base around the stem.
Flower-heads. Dull white; small; composed entirely of tubular blossoms
borne in large clusters.
To one whose childhood was passed in the country some
fifty years ago the name or sight of this plant is fraught with
unpleasant memories. The attic or wood-shed was hung with
bunches of the dried herb, which served as so many grewsome
warnings against wet feet, or any over-exposure which might
result in cold or malaria. A certain Nemesis, in the shape of :.
nauseous draught which was poured down the throat under the
name of " boneset tea," attended such a catastrophe. The Ind-
ians first discovered its virtues, and named the plant ague-weed.
Possibly this is one of the few herbs whose efficacy has not been
overrated. Dr. Millspaugh says: ''It is prominently adapted
102
PLATE XLV
WHITE SNAKEROOT. Eupatorium ageratoidn.
WHITE
to cure a disease peculiar to the South, known as break -bone
fever (Dengue), and it is without doubt from this property that
the name boneset was derived."
ARROW-LEAVED TEAR-THUMB.
Polygomim sagittatum. Buckwheat Family.
Stem. Four-angled ; erect, or somewhat climbing by its prickles.
Leaves. Arrow-shaped; short-stemmed. FloTvers. White or pale pink;
small; clustered. Calyx. Usually five-parted; white or pale pink. Co-
rolla. None. Stamens. Usually eight. Pistil. One, with three styles.
Fruit. Sharply three-angled.
This rather noticeable plant is common in low grounds,
bearing the name of ' l scratch-grass " in some places.
HALBERD-LEAVED TEAR-THUMB.
Polygonum arifolium. Buckwheat Family.
This plant is distinguished from P. sagittatum by its taper-
pointed, long-stemmed leaves.
WHITE SNAKEROOT.
[PI. XLV
Eupatorium ageratoides. Composite Family.
About three feet high. Stem. Smooth and branching. Leaves. Op-
posite ; long-stalked ; broadly ovate ; coarsely and sharply toothed. Flower-
heads. White ; clustered; composed of tubular blossoms.
This species is less common but more beautiful and effective
than the boneset. It is found blossoming in the rich northern
woods of late summer.
104
WHITE
STARRY CAMPION.
Silene stellata. Pink Family.
Stem. Swollen at the joints ; about three feet high. Leaves. Whorled
in fours; oval; taper-pointed. Flowers. White; in a large pyramidal
cluster. Calyx. Inflated; five-toothed. Corolla. Of five deeply fringed
petals. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One, with three styles.
In late July many of our wooded banks are decorated with
the tall stems, whorled leaves, and prettily fringed flowers of the
starry campion.
BLADDER CAMPION.
Silene Cticubalus. Pink Family.
About one foot high. Leaves. Opposite; narrowly oval. Flowers.
White ; clustered. Calyx. Globular ; much inflated ; conspicuously
veined. Corolla. Of five two-cleft petals. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One,
with three styles.
This is an emigrant from Europe, which was first natu-
ralized near Boston, and has now become wild in different parts
of the country, quite overrunning some of the farm-lands which
border the Hudson River, and whitening the roadsides of Berk-
shire.
,TALL MEADOW RUE.
Thalictrum polygamum. Crowfoot Family.
Four to eight feet high. Leaves. Divided into many firm, rounded leaf-
lets. Flowers. White ; in large clusters ; some perfect, others unisexual.
Calyx. Of four or five small petal-like sepals which usually fall off very
early. Corolla. None. Stamens. Numerous. Pistils. Four to fifteen.
When a stream trails its sluggish length through the fields of
midsummer, its way is oftentimes marked by the tall meadow rue,
the feathery, graceful flower-clusters of which erect themselves
serenely above the myriad blossoms which are making radiant
the wet meadows at this season. For, here, too, we may search
for the purple flag and fringed orchis, the yellow meadow lily,
the pink swamp milkweed, each charming in its way, but none
WHITE
with the cool chaste beauty of the meadow rue. The staminate
flowers of this plant are especially delicate and feathery.
LADIES' TRESSES.
Spiranthes cernua. Orchis Family.
Stem. Leafy below, leafy-bracted above; six to twenty inches high.
Leaves. Linear-lance-shaped; the lowest elongated. Flowers. White;
fragrant ; the lips wavy or crisped ; growing in slender spikes.
This pretty little orchid is found in great abundance in Sep-
tember and October. The botany relegates it to " wet places,"
but I have seen dry upland pastures as well as low -lying swamps
profusely flecked with its slender, fragrant spikes. The braided
appearance of these spikes would easily account for the popular
name of ladies' tresses ; but we learn that the plant's English
name was formerly " ladies' traces" from a fancied resemblance
between its twisted clusters and the lacings which played so im-
portant a part in the feminine toilet. I am told that in parts of
New England the country people have christened the plant
* * wild hyacinth. ' '
The flowers of S. gracilis are very small, and grow in a much
more slender, one-sided spike than those of S. cernua. They
are found in the dry woods and along the sandy hill-sides from
July onward.
DEVIL'S BIT. BLAZING STAR.
Chamcelirium Carolinianum. Lily Family.
One to four feet high, the staminate plant taller. Leaves. The lower
wedge-shaped, obtuse, tapering into a petiole ; the upper, linear, pointed.
Flowers. White. The pistillate and staminate growing on different plants,
in a long wand-like, spiked raceme. Perianth. Of six white segments ;
staminate flowers with six stamens, pistillate flowers with one pistil having
three short styles.
From May to July the oft-times nodding staminate clusters,
and the stiff erect pistillate spikes of the devil's bit may be found
in many of our wet meadows, from Massachusetts to Florida.
106
PLATE XLV!
LADIES' TRESSES. Spiranthts cemua.
WHITE
WHITE WATER-LILY.
Nymphcza odorata. Water-lily Family.
Leaves. Rounded ; somewhat heart-shaped ; floating on the surface of
the water. Flowers. Large; white or sometimes pink ; fragrant. Calyx.
Of four sepals which are green without. Corolla. Of many petals. Sta-
mens. Indefinite in number. Pistil. With a many-celled ovary whose
summit is tipped with a globular projection around which are the radiating
stigmas.
This exquisite flower calls for little description. Many of us
are so fortunate as to hold in our memories golden mornings de-
voted to its quest. We can hardly take the shortest railway
journey in summer without passing some shadowy pool whose
greatest adornment is this spotless and queenly blossom. The
breath of the lily-pond is brought even into the heart of our cit-
ies, where dark-eyed little Italians peddle clusters of the long-
stemmed fragrant flowers about the streets.
In the water-lily may be seen an example of so-called plant-
metamorphosis. The petals appear to pass gradually into sta-
mens, it being difficult to decide where the petals end and the
stamens begin. But whether stamens are transformed petals, or
petals transformed stamens, seems to be a mooted question. In
Gray we read, " Petals numerous, in many rows, the innermost
gradually passing into stamens; " while Mr. Grant Allen write?
" Petals are in all probability enlarged and flattened stamens,
which have been set apart for the work of attracting insects,"
and goes on to say, " Flowers can and do exist without petals,
. . . but no flower can possibly exist without stamens, which
are one of the two essential reproductive organs in the plant."
From this he argues that it is more rational to consider a petal a
transformed stamen than vice versa. To go further into the sub-
ject here would be impossible, but a careful study of the water-
lily is likely to excite one's curiosity in the matter.
108
WHITE
ARROW-HEAD.
Sagittaria variabilis. Water-plantain Family.
Scape. A few inches to several feet high. Leaves. Arrow-shaped.
Flowers. White ; unisexual ; in whorls of three on the leafless scape. Calyx.
Of three sepals. Corolla. Of three white, rounded petals. Stamens and
Pistils. Indefinite in number; occurring in different flowers; the lower
whorls of flowers usually being pistillate, the upper staminate.
Among our water-flowers none are more delicately lovely than
those of the arrow-head. Fortunately the ugly and inconspic-
uous female flowers grow on the lower whorls, while the male
ones, with their snowy petals and golden centres, are arranged
about the upper part of the scape, where the eye first falls. It is
a pleasure to chance upon a slow stream whose margins are bor-
dered with these fragile blossoms and bright, arrow-shaped
leaves.
WATER-PLANTAIN.
Alisma Plantago. Water-plantain Family.
Scape. One to three feet high ; bearing the flowers in whorled, panicled
branches. Leaves. From the root ; oblong, lance-shaped or linear, mostly
rounded or heart-shaped at base. Flowers. White or pale pink; small;
in large, loose clusters which branch from the scape. Calyx. Of three se-
pals. Corolla. Of three petals. Stamens. Usually six. Pistils. Many,
on a flattened receptacle.
The water-plantain is nearly related to the arrow-head, and
is often found blossoming with it in marshy places or shallow
water.
GROUNDSEL TREE.
Baccharis halimifolia. Composite Family.
A shrub from six to twelve feet high. Leaves. Somewhat ovate and
wedge-shaped ; coarsely toothed, or the upper entire. Flower-heads.
Whitish or yellowish ; composed of unisexual tubular flowers ; the stamens
and pistils occurring on different plants.
Some October day, as we pick our way through the salt
marshes which lie back of the beach, we may spy in the distance
100
WHITE
a thicket which looks as though composed of such white-flowered
shrubs as belong to June. Hastening to the spot we discover
that the silky-tufted seeds of the female groundsel-tree are re-
sponsible for our surprise. The shrub is much more noticeable
and effective at this season than when a few weeks previous
it was covered with its small white or yellowish flower -heads.
GRASS OF PARNASSUS.
Pamassia Caroliniana. Saxifrage Family.
Stem. Scape-like ; nine inches to two feet high ; with usually one small
rounded leaf clasping it below ; bearing at its summit a single flower.
Leaves. Thickish ; rounded; often heart-shaped ; from the root. Flower.
-White or cream-color; veiny. Calyx. Of five slightly united sepals.
Corolla. Of five veiny petals. True Stamens. Five ; alternate with the
petals, and with clusters of sterile gland-tipped filaments. Pistil. One,
with four stigmas.
Gerarde indignantly declares that this plant has been de
scribed by blind men, not " such as are blinde in their eyes, but
in their understandings, for if this plant be a kind of grasse then
may the Butter-burre or Colte's-foote be reckoned for grasses as
also all other plants whatsoever." But if it covered Parnassus
with its delicate veiny blossoms as abundantly as it does some
moist New England meadows each autumn, the ancients may
have reasoned that a plant almost as common as grass must some<
how partake of its nature. The slender-stemmed creamy flowers
are never seen to better advantage than when disputing with the
fringed gentian the possession of some luxurious swamp.
PEARLY EVERLASTING.
Anaphilis margaritacea. Composite Family.
Stem. Erect ; one or two feet high. Leaves. Broadly linear to lance
shaped. Flower-heads. Composed entirely of tubular flowers with very
numerous white involucral scales.
This species is common throughout our northern woods and
pastures, blossoming in August. Thoreau writes of it in Sep
no
.-LATE XLV*
GRASS OF PARNASSUS.-Parwoftta Caroliniana.
Ill
WHITE
tember : " The pearly everlasting is an interesting white at pres-
ent. Though the stems and leaves are still green, it is dry and
unwithering, like an artificial flower ; its white, flexuous stem and
branches, too, like wire wound with cotton. Neither is there
any scent to betray it. Its amaranthine quality is instead of
high color. Its very brown centre now affects me as a fresh and
original color. It monopolizes small circles in the midst of
^weet fern, perchance, on a dry hill-side."
FRAGRANT LIFE-EVERLASTING.
Gnaphalium polycephalum. Composite Family.
Stem. Erect; one to three feet high ; woolly. Leaves. Lance-shaped.
Flower-heads. Yellowish- white ; clustered at the summit of the branches,
composed of many tubular flowers.
This is the " fragrant life-everlasting," as Thoreau calls it,
of late summer. It abounds in rocky pastures and throughout
the somewhat open woods.
i if
11
GREEN
INDIAN POKE. FALSE HELLEBORE.
Veratrum viride. Lily Family.
Root. Poisonous ; coarse and fibrous. Stem. Stout ; two to seven feet
high ; very leafy to the top. Leaves. Broadly oval ; pointed ; clasping.
Flowers. Dull greenish ; clustered. Perianth. Of six spreading sepals.
Stamens. Six. Pistil. One, with three styles.
When we go to the swampy woods in March or April we
notice an array of green, solid-looking spears which have just ap-
peared above the ground. If we handle one of these we are im-
pressed with its firmness and rigidity. When the increasing
warmth and sunshine have tempted the veiny, many-plaited
leaves of the false hellebore to unfold themselves it is difficult to
realize that they composed that sturdy tool which so effectively
tunnelled its way upward to the earth's surface. The tall stems
and large bright leaves of this plant are very noticeable in the
early year, forming conspicuous masses of foliage while the trees
and shrubs are still almost leafless. The dingy flowers which
appear in June rarely attract attention, unless by their lack of
beauty.
CARRION-FLOWER. CAT-BRIER.
Smilax herbacea. Lily Family.
Stem. Climbing, three to fifteen feet high. Leaves. Ovate, or rounded
heart-shaped, or abruptly cut off at base. Flowers. Greenish or yellowish ;
small ; clustered ; unisexual. Perianth. Six-parted. Stamens. Six.
Pistil. One, with three spreading stigmas. (Stamens and pistils occurring
on different plants.) Fruit. A bluish-blacl' berry.
One whiff of the foul breath of the carrion flower suffices for
its identification. Thoreau likens its odor to that of " a dead
GREEN
rat in the wall." It seems unfortunate that this strikingly hand-
some plant, which clambers so ornamentally over the luxuriant
thickets which border our lanes and streams, should be so handi-
capped each June. Happily with the disappearance of the blos-
soms, it takes its place as one of the most attractive of our climbers.
The common green-brier, S. rotundifolia, is a near relation
which is easily distinguished by its prickly stem.
The dark berries and deeply tinted leaves of this genus add
greatly to the glorious autumnal display along our roadsides and
in the woods and meadows.
POISON SUMACH.
Rhus venenata. Cashew Family.
A shrub from six to eighteen feet high. Leaves. Divided into seven
to thirteen oblong leaflets. Floiuers. Greenish or yellowish- white ; in loose
axillary clusters ; some perfect, others unisexual. Fruit. Whitish or dun-
colored; small, globular.
The poison sumach infests swampy places and flowers in
June. In early summer it can be distinguished from the harm-
less members of the family by the slender flower-clusters which
grow trom the axils of the leaves, those of the innocent sumachs
being borne in pyramidal, terminal clusters. In the later year the
fruits of the respective shrubs are, of course, similarly situated,
but, to accentuate the distinction, they differ in color ; that of
the poison sumach being whitish or dun-colored, while that of
the other is crimson.
STAGHORN SUMACH.
Rhus typhina. Cashew Family.
A shrub or tree from ten to thirty feet high. Leaves. Divided into
eleven to thirty-one somewhat lance-shaped, toothed leaflets. Flowers.
Greenish or yellowish-white ; in upright terminal clusters ; some perfect,
others unisexual ; appearing in June. Fruit. Crimson ; small ; globular ;
hairy.
This is the common sumach which illuminates our hill-sides
every autumn with masses of flame-like color. Many of us would
114
PLATE XLVII!
Fruit
ktrbacta.
SingU stammat* flowtr.
us
GREEN
like to decorate our homes with its brilliant sprays, but are de-
terred from handling them by the fear of being poisoned, not
knowing that one glance at the crimson fruit-plumes should re-
assure us, as the poisonous sumachs are white- fruited. These
tossing pyramidal fruit -clusters at first appear to explain the
common title of staghorn sumach. It is not till the foliage has
disappeared, and the forked branches are displayed in all their
nakedness, that we feel that these must be the feature in which
the common name originated.
POISON IVY.
Rhus Toxicodendron. Cashew Family.
A shrub which usually climbs by means of rootlets over rocks, walls, and
trees ; sometimes low and erect. Leaves. Divided into three somewhat
four-sided pointed leaflets. Flowers. Greenish or yellowish- white ; small ;
some perfect, others unisexual ; in loose clusters in the axils of the leaves
in June. Fruit. Small; globular; somewhat berry-like; dun-colored;
clustered.
This much-dreaded plant is often confused with the beautiful
Virginia creeper, occasionally to the ruthless destruction of the
latter. Generally the two can be distinguished by the three-
divided leaves of the poison ivy, the leaves of the Virginia
creeper usually being five-divided. In the late year the whitish
fruit of the ivy easily identifies it, the berries of the creeper being
blackish. The poison ivy is reputed to be especially harmful
during the night, or at any time in early summer when the sun
is not shining upon it.
VIRGINIA CREEPER. AMERICAN IVY.
Ampelopsis quinquefolia. Vine Family.
A woody vine, climbing by means of disk-bearing tendrils, and also by
rootlets. Leaves. Usually divided into five leaflets. Flowers. Greenish;
small; clustered; appearing in July. Fruit. A small blackish berry in
October.
Surely in autumn, if not always, this is the most beautiful of
our native climbers. At that season its blood-like sprays are out-
116
PLATE XLIX
Fruit.
POISON \VY,Rhus Toxicodendron.
117
GREEN
lined against the dark evergreens about which they delight to
twine, showing that marvellous discrimination in background
which so constantly excites our admiration in nature. The Vir-
ginia creeper is extensively cultivated in Europe. Even in
Venice, that sea-city where one so little anticipates any re-
minders of home woods and meadows, many a dim canal mir-
rors in October some crumbling wall or graceful trellis aglow
with its vivid beauty.
GREEN ORCHIS.
Habenaria virescens.
RAGGED FRINGED ORCHIS.
Habenaria lacera. Orchis Family.
Leaves. Oblong or lance-shaped. Flowers. Greenish or yellowish*
white ; growing in a spike.
These two orchids are found in wet, boggy places during the
earlier summer, the green antedating the ragged fringed orchis
by a week or more. The lip of the ragged fringed is three-
parted, the divisions being deeply fringed, giving what is called
in Sweet's "British Flower-Garden" an " elegantly jagged ap-
pearance. ' ' The lip of the green orchis is furnished with a tooth
on each side and a strong protuberance in the middle. So far
as superficial beauty and conspicuousness are concerned these
flowers do scant justice to the brilliant family to which they be-
long, and equally excite the scornful exclamation, " You call
that an orchid ! ' ' when brought home for analysis or preserva-
tion.
Fiowr ( tide viw.
Flowtr, front view
RAGGED FRINGED ORCHIS. Habcnaria. latent.
IIQ
GREEN
GREEN-FLOWERED MILKWEED.
Asclepias verticillata. Milkweed Family.
Stem. Slender; very leafy to the summit. Leaves. Very narrow ; from
three to six in a whorl. Flowers. Greenish- white ; in small clusters at the
summit and along the sides of the stem. Fruit. Two erect pods, one often
stunted.
This species is one commonly found on dry uplands, espe-
cially southward, with flowers resembling in structure those of
the other milkweeds.
BLUE COHOSH.
Caulophyllum thalietroides. Barberry Family.
Stems. One to two and a half feet high. Leaf. Large; divided into
many-lobed leaflets ; often a smaller one at the base of the flower-cluster.
Flowers. Yellowish-green or purplish ; clustered at the summit of the
stem ; appearing while the leaf is still small. Calyx. Of six sepals ; with
three or four small bractlets at base. Corolla. Of six thick, somewhat
kidney-shaped or hooded petals, with short claws. Stamens. Six. Pistil.
One. Fruit. Bluish; berry-like.
In the deep rich woods of early spring, especially somewhat
westward, may be found the smooth, purplish stem, divided
leaves, and clustered green or purplish flowers of the blue cohosh.
The generic name is from two Greek words signifying stem and
leafy "the stems seeming to form a stalk for the great leaf."
(Gray.)
EARLY MEADOW RUE.
