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LIBRARY
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Cornell University Libi
QK 118.S8 i

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every child should know.

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Sour Saioiay

Library

The original of this book is in
the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions in
the United States on the use of the text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924000493068

WILD FLOWERS

e ‘‘Every Child Should Know’ Books

Poems Every Child Should Koos
dited by Mary E. Burt

Fairy Tales Every Child Should Kaw
Myths Every Child Should Know

d by H. W. Mabie

Edited by H. W. Mabie

Songs Every Child Should Know
Edited by Dolores Bacon

Legends Every Child Should iaoy
Edited by H. W. Mabie

Heroes Every Child Should Know
Edited by H. W. Mabie

Birds Every Child Should —,
By Neltje Blanchas

Water Wonders Every Child eons Know
By Jean M. Thompson

Famous Stories Every Child Should Know
Edited by H. W. Mabie

Hymns Every Child Should Know
Edited by Dolores Bacon
Heroines Even © Child Sheale Know
edited by H. W. Mabie and Kate Stephens
Essays ey Child Should Henge
dited by H. W. Mabte
Prose Every Child Should Kae
Edited by Mary E. Burt
Pictures Every Child Should hae
By Dolores Bacon
Adventures Every Child Should Know: Pinocchio
Edited by Mary E. Burt

Wild Flowers Every Child gh Know
By Frederic William Stack
i

“Meadows trim with daisies pied”

WILD FLOWERS
Every Child Should Know

ARRANGED ACCORDING TO COLOR WITH RELIABLE
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MORE COMMON
SPECIES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

BSS
FREDERIC WILLIAM STACK

Formerly Field Collector for Museums of Scientific
Section of Vassar Brothers Institute, and of
Natural History at Vassar College

Illustrated by
Fifty-nine Photographs Direct from Nature

NEW YORK
GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS

ool Vv °™

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
PUBLISHED, MAY, 1909

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES
AT
THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Ya

FREDERIC EARLE ROCKFELLOW STACK
TO YOU, MY BOY

WHOSE INTEREST IN WILD FLOWERS PROMPTED THE PURPOSE
OF THIS VOLUME AND WHOSE DELIGHTFUL COMPANIONSHIP
MADE THE WORK A PLEASURE

To you “suNNY jim”

THIS BOOE IS MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED

PREFACE’

Wap Flower study is a pursuit fraught with pleasure

and with:
“Health that mocks the doctor’s rules.”
It doesnot require a preparatory course nor any special
instruction to become acquainted with the more com-
mon Wild Flowers and their individual traits. Every
dooryard and field, wayside, mountain and valley,
from the polar regions to the tropics, and from ocean
to ocean, abounds in these free-born gifts of Nature.
‘There can be no reason why every one should not
become acquainted with and enjoy them. The descrip-
tions which follow are, therefore, intended to bring
those seeking information on this subject into contact
with the more common species in the most direct and.
interesting manner. The book includes many simple
accounts of plant and flower connection with history,
medicine, and legend, together with bits of folk-lore
and poetry. The time of flowering, the range and
locality where each flower may be sought, are
given, and, above all, the author aims first and last
to interest and instruct those who seek ready and
reliable information on the subject.. Hundreds of
notes recorded in the descriptions contained herein
were made on the spot where the plants were growing
naturally, and many of the descriptions were written
vii

PREFACE WILD FLOWERS

beside the actual flowers in various parts of the coun-
try, and in all sorts of weather and conditions. They
are here told in much the same spirit as they might
be related to an acquaintance afield. The flowers
have been arranged in five distinct groups, according
to colour, as this is, without doubt, the simplest and
quickest method of arriving at a definite means of
identification.

The flowers are divided first, according to colour,
then, according to natural classification. Since flowers
are exceedingly variable in colour, and in no case
constant, it is difficult to arrive at their true colour
value; and, besides, most persons have their own ideas
regarding colours. Purple, for instance, ranges from
lightest to darkest blue, but is more or less generally
understood to be a reddish blue, and it is largely a
matter of qualifying its shade. Therefore, the simple
primary colours have been selected as a basis, and the
flowers have been arbitrarily divided into Red, Pink,
Yellow and Orange, Greenish and White and Blue and
Purple groups. The student is thus enabled to turn
immediately to the group of any particular flower he
may desire, according to its dominating colour, with-
out searching through an indefinite mass of descriptive
matter. A small magnifying glass will reveal wonders
as remarkable as those of fairyland. Such a glass,
together with a few needles and a sharp penknife for
dissecting the specimens, makes a satisfactory outfit
for general study. A small note-book for records and
a tin collecting box are also strongly recommended,

viii

WILD FLOWERS PREFACE

Specimens may be pressed in books or between blotters,
and mounted on cards when dry, with thin strips of
couyt-plaster, and neatly labeled with date, and locality.
The scientific names and classification in the text
follow the method adopted by the International
Botanical Congress at Vienna, June, 1905, and now
incorporated in the new seventh edition of “ Gray’s
Manual,” most extensively used as the class text-book
in the public schools, thus appealing strongly to
both teacher and student by its uniform system of
nomenclature. Two Indexes are provided — one for
the Common names and one for the Latin, which
have been separated to avoid confusion and to
facilitate ready reference. Technical terms have
been simplified or disregarded wherever possible, and
the few which have been retained are defined in the
Glossary at the end of the text. In order to assist
in the pronunciation of the Latin names the vowels
have been accented. The grave or long (‘) accent
signifies the long vowels; the acute or short (’), short
vowels. Naturally, many references have been made
to various works on this comprehensive subject.
“ Gray’s Manual,” and Britton and Brown’s “ Tllus-
trated Flora’? have been freely consulted. The
colours, descriptions, common names and ranges
are usually in strict accordance with these authorities,
to which I especially desire to extend full acknowl-
edgment. I am also very grateful for the unlimited
and professional advice extended by Herman Merkle,
Chief Forester of the New York Zodlogical Park,

1x

PREFACE WILD FLOWERS

Wilhelm Miller, Leonard Barron, and the many other
personal friends who have assisted me.

To my dear mother, who has always encouraged
me in my Nature studies; to my loving wife, for her
help, at home and afield, with notes and specimens;
and to my bonny boy, whose many inquiries have
suggested this undertaking, I owe my everlasting
gratitude and affection.

FREDERIC WILLIAM STACK.

New Rochelle, N. Y. April, 1909.

CONTENTS

Preface . . 4 ‘ j
Illustrations =. F : ‘

SEcTION I
Red Flowers . F P 2

Secrion II
Pink Flowers . . . .
Flower Forms...

Section III
Yellow and Orange Flowers .
Leaf and Root Forms . ‘

Section IV
White and Greenish Flowers .

SECTION V
Blue and Purple Flowers...

GLOSSARY AND INDEXES

Glossary of Botanical Terms
Index to Latin Names .

Index to Common Names .

xi

PAGE

202

203

317

393
396
401

ILLUSTRATIONS

COLOURED PLATES
“ Meadows trim with daisies pied”. . Frontispiece

} FacIne Pace

Oswego Tea : ‘ ; m ‘ - 40
Butter and Eggs . 3 . P 7 - 164
Dandelion . ‘ ‘ : . - 194

Fringed Gentian . 3 : s - 344

HALF-TONE PLATES

Skunk Cabbage . 3 : F >
Wood Lily . . : : F .
Wild Columbine . - F . ‘ - 32
Pitcher-Plant . - - e °
Pinesap ‘ eI . .
Indian Pipe < - ‘ ‘ ‘ . 8

i

Scarlet Painted Cup /. .

Wood Betony . é . . - 64
Cardinal Flower . : 7 ‘ . - 65
Moccasin Flower . . . . . - 8
Bouncing Bet. r F s ° - 81
Joe Pye Weed . Pp : A . - 88
Meadow Clover . - - ‘ . - 96
White Azalea ‘ A Fi * - OF

Pink Azalea ‘ * é * <
Trailing Arbutus . P - .
Shooting Star. d : e - 113
Milkweed (summer and automa . o
Turtlehead . $ ‘ a ‘ é

ILLUSTRATIONS

Meadow Lily .
Yellow Adder’s Tongue
Great Mullen .

Evening Primrose. .
Whorled Loosestrife .
Butterfly Weed

Downy False Foxglove
Golden Aster ;

Canada Goldenrod .
Black-eyed Susan

Tansy :
Rattlesnake Weed r
Large-flowered Wake Robin
Painted Wake Robin

Rue Anemone .

Meadow Violet

May Apple . . .
Bloodroot *
Dutchman’s Breeches
Meadow-sweet

Yarrow . 3 ‘
Heal-all 3
Sweet White Violet .
Wild Carrot

Boneset . F -
White Wood Aster .

May Weed . ..
Blue-eyed Grass . .
Ox-eye Daisy . .

WILD FLOWERS

o «ee @ Was
s « « +60

‘ i . 161
s ‘ - I6r:
é : - 176

‘< - 17

- 192

‘ - 192.

. ‘ - 208

. F + 209
. . - 224

. + 225
; F - 240

é - - 241

. - 256
‘ ‘ - 256
: - *» 269
: : . 272

s e e 273
7 a « «288

. - 288
. - 289
. - 289
. + = 304°

e ° . 305
. . . 320
. . e 32t
° ° . 321

se «336

WILD FLOWERS ILLUSTRATIONS

Large Purple-fringed Orchis . . .

Hepitiea <4: ewe
Closed Gentian : : . : c
Great Lobelia . a 5 - ‘ - .
New York Aster. i . ‘ 3 :
Purplesstem Aster . . .« 2. ©.
Blue Sailors. : * a : .

Flower Forms . ; * * ‘ ‘ é
Leaf and Root Forms 3 . ‘ < <i

Wa

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

A. Radclyffe Dugmore, Henry Troth
Nathan R. Graves, The Author and others

337
352
353
368
369
384
385

92
202

SEcTIon I

RED FLOWERS

WILD FLOWERS

JACK=IN-THE=PULPIT. INDIAN TURNIP
Arisaéma triphjllum. Arum Family.

HE is a floral jack-in-the-box that has been a
delight to every child east of the Mississippi
Valley since Columbus popularized American tours.
And its bright red berries and large, solid bulb tickled
the palates of our dear old Indians many years previous
to this great and most eventful proposition. There
is nothing solemn about this curiously constructed
flower — indeed, it is very amusing, if not ridiculous,
Jack is not a preacher. Far from it — he is a peeper,
popping up here and there in shady nooks where he
erects his artistic summer house, and is ever on the
lookout to surprise us in our woodland rambles during
May. The violently acrid bulb is exceeding fiery to
the taste, and has been used as a remedy for asthma,
whooping-cough and rheumatism.

The Indian Turnip is a perennial herb, and growa
from about one to three feet in height. Each plant
bears one or two large, spreading, three-parted leaves,
which overtop the flower hood. The strongly ribbed,
broad, oval leaflets taper at the tip, and are set on long;
round, smooth stems, that are sheathed toward the

3

RED WILD FLOWERS

foot. The insignificant and inconspicuous yellow
flowers are clustered around the base of a slender green
club or spadix, which is seated within a deep, leaf-like
cornucopia whose broad, tapering tip is gracefully
curved over the erect, protruding head of the green
“Jack.” This leafy formation is known as the spathe,
and answers to the white floral part of the familiar
Calla Lily. It is green, with darker green or purple
stripes, and is seated upon the end of a stout stem,
which springs from between the sheaths of the leaf
stems. In the fall, the short, stiff, club-like clusters of
bright scarlet, berry-like fruit are very attractive. Jack
is found commonly in rich, moist woods and thickets
from Nova Scotia to Florida, and west to Ontario,
Minnesota, Kansas, and Louisiana.

SKUNK CABBAGE
Symplocarpus foétidus. Arum Family.

Time and again it has been found convenient for
esthetic purposes to disregard the comely Skunk
Cabbage in reckoning on the first or earliest of our
spring wild flowers to blossom. But the Hepatica
and its host of admirers must content themselves
with at best second place, as the first honour is honestly
earned by the former flower. It is very frequently
found in full bloom, with yellow pollen, in February,
and it is not at all uncommon to record its occurrence
in January. It is not generally known that the low-
twisted, one-sided, hood-like and purple stained spikes,
which pierce the muck and ooze, or even water and

4

WILD FLOWERS RED

ice, in wet swampy places very early in the spring, are
really floral huts, and that if one slips his finger in the
side opening he is very likely to find out that
important business is being transacted therein. If
golden grains of pollen adhere to the finger when
withdrawn, it is positive proof of the flower’s maturity.
True enough, they are unattractive and unpleasantly
scented; nevertheless, it cannot be denied that they
are very interesting and figure prominently in the
earliest rambles of the year. It is also interesting to
know that its stout, mottled, horn-like hood is identical
in capacity with the white cup of the Calla Lily, to
which it is related. The acrid root of the Skunk
Cabbage has been used as a remedy for asthma, catarrh,
rheumatism, nervousness and hysteria. This plant
grows with a rank, tropical vigour, and its profuse,
bright. green foliage becomes a highly decorative
feature in our Eastern lowlands during the summer.
The strongly ribbed, rather thin and smooth, firm-
textured leaves grow in large, cabbage-like crowns,
and vary in length from one to three feet. They have
an entire margin, and are broadly egg- or heart-shaped,
with a blunt tip. They do not unfold until after the
flowering period, and are set on short, deeply grooved
stems. Numerous tiny, four-parted, greenish-yellow
to purplish-brown florets are densely gathered on a
short, thick, rounded and fleshy club or spadix, which
is hidden within the large, thick, purple lined, shell-
like hood. ‘The spadix finally enlarges and becomes
somewhat spongy, and encloses numerous bulb-like

5

RED WILD FLOWERS

berries which turn to a bright scarlet in the fall. Fre-
quently two or three flower-heads spring up together
with the lightly rolled leaf, all protected with several
dingy, sheathing leaflets. Every part of the plant
emits a foetid odour, and reminds one of the offensive
smell attached to the Purple Trillium and Carrion
Flower. ‘The flowers may be found from January to
April, from Nova Scotia to Ontario and Minnesota,
and south to Florida and Iowa.

RED, WOOD, FLAME OR PHILADELPHIA LILY
Lilium philadélphirum. Lily Family.

The beautiful upright, flaring cups of the Wood
Lily, appearing like the flaming torches of classical
Rome, enlighten our upland meadows, dry woods
and thicket borders during June and July. It ranks
among our most showy and attractive flowers. The
single, smooth and slender stalk is leafy above the
middle, and grows from one to three feet tall, from
a bulb of narrow-jointed, fleshy scales. The thin,
smooth and narrow lance-shaped leaves taper toward
either end, and are stemless and finely rough-margined.
They occur in whorls of from three to eight at regular ©
intervals along the stalk, or a few of them alternate
on it. From one to five large, reddish orange or
flame-coloured flowers spring erectly from the top of
the stalk on separate stems. ‘The neck of each flower-
bell is distinctly opened by the sudden narrowing of
the lower part of each of the six separate, partly flared
and curved, petal-like parts, into slender, stemlike

6

WILD FLOWERS RED

bases. Each part broadens decidedly toward the end,
and finally tapers to a blunt tip. Within, on the upper
parts of the divisions, the colouring becomes’ more
intense, and, at some distance from the tips is spotted
with dark purple and tinged with yellow. The
six long pink stamens and pistil have brown tips,
and add greatly to the attractiveness of the blossom.
This magnificent Lily is found from Maine to Ontario,
and south to North Carolina and west to Virginia.

LARGE CORAL-ROOT
Corallorrbiza maculata. Orchid Family.

This late-blooming Coral-root is more pretentious
than the following species, and its brownish-purple
blossoms are fragrant and more Orchid-like. The
stouter flower stalk is stained with purple, and grows
from eight to twenty inches high, bearing several
tight-fitting scales in place of leaves. From ten to
thirty erect flowers are gathered in a terminal spike.
The petals are narrow and somewhat spotted, and,
together with the sepals, are slightly united at the
base. The deeply three-lobed oval lip is wavy-edged,
and its colour is white, spotted and lined with purple.
The middle lobe is broadest and the apex is curved.
The yellowish spur is rudimentary, and the plant
bears no leaves. The large, much branched root is
strikingly coral-like in shape. This parasite is
found blooming in woods from July to September,
and ranges from Florida, Missouri, and California
northward into the fur countries. Occasionally, pale

7

RED WILD FLOWERS

flowers may be found, without the usual spotting on
the lip, petals or sepals.

EARLY CORAL-ROOT
Corallorrbiza trifida. Orchid Family.

This leafless Orchid is remarkable for its lack of
chlorophyll, or green colouring matter, and for its
curious mass of pinkish brown coral-like roots which
absorb nourishment from other roots and refuse vege-
table matter. On this account they are known as
parasites or saprophytes. The slender flower stalk
grows a foot or less in height, and bears two or three
closely sheathing, purplish scales. The minute flowers
resemble dried seed cases at first sight. They are a dull,
dingy purple, and from three to twelve hang or droop
from the stalk in a loose, terminal spike-like arrange-
ment. ‘They are nearly spurless, and the whitish
lip, which is shorter than the quarter-inch sepals and
petals, is toothed at the base, and slightly notched at the
apex. This inconspicuous species is found during
May and June, preferably in wet, evergreen woods,
from Alaska to California, and eastward to Nova
Scotia; thence south to Minnesota, Ohio, New Jer.
sey, and along the mountains to Georgia.

WILD GINGER, ASARABACCA. CANADA
SNAKEROOT

Asarum canadénse. Birthwort Family.
How like the “babes in the wood” are the curious-
looking flowers of the Wild Ginger, as they lie closely
8

WILD FLOWERS RED

snuggled to the bosom of Mother Earth, obscurely
sheltered by their own velvety-green leaves! The
casual observer would never dream of their presence
amid the cool, thrifty, green masses of their heart-
shaped foliage that, ruglike, cover partially shaded
nooks in rich, open woodland, along moist, stony slopes.
The exceedingly odd flowers have a peculiar habit of
growing partly buried, frequently face downward, in
the accumulation of bleached and decaying litter about
them. They are sombre-hued, and harmonize so
cleverly with their musty surroundings as to appear
tolerably inconspicuous. Even if we should crouch
on our knees and -part the foliage, it would require a
second sharp look to discover the solitary and some-
what bell-shaped blossoms. All parts of the plant
emit an aromatic fragrance when bruised, strongly
suggesting that of ginger, from which it received its
common name. The odour is at once pleasing and
refreshing. The roots yield a volatile oil now extensively
used in the manufacture of perfumery. The dried
roots are sold at the druggists, as Canada Snakeroot,
and country people make decoctions from them for
relieving stomach ache. Usually, two long-stemmed,
dark green leaves rise from a stout, fibrous, creeping:
rootstock. They are thin-textured, blunt-pointed, and
have two very large lobes at their base. They are
broadly heart- or kidney-shaped, and their margins are
toothless. Their surface is strongly creased with numer-
ous ribs and veinings. The stumpy, short-stemmed
flower has no petals, and springs from between the

9

RED WILD FLOWERS

base of the leaf stems. The slightly angular, bell-
shaped calyx is exceedingly thick and fleshy, and is
covered with minute hairs. Its upper part is divided
into three short-pointed lobes which, at first, are
incurved, then become widely spread, and form a tri-
angular outline. The edges are also curved outward.
Their base forms a cup around the short, thick, six-
parted pistil, which is surrounded with a dozen stamens.
It is stained with purple and olive brown, and is found
from April to June, from New Brunswick to Manitoba,
and south to North Carolina, Missouri, and Kansas.

WILD COLUMBINE
Aquilégia canadénsis. Crowfoot F amily.

There is probably nothing else in the world so
exhilarating as a breath of pure, a spring atmos-
phere on a balmy day during the blithesome month of
May, when everything out-of-doors is stretching and
preparing once more for the good old summer time.
Thus sing the poets, and it is especially true when one
is privileged to nestle in admiration among the dried
leaves and rocks beside the Wild Columbine, for this
exquisite flower possesses such an unusually charming
and vigorous air at this time that, altogether, it warms
the heart, quickens the pulse, and thrills the beholder
with a genuine glow of pleasure and happiness.
Unfortunately, however, the Columbines are becoming
more exclusive each year, owing to the great tempta-
tion one experiences to pluck them, and to the still
greater yielding to this temptation by careless persons

Io

WILD FLOWERS RED

who roam the woods in the springtime, not to admire
and study Nature, but to gather wild flowers thought-
lessly and without discretion for the mere sake of a
bouquet. From the very nature of their surroundings,
these plants are not always deeply and strongly rooted
and as their stems are firm and wiry, the entire plant
is likely to be uprooted with the flower when it is roughly
plucked, and then, of course, it is left to perish. The
early wild flowers seem to have selected the Columbines
for their reception committee, and to have stationed
them along the rocky balconies of woodland ridges
during their spring festival, to extend a hearty welcome
to all strangers who happen to pass within nodding
distance of their abode. If this should be true of the
Columbines, it is certain that they fulfil their social
obligation gracefully and without fear or favour,
greeting old friends and acquaintances here and there
with cheerful nods and bows, or courtesying with
becoming dignity, this way or that, to new callers, as
occasion requires. They seem tireless in their delight-
ful efforts to make one feel at home, and they are
always found extending the right hand of good-
fellowship to all visitors alike. Perhaps this has some
bearing on the recent discussion regarding the selection
of the Columbine for our national flower, for we know
that Uncle Sam has always welcomed the immigrants
from every clime with the same impartial hospitality
and goodwill. Popularly the common name, Colum-
bine, is not far removed from Columbia, the Goddess
of Liberty and “the gem of the ocean,” when standing

II

RED WILD FLOWERS

for freedom and justice. Columbine is derived from
the Latin, columba—a dove. Dr. Prior likens the
resemblance of its spurs to the heads of pigeons in a
ring around a dish, which was a favourite device of
ancient artists. The national flower sympathizers,
however, apply the dove significance to our olive
branch of peace, with the long spurs imitating the horn
of plenty and the liberty cap. There is some uncer-
tainty regarding the meaning of the ‘scientific name.
One account states that it is from agquilegus, or water
drawing, while another says that it is aguila, an eagle,
and that the five long pointed spurs of the flower re-
semble the talons of this bird. And here again is seen
the application of the emblem of our glorious country in
a national flower. Stretching the imagination still
further, the long red spurs are said to resemble the
red stripes of “Old Glory,” and that our national
colours are represented in red, white and blue flowered
species occuring in different parts of the country. It
is the state flower of Colorado. It will be recalled that
Columbine was also the name of Harlequin’s sweet-
heart in pantomime. The dangling buds are strongly
suggestive of old-fashioned drop earrings. On account
of the nectar contained in the spurs, the flowers are
especially attractive to humming birds, and they are
often found hovering above them.

The Wild Columbine loves to frequent the sunny,
rocky slopes and ledges in open woods where the soil
is sparse and well drained. It often prospers with
barely sufficient earth to cover its roots, and causes

I2

WILD FLOWERS RED

one to wonder how it manages to keep from perishing
altogether during the extended dry spells of summer
and fall. ‘The flowers are scarlet, with yellow linings.
They are conspicuously large and showy, and hang,
nodding upside down, from fine threadlike stems.
They vary greatly, measuring from one to two inches
long, and are rather bulky. The five petals are narrow
and! cone-shaped, and taper sharply to a thickened,
rounded point, forming the upright and nearly straight
spurs. They are united below by five curved and
flaring sepals, which alternate with the tubes, and
when viewed from beneath, give the face of the flower a
distinct star-shape. The numerous, yellow-tipped
stamens and fine slender pistils project, tassel-like,
below the pure yellow corolla. As the seed pod
ripens, it assumes an upright position on stem. The
lower leaves are compound and divided two or three
times. Each leaflet has three or more lobes with
irregular, rounded notches. Their basal leaves are
borne on long, slender stems which rise direct from
the roots, and in the spring they form thick, rounded
tufts. ‘The upper leaflets are variously shaped and
notched, generally rounded, and unite with the stalk
at the branching joints. They are thin in texture;
light green above, and whitish underneath. The
plant grows from one to two feet in height. The long,
slender, branching stalk is generally smooth and
slightly angular. The colour is green, usually deeply
stained with purple. The Wild Columbine is found
from Nova Scotia to the Northwest Territory and

T3

RED WILD FLOWERS

south to Florida and Texas from April to July. During
my early school days, when
“Read-in’ and ’rit-in’ and ’rith-me-tic
Taught to the tune of a hick-ry stick.”

was a serious reality, most every boy and girl knew
the Columbine better as the “Honeysuckle,” and
acquired the habit of biting into the ends of the spurs
and sucking out the sweet nectar. The Columbine
was first introduced into England to decorate the
gardens of Hampton Court during the reign of Charles
I., having been sent from the Virginia Colony by a
young botanist to Tradescant, gardener and herbalist
to the King.

The Blue, or Small-flowered Columbine, A. brevi-
styla, is a much smaller species, bluish or sometimes
creamy white in colour, with shorter, incurving spurs.
The stamens and pistils rarely protrude, and the
flower is more compact. It is found throughout the
Northwest Territory to South Dakota.

PITCHER=PLANT. HUNTSMAN’S CUP.
INDIAN CUP

Sarracenia purpitrea. Pitcher-plant Family.

In many respects the Pitcher-plant is one of the
most interesting and curiosity-exciting of our wild
flowers. Perhaps you have heard that some plants
“eat” insects, and here you are face to face with one
of them. First of all, let us substitute the word absorb
for the word eat, and we will better understand our
subject, which neither chews nor swallows. Far-

14

WILD FLOWERS RED

mers and gardeners, we know, replenish the soil with
fertilizer containing a large portion of animal matter,
such as ground bone and fish, which supplies nitrogen,
a necessary element for leaf and stalk formation, and
which is absorbed through the activity of plant roots.
The leaves of the Pitcher-plant have developed some
of the power of the roots by absorbing the nitrogeneous
matter from decomposing insects, which they ingeni-
ously attract and capture for this purpose. Broadly
speaking, that is all there is to it, and the construc-
tion of the leaves, and their method of entrapping the
insects is more interesting to learn. The leaves are
elongate and tubular, tapering from the root and
bulging widely toward the centre, forming a sort
of pitcher-shaped growth, with the blunt, open end
_flared to one side into a short, pointed, and flapped
hood. ‘They curve gracefully outward and upward,
and the inner or concaved side, which faces the flower
stalk, has a very broad wing or keel. They are yellow-
ish green in colour, conspicuously lined and veined
with purple, and grow from four to twelve inches long.
The texture is stout and leathery, and the outer and
inner surfaces are smooth. The pitchers are generally
half-filled with water, and the inner surface of the
hood is thickly covered with fine, hairy bristles which
point downward toward the opening. Just inside
the aperture is secreted a sweet, sticky substance,
-which is supposed to attract insects to-it. Once inside
the pitcher, the insect becomes a captive, and in try-
ing to escape, it encounters the labyrinth of reflexed

15

RED WILD FLOWERS

hairs, falls exhausted into the water, and is finally
drowned. There is the trap, and most any time dur-
ing the summer insects may be observed floating on
the surface of the water within the pitchers. These
pitchers radiate in the form of a circle about the cen-
tral flower stalk and spring direct from the roots.
The peculiar construction of these cornucopia-shaped
leaves actually demonstrate the fabulous “horn of
plenty” which they faithfully imitate, by yielding an
abundance of insect food and water which some of
the birds, and probably also harmless snakes and frogs
take advantage of.’ The large, solitary flower nods
coquettishly from a long, stout, smooth, light green
stalk rising from one to two feet high. Its five long,
ovate, purple-red petals are narrowed in the centre
like a fiddle, and their rounded ends are folded in over
the top of the singular five-rayed, yellowish style, which
is astonishingly like an umbrella, spreading itself over
the large seed case, with its five ribs or rays terminating
in hooked stigmas. Numerous stamens surround the
pistil. The calyx has five spreading sepals which are
thick and tough. They are purplish red, lined with
light green, and are often stained with darker purple.
They are supported by three or four bracts. In the
fall, after the seed case has disappeared, the Jong,
faded flower stalks stand out conspicuously, and dis-
play their withered sepals. On the 28th of September,
1851, Thoreau wrote in his journal: “Though the moss
is comparatively dry, I cannot walk without upsetting
the numerous pitchers, which are now full of water,

16

snppeoj sndiesojdmdg -gOVvadVO ANOMS

JQMOY JO TOIDIS PUL JI}sTID JOOY Arenaga.j ut paydesZojoyd siomoy poinyeyy,

RED LILY. WOOD LILY. Lilium philadelphicum

WILD FLOWERS RED

and so wetting my feet. I once sat accidentally down
on such a bed of pitcher plants, and I found an uncom-
monly wet seat where I expected a dry one.” The
plant exhibits many variations of colour, from deep
purple to pink, and from dark green to greenish yel-
low; and, as Alice Lounsberry says: “from a dis-
tance they appear like the mystic blending of colours
in a Persian rug.” The Huntsman’s Cup is said to
have been so named because hunters used them to
drink from, but it seems more likely that it applies
to its resemblance to the old-fashioned powder horn of
Davy Crockett’s time. The Pitcher-plant is found in
peat-bogs and in wet, springy, mossy places, often
along railroad tracks, during May and June. The
pitchers are often found during the late fall and win-
ter, with the water in them, frozen solid. They range
from Labrador to the Canadian Rockies, and south
to Minnesota, Kentucky, and Florida.

GROUNDNUT
Apios tuberdsa. Pea Family.

All wise, happy-go-lucky: country youngsters know
where and when to root out the edible pear-shaped
tubers of this beautiful climbing vine, which is famil-
iarly known to them as the Wild Bean. During the
early Colonial days, this tuberous root is said to have
been used as a substitute for bread. The slender,
twining stem has a milky juice, and grows several feet
in length. From five to seven broad, toothless, lance-
shaped leaflets, with their acute apex and rounding

17

RED WILD FLOWERS

base, make up the stemmed leaf. The numerous
rich, brownish purple, butterfly-shaped flowers are
sweetly scented, and are densely clustered in a round-
ing or lengthened head, terminating a short stem
from the angle of the alternating leaves. The Ground-
nut loves the thickets in low, moist ground from New
Brunswick to Florida, and west to Minnesota,
Kansas, and Louisiana; and blossoms from July to
September.

PINESAP. FALSE BEECH-DROPS. BIRD’S NEST
Monétropa Hypopitys. Heath Family.

This slightly fragrant species resembles somewhat
the Indian Pipe, to which it is closely related, and it
is found in dry or rich woods from June to. October.
The thick, fleshy and slender flower stalk is either
smooth or downy, and several of them spring in a
cluster from a dense mass of fleshy, fibrous and para-
sitic roots. They grow from four to twelve inches high.
The plant is leafless, and the stalk is covered with
thin, small, tan-coloured, scaly bracts, which become
more dense toward the base. The short-stemmed,
oblong, bell-shaped flowers vary in colour from white
and yellowish to pink, as do also the stalks. They are
from three to five parted, with usually an equal number
of fleshy sepals. Several flowers are arranged in a one-
sided, slightly drooping terminal cluster which becomes
erect after the flowers mature. This species grows
from Florida and Arizona far in to Canada, and seems
to prefer the shade of beach, oak, and fir trees from

18

WILD FLOWERS RED

the roots of which this uncanny plant absorbs its
nourishment.

RED, OR SCARLET PIMPERNEL. POOR MAN’S
OR SHEPHERD’S WEATHER-GLASS. RED
CHICKWEED. SHEPHERD’S CLOCK.
BURNET ROSE

Anagallis arvénsis. Primrose Family.

The neat little terra-cotta or brick-coloured flowers
of this common, low-spreading plant have a popu-
lar reputation for forecasting rain by closing their petals
in advance. The Pimpernel is found in sandy soil
in waste places, from May to August, where it grows
annually from four to twelve inches in length. The
ancients used this plant as an antidote for poison, and
it has been recommended as a local remedy for sores.
The twisted, square stalk is smooth and shiny, and
lies upon the ground. The small, oval leaves are
usually arranged in alternate pairs along the stalk.
They are rather loose-textured, have an entire margin,
and are somewhat clasping. The under side is
speckled with numerous fine, black dots. The pretty
five-parted, wheel-shaped flower varies greatly in colour,
from flesh to scarlet. The divisions are finely toothed
at the apex, and the five purple, hairy stamens are _
tipped with yellow. The green calyx has five tiny
grooved parts. The flowers are set singly in slender
stems which spring from the axils of the leaves. They
are really very sensitive to the light, and only open in
the bright sun, closing quickly whenever it is obscured.
Anagallis is Greek, meaning delightful. The plant

19

RED WILD FLOWERS

spreads in dense patches, and is found from New-
foundland to Florida, Texas, and Minnesota, and on
the Pacific Coast. It is naturalized from Europe.

OSWEGO TEA. AMERICAN BEE BALM.
MOUNTAIN MINT. FRAGRANT BALM.
INDIAN’S PLUME

Monarda didyma. Mint Family.

Next to the magnificent Cardinal Flower, the Bee
Balm possesses the most intense red colouring of any
of our native wild flowers. It does not flaunt its
large, showy, tousled head in the bright sunshine,
but elects to illuminate the cool banks of shady wood-
land streams and secluded nooks in moist thickets,
where its beauty is reserved to surprise those who
happen to snoop in such retreats. Although strik-
ingly handsome and beautiful, it is a rather coarse
perennial herb, growing two or three feet in height.
The stout, rough-haired stalk is sharply four-angled
or square. ‘The thin, aromatic, sharply toothed, dark
green leaves are oval, or oblong lance-shaped, with a
rounded or narrowed base and a long, sharp, tapering
tip. They are set on hairy stems in opposite pairs
and are plainly veined. The gaping, wide-mouthed;
deep scarlet, tubular flowers blossom in succeeding
circles, around a large, round terminal, solitary, dark
red head, into which they are gathered, and which is
surrounded with a circle of bright reddish, drooping,
leafy bracts. The conspicuous, funnel-formed corolla
is two-lipped. The erect, slender upper lip is arched
and sharp-pointed. The larger, spreading lower lip

20

WILD FLOWERS RED

is three-lobed, with the centre one longer than the rest,
and often notched at the apex. Two long, anther-
bearing stamens and the pistil extend beyond the arch,
and are coloured like the corolla. The smooth,
incurved green calyx is slightly hairy at the throat.
The Indians and early settlers of this country are said
to have used this plant as a substitute for tea. An
antiseptic substance useful for dressing wounds has
been extracted from this species. Oswego Tea blos-
soms from July to September, and is found in hilly
country from Georgia northward to Canada, and
westward to Michigan.

SCARLET PAINTED-CUP. INDIAN PAINT
BRUSH

‘Castilléja coccinea. Figwort Family.

A singular species known as a parasite, because its
roots absorb nourishment from those of other plants
upon which they fasten themselves. It is an annual
or biennial plant growing a foot or two high in scat-
tered patches in meadows, prairies, and moist thickets.
The reddish, hairy, angular, and rather slender, hol-
low stem occasionally bears erect branches, and rises
from a tuft of uncut, oblong leaves. The alternat-
ing stem leaves are usually deeply cut into three seg-
ments or lobes, and are stemless and parallel-veined.
Their colour is light green, and the surface is slightly
hairy. The upper leaves, as well as those which are
gathered about the flowers, have their ends coloured
with bright scarlet, as if they had been dipped in paint.

2i

RED WILD FLOWERS

This feature is unusually showy and attractive. The
irregular greenish yellow corolla of the tubular flower
has a long, narrow arched upper lip, and a short
three-lobed lower lip, and is set in a longer, flattened,
tubular, two-lobed and usually green or sometimes
scarlet calyx. The flowers are hidden within their
conspicuous, three-parted, bright red or scarlet bracts.
They have four unequal stamens, and a long pistil set
within the long upper lip of the flowers, which are
closely grouped in a terminal leafy cluster. The
Painted-cup is found from May to July, in low, sandy
grounds, from Canada to Virginia, Tennessee, Kan-
sas and Texas. Rarely the bracts and calyxes are
yellow. This species was dedicated to a Spanish
botanist named Castillejo.

WOOD BETONY. LOUSEWORT. BEEF-
STEAK PLANT. HIGH HEAL-ALL

Pedicularis canadénsis. Figwort Family.

Looking directly downward upon the tousled,
whirligigged, floral spike of the Wood Betony, one
is immediately impressed with its rip-saw symmetry.
And, if it is plucked and twirled ’twixt the fore*
finger and thumb, the illusion becomes quite real and
amusing. As we recall frequent-references to the
Betony of ancient history, we are apt to connect it
with our native species, but it is the European plant,
Betonica officinalis, that was frequently extolled for
its many physical and medicinal charms and virtues.
Our own curious Wood Betony has one unhappy con-

22

WILD FLOWERS RED

nection in folk-lore, and that is its scientific name.
Pedicularis is Latin for louse, and was applied to
this species by farmers who, for many years, seemed
thoroughly convinced that the Lousewort, as they
disparagingly named it, was responsible for breed-
ing a small insect that developed a skin disease
among their sheep, which they concluded had surely
fed upon its foliage. Several flowering stalks spring
from the centre of a tuft of circular clustered leaves.
They are stout, hairy, and sparingly leafy, and rise —
from six to eighteen inches. The peculiar flowers
are curiously arranged in a thick, leafy, terminal
spike, and they develop spirally toward the green
top. The corolla is two-lipped, with the upper one
hooked or arched, and flattened like the bow of an
Indian canoe, while the lower lip is much shorter, and
has three lobes, the outer ones of which are flared.
‘The colour varies from a light yellow to purplish red.
The upper lip has two tiny, hair-like teeth at the apex,
between which extends a fine pistil. Four stamens
huddle beneath the hood of the upper lip. Sometimes
the entire flower is yellow, and again the lower lip is
yellow and the upper one shades into a deep purple.
This peculiarity gives it the name of Beefsteak Plant.
The tubular calyx is deeply notched on the under side
and tapers to a point on top with two or three small
scallops. The dark green fern-like leaves are oblong
or lance-shaped, and graduate into slender stems.
Their margins are deeply cut into small lobes, each
of which is again notched and scalloped or toothed,

23

RED WILD FLOWERS

and is partly curled. The surface is shiny, and the
midrib is strong and conspicuous. Both leaves and
stem are often stained with red. After the flowering
season the spike extends several inches, and the
fruit ripens in the stiff, russet seed cases. Wood
Betony is found in sprawling clusters from April
to June, in shaded woods and thickets, where the
undergrowth is sparse and low. It ranges from
Nova Scotia and Manitoba to Florida, Kansas, and
Colorado, into Mexico.

BEECH-DROPS. CANCER=ROOT
Epifagus virginiana. Broom-rape Family.

If you are not acquainted with these curious, leafless
parasites, you will very likely walk over many of them
without suspecting they are really anything but small,
dead twigs. They are invariably found in beech
woods, where they attach their roots to those of the
beech tree, and so flourish at its expense. They grow
from six to twenty inches or more in height, from a
thick, scaly base. The roots are brittle and fibrous.
The slender, smooth, branching stalk is stiff and
tough, and is purplish, brownish or yellowish in colour.
They have no leaves, but a few brownish bracts are
scattered along the stalk. The flowers are of two
kinds. The upper, oz sterile ones are tubular, with
notches at their opening. They are curved to one side,
and contain four stamens and a pistil. The curving
tip of the latter projects beyond the tube. These small
flowers are striped with purple and white, and are

24

WILD FLOWERS RED

scattered along the ascending branches. They emit
a very unpleasant odour. The lower flowers are seed-
bearing and, bud-like, they never open. Cancer-
root is found from August to October, from New
Brunswick to Florida, and west to Ontario, Michigan,
Missouri, and Louisiana.

CARDINAL FLOWER. RED LOBELIA
Lobélia cardinalis. Lobelia Family.

The Cardinal Flower is one of the most striking and
attractive of our showy flowers. It possesses the
most gorgeous, glowing red colouring imaginable,
and because of its unsurpassing vividness and bril-
liancy, its beauty is its undoing. It is a target for every
ruthless, clasping hand that can reach it, and for this
reason it is rapidly becoming exterminated. In
intensity of colouring it is the Scarlet Tanager of
the wild flowers. The usually single, rather large,
slightly angular, smoothish stalk is leafy and hollow,
and grows from two to four and a half feet high, from
perennial off-shoots. The thin, smooth, or slightly
hairy leaves are oblong to lance-shaped. They are.
irregularly toothed, and the upper ones clasp the stalk.
The colour is dark green. The numerous, deep car-
dinal flowers are gathered in a loose and often one-
sided terminal spike. The tube-like corolla, which is
an inch long, is split down the upper side, and has five
narrow, pointed, flaring, velvety lobes. These lobes
are bent at right angles, the three central ones set
together, and partly separated from the other two;

25

RED WILD FLOWERS

which stand somewhat erect or recurved, and at right
angles with the central one, and opposite each other.
The five stamens are united in a tube around the style,
and stand out, far beyond the throat of the flower, with
a prominent, curving tip. The green calyx has five
long, slender parts. Occasionally the flowers are
pinkish or white. The Cardinal Flower is found in
very moist situations, commonly on the banks of
streams and ditches from July to September, from
Florida, Texas, and Kansas, well into Canada.

SEction II

PINK FLOWERS

MOCCASIN FLOWER. PINK, OR STEMLESS
LADY’S SLIPPER

Cypripedium acaile. Orchid Family.

YPRIPEDIUM is the Greek name for Venus’s
slipper, and it has been given to this remark-

able family, which forms the most showy and loveliest
group of our native Orchids. How cleverly they repre-
sent Nature’s floral tribute to the memory of Hiawa-
tha’s clan — the American Indian! They are easily
identified by the large, inflated, pouch-shaped lip, the
colour of which also indicates the species. The ex-
quisite Moccasin Flower is the largest flowered of them
all. It grows from six to twelve inches high, in deep,
sandy, or rocky woods during May and June. It is the
state flower of Minnesota. Two large, thick, pointed
oval, slightly hairy and many ribbed leaves, clasping at
the base, spring from a tufted, thick-fibred root. A
long, slender flower stem rises from between the leaves
and bears a small, green leaflet near its curved top.
The flower, with its lip curiously-developed into a large,
hollow pouch, hangs from the top of the stem like a
shepherd’s crook. This pouch, which suggests some-
what the shape of a peanut, is slit at the top and its
edges are folded inward. Its prevailing colour is
pink, or occasionally white, with a fine network of
delicate purple veinings. The upper portion of its
interior surface is covered with long white hairs.

29

PINK WILD FLOWERS

The spreading, lance-shaped sepals are greenish
purple. The upper one is single, and the two lower
ones are united. The three spreading and curving
petals are coloured like the sepals, but are narrower and
longer. ‘The open end of the pouch is nearly closed
with a singular broad, scoop-shaped and sterile anther,
which shields the fertile anthers and stigma beneath.
This handsome, solitary flower possesses a gorgeous
tropical air, and although it is the more common and
familiar of its kind, it is becoming more difficult to
find each year owing to ruthless gathering. It is
found from Newfoundland to Manitoba, and south
through Minnesota to Tennessee and North Carolina.

SHOWY ORCHIS
Orchis spectabilis. Orchid Family.

Apparently the Orchids have established them-
selves in a somewhat exclusive and aristocratic circle
requiring an especial dispensation to become inti-
mately acquainted with them. This popular notion,
however, is more of an illusion than a reality, for
barring occasional remote, swampy retreats, they are
really quite as inviting and hospitable as any of the
less dignified flora. It is true that they are a prodigal
family, and, as a rule, their very nature is retiring and
seclusive. Consequently they are less frequently
discovered, but if one knows where to search for the
various species, and about what they should look like,
he has a better chance of finding them. The flowers:
are always six-parted, usually consisting of three simi-

30

WILD FLOWERS PINK

lar sepals, or coloured petal-like parts; two lateral,
or ear-like petals; and directly below these, a curious
third petal, which is generally conspicuously coloured,
and called the lip. The lip is always peculiarly formed,
and should be carefully noted. Sometimes it is shaped °
like an inflated pouch, or a cornucopia, or a spur;
again it is broad, or.long and narrow, and its edge is
finely fringed or bearded; or it may be flat or curved,
twice or thrice cleft, grooved, ridged, short or long,
extended or depressed, and so on. ‘The leaves are all
sheathing, and have an entire margin. The Showy
Orchis is a beautiful, charming and one of the earliest
blooming species. It inhabits deep, rich, moist
woods, especially under hemlock trees, from April
to June, when it grows from four inches to a foot
in height. The single, thick, fleshy and five-angled
stem springs from between a pair of large, thick,
shining and clammy oblong leaves which are broadest
toward the bluntly tapered tips and narrowed into a
groove at the foot. From three to six fragrant, inch-
long flowers are clustered on the stalk, each with a
clasping leaflet and forming a short, loose, terminal
spike. The small, club-shaped sepals and petals look
much alike, and are curved together, forming a violet,
purple and white, or pink-tinted, pointed hood,
beneath which the large, thick, spreading, white lip
is prolonged into a blunt, flattened spur. The
flower-stem is noticeably twisted and the roots are
fleshy fibred. ‘This species is our only érue native
Orchid, and is found from New Brunswick to Ontario

31

PINK WILD FLOWERS

and North Dakota; and south to Georgia, Kentucky
and Nebraska. It is not common.

ROSE POGONIA. SNAKE-MOUTH
Poginia opbioglossoides. Orchid Family.

This, one of the prettiest of our more delicate little
Orchids, is often found in company with the beautiful,
deeper-hued Calopogon or Grass-pink, which blossoms
at the same time in bogs, wet meadows, and swamps.
The smooth, slender, grass-like stalk, springing from
a fibrous root, grows from eight to fifteen inches high,
and bears from one to three lance-shaped leaves.
Usually there are but two erect leaves, one about half-
way up the stalk, and a much smaller and strongly
ribbed one at the top close to the blossom. Some-
times a solitary, long-stemmed leaf rises directly from
the root. The fragrant, pale, rose-pink flowers are
rather large and slightly nodding. They are borne
solitary, or occasionally in pairs, at the top of the stalk.
The spreading, oval sepals and narrower petals are
about equal in length and are separated. The droop-
ing, spurless, spoon-shaped lip is deeply fringed and
crested and is streaked with yellow and purple. Mr.
Gibson noted that this Orchid had an odour of red
raspberries. It is also one of the few Orchids having
free dusty pollen. Pogonia is from the Greek, meaning
a beard, and refers to the beautifully tufted, hairy
crest in the middle of the fancy lip. There are
thirty species of Pogonia widely distributed over the
world, and only five of this number are found in

32

sisuapeued edainby “gNIG@WAITOO dTIh

Sarracenia purpurea

PITCHER-PLANT.

WILD FLOWERS PINK

North America. All of them are spurless, and
their lips are highly coloured and bearded with
bristly hairs. The familiar vanilla bean, which
furnishes the popular flavouring extract, is the
fruit of an Orchid belonging to this group. This
Pogonia is found during June and July, from
Canada to Florida and west to Kansas, also in Japan.

GRASS-PINK. CALOPOGON
Calopogon pulchéllus. Orchid Family.

Contrary to most Orchids, this very beautiful, slen-
der stemmed species has its lip, or most prom-
inent petal, erected high over the flower instead of
hanging from the lower side, as is usually the case. The
slender, smooth, and naked stalk grows from twelve
to eighteen inches in height, from a smooth, solid, .
round bulb. The solitary, sheathing, bright green
grass-like leaf is long and very narrow with parallel
veins, and also rises from the bulb. From three to
fifteen showy, sweet-scented spurless, and purplish
pink flowers are borne in a loose, terminal spike. The
pointed-oval sepals and petals are nearly alike, and
are separated and spreading. The long, upright,
white-spotted and pale-pink lip is heart or wedge-
shaped at the summit and is hinged at its base. It
has a beautiful, dense beard of long, yellow, orange,
or rose coloured, club-shaped hairs, which appear
like so many stamens. Below the pretty lip extends
a long, slender, curving three-lobed, petal-like pistil.
This delicate beauty is more or less common in low,

33

PINE WILD FLOWERS

wet meadows and swampy recesses, where its
beautiful patches of colour may be found swaying
above the tall grasses during June and July,
from Newfoundland to Florida, and west to
Ontario, Minnesota and Missouri.

ARETHUSA
Arethiusa bulbdsa. Orchid Family.

Winsome indeed are the large, solitary, rose-purple
blossoms of this locally common Orchid, which blooms
during May and June, in bogs and swamps where
most people are not likely to wander. It is named
after the beautiful nymph, Arethusa, whom the God-
dess Diana transformed into a fountain to avoid the
ardent attentions of Alpheus, the river god, who had
fallen in love with her. The Arethusa is a spurless
Orchid, closely related to the Pogonia, and has a deli-
cate, violet-like fragrance. The smooth, slender stalk
rises from five to ten inches high from a small bulb
and bears from one to three loose, sheathing bracts.
The long, slender, many-ribbed and grass-like leaf is
solitary, and appears after the flowering period. The
flower is nearly erect and is borne singly on the tip
of the stalk from between a pair of small scales. Two
of the sepals are spreading, while the other one
with two petals is somewhat arched. They are
all partly united and nearly alike. The conspicuous,
drooping lip has a broad, rounded, and recurved
apex, which is toothed or fringed, blotched with
purple, and ridged with three white, hairy crests.

34

WILD FLOWERS PINK

This Orchid ranges from North Carolina and Indiana
northward to Canada. .

PINK KNOTWEED. SMARTWEED.
PERSICARIA

Polygonum pennsylvanicum. Buckwheat Family.

This exceedingly common and familiar annual is
usually found in moist, open, waste soils, everywhere
from the Gulf States to Minnesota, Ontario, and Nova
Scotia. The branching, jointed stalk is smooth
below and hairy above, and grows in an irregular
erect or sprawling manner from one to three feet tall.
It is often flattened on one side, and has hairy, tissue-
like sheaths at the joints. The long, narrow and
stoutly-ribbed tapering leaves are toothless, and
alternate upon the stalk. The small, five-parted
flowers vary from pink to white and are densely crowded
into numerous, irregularly clustered, thick terminal
spikes. The pink calyx takes the place of petals, and
remains after the flowering period to enclose the
flattened seeds as it did the buds. In her delightful
book, “‘Nature’s Garden,” Neltje Blanchan truly says:
“Familiarity alone breeds contempt for this plant, that
certainly possesses much beauty.’ There are many
varieties, closely related to this species, distributed
through the country.
CORN COCKLE. CORN ROSE. CORN CAMPION.

CROWN-OF-THE-FIELD
A grostémma Githago. Pink Family.

The large, attractive magenta or purple red flowers

of this terror of the wheatfields are pretty well known

36

PINK WILD FLOWERS

throughout the length and breadth of the iand. It is
an immigrant from Europe, and as Theodore Roose-
velt would say, it is an “undesirable citizen.” It
is despised by grain-growing farmers, who everlastingly
condemn and destroy it. It is an erect, leafy annual,
growing from one to three feet high, and is thickly
covered with closely adhering, whitish hairs. The
long, narrow, pointed leaves measure from one to
four inches in length, and a quarter of an inch or less
in width. It is occasionally branched. The showy
flower has five broad, rounding, flaring petals, alter-
nating with an equal number of long, narrow leaf-
like sepals, which extend far beyond the corolla. It
has ten stamens and five styles. The latter alternate
with the calyx lobes, and are opposite the petals. The
flower is borne singly on long, stout stems, and produces
numerous rough, black, poisonous seeds. It is found
frequently or occasionally from July to September,
throughout its area, but most commonly in the Central
and Western States. It may be found in many sunny,
waste places, but is scarce in the dry region from
California to Texas, and eastern Kansas. The United
States Government classes the Corn Cockle among our
principal poisonous plants, the dangerous qualities of
which are contained in a soluble and odourless powder,
called saponin. It possesses a sharp, burning taste,
and provokes violent sneezing if inhaled in the smallest
quantity. When agitated in water, it foams like soap.
The objectionable element is found in all parts of the
plant. The most harmful results occur from eating

36

WILD FLOWERS PINE

bread made from flour containing the seeds which have
been ground up with the wheat, and its continued use
will cause serious chronic disorders. Low grades
of flour often contain large quantities of Corn Cockle
seeds, which can easily be detected by the presence
of the black, roughened scales of the seed cases. Sev-
eral machines have been invented for removing these
dangerous seeds from the wheat, but as yet, none has
been altogether successful. In New Hampshire, Corn
Cockle is known as Old Maid’s Pink, and in Nova
Scotia it is called Mullein Pink, while the American
farmer ever longs for a name that will fully express
his contempt for it. The Latin name, Agrostemma,
signifies “ Crown-of-the-Field.”

WILD PINK. CATCHFLY.
Siléne pennsyluanica. Pink Family.

What the Wild Pink lacks in height, it more than
makes up in a wealth of lively colour which gleams
from the crevices of rocky banks in dry, open woods
during May. It is a low, tufted perennial, growing
only from four to ten inches high. The upper part of
the plant is sticky and hairy. The hairy edged foot
leaves are long and narrow, becoming wider toward
the suddenly pointed apex, and tapering at the base
into broad stems. The smaller upper leaves are seated
directly upon the stalk in pairs and are pointed-oblong
or lance-shaped. The beautiful pink flowers are an
inch broad, and several are gathered in a rather broad,
flat-topped, terminal cluster, forming an attractive,

37

PINK WILD FLOWERS

glowing mass which may be seen for quite a
distance. ‘The deep, narrow, tubular calyx is covered
with very fine, sticky hairs. The five flaring,
rose-pink petals are wedge-shaped, with notched
tips. They taper into narrow, pointed claws which
sit within the calyx. The flower has ten stamens and
a pistil, This species is found from April to June
in dry, sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil, and ranges
from Maine to Georgia and Kentucky.

SOAPWORT. BOUNCING BET. HEDGE PINK.
BRUISEWORT. FULLER’S HERB. OLD
MAID’S PINK. SHEEPWEED

Saponaria officinalis, Pink Family.

Just why this naturalized European adventurer,
which long ago escaped from the Colonial gardens.
should be called Bouncing Bet, is not at all clear.
Perhaps its wandering nature, cropping up here and
there in waste places as it does, coupled with its comely,
honest, wholesome, calico-and-gingham, look-you-
straight-in-the-eye appearance as it stands and stares,
or as it bobs about with the wind, gives some idea
of how it happened.. However, “a rose by any other
name would smell as sweet,” and so the beautiful,
clustered flowers of the rough-and-ready Soapwort
will continue to delight us from July to September,
along dusty roadsides, edges and corners of neglected
fields and farmyards and railroad banks, where it grows
luxuriantly, and often grouped in great patches. It is
everywhere common, and increases by means of under-

38

WILD FLOWERS PINK

ground runners or stolens. The roots have some
medicinal value as a tonic, and when placed in water
and agitated, they form a soaplike lather — a peculiarity
that gives rise to the common names of Soaproot and
Latherwort. The slightly grooved, erect stem is
‘smooth, stout and leafy. It is sparingly branched,
and grows one or two feet high. It is noticeably swollen
at the joints, and is green in colour, sometimes stained
with red. The thick-textured, tapering oval leaves
grow alternately in pairs, and graduate as they mount
the stalk. Their smooth surface shows three or five
distinct ribs, and the margins are entire or very faintly
scalloped. ‘They unite at the base where they narrow
into broad, short, clasping petioles. The showy,
fragrant flowers are about an inch broad and are pink
in colour, becoming white in proportion to the amount
of shade in which they grow. The thin-textured petals
are generally notched, and taper clawlike to their
narrow, pointed base within a long, pale green, finely
veined, five-toothed tubular calyx, from which they
emerge and spread at right angles. At the top of the
claw where the petals widen, they are crowned with
two little, thread-like appendages. The ten yellowish
stamens are divided into five long and five short sets,
the former of which mature before the latter. The
pistil has two recurving points or styles. The flowers
are borne in a loose, terminal head, with many small
bracts or floral leaves. A short, slender stem connects
the calyx with the stalk, which it joins at the axil of
the smaller leaves. This short flower stem usually

39

PINK WILD FLOWERS

or a tiny pair of leaflets just below the calyx,
Double flowers are not at all uncommon, and they
are unusually attractive. As a tule, single and
double flowers are not found in the same group.
After the flowers mature, the calyx frequently
splits apart and causes the fading petals to have
a most dilapidated appearance, and October finds
the storm-tossed stalks withered and broken—a
sorry contrast to its midsummer gaiety.

DEPTFORD PINK
Didnthus Arméria. Pink Family.

A pretty, unobtrusive immigrant from Europe is
the Deptford Pink, resembling the familiar Sweet
William of our gardens, and to which it is a near
relative. When one considers that this Pink belongs
to the same family as the famous Lawson Pink of ten-
thousand dollar parentage, it is not difficult to imagine
that it feels ill at ease and out of its class in our fields
and meadows, or along our grassy roadsides, where
it has become thoroughly naturalized. It is a stiff,
erect annual, growing from six to eighteen inches high,
and is covered with very fine hairs. The slender
green stalk is slightly branching. The long, narrow
pointed leaves are strongly ribbed, downy surfaced,
and firm-textured. They occur in alternating pairs,
which unite and clasp the stem with a prominent
joint. The lower ones are blunt at the tip. The small,
five-petalled flowers usually occur in pairs, terminally
clustered or springing from the axils of the leaves on

49

OSWEGO TEA. BEE BALM. Monarda didyma

WILD FLOWERS PINK

short, slender stems. The large, five-parted, green,
tubular calyx is guarded by four narrow, stiff,
sharply toothed and pointed bracts, which give the
flowering head a crowded and bayonneted appear-
ance. The bud reminds one of an oat. The oblong
petals have finely notched tips. They are deep
pink in colour, and the surface is minutely speckled
with whitish dots. The generic name, Dianthus,
signifying Jove’s own flower, was applied to the
Pinks by Theophrastus, the Greek philosopher,
who greatly admired their exquisite fragrance and
beauty. This Pink is found from Maine to Vir-
ginia, and westward to Michigan and Iowa, dur-
ing July and August.

PINK CORYDALIS
Corydalis sempérvirens. Fumitory Family.

Although the tall, branching growth of the Pink
Corydalis does not compare satisfactorily with that
of the low, clustered, and single-stemmed grouping
of the Dutchman’s Breeches, the peculiarly flattened
corolla of the flowers suggests their kinship. At sight
the dangling flowers of this species appear to be incom-
plete, and one fancies that there should be more of
them. ‘They look, for instance, as if they had been
originally something like those of the Dutchman’s
Breeches, but that some one had cut them all in two,
and that only a single part, or “leg,”’ had survived the
operation. They seem to rest on the point of their
little stems like a tiny flock of fairyland swallows,

Al

PINK WILD FLOWERS

undetermined whether to linger or depart, and there
they bob and nod, and sway and swing in silent
convention, until finally their spirit bids them and they
are gone. The airy Corydalis reigns supreme wherever
it can gain a foothold on the terraced balconies of rocky
cliffs, in partially moist and open woods. It is found
from Nova Scotia to the Canadian Rockies and Alaska,
and south to North Carolina and Minnesota from April
to September. The smooth, irregularly branched
stem is pale green, sometimes slightly stained with red,
and always covered with a whitish bloom. It grows
from one to two feet in height, from a fibrous annual
root. The comparatively small, compound leaf is
pale green in colour, smooth and rather delicate in
texture, with the under surface showing a whitish bloom.
It is divided into several, often three or five, deeply cleft
leaflets with their margins unevenly lobed and scal-
loped. The lower leaves have short, smooth ‘and
slender stems, and the upper ones are set alternately
on the stalk. The strangely flattened flower is usually
less than an inch in length. The irregular, tubular
corolla has two pairs of erect and converging petals;
one of the outer pair, which are joined together, is
formed into a very short and rounded, bag-like spur
on the upper part of its base, the inner pair are very
narrow and are keeled on the back. The six stamens
are arranged in two pairs of three each, opposite: the
outer petals. The fragile flowers hang upside down,
and are gathered sparingly toward the end of a slender
stem. They have a two-parted, scale-like calyx and

42

WILD FLOWERS PINK

one pistil. The spurred end of the flower is deep
pink in colour, fading nearly to white toward the
yellow-tipped end. The lovely plant, with its delicate
shadings of pink, pale green, and yellow is especially
pleasing. After the flowers perish, the seed pods
_ become prominent, and when matured, they meas-
ure an inch or two in length. They are slender,
flattened, and erect.

HARDHACK. STEEPLE BUSH
Spiraéa tomentosa. Rose Family.

This lovely rose-coloured perennial is similar to the
Meadow Sweet, and often found near it, but the Hard-
hack has smaller flowers arranged in slender, long-
pointed, floral steeples, and woolly stalks of a peculiar
light brown colour. The under surface of the pointed
oval, dark green leaves is also very woolly, and varies
from a whitish to the same brownish colour of the
stalk. The latter is erect, very leafy, usually
unbranched, and grows two or three feet high. The
leaf has a strong midrib, and an unequally toothed
margin. The leaves have short stems that curve
smartly upward as they join the stalk, and which give/
a nifty set to the foliage and charming perkiness
to the handsome plant. The pretty little flowers and
their tiny stamens are deep rosy-pink in colour, and
are densely arranged in rather stiff terminal spikes.
They blossom from the apex downward, and before
the lower ones begin to open, the forerunners have
faded to a light brown. The Hardhack blooms from

43

PINK ‘WILD FLOWERS

July to September in low, moist grounds and adjacent
hillside pastures, from Nova Scotia to Manitoba and
south to Georgia and Kansas.

PURPLE. FLOWERING RASPBERRY. VIRGINIA
RASPBERRY

Ribus odoratus. Rose Family.

The five large, deep pink, rose-like petals and the
ring of light yellow stamens of this attractive flower
give it a truly Wild Rose-like appearance. While it
is really a member of the same family, its large, maple-
like leaf easily distinguishes it as the Virginia Rasp-
berry. The erect, branching, leafy stalk grows from
three to five feet high, and is somewhat bristly, but
thornless. The strongly veined, but loose-textured
leaf is sometimes nearly a foot broad, and has three or
five pointed lobes, the middle one of which is the
longest. It has a heart-shaped base, a finely toothed
margin, and a slightly rough surface. The leaves
grow alternately, and are set on long stems. The
fragrant, showy, purplish pink flower is an inch or two
broad and has five rounded, curving petals which fade
to a lighter shade. The calyx has five long, pointed
parts and is thickly covered with sticky, red hairs.
The numerous flowers are borne in loose terminal
clusters on short, sticky, reddish stems. ‘They continue
to blossom even after some of the fruit has begun to
ripen. The fruit resembles that of a flat red raspberry
and is scarcely edible. The Virginia Raspberry is
found in rocky woods and along shady roadways

44

‘WILD FLOWERS PINK

during June, July, and August, from Nova Scotia to
Ontario and Michigan, and south to Georgia and
Tennessee.

The Salmonberry or White Flowering Raspberry,
R. parviflorus, is a similar species, having fewer,
white, oval-petaled flowers and less bristly but
coarser - toothed leaves, the latter having the centre
lobe, not conspicuously longer than the others.
It is found in rocky woods from Michigan and
Minnesota to Alaska and California, and south in
the Rocky Mountains to Utah and _ Colorado,
from May to July. The fruit is red.

WILD ROSES

Of all the flowers exalted by mankind, none has been
more frequently associated with his history and litera-
ture than the Rose. Its praises have been sung in many
tongues, and its popularity harks back to very ancient
times. Tradition repeatedly ascribes many and
varied accounts to the Rose. The red Rose is a token
of love and affection; the redder it is, the better it is
so understood and accepted. The Turks hold that
red Roses sprang from the blood of Mohammed. The
Rose of Jericho has been called Saint Mary’s Rose, and
is said to have first blossomed at the Saviour’s birth,
closing its petals upon His Crucifixion, and reopening
them again at the Resurrection. For over three hundred
years, May 1st was gorgeously observed in. France as
the Tribute of Roses, when the youngest peer pre-
sented a silver bowl of Roses to the Court. In Egypt,

45

PINK WILD FLOWERS

mattresses made from the sun-dried petals are lux-
uries — beds of Roses — enjoyed only by the very
wealthy. The ancient Greeks and Romans were
extravagant in the use of Rose garlands and wreaths
for decorative purposes, and at the magnificent
feasts of Cleopatra and of Nero, everything was
lavishly decked with them. Fountains of Rose water
in operation were famous attractions at some of
their marvellous social affairs. The Romans placed
a Rose over the entrance to their feasting halls,
and all who passed beneath it understood that what-
ever happened within the hall was to be sub rosa —
under the Rose—and was to be kept secret and
never disclosed. The Romans also used the Rose in
their funeral rites, and in China Roses and Anemones
are used for similar purposes. The Rose was the
flower dedicated to Venus. In the writings of Shake-
speare, the Rose is mentioned more frequently than
any other flower. In Germany, France, and Italy,
frivolous maidens bury a drop of blood under a Rose
bush to ensure rosy cheeks. The Rose is the floral
emblem of Iowa, New York, and North Dakota. An
annual festival celebrated in California is named the
Tournament of Roses. Portland, Ore., is called the
City of Roses. June is known as the month of Roses,
One of the most costly perfumes in the world is Attar
of Roses, and ten tons — twenty thousand pounds —
of petals are required to make one pound of this
precious oil, which is valued at two hundred dollars
per pound. Candied Rose petals are considered a

46

“WILD FLOWERS PINK

dainty confection. . And so on, and so on, one: ‘could
add to this endless subject.

SMOOTH, OR MEADOW ROSE
Rosa blénda. Rose Family.

A low-growing, large flowered, and, usually, thorn-
less species which grows from two to four feet high in
moist, rocky places. From five to seven bluntly
tipped and sharply toothed, oblong leaflets form the
compound leaf. The thin, dark green foliage is paler
beneath, and the short leaf-stem is guarded with a
conspicuous pair of wings that clasp the stalk at the
joint. The handsome, large, pink flowers are slightly
fragrant, and are often three inches broad. They are
either solitary or sparsely grouped on slender stems.
The petals are broad and curving, and the numerous
yellow stamens are clustered around the flat, central disc
of greenish-yellow pistils. The green calyx has five
lance-shaped sepals that remain erect upon the ripening
globular or pear-shaped fruit. The Meadow Rose
blossoms during June and Julv, from Newfoundland
to New England and New Jersey, and west to Ontario,
Illinois, and Missouri. It is rather more common in
the Great Lake region than elsewhere.

CANKER ROSE. DOG ROSE. WILD BRIER
Rosa canina. Rose Family.
During June and July, the Dog Rose spreads its

beautiful, and usually solitary, pink or white flowers
along our roadsides and waste banks.’ It grows about

47

PINK WILD FLOWERS

ten feet in length, and has short, stout, hooked spines.
The stipules, or wings, which sheath the leaf stems,
are broad and pointed. The leaflets are rather thick-
textured and oval in shape. This Rose resembles
somewhat the Sweetbrier, but the foliage is single-
toothed and does not possess the aromatic fragrance
of the latter. It is abundant in the Delaware Valley,
and is more or less common from Nova Scotia to New
Jersey and Pennsylvania, and also in Tennessee. This
Rose is the Cat-whin and Canker-bloom of Shakespeare.

SWEETBRIER. EGLANTINE
Risa rubiginssa. Rose Family.

You can positively identify the. Sweetbrier by the
delightful, aromatic fragrance of its leaves. It is a
slender growing species, very common everywhere
in dry, rocky pastures and waste places during June
and July. This is the exalted Eglantine of Chaucer,
Spenser and Shakespeare. The gracefully arching
branches are very leafy, and are armed with many.
stout and strongly hooked or recurved prickles. It
grows from four to six feet long. The leaves are com-
pounded of from five to seven very small, rather thick,
oval or oblong and sharp, double- toothed leaflets,
which are densely covered on the underside with tiny,
dark, sticky glands, and these exhale the pleasing per-
fume. The leaf-stems clasp the stalk with a pair of
narrow, pointed wings or stipules. The small, creamy-
pink flowers are generously clustered along the main
stalk. They have five curving, heart-shaped petals,

48

esoptan edonouow, “gqdId NVICNI sdudoddy edonouopl ‘gysaNId

\

SCARLET PAINTED CUP. Castilleja coccinea

WILD FLOWERS PINK

and numerous curving, yellowish stamens. The
bright red fruit is oval in shape and endures
throughout the winter. ‘Each of the five long,
narrow, spreading sepals is notched into several
tips. The Sweetbrier ranges from’ Nova Scotia
to Ontario, Tennessee and Virginia.

SWAMP ROSE
Rosa carolina. Rose Family.

This very bushy species grows from‘ one to eight
feet high, and is sparingly armed with distant, stout,
usually hooked or curved thorns. Five to nine finely
toothed leaflets, varying in shape from oval to oblong
or even lance-shaped, form the compound leaf, which
has a narrow pair of stipules or leaflets at the base of
the slender leaf stem. The beautiful pink blossoms
are two or three inches broad: They have numerous
yellow stamens, and are loosely grouped. The long,
narrow, spreading sepals do not, as a rule, remain on
the showy, globular red fruit as do those of the Meadow
Rose. The Swamp Rose is common everywhere in
swamps and low. grounds, from June to August. It
ranges from allof the Atlantic Coast States westward
to Minnesota and Mississippi.

LOW, OR PASTURE ROSE
Rosa bimilis. Rose Family.
This is the commonest and most abundant of all

the wild Roses. It grows branching and bushy, from
six inches to six feet in height, and has very slender,

49

PINK WILD FLOWERS

straight, light brown thorns at the base of the leaf
stem, where they are generally set in pairs. Usually
five rather thin, oval or sharply pointed, sometimes
shining, and irregularly toothed leaflets form the
compound leaf. The leaf-stem is guarded at the base
with a pair of narrow, flaring wings that clasp the
stalk. The numerous, fragrant pink flowers are
usually solitary, and are two or three inches broad.
Five prettily curved, heart-shaped petals are exquisitely
set off with a circle of numerous yellow stamens, which
are gathered around the darker centre of clustered
pistils. The calyx has five long, spreading green
divisions, the outer ones of which are always more or
less lobed. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, a
charming double- flowered variety occurs. The
Pasture Rose often grows in great, tangled masses,
and when at the height of bloom these are exceed-
ingly beautiful. This Rose is partial to dry, rocky
soil, and blossoms from May to July, from Nova
Scotia to Florida and west to Minnesota, Missouri,
Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

RED, PURPLE, OR MEADOW CLOVER

*
Trifolium praténse. Pea Family.

The Red Clover is the state flower of Vermont,
and is one of the commonest, largest-flowered, and
best-known of the Clovers. Some years ago this red-
headed beauty created a sensation among botanists
and agriculturists that is very interesting. A quantity
.of the seed was introduced into Australia where it was

50

WILD FLOWERS PINK

cultivated and grew beautifully, but the flowers failed
hopelessly to. produce seed the first year. Again
another lot of seed was planted, and when the new
plants began to blossom, a number of bumblebees,
especially imported from America, were liberated
among the flowers. The result was immediately
gratifying, and from that day to this, Australia has
successfully cultivated the Red Clover. Consequently,
our dear old bumblebee has established, beyond any
possible doubt in the minds of the pessimistic, the
absolute dependency, for its very existence, of at least
one flower upon insect life. Cross fertilization did it.
“Now and then the honey bee,
Laden with its treasure,
Darting from the Clover blooms,
Hums its drowsy measure.”

Our warmest memories revert to those happiest days
of our childhood, when we actually “lived in Clover,”
and ate “Sour Grass,’ and sucked the honey from the
nectar tubes of the florets which were pulled from
the Clover heads. Pity the child who is denied the
opportunity of roaming the fields and doing likewise!

This perennial species is extensively cultivated for
forage, and was originally introduced into America
from Europe. The rather large, leafy, and branched
stalk is more or less hairy, and rises erect, from six
inches to two feet in height. The Clovers form large,
loose, spreading tufts, and their slightly veined leaves
are long-stemmed and thin textured. They are
compounded commonly of three, or occasionally of

51

PINK WILD FLOWERS

from four to eleven, short-stemmed oval, long oval
or egg-shaped leaflets, which are often notched at the
apex and narrowed toward the base where they unite
at the same point. Their margins are almost entire,
and their surface is marked with white or cream-white,
triangular forms. The joints are sheathed with a pair
of bristly pointed wings or stipules. The large, hand-
some flower head is globe or egg shaped, and is set
closely between a pair of compound leaves at the tip
of the branches, and from the side of the stalk. It
is composed of many densely clustered florets. The
colour varies from crimson to magenta with white
bases, the latter showing less distinctly at a distance.
The florets finally fade to a dark brown, but they
remain erect until after the fruit ripens. The Red
Clover grows perennially in fields and meadows
everywhere, and is particularly common east of the
Mississippi River. It blossoms from April to Novem-
ber, according to locality. This species is also a
native of northern Asia.

ALSIKE. ALSATIAN, OR SWEDISH CLOVER
Trifolium bybridum. Pea Family.

The Alsatian Clover resembles the White Clover,
except that the stalk is erect or ascending, and it
does not root at the joints) The flower heads are
delightfully tinted with a charming pink or rose colour
slightly diffused with cream, and are, therefore, some-
what more beautiful than the latter species. They
are exceedingly fragrant, and generally common.