Thalictrum dioicum. Crowfoot Family.
One to two feet high. Leaves. Divided into many smooth, lobed, pale
drooping leaflets. Flowers. Purplish and greenish ; unisexual. Calyx.
Of four or five petal-like sepals. Corolla. None. Stamens. Indefinite
in number ; with linear yellowish anthers drooping on hair-like filaments
(stamens and pistils occurring on different plants). Pistils. Four to four-
teen.
The graceful drooping foliage of this plant is perhaps more
noticeable than the small flowers which appear in the rocky
woods in April or May.
110
GREEN
SWAMP SAXIFRAGE.
Saxifraga Pennsylvania. Saxifrage Family.
One to two feet high. Leaves. Four to eight inches long ; obscurely
toothed; narrowed at base into a broad short stem. Flowers. Small;
greenish or reddish ; in a large cluster. Calyx. Five-parted. Corolla.
Of five petals. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One, with two styles.
In boggy meadows and along water-courses this plant is con-
spicuous in spring. Oftentimes its leaf-stalks as well as its flowers
are noticeably tinged with red.
BITTER-SWEET. WAX-WORK.
Celastrus scandens. Staff-tree Family.
Stem. Woody; twining. Leaves. Alternate ; oblong ; finely toothed ;
pointed. Flowers. Small ; greenish or cream-color ; in raceme-like clusters ;
appearing in June. Pod. Orange-colored ; globular and berry-like ; curl-
ing back in three divisions when ripe so as to display the scarlet covering ot
the seeds within.
The small flowers of the bitter-sweet, which appear in June,
rarely attract attention. But in October no lover of color can
fail to admire the deep orange pods which at last curl back so as
advantageously to display the brilliant scarlet covering of the
seeds. Perhaps we have no fruit which illuminates more vividly
the roadside thicket of late autumn ; or touches with greater
warmth those tumbled, overgrown walls which are so picturesque
a feature in parts of the country, and do in a small way for our
quiet landscapes what vine-covered ruins accomplish for the
scenery of the Old World.
tft
m
YELLOW
[Yellow or occasionally Yellow Flowers not described in Yellow
Section.]
Fragrant Woodbine. Lonicera grata. May. (Red Section, p. 269.)
MARSH MARIGOLD.
Caltha palustris. Crowfoot Family.
Stem. Hollow; furrowed. Leaves. Rounded; somewhat kidney,
shaped. Flowers. Golden-yellow. Calyx. Of five to nine petal-like
sepals. Corolla. None. Stamens. Numerous. Pistils. Five to ten ;
almost without styles.
" Hark, hark ! the lark at heaven's gate sings,
And Phcebus 'gins arise,
His steeds to water at those springs
On chalic'd flowers that lies ;
And winking Mary-buds begin
To ope their golden eyes ;
With everything that pretty is
My lady sweet, arise !
Arise, arise. ' ' Cymbeline.
We claim and not without authority that these " winking
Mary-buds" are identical with the gay marsh marigolds which
border our springs and gladden our wet meadows every April.
There are those who assert that the poet had in mind the garden
marigold Calendula but surely no cultivated flower could har-
monize with the spirit of the song as do these gleaming swamp
blossoms. We will yield to the garden if necessary
" The marigold that goes to bed with the sun
And with him rises weeping "
122
PLATE U
MARSH MARIGOLD. Caltha palustrit.
123
YELLOW
of the " Winter's Tale," but insist on retaining for that larger,
lovelier garden in which we all feel a certain sense of possession
even if we are not taxed on real estate in any part of the coun-
try the " golden eyes " of the Mary-bud ; and we feel strength-
ened in our position by the statement in Mr. Robinson's " Wild
Garden ' ' that the marsh marigold is so abundant along certain
English rivers as to cause the ground to look as though paved
with gold at those seasons when they overflow their banks.
These flowers are peddled about our streets every spring
under the name of cowslips a title to which they have no
claim, and which is the result of that reckless fashion of christen-
ing unrecognized flowers which is so prevalent, and which is re-
sponsible for so much confusion about their English names.
The plant is a favorite " pot-herb " with country people, far
superior, I am told, to spinach ; the young flower-buds also are
considered palatable.
The derivation of marigold is somewhat obscure. In the
" Grete Herball " of the sixteenth century the flower is spoken
of as Mary Gowles, and by the early English poets as gold sim-
ply. As the first part of the word might be derived from the
Anglo-Saxon mere a marsh, it seems possible that the entire
name may signify marsh-gold, which would be an appropriate
and poetic title for this shining flower of the marshes.
SPICE-BUSH. BENJAMIN-BUSH. FEVER-BUSH.
Lindera Benzoin. Laurel Family.
An aromatic shrub from six to fifteen feet high. Leaves. Oblong;
pale underneath. Flowers. Appearing before the leaves in March or April;
honey-yellow; borne in clusters which are composed of smaller clusters,
surrounded by an involucre of four early falling scales. Fruit. Red;
berry-like ; somewhat pear-shaped.
These are among the very earliest blossoms to be found in
the moist woods of spring. During the Revolution the pow-
dered berries were used as a substitute for allspice ; while at the
time of the Rebellion the leaves served as a substitute for tea.
124
PLATE Lh
SPICE-BUSH.-Z/^m Benzoin.
125
YELLOW
YELLOW ADDER'S TONGUE. DOG'S TOOTH VIOLET.
Erythronium Americanum. Lily Family.
Scape. Six to nine inches high ; one-flowered. Leaves. Two ; ob-
long-lance-shaped ; pale green mottled with purple and white. Flowers.
Rather large ; pale yellow marked with purple ; nodding. Perianth. Of
six recurved or spreading sepals. Stamens. Six. Pistil. One.
The white blossoms of the shad-bush gleam from the thicket,
and the sheltered hill-side is already starred with the blood -root
and anemone when we go to seek the yellow adder's tongue.
We direct our steps toward one of those hollows in the wood
which is watered by such a clear gurgling brook as must appeal
to every country-loving heart ; and there where the pale April
sunlight filters through the leafless branches, nod myriads of
these lilies, each one guarded by a pair of mottled, erect, senti-
nel-like leaves.
The two English names of this plant are unsatisfactory and
inappropriate. If the marking of its leaves resembles the skin
of an adder why name it after its tongue ? And there is equal-
ly little reason for calling a lily a violet. Mr. Burroughs has
suggested two pretty and significant names. " Fawn lily," he
thinks, would be appropriate, because a fawn is also mottled,
and because the two leaves stand up with the alert, startled look
of a fawn's ears. The speckled foliage and perhaps its flowering
season are indicated in the title ''trout-lily," which has a
spring-like flavor not without charm. It is said that the early
settlers of Pennsylvania named the flower " yellow snowdrop,"
in memory of their own "harbinger of spring."
The white adder's tongue, E. albidum, is a species which is
usually found somewhat westward.
126
PLATE till
YELLOW ADDER'S TONGUE. Erythronium Americanum.
YELLOW
COLTSFOOT.
Tussilago Farfara. Composite Family.
Scape. Slender, scaly, three to eighteen inches high, bearing a solitary
large flower-head. Leaves. Appearing later than the flowers, heart-
shaped below, " angulately-lobed, " woolly beneath. Flower-head. Bright
yellow, composed of both ray and disk-flowers, appearing in early spring
before the leaves.
The coltsfoot is an immigrant from Europe which is now
thoroughly wild in this country. For some years before I had
succeeded in seeing the plant in flower I had noticed colonies of
its lobed, heart-shaped leaves growing in moist ditches and
along the banks or in the beds of streams. But my efforts to
discover the name or blossom of the plant which sent up these
conspicuous leaves were unsuccessful till one early May when, on
the banks of a stream in Berkshire, I chanced upon a bright
yellow flower-head, looking something like a dandelion with its
heart plucked out, topping a leafless, scaly-bracted scape. I iden-
tified this as the coltsfoot, connecting it with the puzzling leaves
only by means of the botanical descriptions.
This is a common plant in England, yielding what is sup-
posed to be a remedy for coughs.
CELANDINE POPPY.
Stylophorum diphyllum. Poppy Family.
Stem. Low ; two-leaved. Stem-leaves. Opposite ; deeply incised.
Root-leaves. Incised or divided. Flowers. Deep-yellow; large; one or
more at the summit of the stem. Calyx. Of two hairy sepals. Corolla.
Of four petals. Stamens. Many. Pistil. One; with a two or four-
lobed stigma.
In April or May, somewhat south and westward, the woods
are brightened, and occasionally the hill-sides are painted yel-
low, by this handsome flower. In both flower and foliage the
plant suggests the celandine.
127
YELLOW
WOOD BETONY. LOUSEWORT.
Pedicularis Canadensis. Figwort Family.
Stems. Clustered ; five to twelve inches high. Leaves. The lower
ones deeply incised ; the upper less so. Flowers. Yellow and red ; grow-
ing in a short dense spike. Calyx. Of one piece split in front. Corolla.
Two-lipped ; the narrow upper lip arched, the lower three-lobed. Stamens.
Four. Pistil. One.
The bright flowers of the wood betony are found in our May
woods, often in the company of the columbine and yellow vio-
let. Near Philadelphia they are said to be among the very ear-
liest of the flowers, coming soon after the trailing arbutus. In
the later year the plant attracts attention by its uncouth spikes
of brown seed-pods.
Few wayside weeds have been accredited with greater virtue
than the ancient betony, which a celebrated Roman physician
claimed could cure forty-seven different disorders. The Roman
proverb, ' ' Sell your coat and buy betony, ' ' seems to imply that
the plant did not flourish so abundantly along the Appian Way
as it does by our American roadsides. Unfortunately we are
reluctantly forced to believe once more that our native flower is
not identical with the classic one, but that it has received its
common name through some superficial resemblance to the origi-
nal betony or Betonica.
SOLOMON'S SEAL.
Polygonatum biflorum. Lily Family.
Stem. Slender ; curving ; one to three feet long. Leaves. Alternate ;
oval; set close to the stem. Flowers. Yellowish; bell-shaped; nodding
from the axils of the leaves. Perianth. Six-lobed at the summit. Stamens.
Six. Pistil. One. Frttit. A dark blue berry.
The graceful leafy stems of the Solomon's seal are among the
most decorative features of our spring woods. The small blos-
soms which appear in May grow either singly or in clusters on a
flower-stalk which is so fastened into the axil of each leaf that
128
PLATE LIV
WOOD BETONY. Pedicularis Canadensis.
PLATE LV
Rootstock.
SOLOMON'S
biflorum.
1*9
YELLOW
they droop beneath, forming a curve of singular grace which is
sustained in later summer by the dark blue berries.
The larger species, P. giganteum, grows to a height of from
two to seven feet, blossoming in the meadows and along the
streams in June.
The common name was suggested by the rootstocks, which
are marked with large round scars left by the death and separa-
tion of the base of the stout stalks of the previous years. These
scars somewhat resemble the impression of a seal upon wax.
The generic name is from two Greek words signifying many
and knee, alluding to the numerous joints of the rootstock.
GOLDEN CORYDALIS.
Corydalis aurea. Fumitory Family.
Smooth, six to fourteen inches high, branching. Leaves. Finely dis-
sected. Flowers. Bright yellow, about one-half inch long. Calyx. Of
two small sepals. Corolla. Flattened, closed, with spur one-half or more
as long as body of corolla, outer petals keeled. Fruit. A many- seeded
pod.
The golden corydalis is found flowering in the rocky woods
from March till May.
EARLY CROWFOOT.
Ranunculus septentrionalis. Crowfoot Family.
Stems. Sometimes upright ; again trailing along the ground and form-
ing runners. Leaves. Three-divided ; the divisions often unequally cleft.
Flowers. Bright yellow; somewhat resembling buttercups. Calyx. Of
five sepals. Corolla. Of five petals. Stamens. Indefinite in number.
Pistils. Numerous, in a head.
Although it may be found in blossom until August, it is es-
pecially in spring that the wet woods and meadows are bright
with the flowers of the early crowfoot. Until we look closely at
the plant we are apt to confound it with its kinsmen the butter-
cups, but a look at its longish petals alone will show us our error,
130
PLATE LVf
Fruit.
Oakesia setsilifoli*.
Uvularia ferftKat*.
ELLWORT
YELLOW
Another and even earlier species of the crowfoot is R.fascicu-
laris. This is especially plentiful along the hillsides. Its roots
are a cluster of thick fleshy fibres.
BELLWORT.
[PI. LVI
Oakesia sessilifolia. Lily Family.
Stem. Acutely angled ; rather low. Leaves. Set close to or clasping
the stem ; pale ; lance-oblong. Flower. Yellowish or straw-color. Peri-
anth. Narrowly bell-shaped ; divided into six distinct sepals. Stamens.
Six. Pistil. One, with a deeply three-cleft style.
In spring this little plant is very abundant in the woods.
It bears one or two small lily-like blossoms which droop mod-
estly beneath the curving stems.
With the same common name and near of kin is Uwlaria
perfoliata, with leaves which seem pierced by the stem, but
otherwise of a strikingly similar aspect.
LEATHER-WOOD. MOOSE-WOOD.
Dirca palustris. Mezereum Family.
A shrub two to six feet high. Leaves. Oval or obovate. Flowers.
Light yellow, appearing before the leaves, small. Calyx. Corolla-like,
yellow, funnel-shaped, with wavy or obscurely four-toothed border. Corolla.
None. Stamens. Eight, long and slender, protruding. Pistil. One,
with a long, thread-like style. Fruit. Oval, reddish, about one-half inch
long.
In April, while making our careful way through some wet
thicket, we notice a leafless shrub with bunches of insignificant
yellow blossoms and a bark so tough that we find it almost
impossible to break off a branch. This is the "leather-wood"
used for thongs by the Indians. It is known also as "moose-
wood." The leaves appear later and finally the reddish oval
fruit.
132
YELLOW
EARLY MEADOW PARSNIP.
Zizia aurea. Parsley Family.
One to three feet high. Leaves. Twice or thrice-compound ; leaflets
oblong to lance-shaped ; toothed. Flowers. Yellow; small; in com-
pound umbels.
This is one of the earliest members of the Parsley family
to appear. Its golden flower-clusters brighten the damp mead-
ows and the borders of streams in May or June, and closely
resemble the meadow parsnip, Thaspium aureum, of which
this species was formerly considered a variety, of the later
year.
The tall, stout, common wild parsnip, Pastinaca saliva, is
another yellow representative of this family in which white
flowers prevail, the three plants here mentioned being the only
yellow species commonly encountered. The common parsnip
may be identified by its grooved stem and simply compound
leaves. Its roots have been utilized for food at least since the
reign of Tiberius, for Pliny tells us that that Emperor brought
them to Rome from the banks of the Rhine, where they were
successfully cultivated.
DOWNY YELLOW VIOLET.
Viola pubescens. Violet Family.
Stems. Leafy above ; erect. Leaves. Broadly heart-shaped ; toothed.
Flowers. Yellow, veined with purple ; otherwise much like those of the
common blue violet.
"When beechen buds begin to swell,
And woods the blue-bird's warble know,
The yellow violet's modest bell
Peeps from the last year's leaves below,"
sings Bryant, in his charming, but not strictly accurate poem,
for the chances are that the " beechen buds" have almost burst
into foliage, and that the "blue-bird's warble" has been heard
133
YELLOW
for some time when these pretty flowers begin to dot the
woods.
The lines which run :
" Yet slight thy form, and low thy seat,
And earthward bent thy gentle eye,
Unapt the passing view to meet,
When loftier flowers are flaunting nigh,"
would seem to apply more correctly to the round-leaved V. ro-
tundifolia,* than to the downy violet, for although its large, flat
shining leaves are somewhat conspicuous, its flowers are borne
singly on a low scape, which would be less apt to attract notice
than the tall, leafy flowering stems of the other.
GOLDEN CLUB.
Orontium aquaticum. Arum Family.
Scape. Slender; elongated. Leaves. Long-stalked; oblong; floating.
Flowers. Small; yellow; crowded over the narrow spike or spadix.
When we go to the bogs in May to hunt for the purple flower
of the pitcher -plant we are likely to chance upon the well-named
golden club. This curious-looking club-shaped object, which is
found along the borders of ponds, indicates its relationship to
the Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and still more to the calla-lily, but
unlike them its tiny flowers are shielded by no protecting
spathe.
Kalm tells us in his " Travels," "that the Indians called
the plant Taw-Kee, and used its dried seeds as food."
* I find the round- leaved violet blossoming so early in the year as to make it
seem probable that this species is the subject df Bryant's poem.
PLATE LVII
CYNTHIA. Krigia Virginica.
FLY HONEYSUCKLE.
Lonicera ciliata. Honeysuckle Family.
A bushy shrub three to five feet high, with straggling branches. Leaves.
Opposite, entire, oblong-ovate, often heart-shaped, thin, with thread-like
leaf stems. Flowers. Yellow, growing in pairs from the axils of the
leaves. Calyx. Slightly five-toothed, the teeth not persistent. Corolla.
Funnel-formed, almost spurred at base, with five lobes. Stamens. Five.
Pistil. One. Fruit. A red berry, growing close to, but distinct from the
berry of sister flower.
In the moist, rocky woods of early May we find the yellow
twin blossoms of the fly honeysuckle.
CYNTHIA. DWARF DANDELION.
[PI. LVII
Krigia Virginica. Composite Family.
Stems. Usually becoming branched and leafy. (In K. amplexicaulis, a
very similar species, there are from one to three stem-leaves only.) Root-
leaves. Usually somewhat lyre-shaped, or toothed. Stem-leaves. Earlier
ones roundish, not toothed ; later ones narrower, and often deeply toothed
or cleft. Flower- heads. Deep orange-yellow ; dandelion-like ; composed
entirely of strap-shaped flowers.
In some parts of the country the blossoms of the cynthia are
among the earliest to appear, while in other localities they are
especially abundant and conspicuous in June.
The smooth, pale-green stems of K. amplexicaulis bear but
few leaves.
The cynthias are often confused with the hawkweeds.
CELANDINE.
Chelidonium majus. Poppy Family.
Stem. Brittle ; with saffron-colored, acrid juice. Leaves. Compound
or divided ; toothed or cut. Flowers. Yellow ; clustered. Calyx. Of
two sepals falling early. Corolla. Of four petals. Stamens. Sixteen to
twenty-four. Pistil. One, with a two-lobed stigma. Pod. Slender ; linear.
The name of celandine must always suggest the poet who
never seemed to weary of writing in its honor :
" Pansies, lilies, kingcups, daisies,
Let them live upon their praises ;
135
YELLOW
Long as there's a sun that sets,
Primroses will have their glory;
Long as there are violets,
They will have a place in story ;
There's a flower that shall be mine,
Tis the little celandine."
And when certain yellow flowers which frequent the village road-
side are pointed out to us as those of the celandine, we feel a
sense of disappointment that the favorite theme of Wordsworth
should arouse within us so little enthusiasm. So perhaps we are
rather relieved than otherwise to realize that the botanical name
of this plant signifies greater celandine ; for we remember that
the poet never failed to specify the small celandine as the object
of his praise. The small celandine is Ranunculus Jlcaria, one
of the Crowfoot family, and is only found in this country as an
escape from gardens.
Gray tells us that the generic name, Chelidonium, from the
ancient Greek for swallow, was given "because its flowers ap-
pear with the swallows ; ' ' but if we turn to Gerarde we read
that the title was not bestowed " because it first springeth at the
coming in of the swallows, or dieth when they go away, for as
we have saide, it may be founde all the yeare, but because some
holde opinion, that with this herbe the dams restore sight to their
young ones, when their eies be put out.'*
Clintonia borealis. Lily Family.
Scape, Five to eight inches high ; sheathed at its base by the stalks of
two to four large, oblong, conspicuous leaves. Flowers. Greenish-yellow;
rarely solitary. Perianth. Of six sepals. Stamens. Six; protruding.
Pistil. One; protruding. Fruit. A blue berry.
When rambling through the cool, moist woods our attention
is often attracted by patches of great dark, shining leaves ; and
if it be late in the year we long to know the flower of which this
rich foliage is the setting. To satisfy our curiosity we must
return the following May or June, when we shall probably find
136
PLATE LVIII
*
Clintcnia borealis.
YELLOW
that a slender scape rises from its midst bearing at its summit
several yellowish, bell-shaped flowers.
C. umbellata is a more southern species, with smaller white
flowers, which are speckled with green or purplish dots.
GOLDEN RAGWORT. SQUAW-WEED.
Senecio aureus. Composite Family.
Stem. One to three feet high. Root-leaves. Rounded; the larger
ones mostly heart-shaped ; toothed, and long-stalked. Stem-leaves. The
lower lyre-shaped ; the upper lance- shaped; incised; set close to the stem.
Flower-heads. Yellow;- clustered ; composed of both ray and disk-flowers.
A child would perhaps liken the flower of the golden ragwort
to a yellow daisy. Stain yellow the white rays of the daisy, di-
minish the size of the whole head somewhat, and you have a
pretty good likeness of the ragwort. There need be little diffi-
culty in the identification of this plant although there are sev-
eral marked varieties for its flowers are abundant in the early
year, at which season but few members of the Composite family
are abroad.
The generic name is from senex an old man alluding to
the silky down of the seeds, which is supposed to suggest the
silvery hairs of age.
Closely allied to the golden ragwort is the common ground-
sel, 5. vulgarts, which is given as food to caged birds. The
flower-heads of this species are without rays.
YELLOW LADY'S SLIPPER. WHIP - POOR - WILL'S
SHOE.
[PI. LXI
Cypripedium pubescens. Orchis Family.
Stem. About two feet high ; downy; leafy to the top; one to three-
flowered. Leaves. Alternate; broadly oval; many-nerved and plaited.
Flower. Large ; the pale yellow lip an inflated pouch ; the two lateral
petals long and narrow ; wavy-twisted ; brownish.
The yellow lady's slipper usually blossoms in May or June,
a few days later than its pink sister, C. acaule. Regarding its
138
PLATE LIX
GOLDEN RAGWORT. Senecio aureus.
139
yELLOW
favorite haunts, Mr. Baldwin* says: Its preference is for
maples, beeches, and particularly butternuts, and for sloping or
hilly ground, and I always look with glad suspicion at a knoll
covered with ferns, cohoshes, and trilliums, expecting to see a
clump of this plant among them. Its sentinel-like habit of
choosing ' sightly places ' leads it to venture well up on moun-
tain sides."
The long, wavy, brownish petals give the flower an alert,
startled look when surprised in its lonely hiding-places.
C. panriflorum, the small yellow lady's slipper, differs from
C. pubescens in the superior richness of its color as well as in its
size. It has also the charm of fragrance.
YELLOW SWEET CLOVER. YELLOW MELILOT.
Melilotus officinalis. Pulse Family.
Two to four feet high. Stem. Upright. Leaves. Divided into three
toothed leaflets. Flowers. Papilionaceous; yellow; growing in spike-like
racemes.
This plant is found blossoming along the roadsides in sum-
mer. It was formerly called in England " king's-clover," be-
cause as Parkinson writes, " the yellowe flowers doe crown the
top of the stalks." The leaves become fragrant in drying.
INDIAN CUCUMBER-ROOT.
Medeola Virginiana. Lily Family.
.#0<7/. Tuberous ; shaped somewhat like a cucumber, with a suggestion
of its flavor. Stem. Slender ; from one to three feet high ; at first clothed
with wool. r .eavfs.In two whorls on the flowering plants; the lower of
five to nine oblong, pointed leaves set close to the stem ; the upper usually
of three or four much smaller ones. Flowers. Greenish-yellow ; small ;
clustered; recurved; set close to the upper leaves. Perianth. Of three
sepals and three petals, oblong and alike. Stamens. Six ; reddish-brown.
Pistil. With three stigmas ; long ; recurved, and reddish-brown. Fruit.
A purple berry.
One is more apt to pause in September to note the brilliant
foliage and purple berries of this little plant than to gather the
* Orchids of New England.
140
PLATE LX
Rootstock.
INDIAN CUCUttMft-*OOT.JMMl Virginian*.
141
YELLOW
drooping inconspicuous blossoms for his bunch of wood-flowers
in June. The generic name is after the sorceress Medea, on ac-
count of its supposed medicinal virtues, of which, however, there
seems to be no record.
The tuberous rootstock has the flavor, and something the
shape, of the cucumber, and was probably used as food by the
Indians. It would not be an uninteresting study to discover
which of our common wild plants are able to afford pleasant and
nutritious food; in such a pursuit many of the otherwise unat-
tractive popular names would prove suggestive.
WINTER CRESS. YELLOW ROCKET. HERB OF ST.
BARBARA.
Barbarea vulgaris. Mustard Family.
Stem. Smooth. Leaves. The lower lyre-shaped ; the upper ovate,
toothed or deeply incised at their base. Flowers. Yellow ; growing in
racemes. Pod. Linear; erect or slightly spreading.
As early as May we find the bright flowers of the winter-
cress along the roadside. This is probably the first of the yel-
low mustards to appear.
BLACK MUSTARD.
Brassica nigra. Mustard Family.
Often several feet high. Stem. Branching. Leaves. The lo\ver witia
a large terminal lobe and a few small lateral ones. Flowers. Yellow ;
rather small ; growing in a raceme. Pods. Smooth; erect; appressed;
about half an inch long.
Many are familiar with the appearance of this plant who are
ignorant of its name. The pale yellow flowers spring from the
waste places along the roadside and border the dry fields through-
out the summer. The tall spreading branches recall the Biblical
description: "It groweth up, and becometh greater than all
herbs, and shooteth out great branches ; so that the fowls of the
air may lodge under the shadow of it."
142
PLATE LXI
YELLOW LADY'S SLIPPER. Cypripedium pubescens.
PLATE LXIl
RATTLESNAKE-WEED. Hieracium venosum.
143
YELLOW
This plant is extensively cultivated in Europe, its ground
seeds forming the well-known condiment. The ancients used it
for medicinal purposes. It has come across the water to us, and
is a troublesome weed in many parts of the country.
WILD RADISH.
Raphanus Raphani 'strum. Mustard Family.
One to three feet high. Leaves, Rough; lyre-shaped. Flowers. Yel-
low ; veiny ; turning white or purplish ; larger than those of the black mus-
tard, otherwise resembling them. Pod. Often necklace-form by constric-
tion between the seeds.
This plant is a troublesome weed in many of our fields. It is
the stock from which the garden radish has been raised.
YELLOW WATER-CRESS.
Nasturtium palustre. Mustard Family.
Erect, branching, one to three feet high. Leaves. Pinnately parted
into oblong, toothed lobes. Flowers. Yellow, small, growing in racemes.
Pod. Linear or oblong, spreading or curved.
The yellow water-cress is common in wet places or in shallow
water almost throughout North America. Its insignificant yellow
flowers are found from May till September.
RATTLESNAKE-WEED. HAWKWEED.
[PI. LXII.
Hieracium venosum. Composite Family.
Stem or Scape. One to two feet high; naked or with a single leaf;
slender; forking above. Leaves. From the root; oblong; often making
a sort of flat rosette ; usually conspicuously veined with purple. Flower-
heads. Yellow ; composed entirely of strap-shaped flowers.
The loosely clustered yellow flower-heads of the rattlesnake-
weed somewhat resemble small dandelions. They abound in the
pine-woods and dry, waste places of early summer. The purple-
veined leaves, whose curious markings give to the plant its com-
mon name, grow close to the ground and are supposed to be
144
efficacious in rattlesnake bites. Here again crops out the old
" doctrine of signatures," for undoubtedly this virtue has been
attributed to the species solely on account of the fancied re-
semblance between its leaves and the markings of the rattle-
snake.
Another yellow species which is found in the dry open woods
is the rough hawkweed, H. scabrum. This plant may be distin-
guished from the rattlesnake-weed not only by its unveined
leaves, but by its leafy, rough, rather stout stem. Its thick
flower-stalks, and the involucre which surrounds each flower-
head, are densely clothed with dark hairs (PI. LXIII).
The panicled hawkweed, H. paniculatum, found also in dry
woods, is usually smooth throughout. Its leafy stem is branched
above, with slender, often drooping flower-stalks
DANDELION.
Taraxacum officinale. Composite Family.
If Emerson's definition of a weed, as a plant whose virtues
have not yet been discovered, be correct, we can hardly place
the dandelion in that category, for its young sprouts have been
valued as a pot-herb, its/resh leaves enjoyed as a salad, and its
dried roots used as a substitute for coffee in various countries and
ages. It is said that the Apache Indians so greatly relish it as
food, that they scour the country for many days in order to pro-
cure enough to appease their appetites, and that the quantity
consumed by one individual exceeds belief. The feathery-
tufted seeds which form the downy balls beloved as " clocks "
by country children, are delicately and beautifully adapted to
dissemination by the wind, which ingenious arrangement partly
accounts for the plant's wide range. The common name is a
corruption of the French dent de lion. There is a difference of
opinion as to which part of the plant is supposed to resemble a
lion's tooth. Some fancy the jagged leaves gave rise to the
name, while others claim that it refers to the yellow flowers,
VELLOW
which they liken to the golden teeth of the heraldic lion. In
nearly every European country the plant bears a name of similar
significance.
ROUGH CINQUEFOIL.
Potentilla Norvegica. Rose Family.
Stout, rough, six inches to two and one-half feet high, with many leafy
bracts. Leaves. Divided into three obovate leaflets. Flowers. Yellow,
in rather close, leafy clusters. Calyx. Deeply five-cleft, with bracts
between each tooth, thus appearing ten-cleft. Lobes larger than the
petals of corolla. Corolla. Small, of five petals. Stamens and pistils.
Numerous.
This rather weedy-looking plant is often common in dry soil,
flowering throughout the summer.
COMMON CINQUEFOIL. FIVE FINGER.
Potentilla Canadensis. Rose Family.
Stem. Slender ; prostrate, or sometimes erect. Leaves. Divided really
into three leaflets, but apparently into five by the parting of the lateral leaf-
lets. Flowers. Yellow; growing singly from the axils of the leaves.
Calyx. Deeply five-cleft, with bracts between each tooth, thus appearing
ten-cleft. Corolla. Of five rounded petals. Stamens. Many. Pistils.
Many, in a head.
From spring to nearly midsummer the roads are bordered
and the fields carpeted with the bright flowers of the common
cinquefoil. The passer-by unconsciously betrays his recognition
of some of the prominent features of the Rose family by often
assuming that the plant is a yellow-flowered wild strawberry.
Both of the English names refer to the pretty foliage, cinquefoil
being derived from the French cinque feuilles. The generic
name, Potentilla, has reference to the powerful medicinal prop
erties formerly attributed to the genus.
PLATE LXIII
ROUGH HAWKWEED. Hieraciun scabrum.
PLATE LXIV
COMMON CINQUEFOIL.-/W*/zV/ Canadensis.
147
SILVER-WEED.
Potentilla anserina. Rose Family.
" Herbaceous, tufted, spreading by slender runners one to three feet
long." Leaves. Pinnately divided into seven to twenty-five oblong, sharply
toothed leaflets which are silvery and silky below. Flowers. Bright yel-
low, on slender, erect, solitary flower- stalks. Calyx. Five-cleft, with
bracts between each tooth, thus appearing ten-cleft. Corolla. Of five
broadly oval or obovate petals. Stamens and pistils. Numerous.
These bright, pretty flowers, occasionally mistaken for butter-
cups by the unobservant passer-by, are found throughout the
summer in wet marshes and along river banks from New Jersey
northward. For these golden-flowered plants the name " golden-
weed " would seem more appropriate than " silver-weed." It is
only when we turn over the leaves and note the downy under-
sides of the leaflets that we can reconcile ourselves to the estab-
lished title
SHRUBBY CINQUEFOIL. FIVE FINGER.
Potentilla fruticosa. Rose Family.
Stem. Erect; shrubby; one to four feet high. Leaves. Divided into
five to seven narrow leaflets. Flowers. Yellow; resembling those of the
common cinquefoil, but larger.
Of all the cinquefoils perhaps this one most truly merits the
title five finger. Certainly its slender leaflets are much more
finger-like than those of the common cinquefoil. It is not a
common plant in most localities, but is very abundant among
the Berkshire Hills, where it takes entire possession of otherwise
barren fields and roadsides; its peculiarly bluish-green foliage
and bright yellow flowers (looking like buttercups growing on a
shrub) arresting one's attention throughout the entire summer
and occasionally late into the autumn.
14*
PLA'I'-E LXt
YELLOW WENS-Gtum strictum.
I 49
VELLOW
SILVERY CINQUEFOIL.
Pot en til la argentea. Rose Family.
Stems. Ascending ; branched at the summit ; white ; woolly. Leaves.
Divided into five wedge-oblong, deeply incised leaflets, which are green
above, white with silvery wool, beneath, flowers. Much as in above.
The silvery cinquefoil has rather large yellow flowers, which
are found in dry fields throughout the summer as far south as
New Jersey.
YELLOW AVENS.
[PI. LXV
Geum strictum. Rose Family.
Somewhat hairy ; three to five feet high. Stem-leaves. Divided into
from three to five leaflets. Flowers. Golden yellow. Calyx. Five-cleft;
usually with a small bract between the divisions. Corolla. Of five broad
petals. Stamens and Pistils. Numerous; the latter enlarging finally into
a round, burr-like head.
The bright flowers of the yellow avens are found in the
moist meadows during the summer, finally giving way to the
troublesome burrs which so often thrust upon us their unwelcome
companionship
BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE.
Diervilla trifida. Honeysuckle Family.
An upright shrub from one to four feet high. Leaves. Opposite ; ob-
long; taper-pointed. Flowers. Yellow, sometimes much tinged with red ;
clustered usually in threes in the axils of the upper leaves and at the sum-
mit of the stem. Calyx. With slender awl-shaped lobes. Corolla. Fun-
nel-form ; five-lobed ; the lower lobe larger than the others and of a deeper
yellow, with a small nectar-bearing gland at its base. Stamens. Five.
Pistil. One.
This pretty little shrub is found along our rocky hills and
mountains. The blossoms appear in early summer, and form a
good example of nectar-bearing flowers. The lower lobe of the
Corolla is crested and more deeply colored than the others, thus
150
PLATE LXV
BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE. Diervitta ttifida.
YELLOW
advising the bee of secreted treasure. The hairy filaments of
the stamens are so placed as to protect the nectar from injury by
rain. When the blossom has been despoiled and at the same
time fertilized, for the nectar-seeking bee has probably deposited
some pollen upon its pistil, the color of the corolla changes from
a pale to a deep yellow, thus giving warning to the insect-world
that further attentions would be useless to both parties.
POVERTY-GRASS.
Hudsonia tomentosa. Rock-rose Family.
" Bushy, heath-like little shrubs, seldom a foot high." (Gray.) Leaves.
^-Small ; oval or narrowly oblong ; pressed close to the stem. Flowers.
Bright yellow ; small ; numerous ; crowded along the upper part of the
branches. Calyx. Of five sepals, the two outer much smaller. Corolla.
Of five petals. Stamens. Nine to thirty. Pistil. One, with a long and
slender style.
In early summer many of the sand-hills along the New Eng-
land coast are bright with the yellow flowers of this hoary little
shrub. It is also found as far south as Maryland and near the
Great Lakes. Each blossom endures for a single day only. The
plant's popular name is due to its economical habit of utilizing
andy unproductive soil where little else will flourish.
ROCK-ROSE. FROST-WEED.
Helianthemum Canadense. Rock-rose Family.
About one foot high. Leaves. Set close to the stem; simple; lance-
oblong. Flowers. Of two kinds : the earlier, more noticeable ones, yellow,
solitary, about one inch across ; the latter ones small and clustered, usually
without petals. Calyx. (Of the petal-bearing flowers) of five sepals. Co-
rolla. Of five early falling petals which are crumpled in the bud. Stamens.
Numerous. Pistil. One, with a three-lobed stigma.
These fragile, bright-yellow flowers are found in gravelly
places in early summer. Under the influence of the sunshine
they open once ; by the next day their petals have fallen, and
their brief beauty is a thing of the past. On June lyth Thoreau
152
PLATE LXVK
FOUR-LEAVED LOOSESTRlFE.-Z^W^fc
*53
YELLOW
finds this " broad, cup-like flower, one of the most delicate yel-
low flowers, with large spring-yellow petals, and its stamens laid
one way."
In the Vale of Sharon a nearly allied rose-colored species
abounds. This is believed by some of the botanists who have
travelled in that region to be the rose of Sharon which Solomon
has celebrated.
The name of frost-weed has been given to our plant because
of the crystals of ice which shoot from the cracked bark at the
base of the stem in late autumn.
FOUR-LEAVED LOOSESTRIFE.
[PI. LXVII
Lysimachia quadrifolia. Primrose Family.
Stem. Slender; one to two feet high. Leaves. Narrowly oblong;
whorled in fours, fives, or sixes. Flowers. Yellow, spotted or streaked
with red ; on slender, hair-like flower-stalks from the axils of the leaves.
Calyx. Five or six-parted. Corolla. Very deeply five or six-parted. Sta-
mens. Four or five. Pistil. One.
This slender pretty plant grows along the roadsides and at-
tracts one's notice in June by its regular whorls of leaves and
flowers. Linnaeus says that this genus is named after Lysim-
achus, King of Sicily. Loosestrife is the English for Lysim-
achus; but whether the ancient superstition that the placing of
these flowers upon the yokes of oxen rendered the beasts gentle
and submissive arose from the peace-suggestive title or from
other causes, I cannot discover.
YELLOW LOOSESTRIFE.
Lysimachia strict** Primrose Family.
Stem. One to two feet high ; leafy. Leaves. Opposite ; lance-shaped.
Flowers. Small; yellow; growing in long clusters. Calyx, Corolla,
etc., very much as in L. quadrifolia.
The bright clusters of the yellow loosestrife shoot upward
from the marshes, and gild the brook's border from June till
August.
154
PLATE LXV1U
YELLOW LOOSESTRIFE. Lxsimachia strict*.
YELLOW
COW WHEAT.
Melampyrum Americanum. Figwort Family.
Stem. 'Low ; erect ; branching. Leaves. Opposite ; lance-shaped.
Flowers. Small ; greenish-yellow ; solitary in the axils of the upper leaves.
Calyx. Bell-shaped; four-cleft. Corolla. Two-lipped; upper lip arched ;
lower three-lobed and spreading at the apex. Stamens. Four. Pistil.
One.
In the open woods, from June until September, we encounter
the pale-yellow flowers of this rather insignificant little plant.
The cow wheat was formerly cultivated by the Dutch as food for
cattle. The Spanish name, Trigo de Vaca, would seem to indi-
cate a similar custom in Spain. The generic name, Melampyrum,
is from the Greek, and signifies black wheat, in reference to the
appearance of the seeds of some species when mixed with grain.
The flower would not be likely to attract one's attention were
it not exceedingly common in some parts of the country,
flourishing especially in our more eastern woodlands.
SPEARWORT.
Ranunculus ambigens. Crowfoot Family.
Stems. One to two feet high. Leaves. Oblong or lance-shaped;
mostly toothed ; contracted into a half-clasping leaf-stalk. Flower. Bright
yellow; solitary or clustered. Calyx. Of five sepals. Corolla. Of five to
seven oblong petals. Stamens. Indefinite in number, occasionally few.
Pistils. Numerous in a head.