52

j

WILD FLOWERS ' PINK

The round, grooved, branching stalk is sometimes
stout and juicy. It is nearly smooth, very leafy, and

‘rises from one to two feet in height. The leaves are.

set on long, slender stems, and where the latter joins
the stalk, the union is protected by two thin-textured
and flaring wings or stipules. The leaf is compounded
of three egg-shaped leaflets, which narrow toward
the base and unite with short stems at the same point.
They are unmarked, and the margins are finely cut
with sharply pointed teeth. The numerous small
florets are often nearly white. They are densely
crowded into rounded heads on the tips of slender
stems. The corolla is three or four times as large as
the calyx, which is finished with awl-shaped teeth.
As the florets open, they spread outward and down-
ward; and as they fade, the dried, light brown husks
form a rusty collar around the stem, lending a ragged
touch to the tidy, still blooming florets above them.
This species is sometimes cultivated for fodder. It
blossoms from May to October, in meadows and along
waysides, from Nova Scotia to Idaho, and south to
New Jersey and Georgia.
WHITE, OR TRUE WOOD SORREL. ALLELUIA.
SOUR TREFOIL. SHAMROCK
Oxalis Acetosélla. Wood Sorrel Family.

Oxalis is derived from a Greek word, meaning sour,

and refers to the acid juice of the plant. In the cool,

shady recesses of our mountainous regions this dainty
plant is fairly rampant. Our Northern forests are

53

PINK WILD FLOWERS

literally carpeted with its fretwork of leaves, which are
formed into ‘green patches, or beds of every conceiv-
able angle where they are crisscrossed by the runways
of deer or moose and decaying, mossy trunks of fallen
trees. In May and June these lovely, leafy group-
ings are starred with the strikingly large and beau-
tiful flowers which are white, pink-tinted or veined.
The Clover-like leaves fold downward at night, not
unlike a clumsy umbrella. This species is native in
Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. It was familiar
to the old Italian masters, and was introduced into
some of the early Christian paintings by Angelico and
Botticelli. Oxalic acid is produced from its leaves,
and is commonly known as Salt of Lemons, which is
extensively used by painstaking housewives and
laundresses for removing rust stains from linen.
The leaves are borne on slender stems, which, rising
from a scaly, creeping rootstock, grow to be from two
to six inches in height. The single flower is broadly
bell-shaped, and has five rounding, notched petals,
with five long and five short stamens. This plant
also bears the curious, bud-like flowers that fertilize
themselves without opening, and which are calléd
cleistogamic, and are borne near the root on short,
curved stems. The name Alleluia came to be a
favoured one in England, because the flowering
season occurred during Easter week. Some believe
this to be the true Shamrock of the ancient
Irish, dating back to the time of St. Patrick. The
White Wood Sorrel ranges from Nova Scotia to

54

WILD FLOWERS PINK

Manitoba, and south to New England and New
York, and in the mountains to North Carolina.

VIOLET WOOD SORREL

Oxalis violacea. Wood Sorrel F amily.

This delightful species is found much further south-
ward than the White Wood Sorrel. It has a brown-
ish, scaly, bulbous root. The dainty flowers are rose
purple in colour, and several, a dozen or less, are
clustered on a slender stem or scape. The leaf stems
rise from four to nine inches, and the strongly
ribbed, Clover-like leaves grow in little tufts of
from four to eight. The Violet Wood Sorrel ranges
from New England to the Rocky Mountains, and
south to Florida and New Mexico, in rocky, sandy
woods, during May and June.

WILD GERANIUM. SPOTTED CRANE’S-BILL.
ALUM ROOT

Geranium maculatum., Geranium Family.

The large, showy, rose purple flowers of the Wild
Geranium enliven the monotony of low and shaded
parts of moist, open woods and thickets, from April
to July.. They are odourless, and their colour varies’
greatly, according to the temperature of the season
and their exposure to sunlight. The flower has five
well-rounded, wedge-shaped petals. The latter are
exceedingly delicate in texture, and show five fine,
transparent lines spreading from the whitish base
which is slightly fuzzy or bearded. Ten: spreading,

55

PINK WILD FLOWERS

violet-tipped stamens, five of which are shorter than
the rest, surround a slender, five-pointed, green pistil.
This remarkable pistil grows an inch or more in
length, and as the fruit matures, it suddenly splits
upward from the base in five recurved parts, snapping
the seeds sharply in various directions. This is one
way in which the plants spread and increase by their
own effort. The shape of this curious pistil created
. the name of Crane’s-bill. Geranium is the Greek word
for crane, and maculatum alludes to the peculiar white
spots and blotches so often found on the leaves. The
calyx is five-parted, and hairy. Each part or sepal
terminates with a sharp, bristling point. The single
stalk branches at the union of a pair of short-stemmed
leaves, and each of the several branches is often
forked, causing the flowers to occur very commonly
in pairs. The grooved stalk is stout-fibred, and rises
a foot or two in height. Excepting the petals, the
entire plant is covered with minute, whitish hairs.
The large, spreading, coarsely veined leaf is deeply
divided into three or more, usually five, sections,
each of which is again cleft into three more or less
sharply notched lobes. The basal leaves are long-
stemmed. The general colour is a medium light green
above, and of a lighter shade on the under side. In
autumn they turn to a brilliant scarlet, and are par-
ticularly attractive. The Crane’s-bill is very touchy,
and wilts hopelessly almost as soon as picked. The
flowers are very fragile, and the petals usually drop
away upon the slightest provocation. The thick,

56

WILD FLOWERS PINK

brownish, fleshy rootstock has a puckery taste, strongly
suggesting that of alum, and for this reason it is known
as Alum Root. It is considered one of our most desir-
able astringents, and owing to its lack of bitterness,
it is especially adapted for infants and for persons
having very delicate stomachs. It is a popular do-
Mestic remedy, and is said to have been used by the
Indians. It is found more or less commonly from
Newfoundland and Manitoba, south to Georgia, Ala-
bama, and Missouri.

HERB ROBERT. RED ROBIN. RED SHANKS

Geranium Robertianum. Geranium Family.

This plant received much notoriety during the time
of Robert’s Plague, when it was believed to have
effected many cures. It has been called the “holy
herb of Robert.” Just where it received the name of
Robert is an open question. Some say that it was
named after St. Robert, a Benedictine monk, while
others hold that it was named after Robert, Duke of
Normandy. When bruised it emits a disagreeable
odour, and its juice has an astringent and bitterish
taste. As a medicine it is used in cases of inter-
mittent fever, jaundice and various other ailments.
Tt is also used externally for relieving swellings, and is
employed as a gargle in throat affections. The weak,
leafy, slender stalk branches extensively, and grows
from six to eighteen inches high. Because it is stained
with crimson, the Scotch Highlanders call it Red
Shanks. ‘The thin leaves are usually set in pairs, on

57

PINK WILD FLOWERS

long, slender stems. They are strongly scented, and
are rather ornamental, being cleft into three or five
divisions, with their margins deeply cut and notched
into fine lobes or teeth. They are often stained with
red. The little, short-stemmed flowers are usually
paired, and are somewhat bell-shaped with their five
petals widely spread. They are red purple in colour,
and have ten coloured stamens and a pink pistil.
The hairy green calyx has five parts, and the seed
pod has a long, slender beak. The pod has a
peculiar habit of bursting suddenly open and flip-
ping the seeds sharply in every direction. Herb
Robert blossoms from May to October in moist,
rocky woods and shaded ravines, from Canada to
Pennsylvania, and Missouri.

FRINGED MILKWORT. FLOWERING
WINTERGREEN. GAY WINGS

Polygala paucifolia. Milkwort Family.

The peculiar construction of this very dainty and
charming flower at once suggests that of an Orchid.
The single slender stalk rises from four to seven inches
from slender, prostrate stems and rootstocks. The
pointed oval or oblong leaves are gathered toward the
summit of the stalk. They are narrowed into short
stems. Small, clasping, bract-like leaves are scattered
sparingly along the stalk. They are thick, smooth,
glossy and rough-margined. The delicate, bright,
rose-purple flowers are likened to gaily winged butter-
flies. Two of the five sepals are highly coloured like

58

WILD FLOWERS PINK

petals and form a pair of wide-spreading wings
on either side of the corolla. The three white
petals are formed into a long, slender tube enclos-
ing the stamens, and the lower one, which is
parted and extended, is beautifully fringed. It
also bears an, underground flower that matures in
the bud. The leaves endure the winter, becoming
reddish and bronzy before they are replaced in the
spring. The Milkwort blossoms from May to July,
in rich, moist woods, from Georgia and _ [Illinois
northward into Canada.

FIELD, OR PURPLE MILKWORT
Pol§gala sanguinea. Milkwort Family.

Such a tiny, delicate, crimson-headed sprite of a
flower may be easily overlooked in the grass. The
erect, wiry stems grow from six to fifteen inches in
height. It is very leafy, branches at the top, and is
somewhat angled. The small, narrow, acutely-
pointed leaves are thick and clasping. Their margin
is entire, and they are alternated on the stalk. The
Clover-like flower heads are composed of numerous
tiny flowers, closely clustered in a thick, oval spike.
Green flower heads are often found growing in com-
pany with the crimson ones, and the two together are
very curious and pretty. The tiny petals of the flower
are enveloped with two enlarged, crimson sepals which
are overlapped so tightly that the petals are hidden
from view. The lower rows of flowers mature in
succession and drop away as the head is prolonged.

59

PINK WILD FLOWERS

Polygala is the Greek word for much milk, and cattle
feeding upon the plants were formerly supposed
to yield larger quantities of this commodity. This
Milkwort is found in fields and meadows from
New England south to North Carolina, and west
to Minnesota, Arkansas, and Louisiana, from June
to September.

LOW, DWARF OR RUNNING MALLOW.
CHEESE FLOWER

Malva rotundifolia. Mallow Family.

Common everywhere about dooryards from May
to November. The flowers resemble in miniature the
Hollyhocks of our gardens to which they are related.
~ Children greatly relish the edible seeds or “cheeses,”
as they fondly call them because of their shape. The
roots and seeds contain a soothing mucilage, which is
used in compounding medicines as a non-irritant.
The flowers yield a blue colouring matter which serves
as a test of acids and alkalies, being reddened by the
former, and rendered green by the latter. The weak,
slender, spreading stalk branches at its base and is
deeply rooted. The dark green leaves are rounding’ |
heart-shaped. They are scalloped with five or more
shallow lobes which have finely toothed margins,
They are slightly fluted by the radiating ribs, and are
set on long, rough stems. The small, flaring, bell-
shaped flowers are clustered close to the stalk on short
stems springing from the angles of the leaves. The
five oval petals are notched at their tips, and are tinted

60

WILD FLOWERS PINK

with pink and faintly lined with veinings of a deeper
hue. The hard, flat, rounded seed is composed of
about fifteen parts, or carpels, and is surrounded by a
five-parted calyx, which partly enfolds the seed with
its long, pointed tips. The seed is green at first, but
gradually turns brown as it ripens.

SWAMP ROSE-MALLOW. MALLOW ROSE
Flibiscus Moscheistos. Mallow Family.

The gorgeous pink, flaring, bell-shaped flowers of
the so-called “‘Marsh Mallow” may be seen near the
edges of brakish marshes during midsummer along
the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts to Florida and
Louisiana, and also inland in the Great Lake region.
Wherever they are found, they will recall the dignified
Hollyhock sentinels that used to peep over the red brick
walls in the Kate Greenaway nursery picture-books
we all loved so well. And it’s a natural suggestion,
too, since both flowers are cousins. The Hollyhock
came to us from China, where it certainly could never
see over the wall! There is a certain tropical air
about the Rose-Mallow that impresses one with its
grandeur. It is so large and stately, so fresh and lovely,
so prosperous and beautiful, this tall, handsome plant,
that one cannot well resist the temptation to become
better acquainted with it. But this is not altogether
an easy matter, because it chooses to keep aloof from
inquisitive mortals and has a tantalizing way of grow-
ing just beyond one’s reach in the deep, treacherous
quagmire where it isfound. It is one of our largest wild

61

PINE WILD FLOWERS

flowers, and measures from four to seven inches broad.
The five large, rounded, wedge-shaped petals are a
pure, rosy pink in colour, sometimes entirely white,
and often marked with a rich, crimson blotch at the
base. They are strongly ribbed. The long, slender
pistil splits into five flat-headed tips, and for most of
its length, it is enclosed with a tube bearing many
pale yellow stamens. The five-parted calyx is sup-
ported with a row of ten narrow bractlets. The
flowers are clustered on short stems at the top of the
stout, leafy, cane-like stalks, several of which spring
from a perennial root, and rise from four to seven feet
in height. The large, oval leaves taper sharply to a
slender point, and are rounded at the base. Often
they have a short pointed lobe on either side. The
margins are indented with small, rounded teeth. The
surface is smooth above and the colour is full green.
The underside is covered with a soft, whitish down, and
the ribs show prominently.

The Marsh Mallow, Althaea officinalis, is a much
smaller and altogether different species, which has
been introduced from Europe and has become natural-
ized in salt marshes along the coast from Massa-
chusetts to New Jersey and locally westward to Michi-
gan and Arkansas. In Europe it is raised for its
thick roots, from which is obtained a mucilage used
in making the white marshmallow candy sold at every
confectionery store, and also as an important ingredient
in preparing cough syrups. It is interesting to note
that another relative is the common okra, a familiar

62

WILD FLOWERS , PINK

market vegetable, which yields a thickening sub-
stance used in making soup. Still another kinsman,
the Rose of China, is a hot-house species, whose petals,
it is said, are employed by Chinese housewives in
staining their teeth black!

MEADOW BEAUTY. DEERGRASS
Rhéxia virginica. Melastoma Family.

There is a pleasing individual air about this delicate
beauty that is always sure to win our admiration as it
sways its captivating golden-spangled, bright purple
flowers among the tall grasses of our sandy marshes
during August. With slightly winged angles, the
square, more or less hairy, rather stout and branching
stalk grows from twelve to eighteen inches in height.
It is grooved and of a light green colour. The thin,
finely toothed, pointed oval leaves have three noticeable
ribs, and they are arranged in alternating, opposite
pairs. They are stemless, and a few hairs are scattered
sparingly over their otherwise smooth surface. “The
large, fragile flowers are gathered in small terminal
‘clusters, on slender, leafy branches which spring frem
the angles of the leaves in corresponding pairs on this
nicely balanced plant. They usually open one at a
time, and perish soon after they are plucked. The
four rounded, spreading petals are inserted on the
summit of the hairy, urn-shaped calyx. The eight
long, purplish stamens are capped with large, semi-
circular, bright yellow anthers which are very con-
spicuous. The pistil is long, slender, and crooked.

63

PINK WILD FLOWERS

This species ranges from Maime. to Florida and west
to Illinois, Missouri, and Louisiana.

GREAT, OR SPIKED WILLOW-HERB. FIREWEED-

Epildbium angustifolium. Evening Primrose Family.

In low grounds, especially in recent clearings and
newly burned over lands, the tall, showy, swaying,.
magenta spikes of the Fireweed attract our attention.
during June, July and August, from coast to coast.
So promptly and persistently does it follow in the
destructive tracks of fire and axe that I have ofter
thought this Phoenix of our woodlands raised its.
brilliant danger signals as a silent protest and warning:
against the reckless devastation of our depleted forests.
The upright, rather stout, simple or branched stalk
grows from two to eight feet in height. The very
short-stemmed, alternating, thin-textured leaves are
lance-shaped — long and narrow, resembling willow
leaves-—and are usually toothless. They are pale
beneath, and their lateral veinings curve into each
other near the edge. The perfect rosettes of: tufted
basal leaves are extremely ornamental in their’ geo-
metric formation. The flower has four rounded, widely
spreading, pink petals that are broadest: above the
middle. The four long, narrow, pointed, brownish
sepals alternate with the petals between which they
expose their entire length. It has one four-tipped
pistil and eight spreading stamens. The flower is set
atop a slender, silky, crimson or purple stained pod.
The buds succeed each other closely and graduate in

54

WOOD BETONY. Pedicularis canadensis

=]

CARDINAL FLOWER. RED LOBELIA. Lobelia cardinalis

ouciea nile

WILD FLOWERS eINK

size as they approach the tip of the curving spike.
They are hung upside down, and become erect as the
flower opens. The arrangement is loose and terminal.
After the flower fades, the curving pod continues to
lengthen and when it is ripe it splits asunder length-
wise, grotesquely and every which way, liberating a
very fine, silky, webby mass of soft fluffy down to which
are attached the tiniest seeds that float away with the
breezes. Where this plant occurs in extensive colonies,
it presents an unusually dilapidated and bedraggled
appearance, which is not improved with the effects of
rainy weather. The Fireweed is found from North
Carolina, Kansas and California northward to Labra-
dor and Alaska. The tender, reddish green shoots of
this plant are considerably used as a pot-herb through-
out the Northwestern States and Canada.’ And it is
said that among the tribes of British Columbia the
pith of the young stalk is cooked and eaten, The
leaves and roots also have some medicinal qualities on
account of their astringency. Kaporie tea, a beverage
extensively used by. the Russians, is made from the
leaves of this species.

PURPLE-LEAVED WILLOW-HERB
Epilobium coloratum. Evening Primrose Family.

A very common, erect, and much-branched species.
with a finely haired stalk, growing from one to three
feet high, in low grounds from Maine to Ontario,
Wisconsin, Nebraska, South Carolina and Missouri, ,
from June to September. The finely: toothed leaf is,

65

PINK WILD FLOWERS

long and narrow, and usually very short-stemmed.
The numerous pink or white flowers have four small
rounded and notched petals and eight yellow stamens,
The flowers are fixed on the end of a slender
pod and are generally nodding. The purple - stained
pod splits open in the fall and frees a mass of
cinnamon coloured fluff. The stem and leaves are
often tinged with purple.

PIPSISSEWA. PRINCE’S PINE
Chiméphila umbellata. Wintergreen Family.

Pipsissewa was employed by the Indians in reliev-
ing affections of the skin and for rheumatism. It
was also a very popular remedy among the early set-
tlers of this country. The foliage, when crushed,
exhales a peculiar odour, and the flowers are delicately
perfumed. The perennial stalk creeps extensively
underground, and sends up green, leafy branches a
foot or so in height. The thick, shining, evergreen
leaves are long-oblong, and widen toward the tip with
a sharply toothed margin. They are arranged in
whorls about the stalk. Several five-petalled, waxy,
white or purplish flowers are gathered on curved stems
in a loose terminal cluster. The centre is marked
with a deep pink ring, and the ten purple-tipped
stamens are spread against the widely flaring, con-
caved petals which encircle the large, thick, and
sticky-topped green pistil The round, brown
seed cases ripen on the stem, which becomes
erect after the petals fall. The flowers are found in

66

WILD FLOWERS PINK

dry woods where there is plenty of leafmould, from
June to August, and range from the Atlantic
to the Pacific in Canada, and south to Georgia,
Mexico, and California.

SPOTTED WINTERGREEN
Chimdphila maculata. Wintergreen Family.

This species is very similar to the Prince’s Pine or
Pipsissewa, but can readily be distinguished by the
white mottling of its tapering leaves. It does not
grow quite so high either, and the leaves are lance-
shaped, with sharp, distant teeth along the margins.
The leaves are thick and smooth, and are arranged
on the reddish stalk in pairs and in whorls. They
are dark green and mottled with white along
the veins. The white or pinkish flowers are quite
like those of the preceding species. They are a
trifle larger, and lack the pink ring in the centre.
They are found from June to August in dry
woods, from Maine and Ontario to Minnesota, and
southward to Georgia and Mississippi.

WILD HONEYSUCKLE. PINXTER FLOWER.
PINK, PURPLE OR WILD AZALEA

Rhododéndron nudiflorum. Heath Family.

The lively flower clusters of the beautiful Wild
Honeysuckle reflect the glory of spring with a vivid-
ness that is well-nigh unrivalled. The brilliancy
of its fringy blossoms illuminates our open woodlands,
hillsides and swamps from April to June, and as the

67

PINK WILD FLOWERS

flowers usually burst into bloom before their foliage
expands, they are particularly conspicuous and win-
some. At this time, they also possess a peculiar
attraction for small boys, who eagerly seek a singular
edible pulpy growth, known to them as the May-
Apple, which is found hanging among the fragrant
flowers. Years ago this juicy, pale green morsel
was supposed to have been caused by insects, but
it is now believed to be a modified bud. The Wild
Azalea grows from two to six feet high, and branches
at the summit. The stalk is leafy, smooth, and
woody fibred. The thin, oval leaves taper toward
either end, and are set alternately or in clusters on
the stalk. They are toothless, and short-stemmed,
and their margins are finely haired. The colour is
a lovely, soft, golden yellow-green. The large, tubu-
lar flower has five long-pointed, widely spreading
divisions, each of which is creased from the throat
to the tip. The pistil and five pink stamens extend
far beyond the corolla. They are noticeably curved,
and unusually long and slender. The flowers vary
from pink or purple to flesh colour, or nearly white.
The long, narrow tube is covered with fine hairs,
and is set in a very small, five-parted calyx. Several
flowers on short, green stems are gathered in
showy, round-topped clusters on the ends of the
flaring, angular branches. The Pink Azalea is
found in dry, open, sandy, or moist, rocky woods
and thickets, from Maine to Illinois, and southward
to Florida and Texas. The Azalea is the national

68

WILD FLOWERS PINK

flower of Flanders. Honey made from these flowers
is said to cause ill effects.

AMERICAN, OR GREAT RHODODENDRON
GREAT LAUREL. ROSE TREE, OR BAY

Rhododéndron maximum. Heath Family.

This plant has been considered to be the handsomest
and most beautiful of our native ornamental shrubs.
It is now highly esteemed and extensively used for
decorating home grounds and parks. In the Alle-
ghany regions it covers entire mountain sides so
densely as to make any attempt to penetrate them
well-nigh impossible. The flowers are arranged in
large terminal clusters which nearly cover the plant
during June and July, and present a sight that is
magnificent beyond description. The wood is hard.
and strong, light brown in colour, and a cubic foot
weighs thirty-nine pounds. The Rhododendron has
been adopted as the state flower of Washington and
West Virginia. Honey made from the flowers is said to
be poisonous. It is a tall, branching shrub, or some-
times a tree upward of forty feet high and a foot in
diameter, but usually from six to thirty feet high. The
long-oblong or broad lance-shaped evergreen leaves
are narrowed toward the base, and are very smooth,
leathery, toothless, and shiny. They are dark green,
blunt-pointed, short-stemmed and strongly ribbed.
The flower, which often grows two inches broad,
is bell-shaped, with five spreading, oval lobes. They
are usually rose coloured, varying to white, with a

69

PINK WILD FLOWERS

greenish throat and spotted with yellowish or orange
spots. They have ten equally spreading stamens
and one pistil. The buds are cone-like, and the
five-parted green calyx is very small. This mag-
nificent plant is found in deep, damp woods and
along streams in hilly country from Nova Scotia,
Ontario, and Ohio to Georgia.

AMERICAN, OR MOUNTAIN LAUREL. CALICO
BUSH. CLAMOUN. SPOON-WOOD. IVY-BUSH.
KALMIA

Ka4lmia latifolia. Heath Family.

This beautiful evergreen shrub is a close rival of
the magnificent Rhododendron, and has been adopted
as the state flower of Connecticut. It grows usually
from three to eight feet high and upward, and often
forms dense thickets that defy passage. It has been
known to attain a rare height of forty feet with a diame-
ter of eighteen inches. ‘The wood is exceedingly hard
and very heavy, a cubic foot weighing forty-four pounds.
The leafy, angular branches are very stiff and irregular.
‘The handsome, shining, dark green leaves are long-
oblong in shape and pointed at either end. They-
are toothless, strongly ribbed, and smooth. They have
very short stems, and are arranged either alternately
or in opposite pairs, or terminally in small, clustered
groups. The beautiful, fragrant flowers vary from
pink to white, and are arranged on short, sticky stems
in numerous, large, showy, terminal clusters, each of.
which is closely surrounded with drooping or hollowed

7o

WILD FLOWERS PINK

leaves, like individual bouquets. The flowers are
curiously constructed. The corolla is bowl-shaped
with five low points, and around the middle, on the
outside, there is a circle of ten short, blunt projections
forming, on the inside, tiny pockets in which are held
the tips of the ten stamens. The silky, white stamens
are arched backward from the centre of the corolla
somewhat like spokes in a wheel. The pale green
pistil has a ten-pointed star outlined in purple around
its base, corresponding to the hub of the wheel. A
slight touch releases the stamens from the little pockets
and they snap violently toward the pistil, scattering a
little shower of pollen and thereby accomplishing the
purpose for which they were intended. The pink bud
is cone-like and corrugated. The green calyx is
insignificant. Honey made from these flowers has
been found to be poisonous, and the Government has
classed the Kalmias among our principal poisonous
plants. The foliage is very destructive to cattle and
sheep. It contains a dangerous substance which,
when eaten, is more deadly than strychnine. Children
have been overcome from the intoxicating effects of
eating the young shoots, which they have mistaken
for Wintergreen. The Indians were familiar with
the poisonous nature of the leaves and made a decoc-
tion therefrom which they drank when disposed with
suicidal intent. ‘The leaves have also been used illegally
to simulate the effects of cheap liquors. This hand-
some genus of American Laurels was dedicated to
Peter Kalin, who was a pupil of Linnaeus, and who

71

PINK WILD FLOWERS

travelled in this country. The Mountain Laurel
blossoms during May and June in rocky, hilly woods
and damp soil from Canada and Ohio to the Gulf
States. ‘

SHEEP LAUREL. LAMBKILL. WICKY. CALF
KILL. SHEEP-POISON

Kalmia angustifolia. Heath Family.

Thoreau regarded this species as being “handsomer
than the Mountain Laurel,” but his point of view in this
respect has not met with popular approval. The
Lambkill has the reputation of being the most poison-
ous of the Laurels, and its foliage has caused many
deaths among cattle. The plant is similar in most
ways to the Mountain Laurel, but is much smaller. It
grows only from six inches to three feet high with a
few nearly erect branches and is very leafy. The
‘drooping, evergreen leaves are oblong or lance-shaped,
mostly in opposite pairs, or near the ends of the
branches in small groups. They are smooth and
dark-green, with yellowish midrib and short stems,
and are frequently marred with rusty spots. The
saucer-shaped flower is purple or crimson, with shiny,’
purple-tipped, pink stamens and a pink pistil. The
flowers are arranged in loose, round clusters, whorled
on the old stalk, or on one side just below the
new, light green, erect leaves of the recent exten-
sion. In the Southern States, where the darkies go
about barefooted, the leaves are used by them
as a remedy for sore feet. Sheep Laurel is found

72

WILD FLOWERS PINE

during June and July, in moist soil in swamps
or in hillside pastures, from Canada to Georgia.

TRAILING ARBUTUS. MAYFLOWER.
GROUND LAUREL

Epigaéa répens. Heath Family.

The rarest charm hovers about the Trailing Arbutus
which is, perhaps, more intensified throughout the
New England States than elsewhere, because of Whit-
tier’s popular poetic legend regarding this species as
the first wild flower to greet the Pilgrims after they had
landed at Plymouth Rock, and also because it is said
to have been named after their famous ship, the May-
fiower. Arbutus is sold on the streets of our principal
Eastern cities every spring, at so much per bunch, and
this practice should be strongly discouraged, since the
plant is becoming more restricted in territory and
scarcer each year. It has frequently been discussed
as a candidate for our national flower, and there is
much personal sentiment attached to it. Above all,
it is one of the most popular and highly rated of our
wild flowers. It thrives best in shady, evergreen
woods where the soil is sandy and rocky, and where it
spreads its slender, rusty-brown, hairy, branching and
leafy stalk from six to fifteen inches in length. It clings
closely to the ground under dried leaves, grass and
pine needles, and often forms large patches. The
thick, leathery, alternating, evergreen leaves are nearly
oval, and at their base they are slightly heart-shaped.
They are toothless, strongly ribbed, and net-veined,

73

PINK WILD FLOWERS

green on both sides, and are set on short, hairy stems.
The margin is wavy, and the surface is slightly rough.
New leaves do not put forth until after the flowering
season. The delicate, waxy flowers are rather large,
and are closely clustered on the ends of the branches,
Five rounded points spread from the tubular corolla,
which is set in a small, five-parted, leafy, green calyx
on a tiny stem. The pistil and ten yellowish stamens
may be seen at the throat of the white or pinkish white
blossom. The flowers are exquisitely fragrant, and
when one considers their cool, damp surroundings so
very early in the spring, they are exceedingly enticing.
The Trailing Arbutus is found from March to May,
from Newfoundland to the Northwest Territory and
south to Florida, Kentucky, and Michigan.

SHOOTING STAR. AMERICAN COWSLIP.
PRIDE OF OHIO

Dodecatheon Meadia. Primrose Family.

The pert, nodding flowers of this handsome per-
ennial decorate the moist cliffs and ridges in open
woodlands, and also the prairies, during April and
May, from Pennsylvania to Georgia, and west to
Manitoba and Texas. The flowering stalk rises one
or two feet high from a basal cluster of pointed oblong
leaves, which taper into narrow, winged stems. The
rootstock is stout and fibrous. Several showy, purplish
pink or white flowers are gathered into a loose ter-
minal arrangement. These hang from slender, curv-
ing stems which spring from the tip of the stalk. The

74

WILD. FLOWERS PINK

five, long, narrow lobes of the corolla are bent sharply
backward toward the stem, exposing five yellow-
capped stamens, which are closely united, forming a
cone, and a very long, thread-like pistil. The short
‘tube of the flower is thickened at the throat, and marked
with dark, purplish dots.

BITTER BLOOM. ROSE PINK. SQUARE-
STEMMED SABBATIA

Sabatia angularis, Gentian Family.

The fragrant, bright, rosy flowers of the Sabbatia
glimmer through the thickets and in the meadows
where they grow abundantly, during July and August.
The rather stout, much-branched stalk is sharply
four-sided, and grows two or three feet high. The
branches, which bear a single flower, are usually
arranged in opposite pairs. The stemless, five-ribbed,
pointed-oval leaves are clasping and somewhat heart-
shaped at the base, and occur in pairs. The large,
slender-stemmed flowers are rose-pink in colour and
are marked with a central green star. The wheel-
shaped corolla has five rounded, oval segments. The
Rose Pink prefers rich soil, and ranges from New
York to Florida, and west to Ontario, Michigan,
Indian Territory and Louisiana.

SPREADING DOGBANE. HONEY-BLOOM.
BITTER-ROOT

A picynum androsaemifolium. Dogbane Family.
The Dogbane is closely related to the Milkweed
and has a sticky, milky juice. It is a leafy and widely

75

PINK WILD FLOWERS

branching perennial, and grows from one to four feet
high from a horizontal rootstock. The smooth stalk
is usually stained on one side with red. The short-
stemmed, toothless, oval leaves are round-pointed
at either end, and are arranged in opposite pairs.
They are smooth above, and paler and somewhat
hairy beneath. The small, fragrant, bell-shaped
flowers have five spreading, recurved lobes united in a
tube. They are delicate pink in colour, with veinings
of a deeper shade. The five yellowish stamens are
united about the stigma. The nodding flowers all
open at one time, and are borne in small, loose
clusters on the ends of the branches. The slender,
twin seed pods are four inches in length. During
July great numbers of our most iridescent beetles
are attracted to the foliage of the Dogbane, and when
thus found, they furnish a sure means for identifying
this plant. This species was considered at one time
to be poisonous to dogs. It is common during June
and July, along roadsides and in fields and thickets
from Georgia, Nebraska, and Arizona, far north into

Canada. Bitter-root is the state flower of Montana,
*

THE MILKWEEDS.
SILVERWEED. SWALLOW-WORT

Asclepiadaceae. Milkweed Family.

Our common Milkweeds have a certain strain of
beauty and elegance peculiar to themselves. They
may be readily distinguished by several conspicuous
characteristics which are not likely to be confused

76

WILD FLOWERS PINK

with those of any other family. Of course, nearly
everybody knows that these plants are, filled with a
copious, milky fluid or sap that exudes upon the slightest
provocation. It is also true, in a way, that some-
thing about most of them suggests the conventional
type of rubber-plant that has become inseparable
from the moder city apartment — more so, at least,
than any other of the wild flowers. In the fall, the
bursting seed pods expose a silvery, white mass of
soft, silky substance of the finest quality. And this
fluffy, flossy material is’ popularly gathered and util-
ized for filling sofa pillows. The intricate construc-
tion of the unique flowers is of unusual interest. They
are comparatively small, and are set on slender stems
which spring from a common centre and form a well-
grouped terminal cluster, known as an umbel. The
five-parted calyx is bent abruptly downward from the
deeply cleft and five-parted corolla, which is crowned.
with five erect or spreading hoods seated on the stamen
tube, and each of them encloses a little incurving
horn. Five short, stout stamens are inserted on the
base of the corolla within the crown, and their fringed
tips form a tube which incloses the pistil. The
broad anthers are united with this tube at their base
and form a prominent flat-topped, sticky, five-angled,
stigmatic disk. The vertical cells of each anther
are tipped with winged membranes containing a
flattened, pear-shaped, and waxy pollen mass, hung
in pairs from the stigma, like tiny wishbones. These
tiny wings become wedged on the feet of bees and are

77

PINK WILD FLOWERS

carried by them to other flowers, thus completing
a very remarkable means of cross-fertilization, which,
by the way, is a very wonderful study in itself.

PURPLE MILKWEED
Asclépias purpurdscens. Milkweed Family.

A handsome species with large, deep crimson or pur-
ple flowers found in dry fields, roadsides and thickets
from New Hampshire to Ontario, Minnesota, Virginia,
and Kansas during June, July, and August. The
usually single stalk rises from two to four feet high,
and it is tough-fibred, finely grooved and very leafy.
It is so full of milky juice that it fairly spurts out when
a stem or leaf is broken. The long, oval leaf tapers to
a point toward the tip, and narrows at the base into
a short stem. It is smooth above, and finely downy
beneath. The entire margins are sometimes slightly
wavy. The veins are wide-spreading, and the midrib
is strong. They are arranged in alternate pairs.
The divisions of the corolla are oblong in shape
and deep purple in colour. The short, broad hom
tapers to a sharp tip, which turns acutely toward the
centre. The numerous flowers are loosely clustered
in rounding terminal heads.

SWAMP MILKWEED
Asclépias incarnata. Milkweed Family.
This species is found commonly in and about swamps

from July to September and ranges through New
Brunswick to Tennessee, Kansas, and Louisiana. The

"8

WILD FLOWERS PINK

usually smooth stalk is slender and branched. It is
leafy to the top, and grows from two to four feet high.
The leaves are long lance-shaped, tapered at the apex
and narrowed toward the base, where they are some-
times slightly heart-shaped. The veins are ascending
and not spreading as in the preceding species. Neither
has this plant an abundance of milky juice. The
leaves grow in alternating pairs, and are set on short
stout stems. The numerous flowers are arranged in
several rather small, loose terminal and flat-topped,
clusters. They are not large and the corolla is red
or rose-purple, rarely white. The lobes are oblong, and
the pink or purplish hoods are shorter than the enclosed,
incurved horns. The stems of the slender pods are
not crooked.

The Hairy Milkweed, A. pulchra, is a more northern
species with shorter stemmed, broader leaves, and
lighter coloured flowers. It is more or less hairy,
and the stalk is stout. It ranges from Maine to
Minnesota and south to Georgia.

COMMON MILKWEED. SILKWEED
Asclépias syriaca. Milkweed Family.

This is undoubtedly the most familiar of the Milk-
weeds. It is found everywhere in fields and along wood
and roadsides during June, July, and August, from
New Brunswick and Saskatchewan to North Carolina
and Kansas. Its presence is said to be an indication
of rich rather than poor soil. The sticky, milky juice
of this species is less copious than that of the Purple

79

PINK WILD FLOWERS

Milkweed. It has a faint odour and a sub-acrid
taste. The roots have been especially recommended
in cases of asthma, but they are probably of very little
value as a medicine. The young shoots have been
used as a vegetable, and were cooked much after the
manner of asparagus or spinach. The stout, round
and usually simple stalk rises from three to five feet
high. The thick-textured leaf is long-oval in shape,
with blunt, rounding ends: The apex of the latter is
often tipped with a short, stiff point and the base is
sometimes narrowed or again slightly fulled on either
side at the short stem. The veinings are widely
spreading and the midrib is very prominent. The
margin is entire. The upper surface is smooth, and
the under side is downy. The colour above is grayish
green, and whitish or silvery beneath. The leaves
measure from four to nine inches in length. The
corolla lobes of the large and fleshy flower vary from
green through white, to finally a dull purple, from
base to tip, with the latter colour predominating. The
numerous flowers are very fragrant. They are set on
slender stems that spring from the same point on a
short, drooping stalk that grows from the axils of the
upper leaves, and they form large, handsome, rounding
heads or umbels. In the fall, the rough-coated, satin-
lined seed pods are filled with white silky fluff,
which is attached to many flat, brownish seeds
that overlap each other like so many shingles. At
this time they are a familiar sight, and the down has
been used for stuffing many a pillow and mattress.