Many weeks after the marsh marigolds have passed away, just
such marshy places as they affected are brightly flecked with
gold. Wondering, perhaps, if they can be flowering for the
second time in the season, we wade recklessly into the bog to
rescue, not the marsh marigold, but its near relation, the spear-
wort, which is still more closely related to the buttercup, as a
little comparison of the two flowers will show. This plant is
especially common at the North.
PLATE LXIX
Steironema cilzatum.
157
YELLOW
[PI. LXIX
Steironema ciliattim. Primrose Family.
Stem. Erect ; two to four feet high. Leaves. Opposite ; narrowly
oval ; on fringed leaf-stalks. Flowers. Yellow ; on slender stalks from the
axils of the leaves. Calyx. Deeply five-parted. Corolla. Deeply five-
lobed ; wheel-shaped ; yellow, with a reddish centre. Stamens. Five.
Pistil. One.
This plant is nearly akin to the yellow loosestrifes, but un-
fortunately it has no English name. It abounds in low grounds
and thickets, putting forth its bright wheel-shaped blossoms early
in July.
YELLOW POND-LILY. SPATTER DOCK.
Nuphar advena. Water-lily Family.
Leaves. Floating or erect; roundish to oblong ; with a deep cleft at
their base. Flowers. Yellow; sometimes purplish; large; somewhat
globular. Calyx. Of five or six sepals or more ; yellow or green without.
Corolla. Of numerous small, thick, fleshy petals which are shorter than the
stamens and resemble them. Stamens. Very numerous. Pistil. One,
with a disk-like, many-rayed stigma.
Bordering the slow streams and stagnant ponds from May
till August may be seen the yellow pond-lilies. These flowers
lack the delicate beauty and fragrance of the white water-lilies ;
having, indeed, either from their odor, or appearance, or the
form of their fruit, won for themselves in England the unpoetic
title of "brandy-bottle." Owing to their love of mud they
have also been called "frog-lilies." The Indians used their
roots for food.
PRICKLY PEAR. INDIAN FIG.
Opuntia Rafinesquii. Cactus Family.
Flowers. Yellow; large; two and a half to three and a half incnes
across. Calyx. Of numerous sepals. Corolla. Of ten or twelve petals.
Stamens. Numerous. Pistil. One, with numerous stigmas. Fruit.
Shaped liked a small pear ; often with prickles over its surface.
This curious looking plant is one of the only two representa-
tives of the Cactus family in the Northeastern States. It has
158
YELLOW
deep green, fleshy, prickly, rounded joints and large yellow
flowers, which are often conspicuous in summer in dry, sandy
places along the coast.
O. vulgaris, the only other species found in Northeastern
America, has somewhat smaller flowers, but otherwise so closely
resembles O. Rafinesquii as to make it difficult to distinguish be-
tween the two.
COMMON BARBERRY.
Berberis vulgaris. Barberry Family.
A shrub. Leaves. Oblong ; toothed ; in clusters from the axil of a
thorn. Flower. Yellow ; in drooping racemes. Calyx, Of six sepals,
with from two to six bractlets without. Corolla. Of six petals. Stamens.
Six. Pistil. One. Fruit. An oblong scarlet berry.
This European shrub has now become thoroughly wild and
very plentiful in parts of New England. The drooping yellow
flowers of May and June are less noticeable than the oblong
clustered berries of September, which light up so many over-
grown lanes, and often decorate our lawns and gardens as well.
The ancients extracted a yellow hair-dye from the barberry ;
and to-day it is used to impart a yellow color to wool. Both its
common and botanical names are of Arabic origin.
YELLOW STAR-GRASS.
Hypoxis erecta. Amaryllis Family.
Scapes. Slender; few-flowered. Leaves. Linear; grass-like; hairy.
Flowers. Yellow. Perianth. Six-parted; spreading; the divisions hairy
and greenish outside, yellow within. Stamens. Six. Pistil. One.
When our eyes fall upon what looks like a bit of evening sky
set with golden stars, but which proves to be only a piece of
shaded turf gleaming with these pretty flowers, we recall Long-
fellow's musical lines :
" Spake full well in language quaint and olden,
One who dwelleth on the castled Rhine,
When he called the flowers so blue and golden,
Stars, which in earth's firmament do shine."
YELLOW
The plant grows abundantly in open woods and meadow*
flowering in early summer.
WILD INDIGO.
Baptisia tinctoria. Pulse Family.
Two or three feet high. Stems. Smooth and slender. Leaves. Di-
vided into three rounded leaflets ; somewhat pale with a whitish bloom ;
turning black in drying. Flowers. Papilionaceous ; yellow ; clustered in
many short, loose racemes.
This rather bushy-looking, bright- flowered plant is constant-
ly encountered in midsummer in our rambles throughout the
somewhat dry and sandy parts of the country. It is said that it
is found in nearly every State in the Union, and that it has been
used as a homoeopathic remedy for typhoid fever. Its young
shoots are eaten at times in place of asparagus. Both the botan-
ical and common names refer to its having yielded an economi-
cal but unsuccessful substitute for indigo.
YELLOW CLOVER. HOP CLOVER.
Trifolium agrarium. Pulse Family.
Six to twelve inches high. Leaves. Divided into three oblong leaflets.
Flowers. Papilionaceous ; yellow ; small ; in close heads.
Although this little plant is found in such abundance along
our New England roadsides and in many other parts of the
country as well, comparatively few people seem to recognize it
as a member of the clover group, despite a marked likeness in
the leaves and blossoms to others of the same family.
The name clover probably originated in the Latin ctava
(clubs), in reference to the fancied resemblance between the
three-pronged club of Hercules and the clover leaf. The clubs
of our playing-cards and the trifle (trefoil) of the French are
probably an imitation of the same leaf.
The nonesuch, Medicago lupulina, with downy, procumbent
stems, and flowers which grow in short spikes, is nearlv allied to
I6o
PLATE LXX
M EA DO W L I LY .Lilium Canadense.
YELLOW
tft6 hop clover. In its reputed superiority as fodder its English
name is said to have originated. Dr. Prior says that for many
years this plant has been recognized in Ireland as the true sham
rock.
SUNDROPS.
(Enothera fruticosa. Evening Primrose Family.
Stem. Erect; one to three feet high. Leaves. Alternate; oblong to
narrowly lance-shaped. Flowers. Bright yellow; rather large; usually
somewhat loosely clustered. Calyx. With a long tube and four reflexed
lobes. Corolla. With four petals. Stamens. Eight. Pistil. One with
a four-lobed stigma.
This is a day-blooming species of the evening primrose. Its
pretty delicate flowers abound along the roadsides and in the
meadows of early summer.
(E. pumila is another day-bloomer belonging to this same
genus. Its flowers are much smaller than the sundrops.
MEADOW LILY. WILD YELLOW LILY.
[PI. LXX
Lilium Canadense. Lily Family.
Stem. Two to five feet high. Leaves. Whorled ; lance-shaped. Flow-
trs. Yellow, spotted with reddish-brown ; bell-shaped ; two to three inches
long. Perianth. Of six recurved sepals, with a nectar-bearing furrow at
their base. Stamens. Six, with anthers loaded with brown pollen. Pistil.
One, with a three-lobed stigma.
What does the summer bring which is more enchanting than
a sequestered wood-bordered meadow hung with a thousand of
these delicate, nodding bells which look as though ready to
tinkle at the least disturbance and sound an alarm among the
flowers ?
These too are true " lilies of the field, '* less gorgeous, less
imposing than the Turks' caps, but with an unsurpassed grace
and charm of their own. " Fairy-caps " these pointed blossoms
are sometimes called; "witch-caps" would be more appro-
priate still. Indeed they would make dainty headgear for any
of the dim inhabitants of Wonder-land.
161
1ELLOVV
The growth ot this plant is very striking when seen at its
best. The erect stem is surrounded with regular whorls of leaves,
from the upper one of which [curves a circle of long-stemmed,
nodding flowers. They suggest an exquisite design for churcb
candelabra.
COMMON BLADDERWORT.
Utricularia vulgaris. Bladderwort Family.
Stems. Immersed; one to three feet long. Leaves. Many-parted;
hair-like ; bearing numerous bladders. Scape. Six to twelve inches long
Flowers. Yellow ; five to twelve on each scape. Calyx. Two-lipped
Corolla. Two-lipped; spurred at the base. Stamens. Two. Pistil.
One.
This curious water-plant may or may not have roots ; in
either case it is not fastened to the ground, but is floated by
means of the many bladders which are borne on its finely
dissected leaves. It is found commonly in ponds and slow
streams, flowering throughout the summer. Thoreau calls it
"a dirty conditioned flower, like a sluttish woman with a gaudy
yellow bonnet."
The horned bladderwort, U. cornuta, roots in the peat -bogs
and sandy swamps. Its large yellow helmet-shaped flowers are
very fragrant, less than half a dozen being borne on each scape.
There are a number of other species of yellow bladderwort, with
smaller flowers, which are recognized easily as belonging to this
group.
YELLOW-EYED GRASS.
Xyris flexuosa. Mayaca Family.
Scape. Slender, ten to sixteen inches high, often from a bulbous base.
Leaves. Narrowly linear, sheathing the base of scape, commonly twisted
with age, as is the scape. Flowers. Yellow, small, growing in a head, usually
about two opening at the same time. Calyx. Of three sepals, one of which
soon withers. Corolla. Of three clawed petals. Stamens. Three fertile,
with anthers, and three sterile, without anthers. Pistil. One, with three-
cleft style.
In wet, boggy places, growing often in close companionship
with the sundew and bladderwort, we notice during the summer
1 the round heads of the yellow -eyed grass.
162
PLATE LXXI
HORNED BLADDERWORT. Utricularia cornuta.
YELLOW
BUTTER-AND-EGGS. TOADFLAX.
Linaria vulgaris. Figwort Family.
Stem. Smooth; erect; one to three feet high. Leaves. Alternate;
linear or nearly so. Flowers. Of two shades of yellow ; growing in termi-
nal racemes. Calyx. Five-parted. Corolla. Pale yellow tipped with
orange; long-spurred; two-lipped; closed in the throat. Stamens. Four.
pistil. One.
The bright blossoms of butter-and-eggs grow in full, close
clusters which enliven the waste places along the roadside so
commonly that little attention is paid to these beautiful and
conspicuous flowers. They would be considered a "pest" if
they did not display great discrimination in their choice of
locality, generally selecting otherwise useless pieces of ground.
The common name of butter-and-eggs is unusually appropriate, for
the two shades of yellow match perfectly their namesakes. Like
nearly all our common weeds, this plant has been utilized in
various ways by the country people. It yielded what was con-
sidered at one time a valuable skin lotion, while its juice mingled
with milk constitutes a fly-poison. Its generic name, Linaria,
and its English title, toadflax, arose from a fancied resemblance
between its leaves and those of the flax.
DYER'S GREEN-WEED. WOAD-WAXEN NEW ENG-
LAND WHIN.
Genista tinctoria. Pulse Family.
A shrubby plant from one to two feet high. Leaves. Lance-shaped.
Flowers. Papilionaceous; yellow; growing in spiked racemes.
This is another foreigner which has established itself in East-
ern New York and Massachusetts, where it covers the barren
hill-sides with its yellow flowers in early summer. It is a com-
mon English plant, formerly valued for the yellow dye which it
yielded. It is an undesirable intruder in pasture-lands, as it
gives a bitter taste to the milk of cows which feed upon it.
163
YELLOW
RATTLEBOX.
Crotalaria sagittalis. Pulse Family.
Stem. Hairy; three to six inches high. Leaves. Undivided; oval oi
lance-shaped. Flowers. Papilionaceous ; yellow ; but few in a cluster.
Pod. Inflated; many-seeded; blackish.
The yellow flowers of the rattlebox are found in the sandy
meadows and along the roadsides during the summer. Both the
generic and English names refer to the rattling of the loose seeds
within the inflated pod.
YELLOW RATTLE.
Rhinanthus Crista-galli. Figwort Family.
Stem. Slender, upright, usually branching, six to eighteen inches high.
Leaves. Opposite, lanceolate, set close to the stem, coarsely toothed.
Floral-leaves. Broader, with bristle-tipped teeth. Flowers. Yellow,
" crowded in a one-sided, leafy-bracted spike." Calyx. Four-toothed, flat-
tened, much inflated in fruit. Corolla. Two-lipped, usually with a purple
spot on one or both lips, upper lip arched, lower lip three-lobed. Stamens.
Four, under the upper lip. Pistil. One.
This plant is found along the New England coast and in tb*
mountains of New Hampshire.
COMMON ST. JOHN'S-WORT.
Hypericum perforatum. St. John's-wort Family.
Stem. Much branched. Leaves. Small; opposite ; somewhat oblong ;
with pellucid dots. Florvers. Yellow; numerous; in leafy clusters. Calyx.
Of five sepals. Corolla. Of five bright yellow petals, somewhat spotted
with black. Stamens. Indefinite in number. Pistil. One, with three
spreading styles.
" Too well known as a pernicious weed which it is difficult to
extirpate," is the scornful notice which the botany gives to this
plant, whose bright yellow flowers are noticeable in waste fields
and along roadsides nearly all summer. Its rank, rapid growth
proves very exhausting to the soil, and every New England
164
PLATE LXXI!
COMMON ST. JOHN'S-WORT. Hypericum per/oratum.
YELLOW
farmer wishes it had remained where it rightfully belongs on
the other side of the water.
Perhaps more superstitions have clustered about the St. John's-
wort than about any other plant on record. It was formerly
gathered on St. John's eve, and was hung at the doors and win-
dows as a safeguard against thunder and evil spirits. A belief
prevailed that on this night the soul had power to leave the body
and visit the spot where it would finally be summoned from its
earthly habitation, hence the all-night vigils which were observed
at that time.
"The wonderful herb whose leaf will decide
If the coming year shall make me a bride,"
is the St. John's-wort, and the maiden's fate is favorably forecast
by the healthy growth and successful blossoming of the plant
which she has accepted as typical of her future.
In early times poets and physicians alike extolled its proper-
ties. An ointment was made of its blossoms, and one of its early
names was " balm-of-the-warrior's-wound." It was considered
so efficacious a remedy for melancholia that it was termed " fuga
daemonum." Very possibly this name gave rise to the general
idea that it was powerful in dispelling evil spirits.
The pale St. John's-wort, H. ellipticum, has thin, spreading,
oval leaves which are set close to the stem, and pale yellow flowers,
about half an inch broad.
The spotted St. John's-wort, H. maculatum, may be identi-
fied by its slender blossoms and copiously black-dotted, oblong
leaves.
The Canadian St. John's-wort, H. Canadense, has linear,
three-nerved leaves and small flowers with from five to twelve
stamens only. It grows abundantly in wet, sandy places.
The dwarf St. John's-wort, H. mutilum, has even smaller
blossoms, with from five to twelve stamens also, and narrowly
oblong or ovate leaves, which are five-nerved and partly clasping.
This is abundant in low grounds everywhere.
id*
PLATE LXXI8
COMMON
BELLOW
ORANGE GRASS. PINE-WEED.
Hypericum nudicaule. St. John's-wort Family.
Erect ; bushy ; four to twenty inches high, with wiry, thread-like branches
Leaves. Opposite; minute ; awl-shaped, pressed toward the stem. Flowers.
Yellow, very small, open in sunlight. Calyx. Of five sepals. Corolla.
Of five petals. Stamens. Five to twelve. Pistil. One, with three sepa-
rate styles. Fruit. A red or purplish pod.
This little plant is common in sandy soil from Maine to
Florida, and westward as well. Often it grows abundantly
along the roadside.
ST. ANDREW'S CROSS.
Ascyrum Crux-Andrea. St. John's-wort Family.
Stems. Low; branched. Leaves. Opposite; narrowly oblong ; black-
dotted. Flowers. Light yellow. Calyx. Of four sepals; the two outer
broad and leaflike ; the inner much smaller. Corolla. Of four narrowly
oblong petals. Stamens. Numerous. Pistil. One, with two short
styles.
From July till September these flowers may be found in the
pine-barrens of New Jersey and farther south and westward, and
on the island of Nantucket as well.
COMMON MULLEIN.
[PI. LXXIII
Verbascum Thapsus. Figwort Family.
Stems. Tall and stout ; from three to five feet high. Leaves. Oblong ;
woolly. Flowers. In along dense spike. Calyx. Five-parted. Corolla.
Yellow ; with five slightly unequal rounded lobes. Stamens. Ten, the
three upper with white wool on their filaments. Pistil. One.
The common mullein is a native of the island of Thapsos,
from which it takes its specific name. It was probably brought
to this country from Europe by the early colonists, notwithstand-
ing the title of " American velvet plant," which it is rumored
to bear in England. The Romans called it " candelaria," from
their custom of dipping the long, dried stalk in suet and using it
168
PLATE
MOTH MULLEIN. Verbascum BlattanA.
YELLOW
as a funeral torch, and the Greeks utilized the leaves for lamp-
wicks. In more modern times they have served as a remedy for
the pulmonary complaints of men and beasts alike, " mullein
tea" being greatly esteemed by country people. Its especial
efficacy with cattle has earned the plant its name of " bullocks'
lungwort. ' '
A low rosette of woolly leaves is all that can be seen of the
mullein during its first year, the yellow blossoms on their long
spikes opening sluggishly about the middle of the second summer.
It abounds throughout our dry, rolling meadows, and its tall
spires are a familiar feature in the summer landscape.
MOTH MULLEIN.
IPI. LXXIV
Vcrbascum Blattaria. Figwort Family.
Stem. Tall and slender. Leaves. Oblong; toothed; the lower some,
times lyre-shaped, the upper partly clasping. Flowers. Yellow or white ;
tinged with red or purple; in a terminal raceme. Calyx. Deeply five-
parted. Corolla. Butterfly shape ; of five rounded, somewhat unequal
lobes. Stamens. Five, with filaments bearded with violet wool and anthers
loaded with orange-colored pollen. Pistil. One.
Along the highway from July till October one encounters a
slender weed on whose erect stem it would seem as though a
number of canary-yellow or purplish-white moths had alighted
for a moment's rest. These are the fragile, pretty flowers of the
moth mullein, and they are worthy of a closer examination.
The reddened or purplish centre of the corolla suggests the
probability of hidden nectar, while the pretty tufts of violet
wool borne by the stamens are well fitted to protect it from
the rain. A little experience of the canny ways of these
innocent-looking flowers leads one to ask the wherefore of every
new feature.
170
YELLOW
PARTRIDGE-PEA.
Cassia Chamcecrista. Pulse Family.
Stems. Spreading ; eight inches to a foot long. Leaves. Divided into
from ten to fifteen pairs of narrow delicate leaflets, which close at night
and are somewhat sensitive to the touch. Flowers. Yellow; rather large
and showy; on slender stalks beneath the spreading leaves ; not papiliona-
ceous. Calyx. Of five sepals. Corolla. Of five rounded, spreading,
somewhat unequal petals, two or three of which are usually spotted at the
base with red or purple. Stamens. Ten; unequal; dissimilar. Pistil.
One, with a slender style. Pod. Flat.
The partridge-pea is closely related to the wild senna, and a
pretty, delicate plant it is, with graceful foliage, and flowers in
late summer which surprise us with their size, abounding in
gravelly, sandy places where little else will flourish, brightening
the railway embankments and the road's edge. It is at home all
over the country south of Massachusetts and east of the Rocky
Mountains, but it grows with a greater vigor and luxuriance in
the South than elsewhere. The leaves can hardly be called sen-
sitive to the touch, yet when a branch is snapped from the par-
ent stem, or is much handled, the delicate leaflets will droop and
fold, displaying their curious mechanism.
WILD SENNA.
Cassia Marilandica. Pulse Family.