80

MOCCASIN FLOWER. PINK LADY’S SLIPPER. Cypripedium acaule

BOUNCING BET. SOAPWORT. Saponaria officinalis

WILD FLOWERS PINK

Children delight to make pretty little plumes, puff-
balls or pompons by winding the seed end of ever
so many tufts together with thread, and allowing the
free ends to spread.

POKE, OR TALL MILKWEED
Asclépias phytolaccotdes. Milkweed Family.

This really beautiful plant is one of the most deli-
cately arrayed of its kind.’ It isnot easily confused
with any of the other Milkweeds that are likely to be
found in common with it, because its lovely flowers
are creamy or ivory white, and’ they generally hang
deliberately downward. The usually smooth, simple,
leaf stalk is very milky, and grows ftom three to six
feet high. The large, very thin textured leaves are
broadly egg-shaped, atid are pointed at both ends.
They have entire margins and are set on slender stems.
The surface is smooth or slightly downy underneath,
and the midrib shows prominently. They are arranged
in alternate paits on the stalk and become narrower
as they approach the summit. The numerous large
flowers form one or more clusters or umbels that hang
like fringe, nodding loosely on long, slender stems
which droop prettily from a stout support set in the
angles of the upper leaves. The corolla lobes are
greenish, and the short, broad, white hoods have twin
points. The long, white horns have sharp tips that
project_and curve toward the centre. The green
corolla lobes are often stained. with purple, and the
white crown becomes pinkish. | This Milkweed blooms

-

PINK WILD FLOWERS

from June to August in moist copses and woods, from
Maine to Minnesota, Georgia, and Arkansas.

FOUR-LEAVED MILKWEED
Asclépias quadrifolia. Milkweed Family.

This more dainty and ladylike member of its clan
can be distinguished immediately by its leaves, four
of which are arranged in opposite pairs, forming a
whorl about midway on the slender and rather naked
stalk. Only one or two whorls may occur on the
stalk which grows not more than a foot or two high,
but single pairs of leaves are often found above or even
below the whorls. The thin-textured leaves are long-
oval or lance-shaped with long, tapering points and
slender stems. They are slightly hairy on the under-
side along the veins, and the margins are usually entire.
‘The underside is also of a lighter shade. The oblong
corolla lobes are pale pink, the elliptical-oval hoods
are white, and the incurved hook is short and thick.
The fragrant flowers are comparatively small, and
delicately textured and toned. They are set on slen-
der, hairlike stems, and are less numerous and fewer
clustered than most of its kin. It is found in dry
woods, thickets, and hills during May, June, and July,
from Maine and Ontario to Minnesota, North Caro-
-lina, and Arkansas.

GREAT BINDWEED. WILD MORNING GLORY
Convéluulus sépium. Morning Glory Family.

This large Wild Morning Glory is common every-
where along roadsides and in fields and thickets, where

82

WILD FLOWERS PINK

it twines and trails extensively over the ground or low
shrubbery, from June to August. The main stem
grows from three to ten feet in length, and is round,
leafy, and generally smooth, or sometimes minutely
hairy. The slender stemmed leaves are triangular in
outline with squared, angular lobes at the base, and
are tapering toward the tip. The large, bell-shaped
flowers are usually pink, shading to white at the base
of the tube, with five tapering white stripes radiating
from the centre and extending to the edge of the
corolla. Five stamens and a pistil, all white, are
set within the tube. The five green calyx parts
are nearly enclosed by two large cuppéd bracts. The
solitary flowers are set on the tips of slender stems.
They bloom extensively, and show a preference for
moist soil, from Nova Scotia to North Carolina, and
west to Minnesota, Utah, and Nebraska.

GROUND PINK. MOSS PINK
Phléx subsulata. Phlox Family.

The thick, evergreen tufts of the Moss Pink, which
spread over dry, sandy, or rocky ground and hillsides,
forming dense moss-like patches, are fairly smothered
with the dark-eyed, pink, purple, or white blossoms
from April to June. The slender, creeping, leafy
stalk is much branched, and grows only several inches
high. The numerous stiff, sharp-pointed, spreading
green leaves are very narrow, and are set upon the
stem in frequent, whorling clusters. The five spread-
ing, wedge-shaped divisions of the tubular corolla are

83

PINK WILD FLOWERS

notched at the broadened apex. The many flowers are
gathered in crowded terminal clusters. This low-
growing Pink is found from New York to Florida,
and west to Michigan and Kentucky.

MOTHERWORT. COWTHWORT
Leonitrus Cardiaca. Mint Family.

The tall, leafy, and often branched spires of this
familiar, old-fashioned, domestic herb of past gen-
erations, is commonly found about old dwellings and
along roadsides, where it grows from two to five feet
in height. The square stem is rather stout, and,
together with the foliage, is usually lightly dusted with
whitish powder. The branches are straight and
ascending. The thin and rather soft leaves are notice-
ably veined, and are set in close, opposite pairs, which
swing out in every direction on slender stems. The
leaves are wedge-shaped toward the base, and become
divided above the middle into three sharply toothed
lobes with the central division much larger and longer
than the rest. The lower leaves which are long stemmed
are much broader and are deeply cut with rounded,
irregularly toothed lobes. Numerous little wreaths
of tiny pink, purple, or white flowers are set around
the stalk at the angle of each pair of leaves and at
close intervals. The tubular corolla is two-lipped.
The erect upper lip, which encloses the stamens, is
slightly arched and densely covered with white, woolly
hairs above. The spreading and mottled lower lip is
three-lobed, with the middle one much the largest.

84

WILD FLOWERS PINK

The tube is lined with an oblique ring of hairs. Leo-
nurus is Greek, meaning lion’s tail, and presumably
alludes to the brushy, tail-like branches. Mother-
wort may be found from June to September, from
Nova Scotia to North Carolina, Minnesota and
Nebraska. It has become naturalized from Europe.

WILD BERGAMOT
Mondrda fistuldsa. Mint Family.

This species, which bears several floral heads, is
quite similar to the Oswego Tea. The flowers are
cream-coloured, pink or purplish, however, and the
plant is found on dry hillsides and in thickets. It is
a slender-stemmed, much-branched perennial, growing
two or three feet high. The fragrant, slender-stemmed,
lance-shaped leaves are toothed and veined, and are
frequently heart-shaped at the base. The some-
what flattened flower heads are surrounded with a row
of whitish or purplish leafy bracts.. The calyx is
densely hairy at the throat. The corolla is hairy,
especially on the upper lip. The arrangement of
the leaves and the manner of this plant’s growth
is practically covered in the general description
of the Oswego Tea. ‘This genera was dedicated
to Nicholas Monardes, a Spanish physician and
botanist, who published a book, in 1571, con-
taining the earliest pictures of an American plant.
According to Thistleton Dyer, there is a notion
prevalent in Dorsetshire that a house wherein the
plant Bergamot is kept will never be free from

85

PINK WILD FLOWERS

sickness; but happily it refers to an English species,
and not to ours. The Wild Bergamot blossoms
from June to September, and is found from Maine
and Ontario south to the Gulf States, and west to
Minnesota and Colorado.

SNAKE HEAD. TURTLE HEAD. COD HEAD.
SHELL-FLOWER. BITTER-HERB
BALMONY

Chelone glabra. Figwort Family.

This dweller of wet situations takes most of its
common names from the fancied resemblance of
its flowers to the various subjects which it seems
to have suggested. It is a rather common and
familiar perennial herb, growing from one to three
feet high. The leaves are said to be tonic, and to
have been used as a remedy for liver complaints.
The leafy, hollow stem is sometimes branched, and
is erect, smooth, and square, with two opposite
sides grooved. The sharply toothed, lance-shaped
leaves taper to a long point, and are narrowed at
the base. ‘They are set upon the stalk in alter-
nating, opposite pairs, with short stems, and their
surface is creased with recurved veins. The large
flowers are white, usually tinged with pink, and are
closely crowded in a dense terminal cluster. The
irregular corolla is broadly tubular and two-lipped.
The broad, arched upper lip is creased and notched in
the middle. The lower lip is three-lobed at the
apex, with the middle lobe smallest. The throat is

86

WILD FLOWERS PINK

filled with woolly hairs. The dark, woolly stamens
scarcely peek from beneath the upper arch of the
partly gaping lips. The five-parted green calyx is
surrounded with broader, leafy bracts. The Turtle-
head is found from July to September, and ranges
from Newfoundland to Florida, and west to Mani-
toba and Kansas.

SLENDER GERARDIA
Gerdrdta tenutfolia. Figwort Family.

During September large patches of the irregular
bell-shaped flowers of this little Gerardia are found
in the grassy growths of dry, open woods and thickets.
It is a smooth, slender-stemmed and widely branching
annual, growing from six to twenty-four inches high.
The spreading branches are sparingly leafed. The
alternating leaves are long, very narrow, and almost
needle-like, with sharp points, and show a fine midrib.
The green, bell-shaped calyx has very short, pointed
teeth. The small, tubular flower is light purple or
rarely white, and is marked with numerous indis-
tinct spots. The corolla is flattened, and two of the
five rounded lobes are smaller than the others, and
are curved inward over the pistil and cream-coloured
stamens. The inner surface of the two smaller lobes
is prettily marked with purple spots. The flowers
are set on short, hair-like stems, which spring from
the axils of the leaves along the branches. The little
pear-shaped buds look like drops of thick, fresh
paint, and are very decorative. The Slender Gerardia

87

PINK WILD FLOWERS

ranges commonly from Quebec to Georgia, and west
to Ontario, Illinois, and Louisiana. It is dedicated
to John Gerarde, the famous herbalist.

TWIN-FLOWER. GROUND VINE
Linnaéa borealis. Honeysuckle Family.

A very dainty and delicate little trailing vine, that
was an especial favourite of Linnzus, and which
was dedicated to him with his sanction. The slender,
slightly hairy, and reddish stalk grows from six inches
to two feet long. The small, oval, evergreen leaves
are rather thick, and their surface is rough and finely
creased with numerous veinings. They are indistinctly
toothed, and are set alternately along the stalk on
short stems. The pretty, small, five-lobed, long, bell-
shaped flowers are about half an inch in length and
grow in pairs. They blossom at the same time and
hang downward, nodding gracefully from the thread-
like tips of a fine, upright stem, which rises several
inches and forks near the top to accommodate them.
They are strongly tinted with purple, becoming
white or pinkish at the tips and base. The hairy
green calyx has five long, narrow points. There
are four stamens, two of which are shorter, and are
inserted toward the base of the Covella tube. Occa-
sionally this charming little vine may be found
flowering again late in the fall. The exquisite
fragrance of the flowers completes the charming
qualities with which this darling of the cool,
mossy woods and bogs is endowed. It is found

88

JOE PYE WEED. Eupatorium purpureum

WILD FLOWERS PINK

from June to August, from the mountains of Mary-
land to Labrador, and west through the northern
border states and Canada to California, and
Alaska. It is also found in northern Europe and
Asia.

JOE PYE WEED. TRUMPET WEED. GRAVEL
ROOT. TALL, OR PURPLE BONESET. KIDNEY
ROOT. QUEEN OF THE MEADOW

Eupatorium purpureum. Thistle Family.

During August and September, the tall, swaying
heads of Joe Pye are conspicuous in low, wet meadows,
and along open streams and swamps where it grows
rankly and vigorously. It was named from Joe
Pye, an Indian doctor, who gained some notoriety
travelling through New England, and who applied
this plant in treating cases of typhus fever. The
large, stout, leafy stalk grows from three to ten feet
high, and branches at the summit. It is usually
stained with purple. The large, thin, oval or broad,
lance-shaped leaves are arranged in curving whorls
of from three to six. They are short-stemmed, long-
pointed, rounded-toothed, firmly ribbed and veined,
and rough-surfaced. The flowers are of a peculiar
shade of dull pink or purple. They have a matted,
fuzzy appearance, and are arranged in numerous
small groups that form large, dense, and somewhat
flat-topped, or elongated terminal clusters. The small,
tubular florets have long, projecting, hdiry pistils,
and the cup in which they are set is of the same colour

89

PINK WILD FLOWERS

as the faintly fragrant flowers. Joe Pye is found
from Canada to Florida and Texas.

BURDOCK. COCKLE BUR. BEGGAR’S BUTTON.
CUCKOO BUTTON

Arctium minus. Thistle Family.

Children delight to gather the shaggy green burs
of the Beggar’s. Button and form them into birds’
nests, baskets, dolls, and a various assortment of
similar playthings. They well know, too, the bitter
taste they leave on the fingers. The Burdock is a
large, coarse, bushy, branching biennial, growing
from two to four feet high. The large, rough stalk is
very leafy, and is round and grooved. The tooth-
less, hollow-stemmed leaves are large, broad, and
alternating. They are pointed-oval in shape, more
or less wavy, and rather thin and veiny. The lower
ones are heart-shaped. The small flower head is
composed of numerous silky, tubular florets of vary-
ing shades of purple, gathered into soft tufts and set
in a rather large, conical green bur, which is thickly
covered with many sharp, spreading, long-hooked,
and sticky bristles. They are set on short stems in
irregular terminal, bunchy clusters. ‘The root and fresh
leaves are employed as a remedy in blood and skin
disorders, and also for swellings and rheumatism.
In Japan the root is known as Gobo, and is a popular
vegetable in the country. Burdock is a familiar
plant commonly found around neglected buildings,
and along fence rows, roadways, and in pastures

go

WILD FLOWERS PINK

throughout our area, flowering in its second year,
from July to November.

We have also a much taller species, A. Lappa,
growing from four to ten feet in height. It is not so
common, and its range is more restricted. The leaf
stems are deeply grooved and not hollow.

And buttercups are coming,
And scarlet columbine,
And in the sunny meadows

The dandelions shine.

And just as many daisies
As their soft hands can hold
The little ones may gather,
All fair in white and gold.

Here blows the warm red clover;
There peeps the violet blue;
Oh happy little children!
God made them all for you.

Celia Thasster.

Strap Shaped
ee bennee \,, Florets

|
Keel- LAN = 2

BUTTERFLY SHAPE Disc’.

HAREBELL Ray Flower
(Bell Shaped) is HE

Clustered
paeeee Flowers i
STRAMONIUM
ROTATE (Fennel, opener)
wheel shaped or Jubular
(wh ped) Tubul
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Seeds “y-......Bearded

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OISC'E, RAY
FLOWERS

FLOWER FORMS

Section IIL

YELLOW AND ORANGE FLOWERS

GOLDEN. CLUB
Oréntium aqudticum. Arum Family.

HE Golden Club is common in shallow water
in ponds and swamps, mostly near the coast,
during April and May. It is closely allied to the
Skunk Cabbage and Jack-in-the-Pulpit, but resem-
bles neither. The long-stemmed leaves and flower
stalks manage to keep just above the water, and are
often reclining upon its surface, according to its depth.
The thick, juicy, smooth-surfaced, long, pointed-
oblong leaves, are deep, dull green above, and pale
beneath. They are sometimes a foot in length, and
are narrowed, or frequently partly furled at the base
The parallel ribs are equally apparent. The numer-
ous tiny, flat, bright yellow flowers are from four to
six parted and are deeply and closely set upon a
thick, pointed club, which terminates the flattened
tip of the long, floral stalk. This aquatic plant is
found from New England to the Gulf of Mexico.
The generic name is said to be that of some plant from
the Orontes River, in Syria.

SWEET FLAG. CALAMUS
Acorus Calamus. Arum Family.

An exceedingly common rush-like herb, with very
long, horizontal, branched rootstocks, and rather stiff,
sword-shaped, light green leaves, growing in thick

95

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

patches along streams and in swamps, and flowering
from May to July. The flower stem resembles the
leaves, but is larger, and from one side, near the
middle, it sends out a thick, fleshy, tapering spike,
which is densely crowded with minute, greenish
yellow florets. This spike is tender and edible when
about half developed. The root which has a strong,
aromatic fragrance, is used by country people: when
dried or candied, as a remedy for dyspepsia, and as a
stimulant and tonic for feeble digestion. Calamus
appears to have been known to the ancient Babylonians,
and also by the Greeks. It is used in India to some
extent, and the powdered root is an esteemed insecticide
in Ceylon and India. It also produces a volatile oil
that is largely used in perfumery. Calamus. can
always, be identified by the fragrance emitted by the
roots, and for edible purposes similar. roots should
be avoided. The interior of the stalk is sweet: It
ranges from Nova Scotia to Ontario and Minnesota,
south to Kansas and the Gulf of Mexico. - Also in
‘ Europe and Asia. This species: grows from: two
to six. feet high. a

ty
PERFOLIATE BELLWORT. STRAW BELL
Uvularia perfoliata. Lily Family.

The inconspicuous, straw-coloured, _ bell-shaped
flowers of the graceful Bellwort, blossom during May
and June in rich, moist woods and thickets. The
slender, pale green stalk grows from six to twenty
inches high, from a perennial rootstock, and is smooth

96

RED, or MEADOW CLOVER. Trifolium pratense

qginioyipnu uoipuapopoyy winsodslA UOIPUspopoyy
VATIVZV ANId ‘“ATXONSAANOH CTLM VUIVZV ALIHM “ATIONSATNOH dWVMS

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

and round. It is forked above the middle, and usually
produces from one to three leaves below the fork.
The thin, alternating, pointed oblong leaf entirely
surrounds the stalk near the rounded base, and looks
as if the stalk grew through it, rather than otherwise.
This peculiarity is an easy means of identification.
They are toned a full green, and are toothless, with an
entire margin, and have a creased midrib. The rather
large, fragrant, solitary, pale yellow flower hangs,
like a pendant, from the ends of the drooping branches,
on short stems, and is often partly hidden beneath the
overhanging, terminal leaves. It is composed of six
narrow, petal-like segments or sepals, which are
rough on the inside, and have spreading tips. There
are six stamens and a pistil. The generic name is
derived from the Latin, Uvula, a palate, and alludes
to the hanging flowers. The Straw Bell is found from
Quebec and Ontario to Florida and Mississippi:

SESSILE-LEAVED BELLWORT. WILD OAT
Oakésta sessilifolia. Lily Family.

A pretty and somewhat more common species than
the foregoing, flowering at the same time, and having
its stemless, pale green, rough-edged, long pointed-
oval leaves set in pairs upon the angular stalk, and not
pierced by it. It reaches the height of about twelve
anches, and bears one or two leaves below the fork.
The six petal-like segments of the smaller drooping
flowers are less pointed and curved. They are greenish
yellow or cream-coloured, and a sharply three-angled

97

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

seed pod succeeds them. One or two flowers hang
from the end of the branches at first, but as the latter
continues to lengthen, they may be found later on,
appearing opposite the leaves. This Bellwort is
found in woods and thickets from New Brunswick and
Ontario to Minnesota, and south to Florida and
Arkansas. Dedicated to William Oakes, a New Eng.
land botanist, who died in 1848.

TURK’S CAP LILY
Lilium supérbum. Lily Family.

The Turk’s Cap is one of the loveliest and most
graceful of our handsomest native wild flowers. It
is sometimes confused with the Meadow Lily, but is a
later-blooming, and much taller-growing species, with
the parts of its widely spreading bells rolled backward
until their tips often lap over the base of the flower.
Its flowers are usually more richly coloured, and they
blossom more profusely. The tall, and very leafy
stalk grows from three to eight feet high from a round
bulb, which is borne on a short rootstock composed of
thick, white, egg-shaped scales. The numerous long,
lance-shaped stemless and toothless leaves taper toward
either end, and are three-ribbed and smooth on both
sides. Usually those on the lower part of the stalk
are arranged in whorls of from three to eight, while the
upper ones are close and alternating. From one to
forty large, beautiful coloured flowers, varying from
orange to orange-yellow, or rarely red, are borne on
long, slender, spreading terminal stems, from which they

98

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

hang and nod with an enticing gesture. The stems
usually carry a small green leaflet. The six long,
tapering lance-shaped petal parts when deep orange,
are variegated with light yellow, especially on the
inner side, which has a dash of white with a light
green centre at the base. The inside is also spotted
with dark purple, the spots, as a rule, occurring on the
yellow colouring, and on either side of the green mark
within. The six, long, light green stamens are capped
with large, rich brown anthers, and are spread con-
spicuously around the large, club-shaped pistil. They
all project bewitchingly beyond the bell of the flower,
and add greatly to the charm and attractiveness of
this variable Lily. It blossoms from July to August
in moist meadows and marshes, from Maine to Ontario
and Minnesota, south to North Carolina and Ten-
nessee. It is a less common species than the Meadow
‘Lily, and more majestic and decorative in its habit.
It slightly resembles the magnificent Tiger Lily of
China and Japan, which sometimes escapes from New
England gardens.

MEADOW LILY. FIELD, WILD OR YELLOW LILY
Lilium canadénse. Lily Family.

The large handsome bells of the popular Meadow
Lily fairly tinkle with the joyous outdoor spirit which
ever glorifies the month of June. The smooth, slender,
or stout, leafy stalk grows from one to five feet tall,
from a bulby rootstock composed of numerous narrow,
fleshy, white scales. The stemless and toothless,

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YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

oblong or lance-shaped leaves are usually gathered
in whorls of from four to ten, which are distributed
at regular intervals on the stalk. The uppermost
leaves are often alternating. The margins, as well as
the veining on the under side, are finely roughened,
and they are strongly three-ribbed. From one to
sixteen showy flowers spring fountain-like from the
summit of the stalk, on long, slender stems, and
droop and nod in every direction from the sharply
curved ends. They are decidedly bell-like, and
their six spreading, pointed, petal-like parts are yel-
low or orange coloured, and usually deeper toned, and
thickly spotted within with dark, reddish brown,
The large, rich-brown capped, light green stamens
are six in number, and the club-shaped pistil has three
lobes. At times some of our swamps, meadows, and low
fields are extensively decorated with the lovely flowers
of this gorgeous Lily which hang their graceful heads
well above the surrounding vegetation. This species is,
found in blossom during June and July, and ranges
from Nova Scotia to Ontario and Minnesota, south
to Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri. The Indians

made use of the bulbs for thickening meat soups.

YELLOW ADDER’S TONGUE. TROUT LILY
DOG’S TOOTH VIOLET. FAWN LILY

Erythronium americanum. Lily Family.
Where the brook wanders through a partially

shaded, open and moist bit of woodland or thicket,
there, in the springtime, you will find its bank and the

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~

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

immediate vicinity literally carpeted with the peculiarly
mottled leaves of this beautiful Lily. Here and there
the solitary, bright yellow, bell-shaped Lily-like flowers
hang downward, pipe-like and nodding from long,
slender, upright stems. They have a slight, delicate
fragrance, and the half-dozen rich, brown-capped,
yellow stamens stand out gracefully from an equal
number of recurved petal-like sepals, in striking con-
trast and pleasing harmony. Inside, near the base,
the divisions are sharply spotted with rich chocolate,
and on the outside, they are usually faintly tinged with
purple. The club-shaped pistil of the rather large per-
fect flower has its tips or stigmas united. The flowers
close at night, and remain partly so on dull or rainy
days. ‘They always face toward the sun, and the outer
divisions recurve to their fullest extent on brightest
and warmest days. Everybody loves the Dog’s
Tooth Violet. Everybody knows it by this misleading
name. Maybe the “Dog’s Tooth” part originated
from the shape of the flower parts, having something
of the outline of the long, pointed, canine teeth of a
dog. But it is not a Violet at all. It is a Lily. The
shape and hang of the flowers indicate this. If you
still doubt it, dig up the plant carefully, roots and all,
and you will find ample proof in a deeply seated, plump,
smooth, solid, egg-shaped corm, or bulb at the base
of the stalk. The bulb is edible, and when roasted
was greatly relished as a tit-bit by the Indians. The
bulb and leaves are also used as a medicine for pro-
ducing nausea. This bulb rests in the ground, some

Ior

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

six or eight inches below the surface. The plant
is complete with two, flat, fleshy, long, pointed oval,
pale green leaves of unequal length. They are smooth
and shiny, and are generally marbled with dull reddish
or purplish markings. At first, one might think that
the stained effect was produced by frost. This mot-
tled effect of the leaves suggests the appearance of a
snake’s skin, and the pipe-like flower extending
‘therefrom, is supposed to justify the name of Yellow
Adder’s Tongue. In some localities, where the earliest
trout fishing is eagerly sought, this delightful spring
beauty is popularly known as the Trout Lily, and its
speckled leaves and blossoms are heralded as a signal
that another speckled beauty, the brook trout, has
appeared. The erect, ear-like appearance of the two
leaves, together with their peculiar markings, caused
John Burroughs to christen this plant the Fawn Lily.
The flowers and leaves begin to wilt almost as soon
as they are picked. The former revive nicely when
placed in water, but the leaves are slower in recovering
the shock. Soon after the flowering season, the leaves
begin to fade, and by July scarcely a trace of them is
to be seen. This species is found scattered in groups
and colonies in abundance from Nova Scotia to Ontario
and Minnesota, south to Florida, Missouri and Arkan-
sas, during March, April, and May. Somewhat far-
ther west it is replaced by a similar species with nar-
rower and less mottled leaves, and white or pinkish-
white flowers, that are not commonly found eastward.
The pistil has three short, spreading tips, or stigmas.

102

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

It is known as the White Adder’s Tongue, E. albidum.

This species multiplies by underground offshoots
from the base of the corm.

YELLOW CLINTONIA
Clintinia borealis, Lily Family.

A handsome Lily of the Valley plant, growing espe-
cially common in our more northern woods, where it
seeks the cool moisture of the shady evergreens. It
was dedicated to DeWitt Clinton, a former governor
of New York State. The slender, nearly smooth,
and naked flowering stalk rises from six to fifteen
inches high, and bears from three to six drooping,
greenish yellow, or straw-coloured, bell-shaped blos-
soms, which are arranged in a loose, terminal cluster
on slender, nodding stems. They are formed of six
spreading sepals, with six stamens and a pistil. The
two to five, usually three, large, thin, glossy dark
green leaves are pointed-oval or oblong in shape, and
are narrowed into a sheathing base. This plant is
probably more familiar to vacationists in the late
summer, when the erect, dark blue, globular berries
are very conspicuous. It blossoms during May and
June, and is found from Newfoundland and Ontario
to North Carolina and Minnesota.

INDIAN CUCUMBER ROOT

Medéola virginiana. Lily Family.
The dark purple berries of this common woodland
plant are far more noticeable during August than
are the singular, nodding yellow flowers that precede

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YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

them. The long, horizontal, club-shaped rootstock
which is white, crisp and juicy, and tastes not unlike
cucumbers, is said to have been relished by the Indians.
It has also been used as a remedy for torpid livers.
The slender, unbranched stalk is slightly adorned with
a cottony fuzz, and grows from one to two and a half
feet in\height, in moist woods and thickets. It bears
usually two whorls of leaves. The larger whorl con-
sists of from five to nine thin, stemless, oblong, taper-
pointed, toothless and three-ribbed leaves, and occurs
half-way up the stalk. ‘The other whorl is borne at the
top, directly under the flowers, and the smaller leaves,
numbering from two to five, are frequently short-
stemmed. Plants which bear no flowers have only one
whorl of leaves, and that terminates the stalk. From two
to nine inconspicuous, spidery flowers are set on slender
curving stems that spring from the centre of the upper
leaves, and hang usually below them. They have six
spreading recurved petal-like parts, six brown-tipped
stamens, and a pistil with three very long and curving
stigmas. The species ranges from Nova Scotia to On-
tario and Minnesota, south to Florida and Tennessee.

CARRION FLOWER

Smilax herbacea. Smilax Family.

The Carrion Flower emits a remarkably putrid odour,
so offensive and disagreeable that Thoreau says: “It
smells exactly like a dead rat in the wall.” Happily,
however, this objectionable feature lasts only through the
flowering season, and then the ornamental features of

TO4

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

this rather handsome vine should be appreciated.
Especially in the fall is it attractive, when the dark
fruit clusters contrast so beautifully with its variegated
leaves. The tough, round, smooth, green stalk is
frequently angled and much-branched. It is thorn-
less, and climbs gracefully in and out, and over and
under surrounding vegetation, supporting itself en route
by means of numerous small and twining tendrils,
which spring from the base of the leaves. The large,
smooth, sharply pointed, bright green leaves are egp-
shaped, heart-shaped, or blunt at the base. They
are tough, thin-textured, frequently downy beneath,
strongly ribbed and toothless. The arrangement is
close and alternating, and they are set on short or long
stems. From fifteen to eighty small, rankly scented,
yellowish green, six-parted flowers are gathered into
a half-round floral cluster, which is borne on a long,
slender stem growing from the axils of the leaves.
In the fall the flowets are succeeded by a cluster of
bluish black berries. The flowers are both staminate
and pistilate, and occur on separate plants. The
Carrion Flower is common along river banks and
moist thickets, where it blossoms from April to June,
from New Brunswick to Manitoba and the Dakotas,
south to the Gulf States and Nebraska.

YELLOW STAR GRASS
Hypéxis hirsiata, Iris Family.
From May to October our grassy fields and dry,
open woods are frequently spangled with the little
105

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

yellow starry blossoms of this species. The flower
stalks and slender, grass-like leaves, rise from a
fibrous rooted, egg-shaped corm. They are more or
less hairy, and grow from two to six inches in height.
The leaves are distinctly grooved, with a noticeable
rib, and are much longer than the flower stalk. The
six-parted, petal-like parts of the flowers are bright
yellow and waxy within, and three of them, at least,
are greenish and hairy without. They spread widely,
and show their yellow stamens. Several buds form
a loose, terminal cluster, and open one or two at a time,
The Yellow Star Grass is found from Maine and
Ontario to Assiniboia, Florida and Texas.

SMALL YELLOW LADY’S SLIPPER
Cypripedium parviflbrum. Orchid Family.

Cinderella’s wonderful glass slipper never pos-
sessed the charm and comfort suggested by the dainty |
golden mocassins of this exquisite Orchid. It is
a lively, smaller-flowered beauty, resembling the
following species in many respects, and is frequently
hopelessly confused with it. The lip, or pouch,
however, is bright yellow, and more or less marked
with purple stripes, spots or blotches. Its flower is
delightfully fragrant, and its petals are longer and
more twisted. It is also less common, and its range
is more extensive than that of its larger sister. The
slender, leafy stem grows one to two feet high, and’
the pointed oval or lance-shaped leaves alternate
upon it. The curious, triangular, lid-like anther is

106

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

yellow, and is purple-spotted like the pouch. The
narrow, curling sepals and petals are sometimes purple
or claret-coloured. This species is found in bogs and
moist, hilly woodlands from ocean to ocean, and from
Canada south along the mountains to Washington,
Missouri and Georgia. It possesses the same poisonous
properties as the larger species. The roots have a dis-
tinct and heavy odour like Valerian, and are used as a
general stimulant for nerves and in neuraliga,

LARGE YELLOW LADY’S SLIPPER
Cypripedium pubéscens. Orchid Family.

This large, striking, purple-striped, yellow-flowered
Orchid is an early bloomer, and is found immediately
after its lovely pink sister, the Moccasin Flower. It is not
at all uncommon, yet enough so to warrant our elation
whenever we happen to run across it. This handsome
plant is covered with fine hairs, and its leafy stalk
rises from one to two feet in height. The alternating
oval, pointed leaves are parallel ribbed, and clasp
the stalk. The large, showy, pale yellow lip, or pouch,
is streaked with purple lines, and near the top it
encloses a tuft of white, jointed hairs. The broad,
pointed: sepals and very long, narrow, twisted and
curling side petals, are greenish yellow, streaked with
brownish purple. The usually solitary and scent-
less flower swings from the top of the stalk with an
outward gesture, and is found in bogs and moist hilly
woods and thickets, from Nova Scotia to Ontario and
Minnesota, south to Nebraska, Colorado, Arkansas

107

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

and Alabama, from May to July. The roots are used
as a nerve tonic, and the odour is rather heavy and
disagreeable. The hairs on this species yield an oil
that is poisonous.
TUBERCLED ORCHIS. SMALL PALE GREEN
ORCHIS
Habenaria flava. Orchid Family.

This common, tiny-flowered and leafy-stemmed
Orchid is usually found growing in the same bog
with the Ragged Orchis and blooming during June and
July. The rather stout stalk grows one or two feet
high, and bears several large, alternating, elliptic, or
lance-shaped leaves. The greenish yellow flowers are
inconspicuous and numerous, and form a slender,
clustered terminal spike that bristles with many sharp
green bracts. The petals and sepals are somewhat
similar in shape. The former are greenish, and the
latter greenish yellow in colour. ‘The fringeless,
spurred lip is a trifle longer than the other petals.
It is broad, with rounded edges, and has a slight notch
at the apex, while at the middle of its base appears
a single tubercle, or palate. This unattractive Orchid
is found in swamps and wet places, from Florida,
Louisiana and Missouri, to Minnesota and Ontario.

YELLOW FRINGED ORCHIS
Habenaria ciliaris. Orchid Family.

One of the tallest, stoutest, and most frequently
found of our most attractive Orchids, blooming dur-
ing July and August, in wet meadows and along the

108

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

borders of moist, open woods. The beautiful orange
yellow flowers are closely clustered in a large, rounded,
oblong, terminal spike, and are exceedingly handsome
and very attractive as the tall, slender, leafy stalk
sways its brilliant, fringy torch in the long grasses
of late summer. It grows from twelve to thirty inches
high, and its long, pointed, lance-shaped leaves pass
suddenly into pointed, bract-like leaflets, as they
approach the blossoms. The rather large, showy
flowers have bluntly pointed, broad oval or almost
circular sepals, two of which are ear-like and spread-
ing, while the upper one extends forward, and is hood-
like. The petals are much smaller, and generally
toothed. The long, drooping, oblong lip is deeply
cut into a fine fringe, and is prolonged into a very
long, slender, curving spur. The buds resemble the
golden balls of a miniature, drum-major’s baton.
This magnificent Orchid is one of the most interesting
of our early autumn wild flowers, and it fairly quickens
the pulse to come suddenly upon it for the first time
during the season. Personally, I always feel the same
tingling sensation as that which I have experienced
when finding for the first time, the nests of our rarest
birds in remote recesses. The Greek name Habenaria
signifies Rein Orchis. This group is characterized by
its lofty stems and its plumy wands of many flowers.
It contains about four hundred species which are
distributed. throughout the world and of which about
forty are found in North America. It also contains
some of the larger plants of our native Orchids. The

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YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

principal character of the blossom is the very long,
slender spur which hangs from under the drooping
spreading lip, and the usual variously cut and fringed
design of the latter. The Yellow Fringed Orchis ranges
from New England to Ontario and Michigan, and
south to the Gulf States.

RAGGED ORCHIS
Habenaria lacera. Orchid Family.

The greenish yellow flowers of the Ragged Orchis
are “all tattered and torn,” like the man in the nur-
sery rhyme

“That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn.”
It is a common and inconspicuous Orchid, differing
distinctly from all others by its remarkable fringed
lip, which is so fantastically slit and slashed that it ~
is comparatively difficult to describe. The rather
slender, round, smooth stalk grows one or two feet
high, and bears several firm, alternating, lance-shaped,
yellow-green leaves, which become very much smaller
and bract-like as they approach the top. The numer-
ous flowers are gathered into a loose, terminal, misty
green or feathery spike. The sepals are pointed oval,
and the upper one is a little the broadest. The petals
are oblong, and the long lip is divided into three
spreading parts, each of which is hopelessly cut into
an irregular thread-like fringe. The curving spur
is very long and slender. The Ragged Orchis blos-
soms during June and July, in bogs, swamps, and wet
II0

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

woods, from Nova Scotia to Minnesota, and south to
Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri.

FIELD, OR SHEEP SORREL. SOUR GRASS
Rimex Acetoséilla. Buckwheat Family.