Stem. Three or four feet high. Leaves. Divided into from six to nir.e
pairs of narrowly oblong leaflets. Flowers. Yellow ; in short clusters from
the axils of the leaves. Calyx. Of five sepals. Corolla. Of five slightly
unequal, spreading petals ; usually somewhat spotted with reddish brown.
Stamens. Five to ten ; unequal ; some of them often imperfect. Pistil.
One. Pod. Long and narrow, slightly curved, flat.
This tall, striking plant, with clusters of yellow flowers which
appear in midsummer, grows abundantly along many of the New
England roadsides, and also far south and west, thriving best in
sandy soil. Although a member of the Pulse family its blossoms
are not papilionaceous.
171
VELLOW
BLACK-EYED SUSAN. CONE-FLOWER.
Rudbeckia hirta. Composite Family.
Stem. Stout and hairy; one to two feet high. Leaves. Rough and
hairy ; the upper long, narrow, set close to the stem ; the lower broader,
with leaf-stalks. Flower-heads. Composed of both ray and disk-flowers;
the former yellow, the latter brown and arranged on a cone-like receptacle.
By the middle of July our dry meadows are merry with
black-eyed Susans, which are laughing from every corner and
keeping up a gay midsummer carnival in company with the yel-
low lilies and brilliant milk-weeds. They seem to revel in the
long days of blazing sunlight, and are veritable salamanders
among the flowers. Although now so common in our eastern
fields they were first brought to us with clover-seed from the
west, and are not altogether acceptable guests, as they bid fair
to add another anxiety to the already harassed life of the New
England farmer.
Rudbeckia laciniata. Composite Family.
Two to seven feet high. Stem. Smooth; branching. Leaves. The
lower divided into lobed leaflets ; the upper irregularly three to five-parted.
Flower-heads. Yellow ; rather large ; composed of both ray and disk-flow-
ers; the former drooping and yellow ; the latter dull greenish and arranged
on a columnar receptacle.
This graceful, showy flower is even more decorative than the
black-eyed Susan. Its drooping yellow rays are from one to
two inches long. It may be found throughout the summer in
the low thickets which border the swamps and meadows.
AGRIMONY.
Agrimonia Eupatoria. Rose Family.
One to two feet high. Leaves. Divided into several coarsely toothed
leaflets. Flmvers. Small; yellow; in slender spiked racemes. Calyx.
Five-cleft ; beset with hooked teeth. Corolla. Of five petals. Stamens.
Five to fifteen. Pistils. One to four.
The slender yellow racemes of the agrimony skirt the woods
throughout the later summer. In former times the plant was
172
PLATE LXXV
AGRIMONY. Agrintonia Euj>atoria.
173
YELLOW
held in high esteem by town physician and country herbalist
alike. Emerson longed to know
" Only the herbs and simples of the wood,
Rue, cinquefoil, gill, vervain, and agrimony."
Up to a recent date the plant has been dried and preserved by
country people, and might be seen exposed for sale in the shops
of French villages. It has also been utilized in a dressing for
shoe-leather. When about to flower it yields a pale yellow dye.
Chaucer calls it egremoine. The name is supposed to be de-
rived from the Greek title for an eye-disease, for which the juice
of a plant similarly entitled was considered efficacious. The
crushed flower yields a lemon-like odor.
The small-flowered agrimony, A. parviflora, is found in the
woods of New York and New Jersey, also west and southward.
Its leaves are divided into from eleven to nineteen deeply cut
leaflets, with smaller lance-shaped ones intermixed. Its petals
are smaller than in the common agrimony, which otherwise it
resembles.
YELLOW WOOD SORREL.
Oxalis stricta. Geranium Family.
Stem. Erect. Leaves. Divided into three delicate clover-like leaflets.
Flowers. Golden-yellow. Calyx. Of five sepals. Corolla. Of five pet-
als. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One, with five styles.
All summer the small flowers of the yellow wood sorrel sho\v
brightly against their background of delicate leaves. The plant
varies greatly in its height and manner of growth, flourishing
abundantly along the roadsides. The small leaflets are open to
the genial influence of sun and air during the hours of daylight,
but at night they protect themselves from chill by folding one
against another.
PLATE LXXVI
PALE JEWEL-WEED.-/^/**,
175
YELLOW
JEWEL-WEED. TOUCH-ME-NOT.
CPl. LXXVI
Geranium Family.
Impatien s pallida. Pale Jewel- weed.
Flowers. Pale yellow, somewhat spotted with reddish brown ; common
northward.
Impatiens fiilva. Spotted Jewel-weed.
Flowers. Orange-yellow, spotted with reddish brown; common south-
ward.
Two to six feet high. Leaves. Alternate; coarsely toothed; oval.
Flowers. Nodding; loosely clustered, or growing from the axils of the
leaves. Calyx and Corolla. Colored alike, and difficult to distinguish ; of
six pieces, the largest one extended backward into a deep sac ending in a
little spur, the two innermost unequally two-lobed. Stamens. Five; very
short; united over the pistil. Pistil. One.
These beautiful plants are found along shaded streams and
marshes, and are profusely hung with brilliant jewel-like flowers
during the summer months. In the later year they bear those
closed inconspicuous blossoms which fertilize in the bud and are
called cleistogamous flowers. The jewel- weed has begun to ap-
pear along the English rivers, and it is said that the ordinary
showy blossoms are comparatively rare, while the cleistogamous
ones abound. Does not this look almost like a determination on
the part of the plant to secure a firm foothold in its new envi-
ronment before expending its energy on flowers which, though
radiant and attractive, are quite dependent on insect visitors for
fertilization and perpetuation?
The name touch-me-not refers to the seed-pods, which burst
open with such violence when touched, as to project their seeds
to a comparatively great distance. This ingenious mechanism
secures the dispersion of the seeds without the aid of the wind or
animals. In parts of New York the plant is called " silver-leaf,"
from its silvery appearance when touched with rain or dew, >est anybody find : Her simple haunts beyond 1
For whom I robbed the dingle,
For whom betrayed the dell,
Many will doubtless ask me,
But I shall never tell ! "
Yet we are all free to guess and what flower at least in the
early year, before it has gained that touch of confidence which
it acquires later is so bashful, so pretty, so flushed with rosy
shame, so eager to defend its modesty by closing its blushing
petals when carried off by the despoiler as the spring beauty ?
To be sure, she is not " hidden in her leaflets," although often
seeking concealment beneath the leaves of other plants but
why not assume that Miss Dickinson has availed herself of some-
thing of the license so freely granted to poets especially, it
seems to me to poets of nature ? Perhaps of this class few are
more accurate than she, and although we wonder at the sudden
blindness which leads her to claim that
44 Nature rarer uses yellow
Than another hue "
when it seems as though it needed but little knowledge of flow-
ers to recognize that yellow, probably, occurs more frequently
among them than any other color, and also at the representation
of this same nature as
" Spending scarlet like a woman "
when in reality she is so chary of this splendid hue, still we can-
not but appreciate that this poet was in close and peculiar sym-
pathy with flowers, and was wont to paint them with more than
customary fidelity.
We look for the spring beauty in April and May, and often
find it in the same moist places on a brook's edge or skirting
the wet woods as the yellow adder's tongue. It is sometimes
199
FiNK
mistaken for an anemone, but its rose-veined corolla and linear
leaves easily identify it. Parts of the carriage-drive in the Cen-
tral Park are bordered with great patches of the dainty blossoms.
One is always glad to discover these children of the country
within our city limits, where they can be known and loved by
those other children who are so unfortunate as to be denied the
knowledge of them in their usual haunts. If the day chances to
be cloudy these flowers close and are only induced to open again
by an abundance of sunlight. This habit of closing in the shade
is common to many flowers, and should be remembered by those
who bring home their treasures from the woods and fields, only
to discard the majority as hopelessly wilted. If any such ex-
hausted blossoms are placed in the sunlight, with their stems in
fresh water, they will probably regain their vigor. Should this
treatment fail, an application of very hot almost boiling water
should be tried. This heroic measure often meets with success.
SHOWY ORCHIS.
Orchis spectabilis. Orchis Family.
Stem. Four-angled ; with leaf-like bracts ; rising from fleshy, fibrous
roots. Leaves. Two; oblong; shining; three to six inches long. Flow-
ers. In a loose spike ; purple-pink, the lower lip white.
This flower not only charms us with its beauty when its
clusters begin to dot the rich May woods, but interests us as
being usually the first member of the Orchis family to appear
upon the scene; although it is claimed in certain localities that
the beautiful Calypso always, and the Indian moccasin occasion-
ally, precedes it.
A certain fascination attends the very name of orchid. Bot-
anist and unscientific flower-lover alike pause with unwonted in-
terest when the discovery of one is announced. With the former
there is always the possibility of finding some rare species, while
the excitement of the latter is apt to be whetted with the hope
of beholding a marvellous imitation of bee or butterfly fluttering
200
PLATE LXXXVII
SHOWY ORCHIS. Orchis speclabilis.
PINK
from a mossy branch with roots that draw their nourishment
from the air ! While this little plant is sure to fail of satisfying
the hopes of either, it is far prettier if less rare than many of its
brethren, and its interesting mechanism will repay our patient
study. It is said closely to resemble the "long purples," O.
mascula, which grew near the scene of Ophelia's tragic death.
TWISTED STALK.
Streptopus roseus. Lily Family.
Stems. Rather stout and zigzag; forking and diverging. Leaves.
Taper-pointed; slightly clasping. Flowers. Dull purplish-pink ; hanging
on thread-like flower stalks from the axils of the leaves. Perianth. Some-
what bell-shaped; of six distinct sepals. Stamens. Six. Pistil. One,
with a three-cleft stigma. Fruit. Red; roundish; late summer.
This plant presents a graceful group of forking branches and
pointed leaves. No blossom is seen from above, but on picking
a branch one finds beneath each of its outspread leaves one or
two slender, bent stalks from which hang the pink, bell-like
flowers. In general aspect the plant somewhat resembles its re-
lation, the Solomon's seal, with which it is found blossoming in
the woods of May or June. The English title is a translation of
the generic name, Streptopus.
In August one finds the curved leafy stems hung with bright
red berries.
S. amplexifolius usually is a somewhat larger plant than the
above. Its strongly clasping leaves are very smooth, their under
sides covered with a whitish bloom. Its small flowers (with en-
tire, not three-cleft stigmas) are greenish white, drooping on a
long, abruptly bent flower-stalk. In August, when its forking
branches, hung with bright red berries, are reflected in the clear
water of some mountain stream, the plant is singularly striking
and decorative.
201
PINK
Rhododendron Rhodora. Heath Family
A shrub from one to two feet high. Leaves. Oblong ; pale. Flowers.
Purplish pink. Calyx. Small. Corolla. Two-lipped; almost without
air tube. Stamens. Ten, not protruding. Pistil. One, not protruding.
" In May, when sea-winds pierced our solitudes,
I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,
Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook,
To please the desert and the sluggish brook.
The purple petals, fallen in the pool,
Made the black water with their beauty gay ;
Here might the red-bird come his plumes to cool,
And court the flower that cheapens his array.
Rhodora ! If the sages ask thee why
This charm is wasted on the earth and sky,
Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,
Then Beauty is its own excuse for being ;
Why thou wert there, O rival of the rose !
I never thought to ask, I never knew ;
But in my simple ignorance, suppose
The self-same Power that brought me there, brought you. '
WILD PINK.f
Silene Pennsylvanica. Pink Family.
Stems. Four to eight inches high. Leaves. Those from the root nar-
rowly wedge-shaped ; those on the stem lance-shaped, opposite. Flowers.-^
Bright pink ; clustered. Calyx. Five-toothed. Corolla. Of five petals.
Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One, with three styles.
When a vivid cluster of wild pinks gleams from some rocky
opening in the May woods, it is difficult to restrain one's eager-
ness, for there is something peculiarly enticing in these fresh,
vigorous-looking flowers. They are quite unlike most of their
fragile contemporaries, for already they seem imbued with the
* Emerson.
t Although from their English names the Wild Pink and the Moss Pink
would seem to be allied, a reference to their generic and family titles shows
them to belong to quite different groups of plants.
202
PLATE LXXXVIII
Rhododendron Rhodora.
PLATE i-XXXIX
WILD PINK. Silent Pennsylvania
PINK
glowing warmth of summer, and to have no memory of that
snowy past which appears to leave its imprint on so many blos-
soms of the early year.
In waste places, from June until September or later, we find
the small clustered pink flowers, which open transiently in the
sunshine, of the sleepy catchfly, S. antirrhina.
MOSS PINK.* GROUND PINK.*
Phlox subulata. Polemonium Family.
Stems. Creeping; tufted. Leaves, Evergreen; awl-shaped; crowded;
small. Flowers. Bright purple-pink ; with a darker, or sometimes with a
white centre. Calyx. With five awl-shaped teeth. Corolla. Five-lobed.
Stamens. Five; unequally inserted in the tube of the corolla. Pistil.
One ; with a three-lobed style.
Every spring this little evergreen plant clothes the dry hill-
sides with a glowing mantle of purple-pink. Southern New
York is probably its most northerly range in our Eastern States.
Great masses of moss-pinks may be seen covering the rocks
in Central Park early in May.
PINK LADY'S SLIPPER. MOCCASIN-FLOWER.f
Cypripedium acaule. Orchis Family. t pl< XC
Scape. Eight to twelve inches high; two-leaved at base ; downy; one-
flowered. Leaves. Two ; large; many-nerved and plaited ; sheathing at
the base. Flowers. Solitary; the pink, veiny lip, an inflated pouch ; se-
pals and petals greenish and spreading.
* Graceful and tall the slender, drooping stem,
With two broad leaves below,
Shapely the flower so lightly poised between,
And warm her rosy glow,"
writes Elaine Goodale of the moccasin-flower. This is a blos-
som whose charm never wanes. It seems to be touched with the
spirit of the deep woods, and there is a certain fitness in its Ind-
ian name, for it looks as though it came direct from the home of
* See note, p. 202. t For Plate XC, see frontispiece.
304
PINK
the red man. All who have found it in its secluded haunts will
sympathize with Mr. Higginson's feeling that each specimen is a
rarity, even though he should find a hundred to an acre. Gray
assigns it to " dry or moist woods," while Mr. Baldwin writes :
" The finest specimens I ever saw sprang out of cushions of crisp
reindeer moss high up among the rocks of an exposed hill-side,
and again I have found it growing vigorously in almost open
swamps, but nearly colorless from excessive moisture." The
same writer quotes a lady who is familiar with it in the Adiron-
dacks. She says : "It seems to have a great fondness for decay-
ing wood, and I often see a whole row perclied like birds along
a crumbling log;" while I recall a mountain lake where the
steep cliffs rise from the water's edge ; here and there, on a tiny
shelf strewn with pine-needles, can be seen a pair of large veiny
leaves, above which, in early June, the pink balloon-like blos-
som floats from its slender scape.
PALE CORYDALIS.
CPi. xci
Corydalis glauca. Fumitory Family.
Stem. Six inches to two feet high. Leaves. Pale; divided into deli-
cate leaflets. Flowers. Pink and yellow ; in loose clusters. Calyx. Of
two small, scale-like sepals. Corolla. Pink, tipped with yellow; closed
and flattened, of four petals, with a short spur at the base of the upper petal.
Stamens. Six ; maturing before the pistil, thus avoiding self-fertilization.
Pistil. One.
From rocky clefts in the early summer woods springs the
pale corydalis, its graceful foliage dim with a whitish bloom, and
its delicate, rosy, yellow-tipped flowers betraying, by their odd,
flat corollas, their kinship with the Dutchman's breeches and
squirrel corn of the early year, as well as with the bleeding hearts
of the garden. Thoreau assigns them to the middle of May, and
says they are "rarely met with," which statement does not coin-
cide with the experience of those who find the rocky woodlands
each summer abundantly decorated with their fragile clusters.
The generic name, Corydalis, is the ancient Greek title for
305
PINK
the crested lark, and is said to refer to the crested seeds of this
genus. The specific title, glauca, refers to the pallor of leaves
and stem.
CALYPSO.
Calypso borealis. Orchis Family.
Leaf. Single ; thin ; ovate or slightly heart-shaped ; from a solid bulb.
Flower. Variegated pink and yellow ; lip sac-shaped and inflated; woolly,
hairy inside.
Gray calls this " a little bog-herb, ... a very local and
beautiful plant." I have seen the Calypso but once,* and that
once in the city, where it was brought to me by one who had
been so fortunate as to know it in all the beauty of its home
environment. But we need never regret that some of the love-
liest flowers are still to be discovered for the first time. The an-
ticipation of such discoveries only lends a keener zest to the ap-
proach of spring, the season that brings so much of delight and
actual excitement to the flower-lover.
Mr. Baldwin, it seems to me, is the prophet of the Calypso.
He celebrates her beauty in eloquent pages. He says it is
abundant in Oregon and the Northwest, but so rare in New Eng-
land that we can be well acquainted with its flora and yet never
have seen it. Yet he tells us that Professor Scribner came on a
place in Maine, " not a foot square, containing over fifty plants
in bloom."
And here is Mr. Baldwin's own description of the flower's
home:
" Even when her sanctuary is discovered Calypso does not
always reveal herself. The ground and the fallen tree-trunks are
< thickly padded with moss and embroidered with trailing vines of
snowberry and Linnaea ; painted trilliums dot with their white
stars the shadows lying under the tangled fragrant branches, the
silence of the forest, disturbed only by the chirr of a squirrel or
* Since writing the above! have found the Calypso growing abundantly
on the beautiful slopes of the Canadian Rockies.
206
PLATE XO
IALE CORYDALIS.-Gwyafcfo gtauc*.
PINK
the sudden jubilance of the oven-bird, envelops you and seems the
proper accompaniment of such an expedition. You follow, per-
haps, a winding path made by the wild animals among the un-
derbrush, moving slowly, and you easily overlook the dainty
blossom, nestling in some soft, damp nook, and poised lightly
on its stem as if ready to flutter away between your covetous
fingers.
PINK AZALEA. WILD HONEYSUCKLE. PINXTER
FLOWER. SWAMP PINK.
Rhododendron nudiflorum. Heath Family.
A shrub from two to six feet high. Leaves. Narrowly oblong ; downy
underneath ; usually appearing somewhat later than the flowers. Flowers.
Pink ; clustered. Calyx. Minute. Corolla. Funnel-shaped ; with five
long recurved lobes. Stamens. Five or ten ; long, protruding noticeably.
Pistil. One; long; protruding.
Our May swamps and moist woods are made rosy by masses
of the pink azalea, which is often known as the wild honeysuckle,
although not even a member of the Honeysuckle family. It is
in the height of its beauty before the blooming of the laurel,
and heralds the still lovelier pageant which is even then in rapid
course of preparation.
In the last century the name of Mayflower was given to the
shrub by the Swedes in the neighborhood of Philadelphia. Peter
Kalm, the pupil of Linnaeus, after whom our laurel, Kalmia,
is named, writes the following description of the shrub in his
" Travels," which were published in English in 1771, and which
explains the origin of one of its titles: " Some of the Swedes
and Dutch call them Pinxter-bloom (Whitsunday-flower), as
they really are in bloom about Whitsuntide; and at a distance
they have some similarity to the Honeysuckle or ' Lonicera.'
. . . Its flowers were now open and added a new ornament
to the woods. . . . They sit in a circle round the stem's
extremity and have either a dark red or a lively red color ; but
by standing for some time the sun bleaches them, and at last they
208
XCH
PINK AZALEA. Rhododendron nudiflorunt.
PINr<
get to a whitish hue. . . . They have some smell, but 1
cannot say it is very pleasant. However, the beauty of the
flowers entitles them to a place in every flower-garden." While
our pink azalea could hardly be called "dark red" under any
circumstances, it varies greatly in the color of its flowers.
The azalea is the national flower of Flanders.
FRINGED POLYGALA.
Poly gala paucifolia. Milkwort Family.
Flowering-stems. Three or four inches high, from long, prostrate or
underground shoots which also bear cleistogamous flowers. Leaves. The
lower, small and scale-like, scattered ; the upper, ovate, and crowded at the
summit. Flowers. Purple-pink, rarely white; rather large. Keel of Co-
rolla. -Conspicuously fringed and crested. Stamens. Six. Pistil. One.
" I must not forget to mention that delicate and lovely flower
of May, the fringed polygala. You gather it when you go for
the fragrant showy orchis that is, if you are lucky enough to
find it. It is rather a shy flower, and is not found in every
wood. One day we went up and down through the woods look-
ing for it woods of mingled oak, chestnut, pine, and hemlock
and were about giving it up when suddenly we came upon
a gay company of them beside an old wood-road. It was as if a
flock of small rose-purple butterflies had alighted there on the
ground before us. The whole plant has a singularly fresh and
tender aspect. Its foliage is of a slightly purple tinge and of
very delicate texture. Not the least interesting feature about the
plant is the concealed fertile flower which it bears on a subter-
ranean stem, keeping, as it were, one flower for beauty and one
for use."
It seems unnecessary to tempt ' odorous comparisons ' ' by
endeavoring to supplement the above description of Mr. Bur-
roughs.
2 1C
PLATE XClll
'
FRINGED POLY GALA. Poly gala paucifolia.
Poly gala polygnvta.
FRINGED POLYGALA. COMMON MILKWoRT
Poly gala paucifolia. Polygala sanguinea.
tit
PIN*
(PI. XCIV
Poly gala poly gama. Milkwort Family.
Stems. Very leafy; six to nine inches high ; with cleistogamous flowers
on underground runners. Leaves, Lance-shaped "or oblong. Flowers.
Purple-pink ; loosely clustered in a terminal raceme. Keel of Corolla.
Crested. Stamens, Eight. Pistil. One.
Like its more attractive sister, the fringed polygala, this little
plant hides its most useful, albeit unattractive, blossoms in the
ground, where they can fulfil their destiny of perpetuating the
species without danger of molestation by thievish insects or any
of the distractions incidental to a more worldly career. Ex
actly what purpose the little above-ground flowers, which appear
so plentifully in sandy soil in July, are intended to serve, it is
difficult to understand.
SHEEP LAUREL. LAMBKILU
Kalmia angustifolia. Heath Family.
A shrub from one to three feet high. Leaves. Narrowly oblong; light
green. Flowers. Deep pink; in lateral clusters. Calyx. Five-parted.
Corolla. Five-lobed ; between wheel and bell-shaped ; with stamens caught
in its depressions as in the mountain laurel. Stamens. Ten. Pistil.
One.
This low shrub grows abundantly with the mountain laurel.,
bearing smaller deep pink flowers at the same season, and nar-
rower, paler leaves. It is said to be the most poisonous of the
genus, and to be especially deadly to sheep, while deer are sup-
posed to feed upon its leaves with impunity.
The flower is one of Thoreau's favorites. In his journal,
June 13, 1852, he writes: " Lambkill is out. I remember with
what delight I used to discover this flower in dewy mornings.
All things in this world must be seen with the morning dew
on them, must be seen with youthful, early opened, hopeful
eyes."
And two years later, oddly enough on the same day of the
212
PLATE XCV
LAUREL. Kahnia,
213
PINK
month, he finds them equally admirable at the approach of
" dewy eve." " How beautiful the solid cylinders of the lamb-
kill now just before sunset ; small ten-sided rosy-crimson basins,
about two inches above the recurved, drooping, dry capsules of
last year, and sometimes those of the year before, two inches
lower. ' '
PALE LAUREL.
Kalmia glauca. Heath Family.
A rather straggling shrub about one foot high. Leaves. Evergreen;
opposite ; oblong ; with revolute margins and a white bloom beneath.
Flowers. Pink, one inch broad, in terminal, few-flowered clusters. Calyx.
Five-parted. Corolla. Five-lobed. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One.
The pale laurel is easily identified by its leaves, which are
noticeable for their revolute margins and for the white bloom on
their under sides. The pretty pink flowers which are due in
May or June may be found occasionally much later in cool north-
ern localities. The shrub is most at home in peat bogs and in
the mountains from Newfoundland to Pennsylvania.
SHOWY LADY'S SLIPPER.
Cypripedium spectabile. Orchis Family.
Stems. Downy; two feet high. Leaves. Large; ovate; pointed;
plaited. Flowers. Large; the three sepals and two lateral petals, white,
the lip white, pink in front, much inflated.
My eager hunts for this, the most beautiful of our orchids,
have never been crowned with success.* But once I saw a fresh
cluster of these lovely flowers in a friend's house, and regaled
myself with their rich, stately beauty and delicious fragrance.
Strangely enough I find no mention of this latter quality either
in Gray or in Mr. Baldwin's work on orchids.
Mr. Baldwin describes the lip of this flower as "crimped,
shell-shaped, varying from a rich pink-purple blotched with
* Since writing the above I have tracked it to its home.
214
PLATE XCVi
i
SHOWY LADY'S SLI PPER. Cypripcdium speclabile.
PINK
white to pure white." He says that in southern Connecticut it
may be found by the 2oth of June, but that the White Moun-
tains rarely afford it before July. It is due in the Berkshires,
Mass., late in June.
It grows in peat-bogs, and its height and foliage strongly sug-
gest the false hellebore.
This flower is one of a species whose life is threatened owing
to the oft-lamented ruthlessness of the " flower-picker."
Near Lenox, Mass., there is one locality where the showy
lady's slipper can be found. Fortunately, one would suppose,
this spot is known only to a few; but as one of the few who pos-
sess the secret is a country boy who uproots these plants and sells
them by the dozen in Lenox and Pittsfield, the time is not distant
when the flower will no longer be found in the shadowy silences
of her native haunts, but only, robbed of half her charm,
languishing in stiff rows along the garden-path.
AMERICAN CRANBERRY.
[PI. XCVlJt
Vaccinium macrocarpon. Heath Family.
Stems. Slender; trailing; one to four feet long. Leaves. Oblong;
obtuse ; whitened beneath. Flowers. Pale pink ; nodding. Calyx. With
short teeth. Corolla. Four-parted. Stamens. Eight or ten ; protruding.
Fruit. A large, acid, red berry.
In the peat-bogs 'of our Northeastern States we may look in
June for the pink nodding flowers, and in late summer for the
large red berries of this well-known and useful plant.
The small cranberry, V. oxycoccus, bears a much smaller
fruit. Its ovate, acute leaves have strongly revolute margins
and are whitish beneath. The acid berries are edible when
cooked.
The mountain cranberry, V. Vitis-Idaa, is found along the
coast and mountains of New England, inland to Lake Superior
and far northward. Its smooth, shining, obovate leaves also
have revolute margins. Below they are dotted with black,
3*5
IINK
bristly points. The blossoms grow in short terminal clusters.
These berries also are smaller than those of the common cran-
berry.
ADDER'S MOUTH.
Pogonia ophioglossoides. Orchis Family.
Stem, Six to nine inches high; from a fibrous root. Leaves. An
oval or lance-oblong one near the middle of the stem, and a smaller or bract-
like one near the terminal flower, occasionally one or two others, with a
flower in their axils. Flower. Pale pink, sometimes white ; sweet-scented;
one inch long ; lip bearded and fringed.
Mr. Baldwin maintains that there is no wild flower of as pure
a pink as this unless it be the Sabbatia. Its color has also been
described as a " peach-blossom red." As already mentioned,
the plant is found blossoming in bogs during the early summer
in company with the Calopogons and sundews. Its violet-like
fragrance greatly enhances its charm.
The botanists have great difficulty at times in describing the
colors of certain flowers, and when the blossoms look to one eye
pink, to another purple, they compromise and give the color as
"pink-purple." It has been no easy matter to settle satisfac-
torily the positions in this book of many of the flowers, more es-
pecially as the individuals vary constantly in depth of color, and
even in actual color.
July 7, 1852, Thoreau devotes a page in his journal to some
of these doubtful-colored flowers, whose heathenish titles excite
his ire. " Pogonias are still abundant in the meadows, but are-
thusas I have not lately seen. . . . The very handsome
' pink- purple ' * flowers of the Calopogon pulchellus enrich the
grass all around the edge of Hubbard's blueberry swamp, and are
now in their prime. The Arethusa bulbosa, ' crystalline purple,'
Pogonia ophioglossoides, snake-mouthed (tongued) arethusa, ' pale
purple/ and the Calopogon pukhellus, grass pink, 'pink-purple,'
* As the Calopogon and Pogonia seem to me far more pink than purple,
they are placed in the Pink Section. The Arethusa and the purple-fringed
orchis will be found in the Purple Section
216
PLATE XCVII
ADDER'S MOUTH. Pogonia ophioglossoides.
AMERICAN CRANBERRY. Vaccinium macrocarp?;
217
PINK
make one family in my mind (next to the purple orchis, or with
it), being flowers par excellence, all flowers, naked flowers, and
difficult, at least the calopogon, to preserve. But they are
flowers, excepting the first, at least, without a name. Pogonia !
Calopogon ! They would blush still deeper if they knew the
names man has given them. . . . The pogonia has a strong
snaky odor. The first may perhaps retain its name, arethusa,
from the places in which it grows, and the other two deserve the
names of nymphs, perhaps of the class called Naiades. . . .
To be sure, in a perfect flower there will be proportion between
the flowers and leaves, but these are fair and delicate, nymph-
like."
Calopogon pulchellus. Orchis Family.
Scape. Rising about one foot from a small solid bulb. Leaf. Linear;
grass-like. Flcnvers. Two to six on each scape ; purple-pink ; about one
inch broad ; the lip as if hinged at its insertion, bearded toward the summit
with white, yellow, and purple hairs. The peculiarity of this orchid is that
the ovary is not twisted, and consequently the lip is on the upper instead of
the lower side of the flower.
In the bogs of early summer, side by side with the glistening
sundew, and the delicate adder's *nouth, one finds these lovely
flowers.
I remember well the first time I ever saw the Calopogon at
home (for previously specimens had been sent to me). It was
one morning late in June, while taking a walk with a friend and
her little girl. We had just crossed a wet meadow, bright with
the fronds of the Osmunda, the rank foliage of the false hellebore,
and the canary-yellow of the day-blooming evening primrose.
As we reached the comparatively firm ground which skirted the
woods, our eyes fell upon a patch of feathery grasses and radiant
Calopogons.
Knowing only too well the childish instinct immediately to
rush upon such a mass of floral loveliness, my first thought was
*Q shield with outstretched arms the delicate beauties, hesitating
218
PLATE XCVlll
Calopogon pulchellus.
PLATE XCIX
SPREADING DOGBANE. Apocynum androscemifolium.
PINK
to pick even a single blossom until we had feasted our eyes, for
a time at least, upon their unruffled grace.
After all, how much better than to bear away a burden of
blossoms, which nearly always seem to leave half their beauty
behind them, is it to retain a memory of some enchanted spot
unrifled of its charm.
Then, too, the prevalent lack of sense of self-restraint in the
picking and uprooting of flowers and ferns is resulting in the ex-
termination of many valuable species. This is especially true in
the case of the orchids. It is devoutly to be wished that every
true lover of our woods and fields would set his face sternly
against the ruthless habit, regardless of the pleas that may be
offered in excuse.
This picking and uprooting tendency does not begin to
threaten as seriously the future of our really common flowers
(some of which, by the way, are so unprincipled themselves as
almost to deserve extermination) as it does that of our rarer and
more beautiful species. Many of these will disappear from the
country, it is to be feared, if some counter-influence is not ex-
erted, and if it is not remembered that in the case of annuals and
biennials as much injury may be done to a species by the picking
of the seed-yielding flower as by the uprooting of the plant itself.
SPREADING DOGBANE.
[PI. XCIX
Apocynum androscemifolium. Dogbane Family.
Stems. Erect; branching; two or three feet high. Leaves. Opposite;
oval. Flowers. Rose-color, veined with deep pink; loosely clustered.
Calyx. Five-parted. Corolla. Small; bell-shaped; five-cleft. Stamens.
Five, slightly adherent to the pistil. Pistil. Two ovaries surmounted by
a large, two-lobed stigma. Fruit. Two long and slender pods.
The flowers of the dogbane, though small and inconspicuous,
are very beautiful if closely examined. The deep pink veining
of the corolla suggests nectar, and the insect- visitor is not mis-
led, for at its base are five nectar- bearing glands. The two long,
slender seed-pods which result from a single blossom seem inap-
220
PLATE C
Fruit
PURPLE FLOWERING RASPBERRY. Rubus odoratus.
221
PINK
propriately large, often appearing while the plant is still in
flower. Rafmesque states that from the stems may be obtained
a thread similar to hemp which can be woven into cloth, from
the pods, cotton, and from the blossoms, sugar. Its generic and
one of its English titles arose from the belief, which formerly
prevailed, that it was poisonous to dogs. The plant is con-
stantly found growing in roadside thickets, with bright, pretty
foliage, and blossoms that appear in early summer.
PURPLE-FLOWERING RASPBERRY.
[PI. C
Rubus odoratus. Rose Family.
Stem. Shrubby, three to five feet high ; branching ; branches bristly
and glandular. Leaves. Three to five-lobed, the middle lobe prolonged.
Flowers. Purplish-pink ; large and showy ; two inches broad. Calyx.
Five-parted. Corolla. Of five rounded petals. Stamens and Pistils.
Numerous. Fruit. Reddish, resembling the garden raspberry.
This flower betrays its relationship to the wild rose, and
might easily be mistaken for it, although a glance at the undi-
vided leaves would at once correct such an error. The plant is
a decorative one when covered with its showy blossoms, con-
stantly arresting our attention along the wooded roadsides in
June and July.
BASIL.
Calamintha Clinopodhim. Mint Family.
Hairy; erect; one to two feet high. Leaves. Opposite; oval; scarce-
ly toothed. Flower. Small ; pink or purplish ; in close globular clusters
with noticeably long, hairy bracts. Calyx. Two-lipped; upper lip three,
the lower two-cleft. Corolla. Two-lipped ; upper lip erect, sometimes
notched; the lower spreading; three-parted. Stamens. Four. Pistil.
One, with two-lobed style. Ovary. Deeply four-lobed.
Bordering the woods and fields in midsummer we notice the
rounded, silky-bracted flower-clusters of the basil.
222
PLATE Cl
PHILADELPHIA FLEABAN E.Erigeron Pliiladdphicus.
PINK
DEPTFORD PINK.
Dianthus Armeria. Pink Family.
One to two feet high. Leaves. Opposite; long and narrow; hairy.
Flowers. Pink, with white dots; clustered. Calyx. Five-toothed, cylin-
drical; with awl-shaped bracts beneath. Corolla. Of five small petals.
Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One, with two styles.
In July and August we find these little flowers in our Eastern
fields. The generic name, which signifies Jove's own flower,
hardly applies to these inconspicuous blossoms. Perhaps it was
originally bestowed upon D. caryophyllus, a large and fragrant
English member of the genus, which was the origin of our gar-
den carnation.
PHILADELPHIA FLEABANE.
[PI. CI
Erigeron Philadelphicus. Composite Family.
Stem. Hairy, leafy. Leaves. Oblong, the upper rather smooth, clasp-
ing by a heart-shaped base, almost entire ; the lowest wedge-shaped, toothed.
Flcnver- heads. Small, clustered, with numerous very narrow, pinkish ray-
flowers and a centre of yellow disk flowers.
This often attractive member of the fleabane group is com*
monly found in moist ground from June to August.
WILD MORNING GLORY. HEDGE BINDWEED.
Convolvulus Americanus. Convolvulus Family.
Stem. Twining or trailing. Leaves. Somewhat arrow-shaped. Flow-
ers. Pink. Calyx. Of five sepals enclosed in two broad leafy bracts.
Corolla. Five-lobed ; bell-shaped. Stamens. Five. Pistil. One, with
two stigmas.
Many an unsightly heap of rubbish left by the roadside is
hidden by the delicate pink bells of the hedge bindweed, which
again will clamber over the thickets that line the streams and
about the tumbled stone-wall that marks the limit of the pasture.
223
PINK
The pretty flowers at once suggest the morning-glory, to which
they are closely allied.
The common European bindweed, C. arvensis, has white or
pinkish flowers, without bracts beneath the calyx, and a low pro-
cumbent or twining stem. It has taken possession of many of
our old fields, where it spreads extensively and proves trouble-
some to farmers.
CLAMMY CUPHEA. WAX-WEED.
Cuphea viscosissima. Loosestrife Family.
Stem. Sticky; hairy; branching. Leaves. Usually opposite; roundec
lance-shaped. Flowers. Deep purplish pink ; solitary or in racemes.
Calyx. Tubular, slightly spurred at the base on the upper side, six-
toothed at the apex, usually with a slight projection between each tooth.
Corolla. Small; of six unequal petals. Stamens. Eleven or twelve, of
unequal sizes, in two sets. Pistil. One, with a two-lobed stigma.
In the dry fields and along the roadsides of late summer this
plant is found in blossom. Its rather wrinkled purplish-pink
petals and unequal stamens suggest the flowers of the spiked
loosestrife, L. Salic aria, to which it is closely related.
HEMP NETTLE.
Galeopsis Tetrahit. Mint Family.
Stem. Bristly-hairy; swollen below the joints; branching. Leaves.
Opposite ; pinkish ; oval ; coarsely toothed. Flowers. Small ; pink or
variegated ; in whorls in the axils of the leaves. Calyx. Five-toothed ;
the teeth spiny-tipped. Corolla. Two-lipped; the lower lip three-cleft;
spreading ; sometimes yellowish with a purple spot. Stamens. Four.
Pistil. One, with two-lobed style. Ovary. Deeply four-lobed.
Somewhat late in summer the hemp nettle overruns waste
places near civilization, this plant being one of our emigrants
from Europe.
224
PLATE Cll
HERB ROBERT. Geranium Robertianum.
PlNK
HERB ROBERT.
IPl. CH
Geranium Robertianum. Geranium Family.
Stem. Forking ; slightly hairy. Leaves. Three-divided, the divisions
again dissected. Flowers. Purple-pink; small. Calyx. Of five sepals.
Corolla. Of five petals. Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One, with five styles
which split apart in fruit.
From June until October many of our shaded woods and
glens are abundantly decorated by the bright blossoms of the
herb Robert. The reddish stalks of the plant have won it the
name of " red -shanks " in the Scotch Highlands. Its strong
scent is caused by a resinous secretion which exists in several of
the geraniums. In some species this resin is so abundant that
the stems will burn like torches, yielding a powerful and pleasant
perfume. The common name is said to have been given the
plant on account of its supposed virtue in a disease which was
known as " Robert's plague," after Robert, Duke of Normandy.
In some of the early writers it is alluded to as the " holy herb of
Robert."
In fruit the styles of this plant split apart with an elasticity
which serves to project the seeds to a distance, it is said, of
twenty-five feet.
COMMON MILKWORT.
fpi. XCIV
Polygala sanguinea. Milkwort Family.
Stem. Six inches to a foot high; sparingly branched above; leafy to the
top. Leaves. Oblong-linear. Flowers. Growing in round or oblong
heads which are somewhat clover-like in appearance ; bright pink or almost
red, occasionally paler. Calyx. Of five sepals, three of which are small
and often greenish, while the two inner ones are much larger and colored
like the petals. Corolla. Of three petals connected with each other, the
lower one keel-shaped. Stamens. Six or eight. Pistil, One. (Flowers
too difficult to be analyzed by the non-botanist.)