In the springtime the children delight to chew the
acid foliage of this familiar and so-called Sour Grass.
My mouth actually waters now, as I recall the sen-
sation produced by the tartness of these green leaves
which I, too, used to nibble. The young leaves make
a palatable salad and pot green. It grows in dry
fields and on hillsides throughout the entire length
and breadth of the land, and is found from May to
September. Several slender, leafy, branching stems
rise from a tuft of leaves. The rootstock is woody and
creeping. Thesmooth, thick, juicy, long arrow-shaped
leaves have two pointed lobes flaring from the base.
Their margins are toothless, and they are set on long,
grooved stems. The very tiny, six-parted, bright
greenish yellow flowers soon turn to reddish or dull
crimson, and are gathered in long, slim, curving,
feathery spikes which terminate the slender branches.
Sour Grass is exceeding common, and is found in all,
sorts of locations, most everywhere.

LARGE YELLOW POND LILY. COW LILY.
SPATTER-DOCK
Nymphaéa ddvena. Water Lily Family.

The Yellow Pond Lily grows rankest in shallow
water along the margins of slow-moving streams and
stagnant ponds, where great patches of the large

IIr

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

coarse, bright green leaves grow above the surface
of the water so thickly that it is almost impossible,
sometimes, to push a canoe or rowboat through them.
Muddy bottoms and sunny exposures cause them to
grow in greatest profusion, from April to September.
The flower is stiff and waxy, and has the appearance
of being a stunted blossom, which had become deformed
before it had a chance to mature. Many a stranger
from the city has scoffed the idea of wet feet in order
to secure one of these golden cups, only to cast it aside
with a keen sense of disgust and disappointnient.
The Spatter-dock encroaches persistently on arti-
ficial ponds, which have been made by construeting
dams across small streams, causing the water to back
up and flood the shallow land adjacent thereto, for the
purpose of harvesting ice during the winter. It often
happens that a considerable area of a pond becomes
choked with the leaves of this plant, and unless checked
in some way, they would cause the loss of many tons
of marketable ice. To overcome this difficulty, the
owners usually open the locks and release the water
during midsummer, allowing the ponds to run dry for
several weeks. While this operation does not always
kill the roots, it does affect the foliage, which causes
the trouble, and itis left to the mercy of the sun.
In the carly fall the floodgates are closed, and the
rising water insures a clear field of ice. Anyone not
familiar with the construction of the Spatter-dock’s
blossom would naturally describe it as a yellow flower,
having six large, yellow petals, and a great, big pistil,
112

TRAILING ARBUTUS. MAYFLOWER. Epigaea repens

AMERICAN COWSLIP. Dodecatheon Meadia

SHOOTING STAR

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

surrounded with many stamens. But let us see what
it really-is. It is a large flower, all right, having six
large, concave sepals — not petals — which form an
orange-shaped cup, measuring from one and one-half to
three and one-half inches in diameter.. Three of these
petal-like sepals are slightly larger than the others,
and form the inner row of an alternate arrangement
with the three smaller ones which support them.
They are bright yellow in colour, shading to a light
green at their base, ‘and occasionally they are stained
with purple. Immediately inside this yellow-lined
bowl are the real petals, forming a ring around the
thick, compound pistil. They are stamen-like, fleshy,
oblong, and numerous, and are comparatively short,
less than half an inch in length. The many yellow
stamens are arranged in five, six, or seven rows directly
around the pistil, from which they radiate, and recurv-
ing prettily, fill the cup. The flat top of the great
stigma or pistil, which is compounded or com-
posed of many carpels or simple pistils, is orange-red -
or yellow, and is strikingly decorated with a starlike
design, having from twelve to twenty-four rays. The
flowers are not possessed of a pleasing odour, and
this accounts for much of its unattractiveness. In
England they are called Brandy Bottles, a name
which knowing ones claim is suggested by its odour,
and which others attribute to the shape of its seed
cases. ‘They are found either floating or erected above
the water, in common with its foliage. The large,
smooth, shining leaves are tough and leathery, and

113

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

measure from six to twelve inches in length. They
are deeply cleft or heart-shaped at the base, and ovate
in general, with a rounded tip and toothless margins.
The long, smooth, thick, light green stems of the
leaves and flowers rise to the surface of the water from
the thick horizontal rootstock which is anchored
in the mud. The leaf stems are sometimes flattened
on one side. The roots are said to have been used by
the Indians as food. This Pond Lily ranges from New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia, south to Florida and
westward to the Rocky Mountains, Texas and Utah.

AMERICAN LOTUS. NELUMBO. WATER
CHINQUAPIN, OR WANKAPIN

Neliimbo lutea. Water Lily Family.

This beautiful aquatic is found in scattered localities
from Ontario to Florida, and westward, during July
and August. The large, showy fragrant flower is
from four to ten inches broad, pale yellow in colour,
and slightly resembling a double tulip, with numer-
ous petals and stamens inserted on the calyx. The
concave and pointed petals are arranged in several
rows, and they graduate into stamens. The large,
round, slightly hollowed leaves generally rise high
above the water, and are often two feet broad. They
assume a peculiar bluish green as the season advances,
and are strongly ribbed, smooth above and hairy
beneath. The thick, stout stem has several large air
canals, and the rootstock is thick and nearly hori-
zontal. The seed case reminds one of the sprink-

114

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

ling nozzle of a watering pot. It is held erect, and
its surface is indented with little pockets containing
the small, round, nut-like seeds. The root tubers
and seeds are edible. This plant is especially com-
mon in the Central States, near the Great Lakes.

THE BUTTERCUPS

Ranunculaceae. Crowfoot Family.

Show me a man who, when a boy, did not hold a
Buttercup under his own or another’s chin that he
might, by the reflection of its brilliant yellow cup,
determine to what degree his subject “liked butter,”
and I will show you a man who has not experienced
a full share of the joyous thrills of a genuine, glorious
childhood. The custom is an old and popular one,
and comes of a

“Knowledge never learned of schools
Of the wild bee’s morning chase,
Of the wild flower’s time and_ place.”
The month of June finds the. Buttercups at their best,
and in the greatest profusion of bloom. The snappy,
yellow cups fairly scintillate with the sun’s radiance,
and as the breezes tilt them, its golden glory is flashed
and re-flashed with dazzling brightness, lending a
charm and cheerfulness to the grassy fields and road-
sides where they sparkle, that defies description.
You have probably noticed in pasture lands, when the
grass is smooth and closely cropped by grazing cattle,
that it was dotted here and there with small tufts
of tall grass and foiiage from which spread the

II5

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

glittering, golden flowers of the Buttercup, as if they
had been purposely placed there for ornamental and
decorative effect. Perhaps they were, but if so, why
not the Clover or Forget-me-not, or any of a dozen
and one other equally pleasing flowers? Why was
the Buttercup alone selected. I will tell you why.
It is because, as the gossips say, the Crowfoot clan has
a family “skeleton in its closet.” Some of its kind,
the Aconite and Larkspur, have developed certain
highly poisonous qualities, and the Buttercup, though
happily free from such deadly contamination, still
betrays its kinship by the very acrid and caustic juice
which it conceals. For this reason, horses and cattle
intentionally avoid the Buttercups, and that is why
they stand out boldly and fearlessly in every pasture,
joidding a pretty defiance to their four-footed enemies
who might otherwise ruthlessly obliterate them. Many
farmers destroy the Crowfoot with marked vengeance,
and look upon their coming hay crop with more or less
concern and depreciation, if their timothy is brightened
with these brilliant blossoms. Their fears should cease,
however, when they learn that the Buttercup loses its
objectionable qualities with the drying or curing pro-* |
cess of hay-making, and then it is relished as a fodder.

SMALL-FLOWERED, OR KIDNEY=LEAVED
CROWFOOT
Rantinculus abortivus. Crowfoot Family.

Commonly found along shady hillsides and wood-
land streams during April, May, and June, from

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WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

Labrador and Nova’ Scotia to Manitoba, and south
to Florida, Arkansas, and Colorado, this biennial
_ species grows from one-half to two feet high. The
bright green lower leaves are smooth, thick and rounded
or somewhat kidney-shaped. The small flowers have
prominent heads, and drooping, pale yellow petals,
which are shorter than the reflexed calyx.

HOOKED CROWFOOT

Raninculus recurvatus. Crowfoot Family.

This is an annual species with very acrid and
blistering juice. It grows throughout the same
general range as the small-leaved species, and is
about the same height. It is found from June
to August. It is common in wet woodlands and
ditches, and may be easily distinguished by its large,
hooked seed cases, which are grouped in a conspi-
cuous cluster. The stalk is thick and hollow, the
leaves are thickish, and. the pale flowers are small,
with inconspicuous petals.

EARLY, OR TUFTED BUTTERCUP

Raninculus fascicularis. Crowfoot Family.

A common, early, fine, silky-haired woodland
species, growing from six to twelve inches high, and
bearing deep yellow, narrow-petalled flowers, meas-
uring nearly an inch broad. The flower often has
six or seven petals. It rises from a cluster of thick-
ened fleshy-fibred roots, and is found during April
and May in open woods from Ontario and New

117

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

fngland to North Carolina and westward to Texas
and Manitoba. The dark green, long-stemmed leaves
are deeply lobed with three, four, or five divisions.
This is one of the very first of the Buttercups to blos-
som in the spring time.

SWAMP, OR MARSH BUTTERCUP

Raninculus septentrionalis. Crowfoot Family.

This is the second Buttercup to blossom in the spring,
and follows closely upon the Bulbous. It is tall and
branching, sometimes reclining and taking root at the
joints. It grows from one to three feet high, and the
thick, hollow stem is generally smooth and finely
grooved. It is found in low, swampy, or moist, shady
places, from New Brunswick and Manitoba, south to
Georgia and Kentucky, from April to July. The
mottled leaves are large and thrice divided, with the
divisions again cleft into three much-notched and
pointed lobes. They are set on long foot stems. The
flower is an inch broad, and the petals do not over-
lap like those of the Tall Crowfoot.

HISPID BUTTERCUP
Ranunculus bispidus. Crowfoot Family.

The earliest flowering Buttercup in the vicinity of
New York. Its young leaves are very hairy. The
stems are sometimes spreading, and together with
their bright yellow flowers, this species is generally
larger, but fewer leaved than the Bristly Crowfoot.
The thin leaves are divided three, four, or five times,

118

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE’

and the divisions are again sharply cleft and lobed.
They are set on long stems. This Buttercup rises
from a clusrer of stout, fibrous roots, and is found in
moist places and upland woods, from Georgia and
Arkansas northward, from March to May.

CREEPING BUTTERCUP
Rananculus répens. Crowfoot Family.

This species spreads by runners and forms large
patches along roadsides and in low fields, from Nova
Scotia to Virginia, and westward, during May, June,
and July. The plants are generally hairy. The
thrice divided leaves are set on long stems, and are
often spotted or marked with white. The flowers
are nearly an inch broad.

BRISTLY BUTTERCUP
Ranitnculus pennsylvanicus. Crowfoot Family.

This unlovely Buttercup grows commonly from one
to two feet high in wet, open places, from Nova Scotia
to Georgia, and west to the Rocky Mountains and
British Columbia, during June, July and August.
The flowers have a prominent thimble-shaped, head
formed of numerous green pistils, surrounded with
small petals of the same length as the sepals. The
very stout, hollow stalk is stiff and bristly with long
hairs. The numerous leaves are thin, medium green
in colour, and are thrice divided into three deeply
cleft divisions. When first observed, the flowers
appear as though the petals had dropped away, and

zZI9

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

only the seed head remained, but closer examination
will reveal the small, rounded yellow petals.

BULBOUS BUTTERCUP. KING, OR GOLD CUP
Raninculus bulbdsus. Crowfoot Family.

This Buttercup occurs commonly from May to July,
throughout some of the Northeastern States, in fields
and along roadsides. It is easily identified by its
bulbous root, which, from its energy-storing nature, en-
ables its flower to appear first of its kind in the spring.
The plant resembles the Tall Crowfoot in a general
way, but it is more hairy, and does not attain so large
asize. The flowers are large, and the sepals are bent
downward, often close to the stem. The deep, glossy
yellow petals, usually number five, but often appear
in sixes or sevens, and the flower measures over an
inch in diameter. It is naturalized from Europe.
COMMON MEADOW, OR TALL BUTTERCUP. TALL

CROWFOOT. BLISTER FLOWERS.
BUTTER FLOWERS

Raninculus acris. Crowfoot Family.

This familiar species is found commonly through-
out the Northern States and Canada, from May to
September. It is a perennial, naturalized from
Europe. The finely ribbed and branching stalk
grows two or three feet high from fibrous roots. It
is erect, and generally hairy, hollow and stout. The
conspicuous flower is an inch broad, with five rather
wide and rounding bright yellow petals. The inner
surface is exceedingly glossy, like enamel, while the
outer is dull and paler in colour. The numerous

120

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE.

yellow stamens are grouped delightfully around
the many small green pistils, forming the centre.
Five narrow, pointed sepals open widely and are
slightly curved and hairy, and pale yellow in colour.
The flowers expand considerably after the small,
round, green buds open, and when fully matured
some of them possess a delicate, though scarcely per-
ceptible fragrance. The basal leaves have long,
narrow, grooved stems, and form pretty, rounded and
slightly spreading tufts near the ground. They are
divided from three to seven times, and each division
is again cleft into numerous narrow parts, and sharply
pointed lobes. The veins show plainly, and the sur-
face is downy and soft to the touch. Their dark green
colour becomes lighter on the under side. The
fewer upper leaves are simply three-parted, and
clasp the stalk where it branches. It is common
practice afield to pluck a flower and carry it in the
mouth; but with the Buttercups this should be
avoided, as its acrid juice causes blisters to appear
on the lips and tongue. . For this reason it is
known in some localities as the Blister Flower.
The generic name is derived from the Latin, rana,
a small frog, and was applied by Pliny because
some of the Crowfoots grew where the frogs abound.

MARSH MARIGOLD. COWSLIP. MEADOW GOWAN
Céltha palistris. Crowfoot Family.

There is good reason to believe that our common
Marsh Marigold is of the same sort as that which was

r2t

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

immortalized by the Christians during the Middle
Ages, who dedicated this flower to Mary, the Mother
of Jesus. The name was originally Mary’s Gold,
and Shakespeare refers to it in Cymbeline, where
the musicians sing:

“Hearke, hearke, the Lark at Heaven’s gate sings, and

Pheebus gins arise,

His steeds to water at those Springs on chalic’d Flowers that lyes:

And winking Mary-buds begin to ope their golden eyes:

With everything that pretty is, my Lady sweet, arise.

Arise, arise.”

It is just as well to know, however, that the names
Marigold and Cowslip are more commonly and truth-
fully applied to altogether different species. Mari-
golds, as almost everyone knows, are the favourite,
old-fashioned, coarse-smelling, rough-and-ready gar-
den flowers which delighted our grandmothers, while
the Cowslips are, in reality, a species of Primrose.
Do you wonder what’s in a name? The scientific
name, Caltha, means cup, and falus, a marsh —
hence Marsh Cup, a name which has some real signi-
ficance, and is aptly applied. The Marsh Marigolds
flourish along the wet borders of streams and marshes,
where the roots are more or less in the water and the”
ground is springy and wet. Early in April the beau-
tiful, bright yellow cups of the flowers reflect the glory
of the sun from amid a thrifty, bushy c_ump of crisp,
glossy green leaves. They blossom in great pro-
fusion, and their attractive flowers are gathered in the
spring, tied in bunches, and sold along the streets of
our larger cities as Cowslips. The entire plant, root,

122

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

stalk, leaf and flower, surely indicates the perfection
of a vigorous, healthy growth, which they enjoy,
and were it less snappy and effective, it might be called
coarse, rather than delicate. The large, showy,
saucer-shaped flower measures an inch or an inch and
a half across, and resembles a good-sized Buttercup 3
much as anything. Like the Hepaticas, the Marsr
Marigolds do not possess true petals; but the broad
oval sepals, from five to ten in number, serve in their
stead. The glossy, delicate-textured flowers emit a
slight odour, and have numerous stamens and pistils.
The stout, smooth, hollow stalk is often branched at
the top where the flowers are borne during April, May,
and June, and it grows a foot or two in height. The
smooth, rich, bright green leaves are generally rounded
and heart-shaped at the base, and are broader than
long. The lower ones have long, thick stems, rising
directly from the root. The upper ones are usually
stemless, and are set directly on the stalk, particu-
larly where it branches. The leaves are used as a
spring vegetable, and, together with the stalks and
buds, are boiléd and eaten like spinach, to which it
is said to be superior. The Marsh Marigolds range
from New Brunswick to the Rocky Mountains, and
south to Iowa and South Carolina.

COMMON BARBERRY. PEPPERIDGE BUSH
Bérberis vulgaris. Barberry Family.
The Barberry becomes conspicuous during Septem-
ber and October, when its beautiful pendant clusters
323

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

of brilliant scarlet berries begin to brighten hilly
pastures and wayside thickets. Gardeners take advan-
tage of this extremely ornamental shrub, and use it
extensively for making hedges and beautifying home
grounds. Its decorative value may be better appre-
ciated when it is considered that the attractive ber-
ties remain throughout the winter. The fruit is
sour and puckery, but not altogether unpleasant to
the taste, and when cooked, they make a beautifully
coloured syrup or jelly of pleasing flavour. Indeed,
the store of preserved viands on the swing shelf in the
cellar or topmost shelf in the upstairs closet of any old
New England farm house is not replete until the busy
housewife makes her old-fashioned Barberry jam.
Then all hands look forward to the coming Thanks-
giving dinner with the satisfaction of knowing that
there surely will be the making of Barberry tarts —
tarts that outclass the cranberry sort, too. And if on
the day following the feast, a body should happen to
feel feverish or indisposed, the same Barberry usually
helped to adjust the effects of too much turkey and
pumpkin pie, for it is both food and medicine. The
juice of the berries has a cooling effect upon fever
patients, and it is used as a gentle tonic, and was
formerly administered in cases of jaundice. The
roots and inner bark are sometimes used to make a
yellow dye, and also for tanning purposes. Malic
acid is made from the berries. The Barberry is
severely condemned by wheat growers because it is
believed to harbour a mildew or fungus (Aecidium)

124

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

which develops into a summer-stage or form (Uredo),
known as a wheat rust. At one time, Massachusetts
farmers were obliged by a state law to destroy all
the Barberry bushes found growing near their wheat-
fields. This did not necessarily check the fungus,
as it is known to have propagated and spread for
years thereafter. The Pepperidge Bush is a native
of Europe and Asia, and has been introduced into this
country, where it has become naturalized in the Eastern
and Middle States, and sparingly in Canada and the
West. It prospers in dry, gravelly soil in waste places,
and grows six or eight feet high, in a healthy, robust
way of its own. Its many spreading branches are
gracefully arched and drooping at the ends. The
smooth gray twigs are armed with numerous sharp,
three-pronged spines or thorns. The thorns of the
Barberry really represent leaves. This is proven by
the fact that they produce a leaf bud in their axil.
If a new season’s growth is examined, various gradu-
ations from the fully develeped spiny leaf at the base,
to the reduced branching spine toward the tip, will
be found. Generally, thorns are stunted, woody
branches, starting from the axils of the leaves, but they
should not be confused with the thorns of the Wild
Rose or Blackberry, which are merely growths on the
bark, and if the bark is peeled off, the thorns adhere
to it. The Barberry’s small yellow flowers have a
disagreeable odour. They have six sepals, six pistils,
and six stamens. The latter are curiously arranged,
and form little inverted arches between the thick,

125

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

green pistil and each cupped petal, reminding one of
the arrangement of the stamens of the Mountain
Laurel. They are irritable, and sensitive to a high
degree, and if touched with a pin during favourable
weather they will snap back automatically toward
the pistil with the activity of a spring mouse-trap,
scattering a tiny cloud of pollen. The flowers are
borne in gracefully drooping clusters, which hang
from the leaf joints. The thick, rounded oval leaves
have a smooth surface and firm texture, and they
grow from one to two inches long. They are set
on short stems in little rosette-like groups of three to
five, which spring from the axils of the threc-pronged
spines or thorns. The colour is light bluish green,
and their edges are protected with numerous sharp
bristly points. The flowering season is May and
June. The berry is oblong in shape, and contains
one or two hard seeds. The scientific name is
of Arabic origin.

AMERICAN BARBERRY

Bérberis canadénsis. Barberry Family.

This is a smaller and less common species, growe
ing in the woods on the mountains of Virginia to
Georgia, along the Alleghanies, and in Missouri.
It is not found in Canada, as its specific name might
cause one to think. It grows from one to six feet high,
and is readily distinguished from the Common Bar-
berry by its dark, reddish brown branches. The
leaves are not so spiny, and the bristles are more

126

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

separated. The flowers are smaller clustered, and
it consequently bears fewer berries, which are oval,
rather than oblong. The petals are distinctly notched,
and are arranged in a double row, or nearly so.

GREATER CELANDINE. SWALLOW=-WORT
TETTER-WORT

Chelidonium majus. Poppy Family.

The Celandine is a loose branching herb, sprawled
commonly along roadsides and waste places, in fields,
and about old buildings. It has been naturalized
from Europe, and is often confused with the Black
Mustard by those who are not familiar with the flowers.
The light green stalk has a whitish bloom, and grows
from one to two feet high. It is sparingly hairy,
weak and brittle, and is filled with a copious orange-
coloured, acrid juice that stains everything it touches,
and which is said to be poisonous. Small boys paint
warts with it in the hope of removing them, and for the
same effect, their parents have used the irritant
juice on their corns. The pretty little odourless
flowers are half an inch or more broad, and are borne
in small, loose clusters on slender stems. The four
slightly curved, spreading, oval petals are pure yellow
and lustreless. The prominent, slender, green pistil
is surrounded with numerous pretty yellow stamens,
with yellow anthers. The buds are nodding, and
the two yellowish ‘sepals fall as the flower opens.
The thin, loosely textured, yellowish green leaf is
not unattractive. It is compound, and deeply cleft

127

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

into five or more, generally oval leaflets, which are
arranged alternately, and have their margins irregu-
larly scalloped. The under surface has a whitish
bloom, and is strongly ribbed and veined, the veination
showing through on the upper side. They set grace-
fully on short, weak, hairy stems. The seed pod is
long and slender, and often measures two inches in
length. It is smooth and two-parted, and splits
upward from the bottom when matured. The Celan-
dine blossoms from .April to September throughout
the Eastern States. The name is derived from the
Greek Chelidon, a swallow, and was used by
Dioscorides, because, it is said, the flowers appeared
in the spring when the swallows arrived, and per-
ished in the fall when these birds departed. For
this reason it is also called Swallow-wort.

GOLDEN CORYDALIS
Corydalis aiirea. Fumitory Family.

This bright yellow-flowered Corydalis blossoms ear-
lier than the Pink species, and is found along rocky
woodland banks and in recent clearings from Quebec to
Mackenzie, and south to Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Mise
souri, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. It is commonly low
and spreading. The leaves are mostly short-stemmed,
and are finely cut and divided, with the leaflets more
wedge-shaped or broader than those of the latter
species. The conspicuously spurred and nearly hori-
zontal flowers are about half an inch long. They
are golden yellow in colour, and the outer petals are

128

eoeds seidapsy "“GIAMM TI NOWNWOO
YWaInwnas NWALAYV

Chelone glabra

TURTLEHEAD.

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

ridged on the back. The seed pods are curved and
spreading, and not erect and straight, like those of
its pink sister. Corydalis is from an ancient Greek
word, Korydalos, a lark, and alludes to the spur of the
flower as resembling that of the lark. It is found
from March to May.

WHITE MUSTARD
Brassica alba. Mustard F amily.

The light brown seeds of the White Mustard are
extensively used like those of the Black Mustard, but
they are not so pungent, and are often mixed with
them, on account of their milder nature. The plant
is quite similar in many respects. It is covered,
more or less, with stiff, spreading hairs, and grows
only one or two feet high. The large, yellow
flowers are nearly twice the size of the Black
species, and the stems are rather stout and spread-
ing. The circular, bristly seed pods are somewhat
spreading, with a long, flat beak, and are narrowed
between the seeds. The White Mustard ranges
about the same as the Black Mustard.

CHARLOCK. WILD MUSTARD. FIELD KALE

Brassica arvénsis. Mustard Family.

This common and annoying plant was introduced
into this country from Europe, and is becoming widely
, distributed as a weed in grain fields and waste
margins about cultivated lands, where progressive
farmers attack it with an everlasting determination to

129

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

suppress it. It grows from one to two feet high, and
branches at the top. It is covered with numerous
stiff, scattered hairs. The plant is coarse in struc-
ture, and is rather scrawly in appearance. The alter-
nating leaves are similar to those of the Black Mustard;
but they are not so much divided. ‘They are rough
to the touch, coarse and prominently ribbed and
veined, and often their edges are notched and wavy.
The flowers are a trifle longer than the Black species,
and are more sparse. ‘The sepals spread as the flower
expands. The pods are usually smooth, but knotty.

BLACK MUSTARD

_ Brassica nigra. Mustard Family.

There is a strong likelihood that the tiny seed of this
very plant is identical with the Mustard seed of the
Saviour’s parable, in which He likened it unto the
Kingdom of Heaven. The Mustard was extensively
cultivated in Palestine for fodder, and from Asia and
Europe it was introduced into our country, where it
has spread from one end of it to the other. Surely,
from its persistent spreading nature, the seed is sym-
bolic of His divine command: “Go ye into all the.
world and preach the gospel to every creature.” The
very small, dark brown seed is a most important com-
mercial product. It furnishes one of the most popular
table condiments, as well as one of the best known
household applications for common physical ailments.
The use of hot Mustard foot-baths for colds and chills,
and of the homely, blistering Mustard plaster for the

130

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

relief of every pain is only too well known in every
family. The oil of Mustard, made from the seeds,
is intensely pungent, and is used for making liniments
and soap. When used as fodder, the plant is harvested
before the seeds mature. The Black Mustard is com-
mon -throughout our country from June to November,
in fields, roadsides, and. waste places: Its presence
is a familiar one about abandoned farm buildings
and weed-grown foundations, marking the ravages
and desolation caused’ by fire and decay. It is con-
spicuously at home in the vicinity of public ash dumps
and in neglected gardens. While it is extensively
cultivated in Europe, it is looked upon by farmers in
this country as a most prolific and’ troublesome pest.
It grows erect from two to seven feet high, and branches
widely. The lower leaves are slender-stemmed and
deeply cut into two or three pairs of irregular parts,
and balanced on the end with a single large lobe.
The edges are variously toothed. The shorter-stemmed ,
upper leaves are lance-shaped, and often smooth-
edged. . The leaves are loose-textured, and on the
underside they are hairy. They are set on the stalk
at the base of the branches. The flower has four
bright yellow petals, arranged like an oblong cross —
the cross sign “X” of multiplication, which is one of
the chief characteristics of all of the flowers of the
Mustard family, and which the Latin name, Cruci-
ferae, signifies. The flowers are less than half an inch
broad. : The delicate, rounded petals are narrowed at
the base, and are spread toward the apex. The greenish

131

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

yellow calyx has four narrow divisions. The green
pistil is tipped with yellow, and there are four yel-
low stamens. The flowers are gathered toward the
end of the stalk on short stems, forming a loose, golden
sceptre. They are rapidly succeeded by short, narrow,
flattened, four-angled seed pods, which are pressed
toward the stem, and are tipped with a short, slender
beak. Brassia is the Latin name for Cabbage.

YELLOW ROCKET. BITTER, WINTER,
YELLOW OR ROCKET CRESS

Barbaréa vulgaris. Mustard Family.

The Yellow Rocket is one of the first of the yellow
flowered Mustards to blossom in the spring. It is
found in waste places in fields and along roadsides
and meadows, where there is sufficient moisture, and
the bright sunshine can reflect from its floral spikes
and shiny leaves throughout the day. The single,
thick green stalk rises a foot or even two feet in height.
It is smooth, strong, and angular, with each of its
several branching stems terminating with a cluster of
yellow flowers, The lower leaves are lyrate or lyre-
shaped, being cut into usually five parts. Four of
these parts are set in pairs, and are considerably smaller
than the large, rounded odd one which is balanced
opposite the base of the upper pair of divisions. These
large leaves are set on slender, short stems that seem
to clasp the stalk with a small, flaring edge. They
also form a tuft about the base of the stalk. They are
of a rich, shiny green colour. The smaller parts are

132

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

irregularly oval or ovate, with the edges mostly entire.
The upper ones usually clasp the stalk, and are much
smaller. The larger leaves are four or five inches long,
and are used as a spring salad, for which purpose they
are sometimes cultivated. The bright yellow flowers
are typical of all the Mustards in structure and shape.
The six stamens are tipped with yellow, and the calyx
becomes yellow as the flower matures. The lower
flowers open first, and are immediately succeeded
by the narrow seed pod, while the top of the cluster
is closely spiked with the short, narrow, yellow, peg-
like buds. Herb of St. Barbarea is an ancient name
having to do with the dedication of this flower.. It is
found in blossom from April to June, from Labrador
to southern New York and Virginia, and_ locally
in the interior. Also on the Pacific coast. The plant
is naturalized from Europe.

SILVERY, OR HOARY CINQUEFOIL

Potentilla argéntea. Rose Family.

The charm of this little Cinquefoil lies in the sil-
very lining of dark green, and often tufted foliage.
Its slender, leafy, branching and reddish stalk grows
from a few inches to a foot in height, and is covered
with a silky, whitish down. All of the leaves, except-
ing those topmost, are short-stemmed. The five,
narrow, spreading leaflets composing the compound
leaf, are deeply cut, and the edge is slightly curved
backward. The large, five-petalled, yellow flower
faas numerous stamens, and the green calyx parts are

133

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

nearly as long as the petals and is covered with
fine, matted white hairs. The flowers are borne
on short stems, in small, terminal groups.. It is found
from May to September, in dry soil, from Nova Scotia
to Ontario and Dakota, south to the District of Colum-.
bia, Indiana, and Kansas.

SHRUBBY CINQUEFOIL. PRAIRIE WEED
Potentilla fruticdsa. Rose Family.

This very leafy, much branched Cinquefoil grows.
from six inches to four feet high, and, on account of
its rapid and persistent growth, it has roused the ire
of farmers, particularly in the New England States,
where it has been severely condemned as a most
troublesome weed. The tough, shreddy barked stem
is stained with brown. The leaf has from five to seven
narrow, oblong, silky-surfaced and crowded leaflets,
and they approach nearer to the shape of the fingers
than those of any of the other Cinquefoils. They
are thick-textured, and the toothless edges are
slightly curled under. They are whiter on the under
side. The large,’ five-petalled, bright yellow
flowers are densely grouped on-slender stems, in
terminal, leafy flat - topped clusters, or sometimes
they are solitary. The numerous stamens are
tipped with darker coloured anthers. This plant
is found from June to September in swamps. or
moist, rocky places, in Labrador and Greenland, to
Alaska, south to. New Jersey, Illinois, Minnesota,
and in the Rocky Mountains to Arizona, where

134

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

it prospers in dry, sandy soils, and in the Sierra Neva-
das to California. Also in northern Europe and Asia.

FIVE-FINGER. WILD STRAWBERRY
Potentilla canadénsis. Rose Family.

This common Cinquefoil is very frequently mis-
taken for a yellow-flowered Wild Strawberry, owing
to a fancied resemblance of its leaves and flowers.
It is well to remember, however, that the Cinquefoil
has a five-parted leaf, while the Strawberry leaf is three
parted. The leaf stems of the former are very smooth,
and those of the latter are hairy. It spreads its numer-
ous long, slender runners, which often root at the tip,
over the ground in every direction from a leafy tuft.
There are several medical qualities attributed to
this species. The pretty decorative leaf has five thin,
coarsely toothed, strongly: veined leaflets. They are
oblong in shape, and narrowed toward the base. The
leaves are of a lighter shade on the under side, and are
set on long, smooth stems rising from the root or in
little shorter-stemmed groups along the runners, at
some little distance apart. The slender-stemmed,
solitary flower has five broad-oval, yellow petals and
numerous stamens. The petdls are notched at the
apex, and the hairy green calyx is exposed between
them. ‘The many green pistils form a dense little
head in the centre. The five-parted calyx is closely
supported with five similar and alternating leafy parts
that give. it a ten-parted appearance. This plant is
exceedingly abundant in dry fields, hillsides, and

135

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

roadways from Quebec to Georgia, Minnesota, and
the Indian Territory, from April to August. Potentilla
is derived from potens meaning powerful, and alludes
to the medical properties attributed to some of the
members of this group. .

TALL HAIRY AGRIMONY
Agrimonia gryposépala. Rose Family.
“How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood,
When fond recollection presents them to view.”

Agrimony? Yes, that’s one of the herbs our grand-
mothers gathered every fall, and which held a prom-
inent place in both the pantry and medicine closet
in every old homestead. The farm hands used it for
healing cuts and bruises, and it was also utilized as
an additional flavouring for tea, for which it was even
substituted. The Common Agrimony of Europe
was a much overrated cure-all, and it is not unlikely
that many of its popular virtues have been applied
to our Agrimony, which, however, is quite a distinct
plant. The hairy green stalk grows about three or
four feet high. The large, spreading, compound leaf
has usually five to seven thin, hairy and toothed leaflets.”
They are many veined, elliptical, or broadly oblong
in shape, and are alternated upon their long clasp-
ing stems, with rudimentary leaflets. The small
flower has five yellow petals and many orange-tipped.
stamens. They are densely arranged in a long,
slender, curving terminal spike. The leaf, when
crushed, emits a spicy odour. Agrimony is a common

136

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

plant, and is found in blossom from June to August,
in woods and thickets from New Brunswick, North
Carolina, and California.

WILD, OR AMERICAN SENNA
Cassia marilandica. Pea Family.

Senna was first used as medicine by the Arabians,
and the leaves of this species are regularly gathered
in this country, and used as a substitute for the imported.
The nearly smooth, light green, slightly branched
stalk grows from three to eight feet high, from a peren-
nial root. From twelve to twenty oblong or lance
shaped leaflets set in opposite pairs, on a slender
stem from the large compound leaf. The base of the
stem is guarded with a slender, club-shaped gland.
The toothless leaflets are rather yellowish green in
colour, and lighter on the under side. They have a
fine, smooth surface, and are firm-textured. They
are blunt or rounded at the apex, and are tipped with
a tiny point, which terminates the midrib. They are
somewhat sensitive when touched, and droop when
roughly handled. The numerous, loosely constructed
short-stemmed, golden-yellow flowers are clustered
in the axils of the upper leaves. They are very showy,
and three of the five curved petals are set upright and
near together, while the other two spread down-
ward. Ten unequal, dark brown capped stamens
are of the same colour as the petals, and, together
with the prominent yellowish green calyx, add greatly
to the attractiveness of the blossom. The species is

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YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

common in swamps and wet soil, often along road-
sides, during July and August, from New England to
Florida, and west to Michigan, Nebraska, and Louisiana.

PARTRIDGE PEA. WILD SENSITIVE PLANT

Cassia nictitans. Pea Family.

The singular foliage of this common annual herb
is sensitive to the touch, and if roughly handled, or
threshed with the foot, the numerous leaflets close
together after the fashion of a fan, or remotely sug-
gesting the operation of the shutters of a blind. They
also close at night, and are thus said to “sleep.” This
leafy plant is small and branching, and grows only
from six to fifteen inches high, in dry fields and
sandy wastes, where it often forms large patches.
The alternating leaves are compounded of from twelve
to forty-four blunt pointed and narrow-oblong leaflets,
which are arranged in opposite pairs. The small,
short-stemmed flowers have five spreading yellow
petals and are borne in clusters of twos or threes in
the axils of the leaves. They have five stamens, and
the fruit matures in a small, hairy pod. This species
is found from July to October, from Maine to Georgia,
and west to Indiana, Kansas, and Texas.

WILD INDIGO. YELLOW, OR INDIAN
BROOM. HORSEFLY-WEED

Baptista tinctoria. Pea Family.
The very small, Clover-like leaves and bright yellow,
butterfly-shaped flowers of this attractive, branching
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WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

plant are easily distinguished wherever it abounds
as the Wild Indigo.. A blue colouring matter has
been made from this plant and used as a substitute
for Indigo, but it is of a very poor quality. The root
is valuable as a medicine in malarial fevers. It is
also a stimulant and an antiseptic, and is used for heal-
ing purposes. In some localities the very young ten-
der shoots are used as greens, like those of the Poke-
weed, but if eaten when too far advanced, serious
results are likely to follow. Farmers, especially
throughout Maryland and Virginia, have great faith in.
this plant, and bunches of it are fastened about the.
harness of their horses to keep away flies. It grows
from two to four feet high, and is very leafy.. The fo-
liage turns black in drying. The short-stemmed flowers
have a light green calyx, and are loosely and sparingly
arranged along the ends of the numerous branches.
The foliage is of a dark grayish green. Wild Indigo
blossoms in dry soil from June to September, and ranges
from Maine to Minnesota, Florida and Louisiana.