This pretty little plant abounds in moist and also sandy
places, growing on mountain heights as well as in the salt mead-
ows which skirt the sea. In late summer its bright flower-heads
226
PLATE CM-
MOUNTAIN FRMG.A
231
SMALL WILLOW-HERB.
Epilobium coloratum. Evening Primrose Family.
One to three feet high. Leaves. Rather large ; lance-shaped ; sharply
toothed. Flowers. Pale pink ; small ; more or less nodding, resembling in
structure those of the hairy willow-herb. Pistil. One, with a club-shaped
stigma.
The small willow-herb is abundant in wet places in summer.
HAIRY WILLOW HERB.
Epilobium hirsutum. Evening Primrose Family.
Three to five feet high. Stem. Densely hairy; stout; branching.
Leaves. Mostly opposite ; lance-oblong; finely toothed. Flowers. Pink,
in the axils of the upper leaves, or in a leafy, short raceme. Calyx. Four
or five-parted. Corolla. Of four petals. Stamens. Eight. Pistil. One,
with a four-parted stigma.
The hairy willow-herb is found in waste places, blossoming
in midsummer. It is an emigrant from Europe.
STEEPLE-BUSH. HARDHACK.
Spir&a tomentosa. Rose Family.
Stems. Very woolly. Leaves. Alternate; oval; toothed. Flowers.-'
Small; pink; in pyramidal clusters. Calyx. Five-cleft. Corolla. Of
five rounded petals. Stamens. Numerous. Pistils. Five to eight.
The pink spires of this shrub justify its rather unpoetic name
of steeple-bush. It is closely allied to the meadow-sweet, blos-
soming with it in low ground during the summer. It differs
from that plant in the color of its flowers and in the woolliness
of its stems and the lower surface of its leaves.
23*
PLATE
STEEPLE-BUSH. Spira>a totnentot*
22?
PINK KNOTWEED.
Polygonum Pennsylvanicum. Buckwheat Family.
One to four feet high. Stem. Branching. Leaves. Alternate; lance
shaped. Flowers, Bright pink; growing in thick, short, erect spikes.
Calyx. Mostly five-parted ; the divisions petal -like, pink. Corolla. None.
Stamens. Usually eight. Pistil. One, with a two-cleft style.
In late summer this plant can hardly escape notice. Its
erect pink spikes direct attention to some neglected corner in
the garden or brighten the field and roadside. The rosy divis-
ions of the calyx persist till after the fruit has formed, pressing
closely against the dark seed-vessel within.
AMPHIBIOUS KNOTWEED.
Polygonum amphibium. Buckwheat Family.
Growing in water or in mud. Leaves. Usually floating ; thick ; smooth
and shining above ; mostly long-stemmed ; somewhat oblong or lance-shaped.
Flowers. Small ; bright pink, thickly clustered in a close spike. Calyx.
Five-parted; petal-like; pink. Corolla. None. Stamens. Five. Pis-
///._One, with a two-cleft style.
This plant, as its name indicates, is found both on land and
in the water, but usually it may be considered an aquatic. Its
rose-colored flower-clusters tremble in the current of the stream
and flush the borders of many a pond.
PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE.
Lythrum Salicaria. Loosestrife Family.
Stem. Tall and slender ; four-angled. Leaves. Lance-shaped, with a
heart-shaped base ; sometimes whorled in threes. Flowers. Deep purple-
pink ; crowded and whorled in an interrupted spike. Calyx. Five to seven -
toothed ; with little processes between the teeth. Corolla. Of five or six
somewhat wrinkled petals. Stamens. Usually twelve ; in two sets, six
longer and six shorter. Pistil. One, varying in size in the different blos-
soms, being of three different lengths.
One who has seen an inland marsh in August aglow with
his beautiful plant is almost ready to forgive the Old Country
PLATE CVI
PINK KNOT WEED. Polygonum Pennsylvanieum.
CV11
PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE. Lythrum Salicaria.
235
PiNK
some of the many pests she has shipped to our shores in view of
this radiant acquisition. The botany locates it anywhere be-
tween Nova Scotia and Delaware. It may be seen in the per-
fection of its beauty along the marshy shores of the Hudson and
in the swamps of the Wallkill Valley.
When we learn that these flowers are called ' long purples ' :
by the English country people, the scene of Ophelia's tragic
death rises before us :
" There is a willow grows aslant a brook,
That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream,
There with fantastic garlands did she come,
Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples
That liberal shepherds give a grosser name,
But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them."
Dr. Prior, however, says that it is supposed that Shakespeare in-
tended to designate the purple flowering orchis, O. mascula, which
is said closely to resemble the showy orchis of our spring woods.
The flowers of the purple loosestrife are especially interesting
to botanists on account of their trimorphism, which word signifies
occurring in three forms, and refers to the stamens and pistils,
which vary in size in the different blossoms, being of three dif-
ferent lengths, the pollen from any given set of stamens being
especially fitted to fertilize a pistil of corresponding length.
MEADOW-BEAUTY. DEER-GRASS.
Rhexia Virginica. Melastoma Family.
Stem. Square ; with wing-like angles. Leaves. Opposite ; narrowly
oval. Flowers. Purplish-pink; clustered. Calyx-tube. Urn-shaped ; four-
cleft at the apex. Corolla. Of four large, rounded petals. Stamens.
Eight, with long, curved anthers. Pistil. One.
It is. always a pleasant surprise to happen upon a bright patch
of these delicate deep-hued flowers along the marshes or in the
sandy fields of midsummer. Their fragile beauty is of that order
which causes it to seem natural that they should belong to a
genus which is the sole northern representative of a tropical fam-
236
PLATE CVIH
MEADOW-BEAUTY. Rhexia Virginica.
2*7
gtNK
ily. In parts of New England they grow in profusion, while in
Arkansas the plant is said to be a great favorite with the deer,
hence one of its common names. The flower has been likened
to a scarlet evening primrose, and there is certainly a suggestion
of the evening primrose in the four-rounded, slightly heart-shaped
petals. The protruding stamens, with their long yellow anthers,
are conspicuous.
Of the plant in the late year Thoreau writes : - " The scarlet
leaves and stems of the rhexia, sometime out of flower, make al-
most as bright a patch in the meadows now as the flowers did.
Its seed-vessels are perfect little cream-pitchers of graceful form."
LOPSEED.
Phryma Leptostachya. Vervain Family.
Two to three feet high ; with slender, branching stems. Leaves. Op-
posite ; oval ; coarsely toothed ; the lower long-stemmed. Flowers. Pinkish;
small, in long, slender terminal spikes. Calyx. Two-lipped ; the upper lip
of three sharp teeth ; the lower shorter, twice toothed. Corolla. Two-lipped;
upper lip small, notched ; the lower much larger ; three-lobed. Stamens.
Four ; in two pairs of unequal length ; within corolla. Pistil. One ; with
a slender style and two-lobed stigma.
Very noticeable in summer in somewhat open woods are the
slender, branching clusters made up of the small pink flowers of
the lopseed.
Later the hooked, slender teeth of the ribbed calyx close
about the one-seeded fruit. The branching fruit-clusters then
make this plant almost as conspicuous as during its flowering
season.
SEA PINK.
Sabbatia stellaris. Gentian Family.
; Stem. Slender ; loosely branched. Leaves. Opposite ; oblong to lance-
shaped ; the upper narrowly linear. Flowers. Large ; deep pure pink to
almost white. Calyx. Usually five-parted ; the lobes long and slender.
Corolla. Usually five-parted ; conspicuously marked with red and yellow
in the centre. Stamens. Usually five. Pistil. One, with two-cleft style.
The advancing year has few fairer sights to show us than a
salt meadow flushed with these radiant blossoms. They are so
238
PLATE CIX
LARGE SEA PINK. Sabbatia Moroides.
abundant, so deep-hued, so delicate ! One feels tempted to lie
down among the pale grasses and rosy stars in the sunshine of
the August morning and drink his fill of their beauty. How
often nature tries to the utmost our capacity of appreciation and
leaves us still insatiate ! At such times it is almost a relief to
turn from the mere contemplation of beauty to the study of its
structure ; it rests our overstrained faculties.
The vivid coloring and conspicuous marking of these flowers
indicate that they aim to attract certain members of the insect
world. As in the fireweed the pistil of the freshly opened blos-
jom is curved sideways, with its lobes so closed and twisted as
to be inaccessible on their stigmatic surfaces to the pollen which
the already mature stamens are discharging. When the effete
anthers give evidence that they are hors de combat by their with-
ered appearance, the style erects itself and spreads its stigmas.
S. angularis is a species which may be found in rich soil in-
land. Its somewhat heart-shaped, clasping, five-nerved leaves
and angled stem serve to identify it.
S. chloroides is a larger and peculiarly beautiful species which
borders brackish ponds along the coast. Its corolla is about two
inches broad and eight to twelve-parted. (PI. CIX.)
Many of our readers will be interested in the following
information, copied from "Garden and Forest," as to the
tradition in Plymouth concerning the scientific name of this
genus :
" No more beautiful flower grows in New England than the
Sabbatia,) and at Plymouth, where it is especially profuse and lux-
uriant on the borders of the ponds so characteristic of that part of
eastern Massachusetts, it is held in peculiar affection and, one may
almost say, reverence. It is locally called * the rose of Plymouth, '
and during its brief season of bloom is sold in quantities in the
streets of the town and used in the adornment of houses and
churches. Its name comes from that of an early botanist, Libera-
tus Sabbatia ; but this well-established truth is totally disregarded
by local tradition. Almost every one in Plymouth firmly believes
that the title is due to the fact that the Pilgrims o f 1620 first saw
PINK
,;he flower on a Sabbath day, and, entranced by its masses oi
pinkish lilac-color, named it for the holy day. Indeed, this
belief is so deeply ingrained in the Plymouth mind that, we are
told, strong objections are made if any other flowers are irrever-
ently mingled with it in church decoration. Yet the legend was
invented not more than twenty-five years ago by a man whose
identity is still well remembered ; and thus it is of even more re-
cent origin than the one, still more universally credited, which
says that the Pilgrim Fathers landed upon Plymouth Rock."
BUSH CLOVER.
Lcspedeza procumbens. Pulse Family.
Stems. Slender ; trailing, and prostrate. Leaves. Divided into three
clover-like leaflets. Flowers. Papilionaceous; purplish -pink ; veiny. Pod.
Small ; rounded ; flat ; one-seeded.
The flowers of this plant often have the appearance of spring-
ing directly from the earth amid a mass of clover leaves. They
are common in dry soil in the late summer and autumn, as are
the other members of the same genus.
L. reticulata is an erect, very leafy species with similar
blossoms, which are chiefly clustered near the upper part of the
stem. The bush clovers betray at once their kinship with the
tick-trefoils, but usually are found in more sandy, open places.
L. polystachya has upright wand-like stems from two to four
feet high. Its yellowish flowers, usually with a pink or purple
spot on the standard, grow in oblong spikes on elongated stalks.
Those of L. capitata are also yellowish with a purple spot, and
are clustered in globular heads.
PLATE CX
ROSE MALLOW. Hibiscus Moscheutos.
241
FINK
ROSE MALLOW. SWAMP MALLOW.
[PI. CX
Hibiscus Moscheutos. Mallow Family.
Stem. Stout and tall ; four to eight feet high. Leaves. The lower
three-lobed ; the upper oblong, whitish and downy beneath. Flowers.
Large and showy ; pink. Calyx. Five-cleft, with a row of narrow bractlets
beneath. Corolla. Of five large petals. Stamens. Many; on a tube
which encloses the lower part of the style. Pistils. Five; united into one,
with five stigmas which are like pin-heads.
When the beautiful rose mallow slowly unfolds her pink ban-
ner-like petals and admits the eager bee to her stores of golden
pollen, then we feel that the summer is far advanced. As truly
as the wood anemone and the blood -root seem filled with the
essence of spring and the promise of the opening year, so does
this stately flower glow with the maturity and fulfilment of late
summer. Here is none of the timorousness of the early blossoms
which peep shyly out, as if ready to beat a hasty retreat should
a late frost overtake them, but rather a calm assurance that the
time is n'ne, and that the salt marshes and brackish ponds are
only awaiting their rosy lining.
The marsh mallow, whose roots yield the mucilaginous sub-
stance utilized in the well-known confection, is Althtza offici-
nalis, an emigrant from Europe. It is a much less common
plant than the Hibiscus, its pale pink flowers being found in some
of the salt marshes of New England and New York.
The common mallow, Malva rotundifolia, which overruns
the country dooryards and village waysides, is a little plant with
rounded, heart-shaped leaves and small purplish flowers. It is
used by the country people for various medicinal purposes and is
cultivated and commonly boiled with meat in Egypt. Job pict-
ures himself as being despised by those who had been themselves
so destitute as to " cut up mallows by the bushes ... for
their meat." *
* Job xxx. 4.
242
PLATE CX!
MUSK MALLOW. Afo/vo moschata.
PLATE CXII
MARSH ST. JOHN'S-WORT.-E/^M
243
PINK
MUSK MALLOW
Malva moschata. Mallow Family.
Erect, branching, one to two feet high. Stem-leaves. Five-parted, the
divisions cleft into linear lobes. Flowers. Pink or white, clustered at the
summit of the stem. Calyx. Five-cleft, with three bracts at the base.
Corolla. Of five obcordate petals. Stamens. Numerous, united in 2
column. Pistils. Several, their ovaries united in a ring.
The musk mallow is an attractive foreign adventurer which
has wandered from the garden to the roadside. Its faintly musk-
like odor is responsible for its name.
MARSH ST. JOHN'S-WORT.
[PI. CXII
Elodes campanulata. St. John's-wort Family.
Stem. One to two feet high ; often pinkish ; later bright red. Leaves.
Opposite ; set close to the stem or clasping by a broad base. Flowers.
Pinkish or flesh-color ; small ; closely clustered at the summit of the stem
and in the axils of the leaves. Calyx. Of five sepals ; often pinkish. Carol'
/. Of five petals. Stamens. Nine, in three sets; the sets separated by
orange-colored glands. Pistil. One, with three styles.
If one has been so unlucky, from the usual point of view, or
so fortunate, looking at the matter with the eyes of the flower-
lover, as to find himself in a rich marsh early in August, his eye
is likely to fall upon the small, pretty pinkish flowers and pale
clasping leaves of the marsh St. John's-wort. A closer inspec-
tion will discover that the foliage is dotted with the pellucid
glands, and that the stamens are clustered in groups after the
family fashion. Should the same marsh be visited a few weeks
later, dashes of vivid color will guide one to the spot where the
little pink flowers were found. In their place glow the conspic-
uous ovaries and bright leaves which make the plant very notice-
able in late August.
Elodes is a corruption from a Greek word which signifies
growing in marshes.
244
PLATE CXIII
Fruit.
T|C K-TREFOIL. Desmodiun*
245
PINK
TICK-TREFOIL.
Desmodium nudiflorum. Pulse Family.
Scape. About two feet long. Leaves. Divided into three broad leaf-
lets; crowded at the summit of the flowerless stems. Flowers. Papiliona-
ceous ; purplish-pink ; small ; growing in an elongated raceme on a mostly
leafless scape.
This is a smaller, less noticeable plant than D. Canadense.
It flourishes abundantly in dry woods, where it often takes pos-
session in late summer to the exclusion of nearly all other flowers.
TICK-TREFOIL.
[PI. CXIIl
Desmodium Canadense. Pulse Family.
Stem. Hairy ; three to six feet high. Leaves. Divided into three
somewhat oblong leaflets. Flowers. Papilionaceous ; dull purplish-pink ;
growing in densely flowered racemes. Pod. Flat ; deeply lobed on the
lower margin ; from one to three inches long ; roughened with minute
hooked hairs by means of which it adheres to animals and clothing.
Great masses of color are made by these flowers in the bogs
and rich woods of midsummer. They are effective when seen
in the distance, but rather disappointing on closer examination,
and will hardly bear gathering or transportation. They are by
far the largest and most showy of the genus.
The flowers of D. acuminatum grow in an elongated raceme
from a stem about whose summit the leaves, divided into very
large leaflets, are crowded ; otherwise it resembles D. nudiflorum.
D. Dillenii grows to a height of from two to five feet, with
erect leafy stems and medium-sized flowers. It is found com-
monly in open woods.
Many of us who do not know these plants by name have
uttered various imprecations against their roughened pods.
Thoreau writes : " Though you were running for your life, they
would have time to catch and cling to your clothes. . . .
These almost invisible nets, as it were, are spread for us, and
whole coveys of desmodium and bidens seeds steal transporta-
246
PLATE CXIV
BOUNCING BET. Saponaria officifialis.
247
PINK
tion out of us. I have found myself often covered, as it were,
with an imbricated coat of the brown desmodium seeds or a
bristling chevaux-de-frise of beggar-ticks, and had to spend a
quarter of an hour or more picking them off in some convenient
spot ; and so they get just what they wanted deposited in an-
other place."
BOUNCING BET. SOAPWORT.
[PI. CXIV
Saponaria officinalis. Pink Family.
Stem. Rather stout ; swollen at the joints. Leaves. Oval ; opposite.
Flowers. Pink or white ; clustered. Calyx. Of five united sepals. Co-
rolla. Of five pinkish, long-clawed petals (frequently the flowers are
double). Stamens. Ten. Pistil. One, with two styles.
A cheery pretty plant is this with large, rose -tinged flowers
which are especially effective when double.
Bouncing Bet is of a sociable turn and is seldom found far
from civilization, delighting in the proximity of farm-houses and
their belongings, in the shape of children, chickens, and cattle.
She comes to us from England, and her "feminine comeliness
and bounce " suggest to Mr. Burroughs a Yorkshire housemaid.
The generic name is from sapo soap and refers to the lather
which the juice forms with water, and which is said to have been
used as a substitute for soap.
PURPLE GERARDIA.
Gerardia purpurea. Figwort Family.
Stem. One to four feet high; widely branching. Leaves. Linear;
sharply pointed. Flowers. Bright purplish-pink ; rather large. Calyx.
Five-toothed. Corolla. One inch long; somewhat tubular; swelling
above ; with five more or less unequal, spreading lobes ; often downy and
spotted within. Stamens. Four; in pairs; hairy. Pistil. One.
In late summer and early autumn these pretty, noticeable
flowers brighten the low-lying ground along the coast and in the
neighborhood of the Great Lakes. The sandy fields of New
248
PLATE CXV
PURPLE GERARDIA. Gerardia purj>urta,
249
PINK
England and Long Island are oftentimes a vivid mass of color
owing to their delicate blossoms. The plant varies somewhat
in the size of its flowers and in the manner of its growth.
The little seaside gerardia, G. maritima> is from four inches to
a foot high. Its smaller blossoms are also found in salt marshes.
The slender gerardia, G. tenuifolia, is common in mountain-
ous regions. The leaves of this species are exceedingly narrow.
Like the false foxglove (PL LXXXIII.) and other members of this
genus, these plants are supposed to be parasitic in their habits.
SALT MARSH FLEABANE.
Pluchea camphorata. Composite Family.
Stem. Two to five feet high. Leaves. Pale; thickish ; oblong or
lance-shaped ; toothed. Flower-heads. Pink ; small ; in flat-topped clus-
ters ; composed entirely of tubular flowers.
In the salt marshes where we find the starry sea pinks and
the feathery sea lavender, we notice a pallid-looking plant whose
pink flower-buds are long in opening. It is late summer or
autumn before the salt marsh fleabane is fairly in blossom.
There is a strong fragrance to the plant which hardly suggests
camphor, despite its specific title.
FALSE DRAGON-HEAD.
Physostegia Virginiana. Mint Family.