YELLOW, OR HOP CLOVER
Trifolium agrarium. Pea Family.

A pretty and very interesting yellow-flowered annual
Clover, coming to us originally from Europe. The
smooth, or slightly hairy erect or ascending stalk is
very slender-and leafy, and grows from six to eighteen
inches in height. It is generally found along road-
sides and.in sandy fields, but my personal experience
has found them in infrequent, isolated patches, along

139

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

sparse thickets separating open woodland and fields.
where the land was sloping and a little rocky. The
three little leaflets of the compound leaf are shaped
like the blades of miniature canoe paddles, with the
rounding outer end indented or nicked. They are
almost stemless, and as they ascend the lengthening
stalk, they become a little larger and longer. They:
are thin textured, and the smooth surface is finely:
marked with feather veinings. Their margins are
minutely scalloped by the tips of the veins, which
extend to the edges and form tiny teeth. The slen-.
der thread of a stem upon which they are set, is guarded
at its base with a pair of narrow pointed, clasping
wings that are united with the stem centrally for half
their length. The pleasing golden yellow flowering
head is oval or oblong, and is densely crowded with
very small florets, arranged alternately like scales.
They are set on little stems held in the axil of the leaf.
The florets are delicately fluted with the finest imag-:
inable feather veins, and they open circularly from the
lower tier, upward. As they mature, they turn down-
ward like those of the Hop Vine, and become dry
and husky, and retain a light golden brown colouf.
Several stalks spring from each root part, and they
often form large, loose, widely spreading, brilliant
green groups. Hop Clover is found from Nova
Scotia to Virginia, west to western New York, Ontario,
and Iowa, from May to September. The leaves of
the Clovers have a family trait of drooping or clos-
ing together at night, as if to “sleep.” The two

140

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

lateral leaflets are drawn toward each other, and the
third closes against their edges.

YELLOW MELILOT. YELLOW SWEET CLOVER
Medlilatus officinalis. Pea Family.

About all that has been said of the White Sweet
Clover applies in a general way to this species. The
principal difference, of course, is the yellow flowers.
If anything, this member of the family is rather more
bushy toward the ground. The branches are widely
spreading, and the plant flowers more lowly than the
white species. It possesses the same sweet-scented
properties, and the leaflets are rounded at the tip and
not nicked. The parts of the corolla are nearly the
same length, while those in the white flowering species
have one of the parts — the standard — much longer
than the other parts, which are known as the wings and
keel. ‘The seed pods of the Yellow Melilot are prom-
inently cross-ribbed. Old English names for this plant
are Balsam Flowers, Heart’s Clover, King’s Crown,
and Heartwort. It ranges throughout the same
territory as its white kinsman, and seems to be more
common along the coast. At night two of the three
leaflets close together, face to face, and the third one
closes against them.

BLACK MEDIC. BLACKSEED. HOP CLOVER.
BLACK TREFOIL
Medicago lupulina. Pea Family.
A small, downy annual having a remote resem-
blance to the Yellow Clover. Its slender, twisted stalk

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YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

is so weak, that it is often prone to spread rather help-
lessly along the ground, in a somewhat scrawly fashion.
It often grows a foot or more in length, and branches
near the root. The trifoliate leaves are arranged
quite like those of the yellow species, but the leaflets
are very much more egg-shaped toward the tip, and
the indentation is replaced with a minute spike. The
bright yellow flower heads are very small, and are
gathered in oval clusters, and are set on short, slen-
der stems, which spring from the axils of the leaves,
both terminally and along the stalk. They are com-
posed of numerous delicate little florets that are soon
followed by many curiously curled and _ strongly
veined, green, kidney-shaped pods, each of which con-
tains a solitary seed that turns almost black as it ripens.
The green heads of the seed cases are easily mistaken
for flower buds, but it should be remembered that
the flowers are, as a rule, always beyond them, toward
the end of the stalk. The Black Medic is widely dis-
tributed in fields and waste places everywhere, from
March to December.

YELLOW WOODSORREL. LADY’SSORREL «
Oxalts stricta. Wood Sorrel Family.

Children delight to eat the leaves of this very com-
mon Sorrel, which is found from one end of the United
States to the other. They often call it Sour Grass,
because its agreeable sour taste has a flavour, they
fancy, not unlike that of the Red Sorrel, Rumex acetosa.
These leaves are useful as a remedy for certain affec-

142

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

tions of the skin, when eaten in a fresh state. The
smooth, leafy stalk is branched and spreading, and
grows about six inches high. The thin Clover-like
leaf is composed of three short, broad heart-shaped
leaflets with their points united at the tip of their long,
slender stem. They are pale green in colour, and droop
and fold together at night. They are also very sen-
sitive, and close if roughly handled. ‘The fragrant,
bright golden yellow flowers open in the sunlight, and
close at sundown. They are arranged in small
groups at the head of the stalk, and are set on
long stems that grow from the axils of the leaf
stems. The five, small spreading petals are very
thin, and are supported by a five-parted green calyx.
The Lady’s Sorrel blossoms from April to October,
in woods and fields, or along roadsides and about
gardens everywhere. Naturalized from Europe.

JEWEL-WEED. BALSAM. SNAPWEED. SPOTTED
TOUCH-ME-NOT. SILVER-LEAF

Impatiens biflora. Touch-me-not Family.

How in the world did they ever happen to call this
pretty twinkling cup of a flower Jewel-weed? Well,
just take a quiet snoop through any old family photo-
album, that used to serve as the chief implement
of torture to entertain “company” when our fathers
and mothers were boys and girls. Turn to Aunt or
Cousin So-and-So’s likeness, any one of them, and
note the great dangling earrings and pendant necklace,
and you will soon grasp the suggestion that probably

143

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

created this particular one of the several common
names applied to the Jewel-weed. There may be
other original sources, but I cannot think of any
more kindred, whenever I stop to admire these curious
flowers. It is also true that the leaves hold the dew
and rain in glistening drops, but as diamond jewellery
did not burden the country folks, who called the wild
flowers familiarly by name, it seems safe to accept the
old album’s explanations, and let it go at that.

The Jewel-weed grows in rank, tropical and luxu-
riant profusion along water courses and about ponds,
showing partiality, however, to shaded portions thereof.
The smooth, hollow stem is ribbed and angular, trans-
lucent and juicy, and grows from two to five feet high.
The large, broad, oval leaf alternates upon the stalk.
It has a tapering tip, and a coarsely toothed margin.
The texture is thin and the surface is smooth. Above,
they are dull green, and underneath whitish. The
veins show on the surface, and the stem is tinged with
red. The singular flower is curiously arranged. The
sepals and petals are of the same general colour, and
the divisions of the calyx and corolla are extremely
difficult to distinguish and describe in simple language.
One of the sepals has developed into a conspicuous,
horizontal, orange-yellow cornucopia, which tapers
to a very slender recurved hook. Three other parts
are prominently displayed — one as a hood, and the
others, which are twice cleft, twist and flare outward
and downward at the sides of the cup. They are
thickly speckled with reddish brown dots, which

144

Lilium canadense

MEADOW LILY.

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

become less noticeable on the lips and hood. The
flowers dangle on slender stems and are extremely
perishable, and wilt hopelessly when picked. As
their flowering season advances, the plants develop
self-fertilizing flower buds, which never open — after
the manner described under certain of the Violets.
The seed pods are very sensitive, and snap inside
out upon the slightest provocation, and scatter the
seeds to the four winds. For this reason the plant
is called Touch-me-not. It may be found from
July to October, and ranges from Nova Scotia to
Oregon and Alaska, and south to Florida and Missouri.

Pale Touch-me-not, I pallida, is a larger and stouter
species, similar to the foregoing, and is more common
northward. The flowers are pale yellow, sparingly
spotted with red, or occasionally they are spotless.
The pouch is broader, and the slightly hooked spur
is much shorter. This species is found from July to
September, and ranges from Quebec to Oregon, and
south to Georgia and Kansas.

; ST. JOHN’S-WORT
Hypericum perforatum. St. John’s-wort Family.

The common St. John’s-wort comes to us from
Europe credited with many virtues, but you could
never induce a practical farmer to see anything in it
but an obnoxious yellow peril—a vampire weed, self- -
commissioned to exhaust his soil. The ancients
however, who were ever bent on making the best of
earthly matters, held it in high repute,'as a medicine

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YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

plant. They believed that the dew which accumulated
upon this plant during the night preceding St. John’s
Day, the twenty-fourth of July, possessed peculiar
qualities that would preserve failing eyesight. Parts
of the plant furnished them with a family cure-all for
various bodily ailments, but it was most highly esteemed
as a remedy for wounds and bruises, a purpose for
which it is still being used. A preparation formerly
called “balm of the warrior’s wound” is made by
reducing the tops to a pulp in olive oil. When crushed
the leaves have an agreeable odour, somewhat like
balsam. The juice is acrid, and has a bitter taste.
In rural England and Germany windows and doors
were decorated with St. John’s-wort on the eve of
St. John’s Day, with the supposition that it would pre-
vent the entrance of evil spirits. German women
wore it in an amulet about their necks, and in Scotland
it was carried about in the pockets as a guard against
witchcraft. In Europe there is a popular notion that
its presence averts destruction by lightning. The
smooth, slender and much branched, leafy stalk rises
from one to two feet in height, and has many barren
shoots at its base. The thin-textured, oblong or linear
leaves have a rounding point, and are arranged in
opposite pairs. The edges are entire, and the under
surface is often spotted with tiny black specks. Between
the conspicuous ribbings, the texture is thickly dotted
with very fine specks that, when held to the light,
show transparently, exactly as if they had been pricked
with a needle point. The light green calyx has four

146

e

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

lance-shaped sepals. The bright deep yellow flowers
are frequently an inch broad. The five petals are
usually oblique or contorted, and are finely notched
along one side to the tip, in a singular manner. Their
surface is more or less covered with tiny black specks,
particularly along the margins. Numerous yellow
stamens radiate from the three-pronged, light green
pistil, in three sets. The flowers are grouped in several
or many open terminal clusters, and they continue to
blossom throughout the season. When they first
open they are very showy and attractive, but as they
fade, the petals wither to a rusty brown. They do not
drop off, and consequently lend an unsightly appear-
ance to the otherwise beautiful flowers, with which they
are freely mingled. St. John’s-wort.is common in fields
and waste places from June to September, but is less
common in the South. It is also native to Asia.

LONG-BRANCHED FROSTWEED. FROSTWORT.
CANADIAN ROCK ROSE

Helidnthemum canadénse. ‘Rock Rese Family.

The study of wild flowers would become a very
dull and monotonous subject indeed, if it were not for
the continual panorama of interesting changes that
it presents when comparing the characters and habits
of one species with those of another, or even of the
peculiarities of the same species at different seasons of
the year. The Rock Rose, for example, has two sets
of flowers, and a description of its flowers made when
they first appear would compare ridiculously with a

147

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

description taken from its flowers a month or two later.
That is to say, if anyone who is familiar only with its
flowers during May and another one who is familiar
with them only as they occur during September,
should happen to compare notes, each would believe
that the other was describing an altogether different
species, so far as the flowers were concerned. The
first flowers of the Rock Rose blossom during May,
June, and July, and they are known as primary, or
petaliferous flowers. They are clear, bright yellow in
colour, very showy, delicate in texture, and meas-
ure an inch in diameter. They have five large, wedge-
shaped petals, which are rounded at the top and
pointed at the base, and give the corolla the outline
of a hextagon. They are crumpled in the bud, and
lap each other when: expanded. The numerous
orange-tipped stamens are usually gathered together
in a singular manner on one side of the pistil, and are
pressed back flat against the slightly cupped petals.
The large, hairy, green calyx has three large and two
small divisions — another peculiarity. The flower
is solitary, rarely two blossoming at the same time
and it resembles somewhat the flowers of the Primrose.
It opens but once, and then only in the bright sun-
shine, lasting but a few hours, and perishing over night.
It is delicately constructed, and the petals often drop
when the flower is picked. A second crop of flowers
occurs during August and September, and is known as
secondary or apetalous. These flowers are very small
and entirely different from the first ones, and they

148

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

are borne in clusters at the axils of the leaves. They
rarely possess petals, but they do produce a few seeds,
and have from three to ten stamens. The calyx is
hairy, like the stalk, and the lower side of the leaves.
The long, narrow, oblong leaves are set alternately
and almost directly on the stalk. Their surface is
rough, the midrib is strong, and the edges are slightly
‘curled. Their colour is dark green above and paler
and whitish beneath. The erect, slightly branching
and woody stalk grows two feet or less in height. It
is leafy, and is covered with fine, whitish hairs. This
plant is found in fields where the soil is dry, rocky and
sandy, from Maine to Indiana, and Wisconsin; south
to North Carolina and Kentucky. The Latin name
is from the Greek, helios, the sun, and anthemon, a
flower. Frostweed is a popular name given to this
plant because of its peculiar habit of accumulating
frost crystals of snowy whiteness late in the fall, which
bursts the bark near the base of the stem and flares
out in weird, feathery fantasy, at various angles and
degrees of formation.

ROUND-LEAVED, OR EARLY YELLOW VIOLET
Viola rotundifolia. Violet Family.

Much less conspicuous, and consequently not so
widely known as the larger Downy Yellow species,
the Round-leaved Violet is generally the first of the
Violets to appear in blossom. Snuggled beneath the
litter of fallen leaves in the seclusion of cool, hilly woods
where the ground is moist, but well drained and

149

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

shaded, this charming little aristocrat of violetdom
makes its home. When the warmth of the earliest
April showers has dissolved the frost crystals about
their roots, and while the belated, cold, damp-laden
winds are yet contesting the supremacy of the bright,
ever-warming sunshine, the pale yellow flowers bear
silent witness to the conflict. And so William Cullen
Bryant found it:

“When beechen buds begin to swell,
And woods the bluebirds’s warble know,
The yellow violet’s modest bell
Peeps from the last year’s leaves below.”

Occasionally I have found the earliest flowers of the
Round-leaved Violet only after brushing aside the
loose blanket of bleached oak-leaves, which hid them
from sight. Their flower and leaf stems are rather
short, and the blossoms seem to be contented ,with a
sheltered chink between the fallen leaves, without
forcing their way above them, as they do later in the
season. During the spring months, while in flower,
the plant is quite small and without an abundance of
foliage. The early leaves measure from one-half to
two inches broad, but they continue to expand, until
by midsummer they have increased in size to three
or four inches, and form a pretty rosette, flattened
against the ground, or very near it. The matured
leaf is rounded, with a short cleft between two lobes,
forming a heart-shaped structure. The upper sur-
face is smooth, very, shiny, and dark green in colour.
The under surface is lighter in colour, and the general

150

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

texture is fine. The edges are slightly scalloped.
They are borne on short stems, springing directly from
the root. The pale, yellow flower is comparatively
small, and has a very short spur. The side petals are
bearded, and are finely veined with purple. The
flowers hang singly on shortened, slender leafless
stems. The thick rootstock sends out» runners
during July, which bear inconspicuous buds or flowers
that never open. ‘They are self-fertilizing, and the
seeds ripen within the recurved bud. The Round-
leaved Violet ranges throughout the cooler portions
from Labrador to Minnesota, and southward to
the higher parts of North Carolina.

DOWNY YELLOW VIOLET
Viola pubéscens. Violet Family

Scattered about in dry, airy, particularly hilly or
stony woodland, where the sun’s rays play at hide and
seek with its flitting shadows, during April and May,
the cheerful, bright, golden yellow blossoms of the
Downy Yellow Violet appear, like lingering flecks
of molten sunshine, entangled among its fuzzy stems
and leaves. This species is the commonest and best
known of the Yellow Violets. It has a sprightly,
upright and spirited air about it, and is the “Slim Jim”
of its family, for Violets, as a rule, being of the well-
regulated sort in domestic matters, usually grow in
neatly grouped tufts. The Downy Yellow Violet
grows from five or six inches to a foot and a half in
height, averaging perhaps considerably less than a foot.

ISI

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

Its single light green, hairy stalk is comparatively stout,
and is ofttimes branching above, with the lower part
leafless and bare. The large, velvety green leaves
are very broadly heart-shaped, and before they become
fully matured, their up-curved lobes at the short stem
give them the form of a pointed, scoop. The under
surface is of a lighter shade, and the ribs and veins
show prominently. The edges are either entire or
slightly toothed. After the flowering period, a few
leaves rise direct from the base of the stalk, on long,
grooved, hairy stems. The single flowers and their
slender stems are relatively small. The two upper
pairs of the bright golden yellow petals are rounding,
and uniform in size. They are faintly marked with
purple lines, and when fully developed, often recurve
toward the hooked stem, while the short, lower petal
is notched, has stronger markings, and is slightly
curved. in the opposite direction. This last petal is
also set at an acute angle with the lateral ones. The
spur is short, and the sepals are oblong and pointed.
The flower stem springs from the fork of the widely
spreading leaf stems, the angles of which are guarded
with a pair of short, pointed, leaf-like bracts. This
Violet ranges from Quebec to Manitoba, and South
Dakota, southward to Georgia and Iowa.

SMOOTH YELLOW VIOLET

Viola scabritiscula. Violet Family

This species might be confused with the Downy
Yellow Violet at first sight. In fact, it was formerly

152

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

considered a mere variety of the latter. Its distin-
guishing features, however, are at once sufficiently
prominent to remove any doubt as to its identity. It
prefers moist situations, and is generally found in
blossom before the Downy Yellow Violet. The basal
leaves are usually present during the flowering season
The leaves are inclined to be more pointed and often
sharply toothed. The flowers are light yellow and
the spur is very short. Several stems may be found
growing together, and taken in all, it is a slightly smaller
plant. This species grows in woods and thickets dur-
ing April and May, and its range extends from Nova
Scotia to Nebraska, and south to Georgia and Florida.

EVENING PRIMROSE. NIGHT WILLOW-=- HERB
Ocnothéra biénnis. Evening Primrose Family.

The Evening Primrose is commonly found in dry,
open fields, and along roadways everywhere east of the
Rocky Mountains, from June to October. The
large, bright yellow flowers open in the evening, and
after exhaling their fragrance for the benefit of the
night-flying moths, they close the following day, and,
after hanging withered for a day or two longer, drop
away. Long before the potato was universally cul-
tivated the fleshy root of this plant was used as a table
vegetable. Years ago a strong decoction of this plant
was highly esteemed for skin affections, and more
recently a drug extracted therefrom has been com-
mended in cases of asthma and in whooping-cough.
Primrose ointment has been used for relieving itching

153 &

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

and skin eruptions among infants. The rather stout, .
leafy, branching or simply hairy stalk rises from
one to nine feet. The strongly ribbed, lance-shaped,
alternating leaf tapers toward either end, and has an
obscurely toothed margin. ‘The lower ones are short-
stemmed, and the upper ones are seated upon the
stalk. Both leaf and stalk are often stained with
purple. The flower has four flaring, heart-shaped
petals, and eight long, golden-tipped, and spreading
stamens. ‘The four long, pale yellow sepals curve
backward around the exceedingly long green calyx
tube. The large green seed case is grooved and sticky.
The flower buds are closely gathered in a termina]
arrangement, and open only one or two at a time
As the flowering season nears the end, the blossoms
seem to remain open much longer during the day, and
this is attributed to the failing light of the autumn sun.

COMMON SUNDROPS
Ocnothéra frutictsa. Evening Primrose Family.

A common day-flowering perennial, similar to the
Evening Primrose, growing from one to three feet
high, and usually branched. The sparingly toothed*
oblong or lance-shaped leaves are either clasping or
short-stemmed. The hairy stalk and the closely set
alternating leaves are frequently stained with purple.
The large yellow flowers are grouped in leafy ter-
minal spikes. The four long, heart-shaped petals are
thin-textured and delicately veined. The long yellow
stamens spread from the centre, and the buds start

154

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

from the axils of the topmost leaves. The seed case
is strongly ribbed and winged. This plant is found
from June to August in dry, sandy soils from Nova
Scotia to Georgia, west to Minnesota and Louisiana.
During the winter and early spring, the beautiful
leaf clusters of the Primrose are remarkable for their
wonderful symmetric arrangement, and as William
Hamilton Gibson has said, “are a perfect pattern for
the modeller, the sculptor, decorator, or wood-carver.”

EARLY, OR GOLDEN MEADOW PARSNIP.
GOLDEN ALEXANDERS

Zizia atirea. Parsley Family.

The flat-topped, yellow-flowered clusters of the
Early Meadow Parsnip sway just above the grassy
crests in fields and meadows, along roadside and
swamp land from April to June. It is one of the
earliest flowering of the Parsley Family. The hollow,
juicy, upright stalk, which grows from one to two
and a half feet in height, is smooth, sparingly
branched, and is finely grooved. It is often tinged
with red, and when bruised or broken emits an aro-
matic fragrance not unlike parsley or fresh varnish.
The leaves, which are sparingly intervalled, have two,
or usually three, lance-shaped leaflets with slender,
tapering tips and sharply toothed margins. They
are smooth-surfaced and thin-textured. The lower
leaves have long stems, while these of the upper ones
are flat and shorter. The tiny flower has five yellow
petals which are curved toward the prominent stamen,

155

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

They are gathered into many little separated clusters
that in turn are grouped into a broad, open, flat-topped
and radiating floral disk or umbel. It is common
almost everywhere from New Brunswick to Ontario,
South Dakota, Florida, and Texas.

WILD PARSNIP. MADNEP. TANK
Pastinaca sativa, Parsley Family.

The generic name of this common Parsnip is derived
from the latin pastus, meaning food, and alludes to the
edible qualities of the fleshy roots, which, according
to Pliny, were cultivated along the Rhine before the
Christian era, and imported by the Roman Emperor,
Tiberius, and used as a food. The Wild Parsnip
is a tall, widely branching, long and _ thick-rooted
biennial herb, raising its tough, grooved, and usually
smooth stalk from two to five feet in height. The
alternating, compound, dark green leaf has several
pairs of pointed oval or oblong leaflets, which are more
or less lobed and cut, and sharply toothed. They
are rather thin-textured and smooth-surfaced. The
upper leaves clasp the stalk, and the lower ones are long-
stemmed. The numerous tiny yellow flowers are
gathered in many small clusters that are finally grouped
on slender stems in several, large, terminal, flat-topped
disks, similar to, but much larger than the Early
or Meadow Parsnip. The seeds are thin, flat and
shiny, and the stalk is so very tough that it is broken
only with great effort, if indeed it is to be broken at
all. This Parsnip is very common along roadsides

156

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

and open waste places, everywhere, from June to Sep-
tember, throughout the United States and Canada,
where it has become naturalized from Europe.

FOUR-LEAVED, OR WHORLED LOOSESTRIFE.
CROSSWORT

Lysimachia quadrifolia. Primrose Family.

Fairies’ Fountain would have been a more deserv-
mg and appropriate name for this pretty floral cas-
cade. During a shower this allusion becomes more
real than fancied, as the attractive leaves are arranged
in whorls or wheels, one above the other, at regular
intervals along the slender, upright stalk, just like
basins in a fountain, that catch the drip from tip to
base. The trembling yellow flowers, which spring
gracefully from the centre of the green leafy basins,
are sprayed in every direction, and when the plant
sways in the sunshine, they glitter and sparkle as they
play over the curving leafy rims. The Four-leaved
Loosestrife is found from June to August, in moist,
open woodlands and thickets. The light green stalk
is often faintly hairy, and grows from one to three feet
in height. The toothless, yellow-green leaves are
narrowly oblong, or lance-shaped, and are pointed at
both ends. Their surface is obscurely covered with
tiny, oblong black marks which follow the direction
of the veinings. The midrib is noticeable and the
texture is thin. They are arranged in circles of from
three to seven, but commonly in fours, about the stalk;
and as they approach the top they gradually diminish

157

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

in size. The small, delicate flower has from five to
seven long-pointed and spreading lobes. They are
bright yellow, edged with red, and frequently and
finely streaked, or sparingly spotted. The five erect
yellowish stamens are clustered around the pistil and
project beyond the corolla. They are tipped with
purple, and there is a tiny circle of this colour at their
base. The tips of the five-parted green calyx show
between the corolla lobes. The flowers are set on
hair-like stems, one of which starts from the axil of
each leaf. This species is rather common from
Georgia and Illinois to Canada.

BULB-BEARING LOOSESTRIFE

Lysimachia terréstris. Primrose Family.

The long, slender yellow wands of this Loosestrife
brighten our swamps and moist thickets from July
to September. The smooth, hollow leafy stalk is
usually branched near the top, and grows less than
two feet in height. The long, narrow, lance-shaped
leaves are set in opposite, alternating pairs, and are
thickly covered with tiny, black, oblong dots. They
are thin, smooth and toothless. After flowering, this
plant often bears long bulblets or curiously modified
branches, in the axils of the leaves. The yellow
starlike flowers are very similar to those of the Four-
leaved species, but the divisions are more deeply cut
and narrower, and the slender tips are slightly cur-
ling. They are conspicuously lined and marked with
reddish dashes, and at the base of each division there

158

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

are two reddish dots. The flowers are gathered on
short, hairlike stems, in a long, terminal spike, and
open gradually as they ascend the stalk. Long ago,
so it is said, sprays of Loosestrife were placed on the
yoke of unruly oxen, with the belief that it would
quiet and pacify them. This species ranges from
Georgia and Arkansas, northward into Canada.

BUTTERFLY-WEED. PLEURISY=ROOT.
WIND-ROOT. ORANGE-ROOT

Asclépias tuberdsa, Milkweed Family.

A vivid, penetrating flash of brightest glowing
orange suddenly greets us as we cross the grassy fields
during July, and we stop immediately to express
our admiration for this most stunning and handsome
of the Milkweeds. It is always so refreshing and
invigorating, that we never seem to tire of its presence.
It is a lively bloomer from June to September, and
loves the surroundings of dry fields and pastures
where it abounds, to the everlasting joy of hosts of
butterflies and flying insects that are invariably asso-
ciated with it. Surely, it should have been called the
Butterflies’ Mecca! This magnificent herb has sev-
eral medicinal virtues attributed to it. It was held in
high esteem by the Indians, who extracted a crude,
sugar-like substance from the flowers. Its roots sup-
plied their medicine man with material to allay various
physical ailments, and their squaws used the young
green pods extensively for food, cooking them in a sort
of meat stew. The Delaware Indians are said to have

159

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

even cultivated it. The fuzzy shoots are cut when a
few inches long, and are boiled and eaten after the
manner of asparagus. It has also long been used in
domestic practice, where it has served in cases of dis-
ordered digestion, and afflictions. of the lungs; to
relieve pains in the chest, and to assist in producing
perspiration and easier breathing. The root is col-
lected annually in the fall, and sold to druggists.
The stout, roughish-hairy, purple-stained stalk, which
is very leafy, grows from one to two feet high, and
branches oniy to accommodate the flowers. It lacks
the abundant supply of milky juice so common in
other Milkweeds.. The alternating leaves are oblong
or lance-shaped, taper to a rather blunt point, and
narrow into a rounded or heart-shaped base where
they clasp the stalk, or are set on short stems. The
midrib is prominent, and the margin is toothless. The
numerous small and long, bright orange or rarely yellow
flowers are set on slender, light green stems, arranged
in one or several loose, flat-topped, terminal clusters,
or umbels. The seed pods are more slender than those
of the common Milkweed, and only one or two are
produced at a time. They have a curiously kinked
stem. This Milkweed is found from Maine and
Ontario to Minnesota, Florida, Texas, and Arizona.

CITRONELLA. STONE=ROOT. HORSE=-BALM
Collinsonia canadénsis. Mint Family.

This strong-scented, aromatic, perennial grows in
rich, moist woods, and bears lemon-scented, light

140

YELLOW ADDER’S TONGUE. Erythronium americanum

GREAT MULLEIN EVENING PRIMROSE
Verbascum Thapsus Oenothera biennis

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

yellow flowers, which blossom from July i October.
The familiar oil of Citronella, used so extensively
for scenting soaps and as a mosquito lotion, is produced
by an altogether different species, which grows in
Ceylon. The Horse-balm has a stout, branching stem
and grows from two to five feet tall: The coarsely
toothed, pointed-oval or oblong leaves are either
narrowed or heart-shaped at the base, and the lower
ones are larger and slender stemmed. They are
usually in pairs. The numerous flowers are arranged
in loosely spreading and branching terminal clusters.
Four of the five lobes of the bell-shaped corolla are
nearly equal, and the fifth, which is much larger, and
has a finely fringed edge, protrudes like the drooping
lip of an Orchid. Two anther-bearing stamens and
the pistil extend far beyond the corolla. This plant
is found from Maine and Ontario to Wisconsin and
south to Florida and Kansas.

GREAT MULLEIN. VELVET, OR MULLEIN DOCK.
FLANNEL-LEAF. AARON’S ROD

Verbascum Thapsus. Figwort Family.

The Great Mullein erects its tall, stiff shafts here
and there, like so many floral lighthouses, guard-
ing our dry fields and rocky hillsides, or guiding
various insect aeroplanists by the irregular glint of its
-constantly changing blossoms. The Roman “‘can-
delaria,”’ 2 torch used in funeral ceremonies, was made
from dried Mullein stalks dipped in melted suet.
The leaves were formerly used for lamp wicks by the

161

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

Greeks. The hag-taper, used in witchcraft, was
made from this plant. In domestic practice, Mullein
tea has been long used by country people for reliev-
ing coughs and throat irritations, and the dried leaves
are smoked for the same purpose. When soaked in
oil, the leaves are used for allaying pain, and inflam-
mations. The soft, hairy leaves are also said to
impart a desirable peach-like glow to the complex-
ion of pale cheeks, when rubbed thereon. Children
have great fun playing Indian and using the dried
stalks as “spears.” The usually single, leafy stalk
rises from two to seven feet high, from a tufted
rosette of leaves. It is round and tough, and is
densely covered with whitish, woolly, and branched
hairs. The large, thick, velvety, pale green, oblong
leaves are sharply pointed, and narrowed at the
base. They are obscurely toothed, and prominently
ribbed. The basal leaves have broad stems. Those
upon the stalk are stemless, narrower, and occur
alternately. The light yellow wheel-shaped corolla
has five unequal, rounded and spreading lobes. The
five protruding orange-tipped stamens are unequal.
Three of these are fuzzy or bearded, and shorter
than the other two, which are longer and smooth.
The pistil is green. The woolly green calyx is five-
parted. The flowers are densely crowded in pro-
longed, round, terminal, club-shaped spikes, and open,
two or three at a time, for one day’s duration. The
leaves of the large rosette are conspicuous long before
the wand-like stalk appears. This Mullein is common

163

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGH

from Nova Scotia to Minnesota, Florida, Kansas and
California, from June to September.

MOTH MULLEIN
Verbdscum Blattaria. Figwort Family.

The Moth Mullein flashes its yellow or white
search-lights this way and that, over the grassy seas
of neglected pastures and fields, and along waysides,
from June to November. They ‘are singularly at-
tractive, these large, wheel-like flowers, as they open
one or two at a time, and for a day only. The
tall, slender, round, and often hairy stalk is usually
single, and grows from two to six feet high. The
large, oblong, or lance-shaped leaf has a very
irregular, double- toothed margin, and is seldom
present during the flowering period. It is thin,
smooth, stoutly ribbed and prominently veined.
The arrangement is frequent and _ alternating,
and the upper ones are partly heart-shaped and
clasping. The flowers, which are either white or
yellow, resemble those of the Great Mullein in struc-
ture. The white and yellow blossoms are borne on
separate plants. They are lightly stained with purple.
The five orange-tipped stamens are covered with
fuzzy, purple hairs. The five-parted green calyx
has slender, recurved tips. The flowers are set on
short stems, and gathered in a very long, loose ter-
minal spire. They are fragile, and easily drop from
the calyx. The bud is flat and five-angled. This
plant is said to be offensive to cockroaches. It is

163

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

found from Quebec to Florida, and west to Kansas,
Minnesota, and California.

BUTTER-AND-EGGS. YELLOW TOAD-FLAX.
BRIDE-WEED. FLAXWEED.
EGGS-AND-BACON

Linaria vulgaris. Figwort Family.

The beautiful yellow and orange flower spikes
of this extremely common and homely named per-
ennial are too well known and too little appreciated
to warrant an extended description. Its colour scheme
is “‘butter-and-eggs,” all right, at least according to
the chemistry of the breakfast table and of the kit-
chen at baking time. This plant is naturalized in
this country from Europe, and is supposed to possess
healing powers that country people still regard with
much simple faith. The flowers have been steeped
and used in cases of dropsy, jaundice, and various
skin effections. The fresh plant has been bruised
and applied as a poultice on boils, and the flowers are
made into an ointment that is used for the same pur-
pose, as well as for other skin eruptions. In Germany,
the flowers are used as a yellow dye. Country folks
used the juice in milk as a fly-poison. It is a very
leafy perennial, having short rootstocks, and grow-
ing erect from one to three feet in height. The usually
single, slender stalk is round and smooth, light green
in colour, and has a whitish bloom. The long, nar-
row, grass-like leaves taper to a point at both ends, and
they clasp the stalk alternately. The colour is pale
green, and the midrib extends the entire length. The

164

BUTTER AND EGGS. TOADFLAX. Linaria vulgaris

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

light yellow, two-lipped, tubular flower has a long,
sharp, outward curved spur at its base. The two
earlike lobes of the upper lip are elevated, and prettily
curved over the lower one. The spreading lower lip
has three unequal outward-curving lobes; the centre
one being the smallest, and at the throat, this lip has
a great, orange-coloured, tongue-like swelling that
nearly closes the tube, and hides the four unequal
stamens and pistil, which are flattened against the
upper lip. The throat, which can be seen by spread-
ing apart the jaw-like lips of the flattened corolla;
-is lined with a silky down. ‘The light green, five-
parted calyx is very small. The flowers are hung
on short stems springing from the axils of the leaflets,
and are closely gathered in a dense terminal spike.
This plant has an unattractive odour, and is found
growing most everywhere in fields, pastures, and
along roadsides, ditches and banks, often in small
colonies, from June to. October, from Canada to
Virginia, and Nebraska.

FERN-LEAVED, FALSE FOXGLOVE
Gerdrdia pedicularia. Figwort Family.

A beautiful species, with handsome, fern-like leaves, .
found in dry woods and thickets mostly along the
Atlantic Coast States, during August and September.
It is an annual or biennial plant, and is rather sticky,
hairy and much-branched. The very leafy, round,
slender stalk grows from one to four feet high. The
soft, downy, light green leaves are set in pairs upon

165

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

the stalk. They are deepfy cleft into many-toothed
lobes, and are usually stemless: and broadest at the
base. The classic calyx matches the leaves, and the
beautiful, light yellow, tubular flowers resemble those
of the Downy False Foxglove. The bell-shaped
corolla, however, is particularly hairy and sticky on the
outside. The flowers are set on short, curving stems
that spring from the axils of the leaves. They are
frequently arranged in pairs toward the ends of the
branches. This species is partly parasitic, and often its
own roots clasp themselves, as well as those of other
plants from which they absorb nourishment. The
flowers and foliage droop miserably when plucked, and
are difficult to revive. They are found from Maine and
Ontario, to Minnesota, south to Florida and Missouri.

DOWNY FALSE FOXGLOVE
Gerdrdia flava. Figwort Family.

This species is partly parasitic, absorbing part of
its nourishment from the roots of other plants with
which its own roots come in contact. The lovely
large, yellow, deeply tubed flowers are very showy,
and blossom during July and August in dry, open -
woods and thickets. It is a downy, grayish perennial,
growing from two to four feet high, and is leafy and
usually unbranched. The square, hollow stalk is
quite brittle, and when fully flowered, it often assumes
a slanting position, due, probably, to its top-heaviness,
and on account of the buds and blossoms flaring to
one side. The thick, velvety, yellow-green leaves are

166

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW: AND ORANGE

borne in opposite pairs, which are set alternately
upon the stalk with short, purple-stained stems.
They are generally oblong or lance-shaped, with a
tapering tip, and are narrowed at the base, with
their entire margins tinged with purple. The lower
leaves are sometimes irregularly lobed and toothed,
or wavy-edged, and the upper ones are much smaller
and clasping. The prominent midrib is stained with
purple. The pale yellow flowers are funnel-shaped,
with five rounded, spreading lobes, which are fulled
in the centre, forming curled edges. The two upper
lobes curve forward, and the three lower ones curve
backward. The texture is finely wrinkled and veined,
The four yellow stamens — two long and two short —
together with the inner surface of the corolla tube,
are covered with fine hairs. The tips of the stamens
have a pair of sharp points on the lower side.’ The
pistil is green. The five-parted, woolly green, bell-
shaped calyx has recurving tips. The bud is notice-
ably round on the top, and is very glossy. They are
tinted with green. The beautiful flowers are crowded
on the stalk in a lovely terminal, leafy spike, - sev-
eral blooming at the same time. This Foxglove is
found from Maine to Ontario, Wisconsin, and Iowa,
south to New York, Georgia and Mississippi.

NARROW-LEAVED COW-WHEAT
Melampjrum lineare. Figwort Family.

An inconspicuous, low-growing annual found from
May to August, in dry open woods and thickets. The

167

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

branching, hairy and leafy stalk rises from six inches
to a foot orso in height. The toothless, short-stemmed,
lance-shaped leaves are taper-pointed and narrowed
at the base. They occur in opposite pairs, and the
topmost frequently have from two to six bristle-like
teeth near the base. The midrib is noticeable, and
the edge is rough to the touch. The small tubular,
greenish yellow flowers are set singly in the axil of the
upper leaves. The corolla is two-lipped. The upper
lip is arched, and the lower one is three-lobed and
spreading and is tinted with yellow. ‘This Cow-
wheat is very common and is found growing in favour-
able places from Canada to Georgia, Tennessee and
Iowa.

YELLOW BEDSTRAW. LAD Y’S BEDSTRAW.
CHEESE-RENNET. BEDFLOWER.
FLEAWORT.

Galium vérum. Madder Family.

The name Bedstraw alludes to the legend in which
one of these plants was found among the hay on
which Mary, the Mother of Jesus, rested. This
yellow-flowered species has been introduced from
Europe, and is found from May to September in dry
fields locally from Maine to New Jersey, Pennsyl-
vania and Ontario. The bruised plant is sometimes
introduced into milk, in order to impart a yellow
colour to cheese. It is also used for dying yellow.
The roots of this, as well as those of most other species,
dye red, and when the plant is eaten by animals, it
colours the bones, like madder. It was formerly

168

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE.

reputed as a remedy in fits and hysterics, and the fresh
juice was applied externally for skin disorders. The
Yellow Bedstraw is a single or branched perennial
growing from six to thirty inches high. The stem is
usually smooth, and the narrow leaves are arranged in
whorls of sixes or eights. The numerous yellow
flowers are gathered in small, dense terminal clusters,
or set at the axils of the leaves.

GOLDEN ASTER
Chrysépsis mariana. Thistle Family.

The beautiful golden heads of this Aster-like species
are generally common during August and September,
along the Atlantic Coast. The stout stalk branches
at the top for the flowers. It is covered with long,
weak, silky hairs when young, and becomes much
sn,oother as the season advances. It grows perennially
from one to two and a half feet in height. The acutely
pointed upper leaves are oblong or lance-shaped,
and clasp the stalk. The lower ones are narrowed.
into short stems and are broadest toward the tip.
They are hairy and veiny, and their margins are
usually toothless. The rather large flower head is
composed of both ray and disc florets, which are held
in a bell-shaped cup of overlapping green bractlets.
They are commonly numerous, and are loosely gathered
oa slender stems, which spring from the axils of leaflets
and form loose, showy, flat-topped clusters. The
Golden Aster prefers dry soil in fields and open wood-
lands, from New York to Florida and Louisiana.

169

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

There are about twenty species of this group found
in North America and Mexico.

THE GOLDEN-RODS
Solidago. Thistle Family.

Heralding the advent of the final, and most gor-
geous floral pageant of the year, the monotoned
Golden-rods literally romp over everything that is
rompable from valley to peak. They form a most
conspicuous and truly regal escort for their consorts,
those bewildering hosts of starry Asters which, in
eager haste, strive to overtake them. Thoreau wrote:

“The sun has shone on the earth,
And the Golden-rod is his fruit.

The stars, too, have shone on it,
And the Asters are their fruit.”

The Golden-rods may represent the main crop of the
“sun’s fruit,’ but surely the Dandelion and Buttercup,
in fact a hundred others for that matter, of this cloth-
of-gold, are entitled to some consideration in this
conclusion. The Golden-rod is so very well and
familiarly known that it requires little, if any, intro-
duction. There are upward of eighty species, per-
haps more, in the United States, and besides, there
are many hybrids — intergrades — which make them
extremely difficult to distinguish as distinct species.
We Americans hold a certain natural affinity toward
this purely native-bred beauty, and it is pretty generally
conceded to be the favourite for our national flower.
It has already been adopted as the State flower

170

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

of Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, and Nebraska.
The scientific generic name, Solidago, signifies to join,
or make whole, and alludes to the healing qualities:
which this plant was formerly supposed to possess,
when applied to wounds. One hundred year ago the
Golden-rod was regularly exported to China, where
it commanded a high price. Sheep will forage upon it.
Golden-rods grow in greatest profusion, and are exceed-
ingly socialistic; numerous species occurring in the
same community. Casual observers, however, seldom
realize that several widely differing species invariably
make up the various masses of yellow, which they pass
afield or by the wayside, as Golden-rod. Time and
again I have amazed those whom I have accompanied
out of doors during September, by calling their atten-
tion to the number of different varieties of Golden-rod
about them. F. Schuyler Matthews records finding
no less than fijteen well defined species within a quar-
ter-mile length of road in New Hampshire. As the
flower clusters fade they become hoary, and the seeds,
tipped with fine, feathery hairs, somewhat after the
manner of the Dandelion seeds, are wafted by the
winds in every direction. During the winter when.
other food is scarce, the seeds of the Golden-rod are
sought by the goldfinch and song sparrow. The
following species are most likely to be found
growing more or less commonly throughout our
range, and they will become a ‘satisfactory group
about which to establish other species, which are
gure to be found most. everywhere. All have yellow

171

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

flowers excepting one, which is called Silver - rod,
from its white or cream-coloured spikes.

BLUE-STEMMED, WREATHED, OR WOODLAND
GOLDEN-ROD

Solidago caésta. Thistle Family.

This very slender, curving, leafy and smooth-stem-
med species is characterized by the bluish or purple
bloom of its stalk, which grows from one to three
feet high. The thin-textured, oblong or lance-shaped,
feathery-veined leaves taper toward either end, and
are sharply pointed. The margins are sharply toothed,
and the midrib is distinct. They are arranged alter-
nately upon the stalk, and at short intervals. The
yellow flowers are wreathed in pretty clusters all along
the stalks in the axils of the leaves. Like most of
its kind, this species has a top-heavy appearance, a
peculiarity which often causes the stem to curve
gracefully under its golden weight. It is found
commonly during August, September and Octo-
ber, in and about moist, shaded woods and
thickets of a deciduous nature, from Manitoba
and Ontario to Minnesota, Florida; Alabama and:
Texas. The Blue-stemmed Golden-rod is probably
the latest blooming species of the year. '

ZIG-ZAG, OR BROAD-LEAVED GOLDEN-ROD
Solidago latifilia. Thistle Family.
This species is readily distinguished by its usually
single, zig-zagged or angular, green stem, and alse
172

“WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

by its broad oval, yellowish green leaves. The latter
have short stems and a very strongly and sharply
toothed margin, and acutely pointed tips. Some-
times the upper leaves graduate into smooth edged,
lance-shaped formations. Otherwise the plant has,
in a general way, many of the characteristics of the pre-
ceding species, and the light yellow flowers are set
quite the same. The prolonged, slender, leafy stem
does not seem to be strong enough to hold itself
erect, and it is more apt to be found in a reclining
or bending position. It prefers the shadows of
rich, open, wooded banks from New Brunswick
to Georgia, and to Minnesota and Missouri, from
late July to early October.

WHITE GOLDEN-ROD. SILVER-ROD
Solidago bicolor. Thistle Family.

It requires more than a passing glance to recog-
nize this hoary albino as a Golden-rod, when one meets
with it for the first time. The flowers are cream-
coloured or almost white, and the stalk and foliage
have a grayish aspect, due to a fine hairy growth upon
their surfaces. The unusual colour of the flowers
often fools one who has not yet become acquainted
with its one dominant peculiarity. But once dis-
tinguished, it need never become confused, since it
is the only one of its genus that is not yellow. The
rather stout stem is either simple or branched, and
grows from six inches to four feet in height, and is
often stained with purple. The dark green, feather-

173

\

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

veined leaves are toothed and stemmed. They are
nearly paddle-shaped at the base of the stalk, and
graduate to lance-shaped with modified margins
toward the top, where they mingle with the flowers.
They are more or less hairy. This species is truly
a Silver-rod. It is too erect and stiff to be graceful,
but its terminal spike is evenly studded all around with
the little short clusters of whitish flowers, relieved
here and there by a tiny green leaflet, and is unusual
if not attractive. From five to fourteen small white
ray flowers surround the cream-coloured centre of disc
flowers. The Silver-rod prefers dry soils, where it
blossoms from August to October. It ranges from
New Brunswick to Georgia, and west to Ontario,
Minnesota, and Missouri.

BOG GOLDEN-ROD
Solidago uligindsa. Thistle Family.

Think of this pretty flash of yellow spending its life
among the bogs and in dismal swamps, even in New-
foundland! One imagines it to be the nun of the
family, sacrificing a conventional life to brighten
those lonely, desolate wastes. Or, are they Nature’s
beacon lights intended to guide the straggling and
wayward insects and butterflies that have vainly sought
some Will-o’-the-Wisp in these same dreary places.
It raises its single, smooth, stout stem from two to
four feet in height. Its thick-textured leaves are lance-
shaped, and they decrease in size as they approach
the top of the stalk. The basal leaves are sometimes

774

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

a foot in length, and they taper into long, winged
petioles or stems, that partly clasp the stalk. The
margins are more or less toothed or even entire. The
bright yellow flowers are thickly, crowded on their
little stems, and form a compact, oblong and cylin-
drical, terminal spike. It is distributed along the wet
shores and bogs from Newfoundland and northern
New Jersey, to western Ontario, Minnesota, and
Wisconsin; also in the mountains of North Carolina,
during August and September.

SHOWY, OR NOBLE GOLDEN-ROD
Solidago specidsa. Thistle Family.

This is one of the most striking and fascinating
of its genus. The large, round, usually single stalk
raises its magnificent golden plume anywhere from
three to seven feet in height. Neither is there any-
thing mussy or fussy in the makeup of this stately
beauty. It is remarkably clean-cut and well-groomed
in every detail. The smooth-surfaced and rough-
edged olive-green leaves are rather thick and firm-
textured; and they alternate on the stalk. You can
detect this plant instantly by its leaves, because they
are so different from the general run of its kind. The
lower leaves are oblong and pointed, and they taper
toward the base into margined stems. As they ascend
the stalk, they become smaller, and graduate into
lance-shaped leaflets, that finally disappear as they
mingle with the great floral head. The stalk is often
stained with red, and adds much to the general appear-

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

ance of the plant. The flowers are closely set on
numerous, ascending, slender, branch-like stems of
unequal lengths. These stems are pyramided until
they form a compact, but graceful, cone-shaped
mass of clear yellow. The protruding stamens of
the disc flowers lend a finished touch that is well
nigh irresistible in its attractiveness. The showy
Golden-rod prospers in rich, well-drained soil near
open woods and thickets, where several healthy
stalks rise from a small circle about the same clump
of roots. It is found locally during September and
October from the New England States to Minne-
sota southward.

SEASIDE, OR SALT MARSH GOLDEN-ROD
Solidigo sempérvirens. Thistle Family.

This tall and lovely maritime species skirts .the
Atlantic Coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Florida
and Mexico. It is also found in Bermuda. From
August to December it flourishes wherever sandy soil
and brackish waters abound, illuminating the salt
marshes, sea-beaches and rocky shores near the sea
or along tidal waters adjacent thereto, with the bril-*
liance of its rich, golden yellow torch. It is easily
distinguished by its smooth, stout, usually single stalk,
which rises from two to eight feet in height, and also
by its thick, fleshy, smooth-edged, slightly clasping,
lance-shaped, bright green leaves, showing from two
to five lateral veins. The basal leaves are oblong and
paddle-shaped, and taper into long stems. The

176

Lysimachia quadrifolia

or WHORLED LOOSESTRIFE.,

5)

FOUR-LEAVED

BUTTERFLY-WEED. Asclepias tuberosa

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

flowers are rather large, and have from seven to ten
rays. They are thickly grouped on short, spreading,
recurved stems, many of which form a large, showy,
terminal, leafy plume. This charming species inspired
Celia Thaxter, who wrote: :

“ Graceful, tossing plumes of glowing gold,
Waving lonely on the rocky ledge;
Leaning seaward, lovely, to behold,
Clinging to the high cliff’s ragged edge.”

EARLY, PLUME OR SHARP-TOOTHED GOLDEN-
ROD. YELLOW-TOP

| Solidago juncea. Thistle, Family.

This species is one of the earliest and latest, as well
as one of the handsomest and commonest of its genus.
Its smooth, round, rather stout, rigid and light green
stalk rises to an average of two feet:in height. Near
the top it branches into numerous long, slender, droop-
ing extensions, along the upper side of which, near the
tips, the golden-yellow flowers are densely crowded.
The rays number from eight to twelve, and are very
small. The long-oval, pointed, lower leaves have
sharply defined, spreading teeth, and are narrowed
into winged stems. The upper leaves are long and
narrow, and taper toward either’ end, with more or
less entire margins. Their surface is smooth, and
they are slightly triple-veined. Small leaflets spring
from the angles of the leaves, which alternate on the
stalk. ‘The dried plumes are commonly used for
decorating in farm and country houses. Yellow-top
is found in dry or rocky soil in copses and banks from

177

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

New Brunswick to Hudson Bay, and Manitoba to
North Carolina and Missouri, from June to November.

SWEET, OR ANISE~SCENTED GOLDEN-ROD.
BLUE MOUNTAIN TEA

Solidago oddra. Thistle Family.

The bruised foliage of this species diffuses a pleas-
ant and lasting anise-like fragrance which instantly
reveals its identity. It yields a volatile oil, and at
one time the dried leaves and flowers were steeped
like tea, and used for medicinal purposes. Its
smooth, toothless, bright green leaves are long and
narrow, and are conspicuously dotted with minute,
transparent specks. They are thin-textured, and
have a prominent midrib. The slender, simple stem
rises from two to four feet high, and is often reclin-
ing. The flowers are small and unattractive, and
have three to four rays. They are arranged on
small spreading stems in a loose, one-sided, plume-
like terminal head. This species frequents the borders
of thickets in dry or sandy soil from southern New
Hampshire and Vermont to Florida, and west to
Texas and Missouri, from July to September. It is
common in the pine barrens of New Jersey.

ELM-LEAVED GOLDEN-ROD
Solidago ylmifolia. Thistle Family.
This common, slender and smooth-stemmed Golden-

rod is characterized by the strong resemblance of'
its leaves to those of the Elm tree. They are thin-

178

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

textured, and the margins are coarsely and sharply
toothed. They are long-oblong, or lance-shaped,
and pointed and tapering to the base, loosely veined,
and usually velvety to the touch on the under side.
The smooth stalk becomes hairy toward the top,
where it branches loosely into several slender, leafy,
recurving and spreading stems, along one side, of which
near the tips, are set the little yellow flowers. The
latter. have about four rays. This species selects the
broken shadows of dry rocky woods and copses,
from Maine to Georgia, and west to Minnesota and
Texas, from July to September. _

WRINKLE-LEAVED, OR TALL HAIRY GOLDEN-
ROD. BITTERWEED

Solidago rugosa. Thistle Family.

A very hairy and rough species, growing from one
to seven feet high, and usually found in fields and
along fences and roadsides from July to November.
The straight, stout, long-haired stalk is crowded with
sharply toothed, long-oblong, and lance-shaped leaves,
that taper at the base, and are thinly textured, and
loosely veined. They are very hairy, particularly
so on the under side, and are slightly wrinkled. The
flowers are set on one-sided stems which are grouped
in a spreading leafy head, formed by the erect branch-
ing of the stalk at this point. The ray flowers number
from six to nine, and the disc flowers from four to seven.
This species is very variable, and ranges from New-
foundland and Ontario to Florida and Texas. Cattle, as

179

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

a rule, avoid the Golden-rods as a steady diet, and are
particularly keen to avoid this rough Bitterweed.

GRAY, OR FIELD GOLDEN-ROD. DYER’S WEED
Solidago nemoralts. Thistle Family.

This common species raises its slender, ashy-gray
stalk from six inches to two feet high. It is single,
very leafy, and covered with minute whitish hairs.
It has been considered one of the most brilliant of
its kind, on account of its exceedingly rich, yellow
flowers. It is a low-growing plant, and ‘is somewhat
late to appear in flower. The thick, roughish leaves
are three-ribbed, and the lower ones are broadest and
taper into stems. As they mount the stalk, they gradu-
ate rapidly into long, narrow-pointed affairs, and
their margins are slightly toothed. The pretty, five
to nine rayed flowers are set on little recurving stems
toward the top of the stalk, forming a close, suc-
ceeding series of flat-topped, leafy clusters that finally
compose the beautiful, one-sided plume. This plant
is found in fields and dry roadsides, from July to
November. It ranges from Quebec and the Northwest
Territory to Florida, Texas, and Arizona.

CANADA GOLDEN-ROD. YELLOW-WEED
Solidago canadénsis. Thistle Family.

Here is a feather duster of glowing gold, and a close
rival of the elegant Showy or Noble Golden-rod. It
is probably the largest, showiest, and most common
of them all—jif not, indeed, the handsomest. It

180

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

is exceedingly democratic, and grows vigorously
wherever it elects to drop a root. In thickets and
rich, open soils it is at its best, although it blossoms
serenely in dry soil in fields, and along dusty roadsides,
from July to October. The tall, stout, rough stem is
thickly covered with minute hairs, and grows from
three to eight feet high. At the top it branches in
every direction, with slender, drooping, pyramiding
stems that are broadly and thickly set on the upper
side, with the tiny, bright yellow, three to seven
rayed flowers. The stalk is crowded with the
narrow, tapering, thin-textured and sharply toothed,
long, three-veined leaves. The basal leaves are
broader, and have slender stems. They are
usually smooth above and finely hairy beneath.
Canada Golden-rod flourishes from Newfoundland
to the Northwest Territory, and British Columbia,
southward to Florida and Arizona.

BUSHY, OR FRAGRANT GOLDEN-ROD
Solidago graminifolia. Thistle Family.

This species differs so much from the true Golden-
rods, Solidago, with which it is classed, that many
botanists regard it as the leading type of a separate
and new genus, Euthamia, a Greek word referring to
its clustered heads. The crushed leaves and flowers
are fragrant. This, together with its flat top has often
caused it to be mistaken for Tansy. Its slender, leafy,
green stalk branches widely at the top. It is occasion-
ally rough to the touch, and grows from two to four

I8I

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

feet high. The long and very narrow grass-like
leaves taper toward either end, and their margins
are entire, but very rough. They are very small,
and thin-textured, grayish-green in colour, and show
three or five ribs. The flowers are very small and are
closely grouped in small, round clusters at the tips of
the projecting, wiry branches, which are so graduated
in length as to form a flat-topped, flowering head.
The whole top is very free and open, and has a neat,
trim appearance. The flowers are light coloured,
and have from twelve to twenty very short ray flowers,
This plant is found in moist soil in fields and along
roadsides, from July to October. It ranges from
New Brunswick to the Northwest Territory, south to
Florida, Nebraska, and Missouri.

ELECAMPANE. HORSEHEAL. YELLOW
STARWORT

Inula Helénium. Thistle Family.

Hippocrates, the Greek physician, known as the
“Father of Medicine,” over two thousand years ago,
considered this plant important as a brain and stomach
stimulant, and it has been used ever since for variou?
ailments. The country housewife has great faith in
its virtues, and her Elecampane tea is still used
for coughs and colds, and as a general tonic. It has
also been used as an antiseptic in surgery. Farmers
use the large, mucilaginous roots to advantage in
treating sick horses. The stout, usually unbranched,
leafy stalk grows from two to six feet in height. The

182

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

large, curving, alternating leaf is broadly oblong and
pointed. It is rough above and downy beneath;
finely toothed, strongly ribbed, thick-textured, and
clasps the stalk, often with a pair of flaring lobes.
The larger, lower leaves taper toward either end, and
are set on slender stems. The solitary, large, yellow
flower heads are set on the top of stout, terminal,
single leafed stems, and are supported with a small,
single leaf, which is set close to their shallow green
cups. The numerous tubular florets are set in a large,
flat disc, and are surrounded with a fringe of many
long, narrow, curving spreading rays. Elecampane
is found along roadsides, fence rows, and in fields,
from July to September, from Nova Scotia, Ontario,
and Minnesota, south to North Carolina and Missouri.

BLACK-EYED-SUSAN. YELLOW DAISY. NIGGER=
HEAD. GOLDEN JERUSALEM. CORNFLOWER

Rudbéckia hirta. Thistle Family

The lively orange and black heads of these thrifty,
conspicuous flowers seem to accelerate the grandeur
of our fields and meadows from May to September,
where they flaunt their Princeton colours with a vigour
that the farmer beholds with contempt, because he
cannot capitalize their beauty along with his hay:
The slender, hairy stems are tough, usually unbranched,
sparingly leaved, and grow from one to three feet high.
Often several stems occur in a tuft. The long, nar-
row, pointed leaves have a rough,, hairy surface, and
partly clasp the stem. They have a strong midrib,

183

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

are rather loose-textured, and the margins are fre-
quently slightly notched with low teeth. The flower
heads are few or solitary. The tiny disc florets are
densely packed in a purple brown, cone-shaped head,
that has a smooth, silky sheen when newly opened.
They are surrounded at the base with from ten to
twenty long, narrow, orange-yellow rays. They
are notched at the tips, and have two faint
parallel veins running their length. The flower
head is supported with an overlapping, triple-rowed,
green mat, which terminates the stem. They are
found in dry, open, sunny fields, from Canada to
Florida, Colorado, and Texas.

COMMON SUNFLOWER. LARABELL
Helianthus dnnuus. Thistle Family.

The Sunflowers are native to this country, and this
species is extensively cultivated in Russia, India,
Turkey, Egypt, Germany, Italy, France and China,
as well as here, for the production of fixed oil con-
tained in the seed. This oil is said to make an excel-
lent salad dressing and to be one of the best burning-
oils known. The stalk, when treated as is flax, yields*
a long, fine fibre, which is said to be used in China
for the adulteration of silk. The Sunflower is believed
by some to ward off the effects of malarial fevers, and
in Caucasus malarial patients are wrapped in sheet9
saturated with milk, and covered with the leaves of
this plant. The Pah Ute Indians are said to be very
fond of Sunflower seeds as food. The seeds are ped

184

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

dled about the streets of Russia, like peanuts, except
they are eaten raw. The Sunflower also yields a by-
product used in making soap and candles. The
stems and heads make an excellent paper, and are used
for fuel. The seeds are also used as food for parrots
and for fattening poultry and swine. The foliage
has been used for fodder, and the flowers yield honey
and also a yellow dye. The tall, stout, rough, hairy
stalk is leafy, and branches at the top. It grows
annually from three to six feet high, or in cultivated
forms, sometimes fifteen feet high. The large, alter-
nating, long-stemmed leaves are broadly oval with a
tapering tip; strongly three-nerved, coarsely toothed,
and rough on both sides. The lower ones are often
heart-shaped. The flower heads of the wild species,
which measure from three to six inches broad, are
composed of numerous dark purple or brown tubular
disc florets, surrounded by a row of long, curving,
flaring yellow rays, contained in a flat green mat
edged with several rows of pointed green parts. They
terminate the stalk and stout stems springing from the
axils of the leaves. The Wild Sunflower is found
from July to September, in rich soils, from Minne-
sota to the Northwest Territory, Missouri, and Texas
and California. Occasionally it is found in waste
ground eastward, where it has escaped from gardens.
The generic name is from helios, the sun, and
anthos, a flower. The heads face the sun, and usually
turn in its direction. There are about sixty species
belonging to this group which are native to our hemis-

185

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

phere. Of this number about forty are found in
North America.

TALL, OR GIANT SUNFLOWER
Helianthus gigantéus. Thistle Family.

A tall perennial species, with a rough, hairy, purple-
stained stalk rising from three to twelve feet high from
fleshy, creeping, edible roots, and are either single or
branching at the top. The firm-textured, taper-pointed,
lance-shaped leaves are very rough above, and rough
hairy beneath. They are narrowed at the base, and are
set on short stems or clasp the stalk. The margins are
finely toothed or entire. Many or all of the upper leaves
are alternate, but sometimes they all are paired. Usually
several flower heads are borne on long, terminal stems,
and are often two and a half inches broad. The yel-
lowish disc florets are surrounded with from ten to
twenty pale yellow rays, and are held together in a deep
green, half round cup. This Sunflower is found in low
thickets, swamps, and wet meadows from August to
October, from Maine and Ontario to the Northwest Ter-
ritory, and south to Florida, Nebraska and Louisiana.
A more northern variety of this species develops,
tuberous roots, and because they are used as food
by the Indians, they are known as Indian potatoes.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE. EARTH APPLE.
CANADA POTATO
Helianthus tuberosus, Thistle Family-
Long before Columbus set foot on our shores, the
native Indians cultivated this species for its thick,

186

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

tuberous roots, which they used for food. It is still
frequently raised for similar purposes. The roots are
tender and of fine flavour, and. are eaten either raw,
or cooked. They also make a popular relish when
pickled. The tall, stout, leafy, hairy stalk grows
perennially from six to twelve feet high, and branches
at the top. The large, rather long-stemmed, triple-
ribbed, pointed-oblong leaves have toothed margins
and hairy surfaces. The upper ones are alternate,
and the lower ones are paired. The brilliant flower
heads are several or numerous, and are set in green,
leafy, half-round cups, and are composed of numer-
ous small, yellow, tubular disc flowers, fringed with
from ten to twenty long, flaring, rich, yellow rays.
Few or several flower heads are set on the tips of the
terminal branches. This species prefers moist soil, and
is found along fences, roadsides, and thickets during
September and October, and ranges from Georgia and
Arkansas to Canada. .

BEGGAR-TICKS. STICK-TIGHT. STICK-WEED.
RAYLESS MARIGOLD. PITCH-FORKS.
COMMON BUR MARIGOLD

Bidens fronddsa. Thistle Family.

Bidens means two teeth, and refers to the two
sharp prongs of the flat, brown seed of this species,
which attaches itself to everything in the line of cloth-
ing or wool that happens to brush against it. They
will not shake off, either, and their removal requires
the most patient and exacting effort, as anyone who.
has roamed the fields in the fall can testify. The

187

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

tall, annual, erect, very leafy stalk grows from two to
nine or ten feet high, and branches in pairs. It is
usually smooth and hollow, and often stained with
purple. The thin, sharply toothed, slender-stemmed
leaves are divided into three or five lance-shaped parts
which are tapered toward the apex and narrowed at
the base. They are set on short, ribbed stems, that
unite with the stalk in pairs with a noticeable clasping
joint, from the axils of which spring the curving
flower stems. The very small, ragged, rayless, brist-
ling flower heads are homely and unattractive. The
two or three dull yellow ray flowers are very incon-
spicuous, if any, and the brownish yellow tubular
florets of the central head are tightly packed together.
The head is surrounded with several narrow leafy
bracts of various lengths, and several heads are clus-
tered in a loose terminal group. Beggar-ticks are
exceedingly common, and aside from their affectionate
stickers, they are an uninteresting plant. They are
found everywhere in moist places, and along road-
sides and railroad ditches, from July to October, and
range from Nova Scotia to Florida, British Colum-
bia, Nebraska, and Texas.
SNEEZEWEED. SWAMP SUNFLOWER.
YELLOW STAR. OX-=EYE
Helénium autumndle. Thistle Family.

During September the bright yellow blossoms of
the Sneezeweed illuminate the low meadows and
swamps from one end of the country to the other. The
stout, branching stalk rises from two to six feet in

188

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

height. The firm, pointed, oblong or lance-shaped
bright green leaves are sharply toothed and alter-
nating. They possess a bitter taste, and when dried
and powdered into snuff, produce violent sneezing.
The foliage is believed to impart a bitter taste to milk,
when cows forage upon it. The numerous large
flower heads are borne on long stems in loose, spread-
ing, rather flat-topped, terminal clusters. From ten
to eighteen spreading and drooping ray florets, with
three cleft tips surround the yellow or yellow-brown
globular disk of tubular florets. The Swamp Sun-
flower is found from Quebec to Florida, and west to
the Northwest Territory and Arizona, and blooms
from August to October.
TANSY. BITTER BUTTONS. HINDHEEL.
GINGER=PLANT
Tanacétum vulgare. Thistle Family. —

Tansy was one of the good old “standbys” of our
grandmothers’ time, and was relied upon to cure any-
thing and everything in the way of bodily ills that
happened to disturb any member of the household,
down on the farm. It was also one of the favourite
plants in the flower beds that used to decorate the
grass plots about our dear old homesteads. Its dried
leaves were formerly used for flavouring or season-
ing various dishes, particularly puddings and omelets.
Tansy tea was also in great favour as a domestic tonic
and stimulant, and is still used for various ailments of
the stomach and liver. It is also used locally for
relieving pain in muscular rheumatism and bruises.

189

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

Frivolous damsels of the sixteenth century soaked
Tansy leaves in buttermilk for nine days, and used
the liquid for improving their complexions. Bunches
of Tansy are hung about the house, and its presence
is said to be very effectual in keeping flies out of the
rooms. ‘Thoreau says that it was used in connection
with funerals. The round, smooth, upright stalk is
leafy, and branches at the top. It grows from one and
a half to three feet high, from a perennial root. The
strongly scented, curling, dark green leaves are very
deeply cleft into numerous narrow, lance-shaped sec-
tions, which are sharply cut and toothed. They are
bitter and aromatic. The flower head resembles
the yellow button or disc of a Daisy after the white
ray flowers have been removed. The numerous
tiny, yellow, tubular florets are tightly packed into a
small, flat head, which is slightly hollowed in the
centre. The heads are set into shallow, greenish
cups, on short stems, many of which are closely
grouped into several large, dense, terminal, flat-
topped clusters. Their odour is noticeable for a
considerable distance. Tansy came to us from
Europe and grows along road-sides from July to
September, where it has escaped from gardens. It
is found from North Carolina and Missouri to Canada.

COLTSFOOT. COUGHWORT
Tussilago Farfara. Thistle Family.

This is the same Coltsfoot that our grandmothers
used to gather and dry and hang in the garret dlong

190

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

with their Boneset, Catnip, Goldthread, and a various
assortment of garden herbs. Coltsfoot was con-
siderably used at one time as a family remedy for
coughs and colds, and many a steaming cupful has
been sipped by country people for this purpose. Its
Latin name, an old one used by Pliny, is derived from
dussis, a cough, and ago, alluding to the medicinal
use of the leaves. The ancients smoked the leaves of
Coltsfoot for relief in cases of asthma. Its fresh
juice has been used for affections of the skin, and in
Germany the dried Jeaves are said to be used as a
substitute for smoking tobacco. The flowers of the
Coltsfoot look something like those of an imperfectly
developed, or half-opened Dandelion, but where the
flower heads of the Dandelion are slightly tufted or
raised toward the centre, those of the Coltsfoot are
cupped or hollowed, more like an Aster, with a finely
fringed edge. The rather large, solitary flower is
borne on a thick, hollow, light green stem, rising
direct from the long, slender, creeping perennial root
from four to eighteen inches in height. It is usually
stained with red and is covered with numerous scale-
like and alternating leaflets. The light yellow flower
head is of a lighter shade than that of the Dandelion,
and is set in a deep, leafy, thimble-shaped green cup.
It is composed of many ray and disc florets — an
arrangement fully explained in the description of the
Asters. The ray florets are fringe-like, and the small
disc florets are five-parted. They have an agreeable
odour, and as they fade, they turn to red-brown.

791

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

They close at noon in the hot sun. These flowers are
usually in bloom before the Dandelions. The leaves
do not appear until after the flowers have matured.
At: first they are rounded and heart-shaped, but fin-
ally become larger and more angled. Their surface
is soft and cottony, and is strongly marked with ribs
and veinings. They are thin-textured, and their
margins are more or less toothed. ‘They are silvery
on the under side, and are set on long, grooved stems
that rise from the rootstock. Coltsfoot may be found
from April to June, from Nova Scotia and New Bruns-
wick to Massachusetts, New York and Minnesota,
where it has become naturalized from Europe. It
prefers moist banks along roadways and streams.
GOLDEN RAGWORT. LIFE-ROOT. SWAMP
SQUAW-WEED. FALSE VALERIAN
Sanécio auréus. Thistle Family.

The attractive, rich, golden-yellow flowers of this
Daisy-like perennial appear in May and June in
moist meadows and thickets, and in swamps. It is
strikingly clean cut and beautiful. The slender,
usually smooth, upright stalk is hollow and sparingly |
leafy. It is angular and twisting in growth, and rise8
from one to two and a half feet in height, solitary or
tufted, from a strong-scented root. The lower leaves
are long stemmed, and are long, rounding, heart-
shaped, with scallop-toothed edges. Those on the
stalk are partly clasping, and are lance-shaped and
deeply cut and notched. The foliage is smooth and
thin, and together with the stalk is often stained with

192

DOWNY FALSE FOXGLOVE. Gerardia flava

GOLDEN ASTER. Chrysopsis mariana

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

purple. The flower heads have many tiny, deep yellow,
star-shaped florets, that are closely tufted with a flaring
fringe of from eight to twelve short, recurved deep yellow
ray flowers, loosely set around and just below them. The
ray flowers are finely grooved, and their tips are slightly
_ notched. They are all set in a deep, smooth yellow-green
cup, and several heads, perhaps a dozen, are comfortably
gathered in a somewhat flat-topped terminal cluster.
The roots are used in medicine. Senico is derived from
the Latin, Senex, an old man, and refers to the silky
white hairs that succeed the flower. This Ragwort
is found from Canada to Florida, and Texas.

DWARF DANDELION
Krigta virginica. Chicory Family.

A small annual, bearing tiny, deep yellow or light
orange-coloured flowers on long, slender, naked stems,
that rise from one to fifteen inches in height. The
flowers resemble in miniature, those of the Dandelion.
They close at night, and when the seed is ripe, they again
resemble, on a small scale, the “blow-head” of the latter.
Several stems rise from the pretty little circular tuft of
long, narrow leaves, and have a remote likeness to those
of the Dandelion. They are found from April to August,
in dry, sandy soil, from Texas and Florida to Canada.

DANDELION. BLOWBALL. LION’S-TOOTH
‘" CANKERWORT. IRISH DAISY
Taraxacum officinale. Chicory Family.
The Dandelion, like the Daisy, scarcely needs to be
described. It is known from one end of our great

193

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

country to the other, and, notwithstanding its exceeding
abundance, the first bright, solitary flowers are always
a welcome sight in the spring. Children love to split
the smooth, hollow flower stem with their tongues,
and make long, spiral curls and ribbons. They also use
them for blowing soap-bubbles, and for sipping water
from a spring, or by blowing through them, produce
funny noises. They have rare fun foretelling the
number of children they may have, or even the time
of day, by the number of puffs it takes to remove the
downy fluff from the round, fuzzy white heads when
the flower has gone to seed. In the spring, the leaves
are gathered and eaten in immense quantities like
spinach, or as a salad, by the immigrant Italians who
unwittingly, have established an excellent and popular
relish now served in our homes and hotels, and which
is pronounced by epicures to be a most wholesome
and appetizing salad. The root is ground and roasted,
and used like coffee. The root and leaves are also used
as a popular remedy for liver complaints, and for
dyspepsia; also as a spring tonic. The thick, bitter
root is sometimes twenty inches long, and grows deeply
in the ground. The long, and extremely variable
narrow leaf is irregular, and unequally toothed and
notched with the wavy, jagged points inclined toward
the stem. Its smooth surface is divided with a wide,
thick, pale green midrib. Ofttimes the leaves resemble
in outline a series of triangles or arrow heads. They
taper toward the base into narrow winged stems that
curve to form a pretty flat rosette. As the thick, green

194

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WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

bud opens, the numerous deep yellow florets, which are
rolled lengthwise into tiny, hollow tubes gradually
unfold, and become strap-shaped, with their square
tips finely toothed. The outer ones open first and
curve gracefully backward, until finally, the beau-
tiful flower head assumes, when at its best, the shape
of a flat, round and nearly semi-circular golden tuft
of overlapping parts. They are held in a cup of many
nattow, dark green, leafy bracts, and set singly on the
tip of the long, tube-like stem. They open widest in
the bright sun, and partly close at night. The plant
contains a bitterish, milky juice that exudes freely
when any part is broken, and which stains the hands.
As the flowers fade, they are succeeded by a round,
gray ball of light, feathery plumes, to which are attached
the tiny seeds. The Dandelion is found in blossom
the year round. While I am writing this description
to-day, the third of January, in the vicinity of New
York, my notes are supplemented with a freshly opened
blossom, which I have just picked from the lawn of our
suburban home. Dandelion is an obscure name, but
is generally believed to be a corruption of the French
dent-de-lion, meaning lion’s tooth, and refers to the
outline of the leaf which is said to resemble that of the
teeth in a lion’s jaw.
COMMON SOW THISTLE. HARE’S LETTUCE.
MILK THISTLE
Sénchus oleraceus. Chicory Family.