Stems. Square; upright; wand-like. Leaves. Opposite; sessile; nar-
row; usually toothed. Flowers. Showy; rose-pink; purple-veined; crowd-
ed in terminal leafless spikes. Calyx. Five-toothed. Corolla. One inch
long ; funnel-form, with an inflated throat ; two-lipped. Upper lip erect ;
lower lip small, spreading, three-parted, its middle lobe the largest, broad
and notched. Stamens. Four. Pistil. One, with two-lobed style. Ovary.
Deeply four-lobed.
By the roadside, and in wet meadows, during the late sum-
mer or even early in the fall, we find the pink clusters of the
false dragon -head.
These blossoms are likely to arouse the suspicion that the
250
PLATE CXVJ
251
PINK
plant is related to the turtle-head, but the square stem and four-
lobed ovary soon persuade us of its kinship with the members of
the Mint Family.
SAND KNOTWEED.
Polygonella articttlata. (Formerly Polygonum articulatum.} Buckwheat
Family.
Erect; branching; four to twelve inches high. Leaves. Linear; incon-
spicuous. Flowers. Rose-color; nodding; in very slender racemes.
Calyx. Five-parted. Corolla. None. Stamens. Eight. Pistil. One,
with three styles.
Under date of September 26th, Thoreau writes: ''The
Polygonum articulatum, giving a rosy tinge to Jenny's desert, is
very interesting now, with its slender dense racemes of rose-
tinted flowers, apparently without leaves, rising cleanly out of
the sand. It looks warm and brave, a foot or more high, and
mingled with deciduous blue curls. It is much divided, with
many spreading, slender-racemed branches, with inconspicuous
linear leaves, reminding me, both by its form and its colors, of a
peach-orchard in blossom, especially when the sunlight falls on
it ; minute rose-tinted flowers that brave the frosts, and advance
the summer into fall, warming with their color sandy hill-sides
and deserts, like the glow of evening reflected on the sand, ap-
parently all flower and no leal. Rising apparently with clean
bare stems from the sand, it spreads out into this graceful head
of slender, rosy racemes, wisp-like. This little desert of less
than an acre blushes with it.
JOE-PYE-WEED. TRUMPET-WEED.
[PI. CXVI
Eupatorium purpureum. Composite Family.
Stem. Stout and tall ; two to twelve feet high ; often dotted. Leaves.
In whorls of three to six ; oblong or .oval ; pointed ; rough ; veiny ;
toothed. Flower-heads. Purplish-pink ; small ; composed entirely of tubu-
lar blossoms, with long protruding styles ; growing in large clusters at or
near the summit of the stem.
The summer is nearly over when the tall, conspicuous Joe-
Pye- weeds begin to tinge with "crushed raspberry" the low-
252
PINK
ands through which we pass. In parts of the country it is near-
iy as common as the golden-rods and asters which appear at
about the same season. With the deep purple of the iron-weed
it gives variety to the intense hues which herald the coming of
autumn.
" Joe Pye" is said to have been the name of an Indian who
cured typhus fever in New England by means of this plant. The
tiny trumpet-shaped blossoms which make up the flower-heads
may have suggested the other common name.
CLIMBING HEMP-WEED.
Mikania scandens. Composite Family.
Stem. Twining and climbing; nearly smooth. Leaves. Opposite;
somewhat triangular-heart-shaped ; pointed ; toothed at the base. Flower-
heads. Pink or whitish ; composed of four tubular flowers ; clustered ;
resembling boneset.
In late summer one often finds the thickets which line the
slow streams nearly covered with the flowers of the climbing
hemp-weed. At first sight the likeness to the boneset is so
marked that the two plants are often confused, but a second
glance discovers the climbing stems and triangular leaves which
clearly distinguish this genus.
V
RED
[Red or occasionally Red Flowers not found in Red Section.J
Wood Betony. Pedicularts Canadensis. April or May.
(Yellow Section, p. 128.)
Huckleberries, etc. . May and June. (White Section, pp. 51-54.)
Herb Robert. Geranium Robertianum. Summer. (Pink Section, p. 226.)
WILD COLUMBINE.
Aquilegia Canadensis. Crowfoot Family.
Twelve to eighteen inches high. Stems. Branching. Leaves. Much-
divided ; the leaflets lobed. Flowers, Large; bright red ; yellow within ;
nodding. Calyx, Of five red petal-like sepals. Corolla. Of five petal;
in the form of large hollow spurs, which are red without and yellow within
Stamens. Numerous. Pistils. Five, with slender styles.
41 A woodland walk,
A quest of river-grapes, a mocking thrush,
A wild-rose or rock-loving columbine,
Salve my worst wounds,"
declares Emerson ; and while perhaps few among us are able to
make so light-hearted and sweeping a claim for ourselves, yet
many will admit the soothing power of which the woods and
fields know the secret, and will own that the ordinary annoy-
ances of life may be held more or less in abeyance by one who
lives in close sympathy with nature.
About the columbine there is a daring loveliness which stamps
PLATE CXVII
WILD COLUMBINE. A quuegia Canadensis..
RD
it on the memories of even those who are not ordinarily minute
observers. It contrives to secure a foothold in the most precipi-
tous and uncertain of nooks, its jewel-like flowers gleaming from
their lofty perches with a graceful insouciance which awakens our
sportsmanlike instincts and fires us with the ambition to equal it
in daring and make its loveliness our own. Perhaps it is as well
if our greediness be foiled and we get a tumble for our pains, for
no flower loses more with its surroundings than the columbine.
Indeed, these destructive tendencies, which are strong within
most of us, generally defeat themselves by decreasing our pleas-
ure in a blossom the moment we have ruthlessly and without
purpose snatched it from its environment. If we honestly wish
to study its structure, or to bring into our homes for preserva-
tion a bit of the woods' loveliness, its interest and beauty are
sure to repay us. But how many pluck every striking flower
they see only to toss it carelessly aside when they reach their
destination, if they have not already dropped it by the way.
Surely if in such small matters sense and self-control were incul-
cated in children, more would grow up to the poet's standard of
worthiness :
'* Hast thou named all the birds without a gun ?
Loved the wood-rose and left it on its stalk ?
At rich men's tables eaten bread and pulse ?
Unarmed, faced danger with a heart of trust ?
And loved so well a high behavior,
In man ornaid, that thou from speech refrained,
Nobility more nobly to repay ?
O, be my friend, and teach me to be thine ! " *
The name of columbine is derived from colomba a dove,
but its significance is disputed. Some believe that it was asso-
ciated with the bird-like claws of the blossom ; while Dr. Prior
maintains that it refers to the " resemblance of its nectaries to
the heads of pigeons in a ring around a dish, a favorite device
of ancient artists. ' '
* Emerson.
255
RED'
The meaning of the generic title is also doubtful. Gray de-
rives it from aquilegus water-drawing, but gives no further ex-
planation, while other writers claim that it is from aquila, an
eagle, seeing a likeness to the talons of an eagle in the curved
nectaries.
WAKE ROBIN. BIRTHROOT.
Trillium erectum. Lily Family.
Stem. Stout; from a tuber-like rootstock. Leaves. Broadly ovate;
three in a whorl a short distance below the flower. Flower. Single ; termi-
nal ; usually purplish red, occasionally whitish, pinkish, or greenish ; on an
erect or somewhat inclined flower-stalk. Calyx. Of three green spreading
sepals. Corolla. Of three large lance-shaped petals. Stamens. Six.
Pistil. One, with three large spreading stigmas. Fruit. A large, ovate,
six-angled reddish berry.
This wake robin is one of the few self-assertive flowers of the
early year. Its contemporaries act as if somewhat uncertain as
to whether the spring had really come to stay, but no such lack
of confidence possesses our brilliant young friend, who almost
flaunts her lurid petals in our faces, as if to force upon us the
welcome news that the time of birds and flowers is at hand.
Pretty and suggestive as is the common name, it is hardly appro-
priate, as the robins have been on the alert for many days before
our flower unfurls its crimson signal. Its odor is most un-
pleasant. Its reddish fruit i is noticeable in the woods of late
summer.
The sessile trillium, T. sessile, has no separate flower-stalk,
its red or greenish blossom being set close to the stem leaves. Its,
petals are narrower, and its leaves are often blotched or spotted.
Its berry is glcfbular, six-angled, and red or purplish.
The wake robins are native to North America, only one
species being found just beyond the boundaries in the Russian
territory.
856
PLATE CXVIK
Fruit.
WAKE ROBIN. Trillium erectttm.
257
RED
PAINTED CUP.
Castilleia coccinea. Figwort Family.
Stem. Hairy; six inches to a foot high. Root-leaves. Clustered; ob
long. Stem-leaves. Incised; those among the flowers three to five-cleft,
bright scarlet toward the summit ; showy. Flowers. Pale yellow ; spiked.
Calyx. Tubular; flattened. Corolla. Two-lipped; its upper lip long and
narrow; its lower short and three-lobed. Stamens. Four; unequal.
'Pistil. One.
" Scarlet tufts
Are glowing in the green like flakes of fire ;
The wanderers of the prairie know them well,
And call that brilliant flower the painted cup."*
But we need not go to the prairie in order to see this plant,
for it is equally abundant in certain low sandy New England
meadows as well as in the near vicinity of New York City. Un
der date of June 3d, Thoreau graphically describes its appearance
near Concord, Mass. : "The painted cup is in its prime. It
reddens the meadow, painted-cup meadow. It is a splendid
show of brilliant scarlet, the color of the cardinal flower, and
surpassing it in mass and profusion. . . . I do not like the
name. It does not remind me of a cup, rather of a flame when
it first appears. It might be called flame-flower, or scarlet tip.
Here is a large meadow full of it, and yet very few in the town
have ever seen it. It is startling to see a leaf thus brilliantly
painted, as if its tip were dipped into some scarlet tincture, sur-
passing most flowers in intensity of color. ' '
PITCHER PLANT. SIDE-SADDLE FLOWER. HUNTS-
MAN'S CUP.
Sarracenia purpurea. Pitcher Plant Family.
Scape. Naked; one- flowered ; about one foot high. Leaves. Pitcher-
shaped; broadly winged ; hooded. Flower. Red, pink, or greenish ; large;
nodding. Calyx. Of five colored sepals, with three bractlets at the base.
Corolla. Of five fiddle-shaped petals which are arched over the greenish-
yellow style. Stamens. Numerous. Pistil. One, with a short style
which expands at the summit into a petal-like umbrella-shaped body, with
five small hooked stigmas.
* Bryant.
258
PLATE CXIX
PAINTED CUP. Castilleia coccinca.
RED
The first finding of even the leaves of the pitcher plant is
not to be forgotten. For the leaves not only attract attention
by their occasional rich markings, and by their odd pitcher-like
shape, but they arouse curiosity by the trap which they set for
unwary insects. They are partly lined with a sugary exudation,
below which, for a space, they are highly polished, while still lower
grow stiff, down-pointing bristles. Insects attracted by the sweet
secretion soon find themselves prisoners, as they can seldom fight
their way upward through the opposing bristles, or escape by a
flight so perpendicular as would be necessary from the form of the
cavity. It is rarely that one finds a plant whose leaves are not
partially filled with water and drowned insects, and these latter
are believed to contribute to its nourishment. In an entry in
his journal one September, Thoreau writes of a certain swamp :
" Though the moss is comparatively dry, I cannot walk with-
out upsetting the numerous pitchers, which are now full of water,
and so wetting my feet ; " and continues : "I once accidentally
sat down on such a bed of pitcher plants, and found an uncom-
monly wet seat where I expected a dry one. These leaves are
of various colors, from plain green to a rich striped yellow or
deep red. Old Josselyn called this hollow-leaved lavender.'
I think we have no other plant so singular and remarkable."
And November i5th he finds " the water frozen solid in the
leaves of the pitcher plant. ' ' But singular and interesting though
these leaves are, the^greatest charm of the plant, it seems to me,
lies in its beautiful and unusual flower. This flower we find, if
we have the luck, during the early part of June. Although I be-
lieve its most frequent color is red (Thoreau likens it to "a great
dull red rose," but Gray accuses it of being " deep purple"),
I have usually found it either pink or green fresh delicate
shades of both colors and with a fragrance suggesting sandal-
wood.
And though (unlike some fortunate friends) I have never found
these blossoms rearing themselves by the hundred in an open
swamp, baring their beauty to the sunlight, it will be long before
I forget the throb of delight which followed my first sight of the
59
RED
plant in a shaded bog, where its delicately tinted flowers nodded
almost undetected under bending ferns and masses of false helle-
bore.
WOOD LILY. WILD RED LILY.
Lilium Philadelphicum. Lily Family.
Stem. Two to three feet high. Leaves. Whorled or scattered ; nar-
rowly lance-shaped. Flower. Erect ; orange-red or scarlet, spotted with
purple. Perianth. Of six erect narrowly clawed sepals, with nectar-bearing
furrows at their base. Stamens. Six. Pistil. One, with three-lobed
stigma.
Here and there in the shadowy woods is a vivid dash of color
made by some wild red lily which has caught a stray sunbeam in
its glowing cup. The purple spots on its sepals guide the greedy
bee to the nectar at their base ; we too can take the hint and
reap a sweet reward if we will, after which we are more in sym-
pathy with those eager, humming bees.
This erect, deep-hued flower is so different from its nodding
sister of the meadows, that we wonder that the two should be so
often confused. When seen away from its surroundings it has
less charms perhaps than either the yellow or the Turk's-cap lily ;
but when it rears itself in the cool depths of its woodland home
we feel the uniqueness of its beauty.
TURK'S CAP LILY.
[PI. CXXIl
Lilium sriperbum. Lily Family.
Stem. Three to seven feet high. Leaves. Lance-shaped ; the lower
whorled. Flowers. Orange or scarlet, with purple spots within; three
inches long ; from three to forty growing in pyramidal clusters. Perianth.
Of six strongly recurved sepals. Stamens. Six, with long anthers.
Pistil. One, with a three-lobed stigma.
" Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow ;
They toil not, neither do they spin ;
And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory
Was not arrayed like one of these."
How they come back to us, the beautiful hackneyed lines,
and flash into our memories with new significance of meaning
260
PITCHER PLANT. Sarracenia purpurea.
PLATE CXXI
WOOD LILY. Liliutn PhilaJelpkkutn*
26l
RED
when we chance suddenly upon a meadow bordered with these
the most gorgeous of our wild flowers.
We might doubt whether our native lilies at all resembled
those alluded to in the scriptural passage, if we did not know
that a nearly allied species grew abundantly in Palestine ; for we
have reason to believe that lily was a title freely applied by many
Oriental poets to any beautiful flower.
Perhaps this plant never attains far inland the same luxuri-
ance of growth which is common to it in some of the New Eng-
land lowlands near the coast. Its radiant, nodding blossoms
are seen in great profusion as we travel by rail from New York
to Boston.
BUTTERFLY-WEED. PLEURISY-ROOT.
[PI. CXXIII
Asclepias tuberosa. Milkweed Family.
Stem. Rough and hairy; one to two feet high; erect; very leafy,
branching at the summit ; without milky juice. Leaves. Linear to narrow-
ly lance-shaped. Flowers. Bright orange-red; in flat-topped, terminal
clusters, otherwise closely resembling those of the common milkweed. Fruit.
Two hoary erect pods, one of them often stulfted.
Few if any of our native plants add more to the beauty of the
midsummer landscape than the milkweeds, and of this family no
member is more satisfying to the color-craving eye than the
gorgeous butterfly-weed, whose vivid flower clusters flame from
the dry sandy meadows with such luxuriance of growth as to
seem almost tropical. Even in the tropics one hardly sees any-
thing more brilliant than the great masses of color made by
these flowers along some of our New England railways in July,
while farther south they are said to grow even more profuse-
ly. Its gay coloring has given the plant its name of butterfly-
weed,* while that of pleurisy-root arose from the belief that
the thick, deep root was a remedy for pleurisy. The Indians
used it as food and prepared a crude sugar from the flowers ; the
young seed-pods they boiled and ate with buffalo-meat. The
* It is believed by some that the name springs from ths fact that butterflies
visit the plant
262
fURK'S CAP ULY.Li&txt superbum.
263
RED
plant is worthy of cultivation and is easily transplanted, as the
fleshy roots when broken in pieces form new plants. Oddly
enough, at the Centennial Exhibition much attention was at-
tracted by a "bed of these beautiful plants which were brought
from Holland. Truly, flowers, like prophets, are not without
honor save in their own country.
OSWEGO TEA. BEE BALM.
Monarda didyma. Mint Family.
Stem. Square ; erect ; about two feet high. Leaves. Opposite ; ovate,
pointed; aromatic; those near the flowers tinged with red. Flowers.-
Bright red; clustered in a close round head. Calyx. Reddish; five-
toothed. Corolla. Elongated; tubular; two-lipped. Stamens. Two;
elongated; protruding. Pistil. One, with a two-lobed style ; protruding.
We have so few red flowers that when one flashes suddenly
upon us it gives us a pleasant thrill of wonder and surprise.
The red flowers know so well how to enhance their beauty by
seeking an appropriate setting. They select the rich green back-
grounds only found in moist, shady places, and are peculiarly
charming when associated with a lonely marsh or a mountain-
brook. The bee balm especially haunts these cool nooks, and
its rounded flower-clusters touch with warmth the shadows of
the damp woods of midsummer. The Indians named the flower
O-gee-chee flaming flower, and are said to have made a tea-
like decoction from the blossoms.
HOUND'S TONGUE.
Cyntgtossum officinale. Borage Family.
Stem. Clothed with soft hairs. Leaves. Alternate; hairy; the upper
ones lance-shaped ; clasping somewhat by a rounded or heart-shaped base.
Flowers. Purplish-red ; growing in a curved raceme-like cluster which
straightens as the blossoms expand. Calyx. Five-parted. Corolla.
Funnel-form; five-lobed. Stamens. Five. Pistil. One. Fruit. A
large nutlet roughened with barbed or hooked prickles.
This coarse plant, whose disagreeable odor strongly suggests
mice, is not only a troublesome weed in pasture-land but a
264
PLATE CXXIII
REG
special annoyance to wool-growers, as its prickly fruit adheres
with pertinacity to the fleece of sheep. Its common name is a
translation of its generic title and refers to the shape and texture
of the leaves. The dull red flowers appear in summer.
PIMPERNEL. POOR-MAN'S-WEATHER-GLASS.
Anagallis arvensis. Primrose Family.
Stems. Low; spreading. Leaves. Opposite; ovate; set close to the
stem; usually with dark spots. Flowers. Bright red, occasionally blue or
white; growing singly from the axils of the leaves. Calyx. Five-parted.
Corolla. Five-parted; wheel-shaped. Stamens. Five, with bearded fila-
ments. Pistil. One.
This flower is found in clefts of rocks or in sandy fields, and
is noted for its sensitiveness to the weather. It folds its petals at
the approach of rain and fails to open at all on a wet or cloudy
day. Even in fine weather it closes in the early afternoon and
" sleeps" till the next morning. Its ripened seeds are of value
as food for many song-birds. It was thought at one time to be
serviceable in liver complaints, which reputed virtue may have
given rise to the old couplet :
" No ear hath heard, no tongue can tell
The virtues of the pimpernell."
EUROPEAN HAWKWEED. DEVIL'S PAINTBRUSH.
Hieracium aurantiacum. Composite Family.
Stem. Hairy; erect. Leaves. Hairy; oblong; close to the ground
Flower-heads. Orange-red ; composed entirely of strap-shaped flowers,
clustered.
In parts of New York and of New England the midsummer
meadows are ablaze with the brilliant orange-red flowers of this
striking European weed. It is among the most recent emigrants
to this country and bids fair to become an annoyance to the
farmer, hence its not altogether inappropriate title of devil's
paintbrush. In England it was called " Grimm the Collier,"
266
PLATE CXXIV
Fruit.
TRUMPET HONEYSUCKLE. Lonicera sempervtrens.
2orac