A tall and usually single-stalked annual, naturalized

from Europe, and growing from one to ten feet high;

195

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

from a fibrous root. The smooth, hollow, grooved
stalk is leafy below, and contains a milky juice. The
large leaves are very decorative, and are used as a
salad and as a pot herb. They are Dandelion-like,
smooth, shining and clasp the stalk with a heart-
shaped vase. They are sharply cut into several irre-
gular, misshapen triangles that succeed each other
closely. Their wavy margins are toothed or edged
with soft, weak spines. Other leaves are lance-
shaped with smooth margins. They alternate along
the stalk, and have a stout midrib. The lower leaves
are stemmed. Hare’s Lettuce became a popular
name for this plant because the large leaves afforded
shelter for that animal, and, according to “Grete
Herbale,” ‘if the hare come under it, he is sure that
no beaste can touch hym.” The small, pale yellow,
flat-topped flower heads are loosely arranged in a
spreading, terminal cluster. The numerous fluffy
florets are set in a green, vase-shaped cup. The Sow
Thistle is a common plant everywhere in fields, and
along roadways and fence rows from May to November.

SPRING, OR SHARP=FRINGED SOW THISTLE
Sénchus dsper. Chicory Family.

An annual species, similar to the Common Sow
Thistle. The lower leaves are pointed paddle-shaped,
and taper into a narrow stem. The upper leaves are
gracefully arched and slightly folded, with irregular
wavy margins that are thistle-like and fringed with
many rather weak, spine-like points. They clasp the

196

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

stalk in a pleasing manner with a noticeable pair
of rounded, flaring, ear-like lobes, and they are thin,
smooth and shining. They were formerly used as a
pot herb. The light yellow, Thistle-like flower heads
are few or numerous, and are arranged similar to the
above species. They are succeeded with a fluffy
down. The remarkable, highly decorative leafage
of this plant really demands a more deserving name
than the one now bestowed upon it. The spring
‘ Sow Thistle is found from May to November, and is
common throughout most of our area in waste places
everywhere.
WILD, OR TALL LETTUCE. WILD OPIUM.

TRUMPET WEED. FIREWEED.
TRUMPET MILKWEED

Lactica canadénsis. Chicory Family.

The common, and noticeably tall, leafy stalk of
the Wild Lettuce raises its unattractive, pale yellow
flowers anywhere from three to ten feet high, in moist,
open places, usually along our roadsides, from June
to November. This milky-juiced plant is annual
or biennial, and is smooth, and branches loosely at
the top to accommodate the flowers. The leaves
are exceedingly variable in size and shape. The
lower ones are sometimes a foot long, and are very
irregularly cut, gouged, and wavy-lobed, and as they
mount the stalk they become more regular, and are
finally often lance-shaped and entire. The rays of the
numerous small flower heads are strap-shaped, and
are set in a little green, vase-shaped cup. The flowers

197

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

are succeeded by conspicuous silky heads of down.
The plant has a vigorous growth, and is rather coarse-
looking. The generic name is derived from the
ancient Latin, lac-milk, and refers to the milky juice
of the stalk and foliage. Lettuce has been known and
used as a salad from a very remote period, and the
Persian kings are said to have had it served on their
tables, four or five hundred years before the Christian
era. The wild plants are often gathered for salad.
The ancients believed that Lettuce produced sleep,
and it is claimed to possess the calming properties of
opium. It has been used to allay cough and to quiet
nervous irritation. In France, a water distilled from
the leaves is used for its soothing effects. The fresh
leaves, when boiled, are sometimes used in relieving
convulsions. The Wild Lettuce is found from Georgia,
Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas, north to Canada.
There are nearly one hundred members of this group
distributed throughout North America and some of
them are difficult to distinguish.

HAIRY, OR RED WOOD LETTUCE
Lactica birsista. Chicory Family. ‘

This is a smaller, less leafy, and usually hairy species,
growing generally in dry soils from one to six feet
high. The hollow stalk is usually stained with red.
The rays of the flowers are reddish yellow, and the
blossoms are borne in a loose, branching, terminal
cluster. The leaves are more deeply and narrowly
cut than those of the preceding. This plant is found

198

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

from June to September, from Maine to Ontario,
Minnesota, Alabama, and Texas.

ORANGE, OR TAWNY HAWKWEED. GOLDEN
MOUSE-EAR HAWKWEED. GRIM THE
COLLIER. DEVIL’S PAINT BRUSH

Hieractum aurantiacum. Chicory Family.

The orange-coloured flowers and grimy stem will
always keep this attractive Hawkweed from becom-
ing confused with any of the yellow-flowered species.
It has become naturalized here, and came from Europe.
The generic name is derived from the Greek, hierax,
a hawk, because the ancients thought that these birds
sharpened their eyesight by feeding on these plants.
The slender, round, grooved stalk rises from six
to twenty inches from a rosette of leaves. It is quite
naked, excepting for one or two small stemless leaves,
which it bears near the ground. Its green colour
is obscured by numerous, dull brownish hairs with
which it is begrimed. The long oval, tufted leaves
are narrowed at the base, and are toothless. They
are covered with long, whitish hairs. The flower
head is composed of numerous short, yellow-centred,
orange-red, five-toothed, overlapping, strap-shaped
florets that curve outward from the centre. The
green cup is covered with the dark hairs. Several
heads are rather closely grouped on short stems in
a terminal cluster at the top of the stalk. Grim the
Collier is a popular English name for this Hawkweed
and applies to the general grimy or sooty appearance

199

YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS

of the stalk. It is found in fields, woods, and along
roadsides, from June to August, from eastern Can-
ada to Pennsylvania.

RATTLESNAKE=-WEED. POOR ROBIN’S PLAN-}
TAIN. VEIN-LEAF. HAWKWEED. HAWKBIT

Hieracium vendsum. Chicory Family.

There is no mistaking the Common Rattlesnake-
weed when you find the small rosette of purple-veined
leaves. That they have an uncanny, snaky something
or another about them cannot be denied, and it is
probably all due to their decorative veinings. I have
heard time and again that this leaf was used as a remedy
for snake bites, but never have succeeded in meeting
anyone who had actually used it for such purpose.
The juice is supposed by some people to have the power
of removing warts. The long, slender stalk is often
solitary, and rises out of the leafy tuft, from one to
three feet in height. It is smooth and leafless, cr
occasionally with one or two leaves seated upon it.
The foot leaves are long oval, with a pointed tip, and
taper toward the base. The wide, flat midrib is
hairy on the under side. The usually toothless mar-:
gins are fringed with fine hairs, and the colour is light
green. ‘The small, light yellow flowers are somewhat
like those of the Dandelion, but the disc is more ragged,
fewer-flowered and less dense. The strap-shaped
florets have a finely notched, square tip, and from
fifteen to forty are set in a small, light green cup.
They are set on the tips of the forks, and form a loose,

200

WILD FLOWERS YELLOW AND ORANGE

scrawly, few-flowered cluster. They are found in dry,
open, rocky woods and thickets from May to October,
from Georgia, Kentucky, and Nebraska to Canada,

HAIRY HAWKWEED
Hieracium Grondutt.

This slender, wand-like Hawkweed grows from
one to three feet in height. ‘The stem is stiff, hairy, and
sometimes nearly leafless. The long oval basal leaves
are either entire or toothed, and are usually narrowed
into short stems. The upper leaves are oblong or
oval, and all are rough, hairy, and strongly ribbed.
The stalk forks at the top to receive the numerous
yellow, Dandelion-like flowers. The flowers open
only in the bright sun, and wilt immediately when
plucked. They are found from July to September,
in dry locations, from Florida and Louisiana to Massa-
chusetts, Illinois and Ontario.

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LEAF AND ROOT FORMS

Section IV

WHITE AND GREENISH FLOWERS

203

BROAD-LEAVED ARROWHEAD
Sagittaria latifolia. Water-plantain Family.

HE Arrowhead is a very decorative and common,
mud-loving, white-flowered aquatic perennial,
blooming from July to September, in shallow water
along the margins of slow streams, ponds, and marshes.
The exceedingly variable leaves are generally arrow-
shaped, sometimes sharp and narrow, or again blunt
and broad. They are thick, spongy, and rubbery,
and have long stems. Others, which are entirely
submerged under the water, are long and grass-like.
The many-angled, milky-juiced, flowering stalk is either
stout or slender, and grows from a few inches to sev-
eral feet in height. The flowers have three prom-
inent, rounded, spreading, white petals with either a
central cluster of golden yellow stamens or a large,
green pistil. They are of two sorts, male and female,
and may or may not occur together on the same plant.
In the latter case, the pretty male, or yellow-centred,
stamen-bearing flowers are borne on the upper part of
the stalk, while the female or green-centred, pistil-
bearing flowers occur below them. ‘They are arranged
in whorls of three, on short stems, at regular dis-
tances along the stalk. The calyx has three green
parts. The Arrowhead ranges from Mexico far into
the British Possessions, and from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. S. pubescens is a robust, broad leaved variety,

205

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

with a shorter calyx, and is more or less hairy. It is
found from Ontario to New Jersey, Florida and Ala-
bama.

AMERICAN WHITE HELLEBORE. INDIAN
POKE. ITCH-WEED

Viratrum viride. Lily Family.

In rich, moist woods, swamps, and wet meadows,
and usually associated with the Skunk Cabbage and
Marsh Marigold, the rank-growing foliage of the
Hellebore flourishes with a tropical vigorousness,
The stout, leafy stalk rises from two to eight feet in
height, and is round smooth, and green. The large,
hairy, bright green leaves are deeply pleated with
numerous parallel ribs, and are broadly oval, and
tapering at the apex. They clasp the stalk, and
graduate in size as they approach the top. The lower
leaves are often a foot long. The numerous, unattrac-
tive, dull yellowish-green flowers have six spreading,
petal-like parts and six short, curved stamens. They
are densely crowded on rather open, branching ter-
minal spikes, and each flower is guarded with a small
leaflet. The rootstock is long and thick with many
fleshy, fibrous rootlets. It has a disagreeable odour,
and is very poisonous, but possesses important medi-
cinal qualities. The stiff, spear-like shoots are very
noticeable in the early spring. The species is also
found along mountain streams from May to July,
and ranges from Alaska and the British Possessions
south to Minnesota, Tennessee and Georgia. Five

206

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

different species of Viratrum are found growing
within the United States.

STAR OF BETHLEHEM TEN O'CLOCK
Ornithégalum umbellatum. Lily Family.

An extremely dainty plant with exquisite white,
starry flowers which decorate our moist fields and
meadows during May and June from New England
to Virginia, and become very abundant in favourable
localities. ‘The popular name has long been applied to
this pretty Lily which is thought to resemble the hallowed
star in the East that guided the Wise Men to the place
in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The slender
stalk branches at the top only for the solitary flowers,
and grows from four to twelve inches high. The long
narrow, fleshy leaves rise in a tuft from a thick, egg-
shaped bulb. They have a whitish midvein, and are
dark green in colour. The flowers open only in the
sunshine. They are five-parted, spreading, and star-like.
Each of the petal-like parts is pure white with delicate
veinings, and has a wide, green stripe on the outside,
which resembles a separate sepal or bract. The stamens
are flattened. This charming species has become nat-
uralized from Europe, and has escaped from gardens.

WILD SPIKENARD. FALSE SOLOMON’S SEAL.
SOLOMON'S ZIGZAG

Smilacina racemosa. Lily Family.

On account of the similarity of its foliage, this
species is frequently confused with the True Solomon's

207

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

Seal, with which it is often found growing. It is easily
distinguished, however, by the terminal arrange-
ment of its plumy flowers and red berries, while the
latter species bears its bell-shaped flowers distributed
in pairs along the stalk and its berries are black.
The smooth, leafy, and slightly zigzagged stalk grows
from one to three feet high, from a rather thick, fleshy
rootstock. The broad, lance-shaped, and strongly
ribbed leaves are stemless, or nearly so, and alter.
nate at the angles of the stalk. ‘The margins are tooth-
less, but are fringed with fine hairs. The surface,
particularly beneath, is also hairy. The small, white
or greenish-white flowers are fragrant, and have six
spreading, petal-like parts, six pale, yellow-tipped
stamens, and a thick pistil. These are densely crowded
in a pyramid-shaped spike at the end of the stalk, which
is often gracefully curved. The flowers are suc-
ceeded by the aromatic, purple-specked berries, which
are at first green, then yellow-white, and finally pale
red. The plant blossoms from May to July, and is
found in moist woods and thickets, from Nova Scotia
to Georgia, and westward to Missouri, Arizona, and
British Columbia.

FALSE LILY OF THE VALLEY. TWO-LEAVED
SOLOMON’S SEAL

Matanthemum canadénse. Lily Family.
A common and familiar little . zigzag-stemmed,

woodland plant, bearing usually two leaves or often
only one, and found generally about the base of stumps

208

CANADA GOLDEN-ROD. Solidago canadensis

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WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

and trees in moist woods and thickets, where it blos-
soms from May to July. The slender stalk is rouna
and grooved, and grows from two to seven inches in
height! The alternating, broad-oval leaves have a
short-tipped, blunt point and are heart-shaped with
a narrow slit at the base where they are either clasping
or short-stemmed. The surface is smooth and shin-
ing, and the veinings are parallel. They are yellowish-
green in colour, becoming stained and rusty with age.
The tiny, fragrant, waxy-white flower has four spreading
petal-like parts, and four cream-tipped stamens.
They are crowded on a short terminal spike, and are
followed with round, grayish or creamy white red-
speckled berries, which finally become dark, shining,
ruby red in colour. There is not the slightest resem-
blance to the Lily of the Valley of our gardens, and
this name is thereforé misleading. This rather dainty
species occurs in scattered or dense’ colonies. from
Canada to North Carolina, Iowa, and South Dakota.

HAIRY, TRUE OR TWIN-FLOWERED
SOLOMON’S SEAL

Polygondtum biflorum. Lily Family.

A common and graceful species growing in woods
and thickets in company with the Wild Spikenard,
and frequently confused with it. ‘The upper part of the
slender, leafy, unbranched stalk is often angular and
curved. It rises from eight inches to three feet in
height. The toothless, oval, pointed or lance-shaped
leaves are alternately on the stalk, and are smooth above

209

WHITE AND GREENISH , WILD FLOWERS

and paler and hairy beneath. The white or yellowish-
green, bell-shaped flowers are usually arranged in pairs,
and droop and nod beneath the leaves on fine stems
springing from the leaf axils. The tubular flower is six
lobed at the opening, but is not spreading, and has six
stamens and a pistil. The berry is round, pulpy, and
blue-black in colour. The horizontal rootstock is thick
and jointed. This plant was formerly employed in heal-
ing bruises, particularly those about the eyes, and for
wounds and skin eruptions. It was also highly esteemed
as acosmetic. The berries are said to be poisonous,
The species blossoms from April to July in woods
and thickets, from New Brunswick to Michigan,
and south to Florida and West Virginia.

LARGE FLOWERED WAKE-ROBIN
Trillium grandiflorum. Lily Family.

The Trilliums rank among the foremost of our
native woodland wild flowers, and they possess an
individuality that compares favourably with the
exclusive traits of the Arbutus, the Gentians, the
Lobelias, and the Orchids. This beautiful, large,
white-flowered species is one of the choicest and best:
known of its family. It is found during May and June,
in damp, rich woods, and grows from eight to eigh-
teen inches high. The single, smooth, stout, juicy
stalk terminates with a whorl of three large, hand-
some, broadly egg-shaped, triple-ribbed leaves which
taper suddenly at the apex and are narrowed to a
stemless base. They are loose-textured, prominently

210

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

veined, and toothless. The large, waxy-white, solitary
flower is borne on a short stem that springs upright
from the centre of the leaves. The three thin, broad,
strongly veined, and long-pointed petals are larger and
much longer than the three spreading, green, lance-
shaped sepals, and they turn outward with a large grace-
ful curve. They are scentless, and as they age they
become pink. The single berry is nearly black when
matured. This showy-flowered Trillium ranges from
Canada to Florida, and west to Minnesota and Missouri.

NODDING WAKE-ROBIN
Trillium cérnuum. Lily Family.

The fragrant white or pink flower of this common
Trillium droops on its short, curving stem until it nods,
usually below the whorl of very broad leaves, where
it is quite hidden from view. The stalk is rather
slender, and grows from eight to twenty inches high,
in the shade of rich, moist woods. The petals of the
rather large flower are tapering and wavy-edged, and
are rolled prettily backward. The calyx is light green,
and the nodding, egg-shaped fruit is red-purple when
ripe. The flower blossoms from April to June and
may be found from Nova Scotia to Ontario, and Minne-
sota and south to Georgia and Missouri.

PAINTED TRILLIUM, OR WAKE-ROBIN
Trillium undulatum. Lily Family.
The beautiful Painted Trillium is one of the
commonest and most striking of its clan. It loves
ait

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

to dwell beside cool, trickling brooklets, and in
shady dells in rich, damp woods where it blossoms
during May and June. The rather slender soli-
tary green stalk is smooth and naked and grows
from eight inches to sometimes two feet in height
The large, egg-shaped leaves have a long, tapering
point, and a rounded base. They have short stems
and are triple-veined. The thin, widely spreading,
waxy-white, wavy-edged petals are painted with purple
stripes at the base. The green sepals are narrow,
lance-shaped. The solitary flower is set on a short
stem and is often slightly drooped. The egg-shaped
fruit is shining bright red when ripe. This plant
ranges from Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Wisconsin to
Georgia and Missouri.

STAR=GRASS. COLIC-ROOT
Aletris farindsa. Lily Family.

A bitter, fibrous-rooted, yellow-flowered perennial,
which is sought annually in some localities by herb
gatherers, on account of its reputed value as a remedy
for colic, rheumatism and as a general tonic. The
slender flower stalk grows from one and a half to three’
feet in height, from a spreading cluster of thin, lance-
shaped, pale yellowish-green basal leaves. The
numerous small, white or yellowish tubular flowers
are faintly fragrant and form a dense, slender,
wand-like spike. The six stamens are tipped with
orange. Colic-root is found in dry, sandy fields and
along roadsides from May to July and ranges from

212

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

Maine, Ontario, and Minnesota, south to Florida
and Tennessee.

SHOWY LADY’S SLIPPER
Cypripédium birsitum. Orchid Family.

This magnificent, fragrant Orchid has been con-
sidered the most beautiful of the Cypripediums and
some enthusiasts have even thought that it should be
crowned the queen of American wild flowers. It is
a shy, chaste beauty, and keeps aloof, hidden in
remote swamps and rich, low, mossy woods, where
its incomparable charm and subtle grace regale the
woods with their exquisite splendour. The com-
mon name should not be confused with that of the
earlier-blooming Showy Orchis, which bears a spike
of several flowers. The Showy Lady’s Slipper raises
its stout, leafy, and downy stalk a foot or two high, and
may be found from June to September. The large,
downy, wavy-edged, pointed oval leaves are alter-
nating and clasping, and resemble the foliage of the
False Hellebore. The large, white, balloon-like floral
pouch is shaped something like an Indian moccasin,
and is softly stained on the upper side with pinkish
purple spots and stripes. The broad, spreading
sepals and petals are pure white, and are flared with
such a vigorous, animated gesture that one fancies
that they are almost trying to speak. Usually one,
and frequently two or three flowers hang from the
summit of the stalk. The root is used as a nerve
tonic, and the fine hairs with which the plant is covered

213

WHITE AND GREENISH , WILD FLOWERS

yield a poisonous oil which sometimes irritates the skin.
This species ranges from Nova Scotia to Ontario,
and Minnesota, and south to Georgia.

LARGE ROUND-LEAVED ORCHIS
Habenaria orbiculata. Orchid Family.

A pair of exceedingly large, shining, circular leaves
with a silvery underside and lying flat upon the ground,
are pretty certain means of identifying this peculiar
Orchid. It frequents deep, rich woods, preferably
evergreen, which are carpeted with pine or hemlock
needles, where it raises its stout stalk a foot or two
high, and blossoms gaily during July and August.
From ten to twenty or more white flowers are loosely
clustered in a terminal spike. The short, upper sepal
is rounded, and the two narrower side ones are spread-
ing. Two petals are smaller, sharply pointed and
arching, while the long, narrow, and drooping white
one, which forms the pointed, curving lip, is prolonged
in a long, slender, curving spur. The great, opposite
spreading leaves are many-ribbed, and the stalk has
several small, alternating bracts or leaflets set along its
Jength. This Orchid is rather uncommon, and is found
in the hilly or mountainous regions, from the British
Possessions south to North Carolina and Minnesota.

WHITE FRINGED ORCHIS
Habenaria blepharigléttis. Orchid Family.
This refined and elegant beauty raises her stately
white head above the surrounding grasses, and, after
214

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

the manner of the powdered Colonial dames of old,
fascinates us with her incomparable grace and loveli-
ness as she executes a proud courtsey to each passing
breeze. The general description of the stalk, leaves
and blossoms of her golden flowered sister, the Yel-
low Fringed Orchis, applies very generally to the above
species. The present Orchid, however, is inclined to
be more delicate and somewhat smaller in all parts.
It is also rather more common, and the soft, feathery
flowers blossom a few days earlier where the two bloom
side by side, as they very frequently do. The White
Fringed Orchis blossoms during July and August, in
bogs and swamps, from Newfoundland to Minnesota,
and south to Florida and Mississippi.

NODDING LADIES’ TRESSES
Sptranthes cérnua. Orchid Family.

Throughout the glorious autumn, when the summer
verdure gradually assumes the most beautiful variations
of yellow, scarlet, and brown, and after most of our
wild flowers have ceased their floral activities, this
latest blooming Orchid, like the lovely Blue Gentian,
suddenly realizes its sense of duty and blossoms as
gaily as though the birds were just returning with the
spring. It is also one of the very commonest of its
family. It grows from six inches to two feet in height,
in wet meadows and grassy swamps. Several long,
narrow, lance-shaped leaves spring from the base of
the stalk, but usually disappear before the flowering
season. Those on the upper stalk are much reduced

215

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

and bract-like. The roots are slender and fleshy.
The tiny, waxy white or yellowish flowers are fragrant
and spurless. And together with short, semi-circular
bracts, they are gathered into crowded rows of threes
which, with a peculiar, ropy, spiral growth, form a re-
markably twisted terminal spike. The two side sepals are
free and spreading, while the upper one forms an arch
with the petals. The oblong lip has a broad, rounded,
crinkle-edged apex. This pretty little Orchid blossoms
abundantly from August to October, and ranges
from Florida to Nova Scotia, and west to Ontario,
Minnesota, South Dakota, New Mexico, and Louisiana.

DOWNY RATTLESNAKE PLANTAIN
Epipactis pubéscens. Orchid Family.

The familiar rosettes of white-veined, blue-green
foliage of this common Orchid are spread close to the
ground, in dry and usually evergreen woods, where
they occur in distinct patches, and are really more
decorative than their flowers, which blossom dur-
ing July and August. The short flower stalk is cov-
ered with thick, hairy down, and rises from the centre
of the leaves some six to twenty inches. It bears
several small, alternating, and clasping - scale-like
leaflets. The thick, pointed-oval, evergreen leaves
are softly downy, the prominent ribs and veins are
white, and the edges are wavy. The thick, fleshy root
is creeping in habit. The small, pouched, greenish
white flowers are crowded into a slender, terminal,
clubbed spike, and are attended with short, pointed,

216

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

curving leaflets or bracts. Two of the tiny sepals flare at
the sides, and the third or upper one unites with the pet-
als to form a hood. The lip curves into a little sac with
asharp tip. ‘The leaves were formerly used by the In-
dians as an antidote for snake bites, and, according to
Pursh, they were widely known as a certain cure for hy-
drophobia. This species ranges from Florida and Ten-
nessee, north to Minnesota, Ontario, and Newfoundland.

POKE. SCOKE. PIGEON-BERRY. GARGET.
INK-BERRY

Phytolacca decandra. Pokeweed Family.

This tall, smooth, strong-smelling, stout and branch-
ing herb grows from four to twelve feet high from a
large, poisonous, perennial root. It is a most familiar
plant during autumn, when its round, purple-stained
stalk, and conspicuous, long, drooping clusters of rich,
dark crimson juiced and shining fruit attract our
attention along roadsides and fence rows and in
meadow corners. The large, tapering, oval leaves
have strong midribs and toothless margins, and alter-
nate upon the stalk with short stems. The small,
squatty, five-parted, green-centred, pink-tinted, white
flowers are gathered in long, terminal, clustering, pur-
ple stemmed spikes. The petal-like parts are really
coloured sepals which take the place of a corolla. In
the early spring the young shoots are much used as
food and are boiled and eaten like asparagus. For
this purpose they should be thoroughly cooked and
not cut too close to the root, otherwise they will produce

217

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

serious results. An ointment made from the Poke
weed is used in the treatment of ringworm and rheu-
matism, and also for relieving itching and inflammation
of the eyes. Children like to make red ink from the
berries. The word “Poke” is said to be derived from
pocan, an Indian name for any plant yielding a red
or yellow dye. During the campaign of President
Polk the leaves of the Pokeweed were worn by his
admirers. Although the berries are greatly relished
by birds, children should be warned not to eat them.
The Pigeon-berry is common from June to October.
It ranges from Canada to the Gulf States.

LONG-LEAVED STITCHWORT
Stellaria longifolia. Pink Family.

A taller, freely branching, rough-angled species,
having small, narrow, grass-like leaves and numer-
ous slightly larger flowers than the following. The
lance-shaped sepals do not extend beyond the petals
and their ten white stamens. The stem is weak and
depends upon immediate vegetation for its support.
It blossoms from May to July, and flourishes in low
meadows and swamps. It ranges from Nova Scotia
to Alaska, and south to Kentucky, Louisiana, the
Rocky Mountain region, and British Columbia.

COMMON CHICKWEED
Stellaria médta. Pink Family.
Chickweed? Why, that’s good for birds!. Almost
everyone will tell you that, the wide world over. Almost
218

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

everyone who owns a pet canary has fed it sprigs of
the buds and flowers of the Chickweed. It is one of
the very commonest of our dooryard neighbours. Tiny
and insignificant to be sure, but this Speedwell is
always at home, twelve months of the year. Its slender,
leafy, branching stem spreads over the ground in tufts.
It is green and smooth, excepting a line of very fine
hairs along one side. The small, oval, pointed leaves
have a smooth surface and an entire margin. They
grow in pairs and the lower ones are short stemmed.
Five very deeply notched white petals appear at first
sight to be a double quantity of very narrow ones. ‘The
five parts of the green calyx are much larger and extend
considerably beyond the petals. The stamens are very
fine but noticeable. ‘The Chickweed’s flowers do not
open fully on cloudy days. It is found almost every-
where throughout the northern hemisphere in meadows,
and woods, and waste places generally.

FIELD CHICKWEED
Cerdstium arvénse. Pink Family.

A densely tufted perennial, more or less erect in
growth, and often covered with minute hairs. It is
sparingly branched and grows from four to ten inches
high. The starry white flowers are much larger than
those of the two preceding species, and have ten
yellowish stamens. They are loosely clustered, and
the five petals are nicked at the apex into two rounding
lobes. The calyx is less than half the length of the
petals. The leaves are small and grass-like and occur

219

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

sparingly in alternating pairs upon the stalk. This
Chickweed is found in dry, rocky places from Labrador
to Alaska, and south to Georgia, Missouri, Nevada
and California. It blossoms from April to July.

STARRY CAMPION
Siléne stellata. Pink Family.

You can tell at once by their swollen joints that the
Campions are related to the Pink family. The promi-
nent calyx is another tell-tale feature. The erect, leafy,
light green stem is roughened with fine hairs and
grows from two to three and a half feet high. The
long, oval, yellow green leaf is tapered at the point.
The surface is rough, and the margin is fringed with
fine hairs. The leaves are arranged in whorls of four
with occasional odd pairs near the top or base of the
stalk. The light green, five-toothed calyx is sticky,
inflated, and bell-shaped. The stem and calyx are
stained with red. The beautiful, white, star-shaped
flowers are prettily grouped in a large, open, terminal
cluster. ‘The five delicate petals are deeply fringed and
clawed, and ten long stamens extend beyond the
corolla.. The Starry Campion is a conspicuous plant,
unfolding its petals in the evening and closing them in
the bright sun. It dwells commonly along woodland
slopes from Massachusetts to Nebraska and southward
to South Carolina and Arkansas during June, July and
August. The generic name Silene is derived from the
Greek seilanos, a mythical god, described as being
covered with foam; connected with sialon. or saliva,

220

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

referring to the stickiness of the calyx. The peculiar
markings of the root, under the bark, suggest the skin
of a snake, and it has been called Furman’s Snakeroot
in honour of an Indian doctor who first employed it as
an antidote for snake bites. The calyx is a natural
“tanglefoot,” and small insects are frequently found
stuck fast to its surface. This peculiarity prompted
the English name, Catch-fly.

BLADDER CAMPION. BEHEN. COW-BELL.
SPATTERING, OR FROTHY POPPY

Siléne latifolia. Pink Family.

This pretty, delicate native of Europe and Asia was
introduced into the vicinity of Boston, and has become
very common in fields and roadsides from New Bruns-
wick and Ontario southward to New Jersey, Illinois,
and Jowa, throughout the summer. The smooth,
leafy perennial stalk branches at the base, and grows
from six to eighteen inches high. The oblong or lance-
shaped, dark green leaves occur in alternate pairs, and
are variable in size. They are acutely pointed, and the
lower ones are often paddle shaped. The white flowers
are arranged in loose, often drooping clusters, and are
fragrant only at night. The five clawed petals are
deeply cleft and wheel shaped. Ten long stamens
extend beyond the corolla. The strongly veined, five
toothed, pale green calyx is greatly swollen and strongly
hints its common name. It is also the most distinguish-
ing feature of the flower. In some parts of England;
country people cook and eat the young shoots of this

221

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

plant as a substitute for asparagus. It is said to have
a flavour much like green peas.

SPRING BEAUTY. CLAYTONIA
Claytonia virginica. Purslane Family.

Ever since the beginning of things there has been
a wide range of temperament exhibited among the
beauties of creation, and it is no less pronounced among
flowers than it is peculiar to those who begin to betray
it at sweet sixteen. So here’s to the Spring Beauty,
may her tribe increase! Although apparently indif-
ferent to the cold blasts of March and early April,
and bold in her effort to be first among the débutantes
at Nature’s earliest social gathering, she becomes
extremely sensitive if her whims happen to be opposed.
She loves the glorious sun and courts and courtseys
before his radiations with all the charming affectation
her flushed, wide-spreading petals can command.
She blushes as she greets him from rising to setting,
turning as he travels from east to west, and then back
again each morning to repeat the operation when he
returns. But let him disappoint her, and she imme-
diately pouts and droops, and refuses to be consoled
until the clouds break away, and he reappears. If
you chance to pluck this dainty miss, she promptly
sulks, and no amount of coaxing will prevail to change
her hopeless mood, without the endearing rays of her
affinity. So much for the sun’s influence upon the
temperament of the Spring Beauty. During March,
April, and May the starry flowers of the Claytonia

222

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

are everywhere conspicuous in thin, moist . woods,
where they grow abundantly. They are found singly,
and in thick clusters, but generally in colonies which
are scattered over a considerable area, and slope after
slope is often whitened with masses of their delicate
blossoms. The single, slender, and juicy stalk springs
from a small, deeply seated, tuberous root. It grows
from six to twelve inches high, and is occasionally
branched. It is light green in colour, and is stained
with red. About midway from the ground, it bears
two long, narrow, dark green, grass-like leaves which
taper into short stems and unite oppositely with the
stalk. They have a distinct midrib, a smooth edge,
and are narrowed to a point. The stem and leaves
are thick and rubbery in texture, and the entire plant
becomes limp and forlorn almost as soon as it is picked.
The weak stalk usually assumes a crooked or ser-
pentine growth, and is frequently sprawled along the
ground. It is rather tough, and is more apt to break
at the root than above the ground when pulled. The
newly exposed part when pulled up is quite white, and
tapers toward the root. The nodding buds, which are
enclosed in a two-parted calyx, are borne on short,
slender stems in a loose terminal cluster, and open a
few at atime. The flowers are less than an inch broad
when fully expanded, and are known, botanically, as
secund flowers — that is, they are all borne on one
side of the stem. The five oval, fine-textured petals
are notched at the apex. They are white with fine
veinings of pink, or often a beautiful pink with darker

223

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

pink lines. The petals are slightly united at the base,
and near this point the veinings terminate with small
dashes of yellow. There are five white stamens with
pink anthers attached to the base of the petals. As the
petals expand the stamens remain erect around the
pistil, adding greatly to the effectiveness of the blossom.
As the flower matures the stamens droop outward
toward the petals and the tip of the pistil opens with
three little hooks. There is a faint fragrance to the
flowers when they first open, but it is not always con-
stant. The Claytonia was named for an early Amer-
ican botanist, John Clayton of Virginia, who collected
many plants and sent them to Gronovius, the editor
of the “Flora Virginica.” The Spring Beauty is
found from Nova Scotia to the Northwest Territory
and southward to Georgia and Texas. There is
very little chance of confusing this flower with
those of either of the Anemones. Just remember
that the Spring Beauty has very long and narrow
leaves shaped like grass blades, and. the stems’ of
the Anemones are thin and wiry.

SWEET-SCENTED WHITE WATER LILY. me
POND LILY. WATER NYMPH

Castalia odorata. Water Lily Family.

There is scarcely another flower that loses so much
of its spectacular charm and magnificent splendour
as the beautiful Water Lily when it is removed from its
natural element. The flowers certainly present a
saddened and bedraggled appearance when they are

224

TANSY. BITTER BUTTONS. Tanacetum vulgare

=)

RATTLESNAKE-WEED. HAWKWEED. Hieracium venosum

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

being peddled on our city streets by venders who stand
stupidly in front of the theatres and larger depart-
ment stores, grasping a bunch of these handsome,
drooped buds and flowers by the neck as if they were
so many shoestrings, and with about as much esthetic
conception! There is but one encouraging feature
about this altogether too familiar sight, and that is
the noticeable absence of patronage. If everyone
should refrain from purchasing wild flowers from
street hawkers it would discourage the peddling
practice quicker than any other method, and con-
sequently prolong their existence, which has already
been threatened in many instances with extinction.
The Water Lily is of high-born parentage, and enjoys
the proud distinction of kinship to the sacred Lotus of
the Orient. The Lotus is connected with the birth of
the Hindoo deity, and has always been symbolic of the
Buddha faith, to which something like five hundred
million souls bow allegiance. The Hindoos use the
Lotus in their funeral ceremonies, and also to decorate
their temples and monuments. It is the national
flower of Siam. Japanese artists use it extensively
for designing and decorating, and their craftsmen
reproduce it in ivory, gold and bronze. Lotus petals
were found in the tomb of Rameses II. in 1881, where
they had reposed for over three thousand years.
During the Roman period, the Egyptians cultivated the
Lotus along the River Nile for food. The roots were
dried in the sun, and then pounded into flour. There
‘is a superstition among the Wallachians, in Roumania,
225

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

that every flower possesses a soul, and that the Water
Lily sits in solemn judgment at the gates of Paradise,
demanding of each blossom a strict accounting as to
the disposition made of its odour. Along some parts
of the Rhine the natives chant magic verses while
gathering Water Lilies, which, they believe, will keep
away witches. A pretty Lenape Indian legend records
the origin of the flower in a falling star that upon strik-
ing the water changed into a Water Lily. The Water
Nymph gets its name from Nympha, a nature god-
dess of Greek and Roman mythology. This wonder-
ful family includes the gigantic Royal Water Lily,
Victoria regia, of Brazil, which has the largest flower
in the world, and was named by Dr. Lindley in honour
of Queen Victoria in 1837. Some of these flowers
measure a foot and a half in diameter, and their mon-
strous leaves are often six or seven feet broad and are
capable of bearing the weight of a man standing
thereon. Thoreau regarded the White Water Lily as
“the queen of river flowers.” He might have gone
further and said, “queen of our waters,” for few
flowers are held in higher esteem. They seem to lend
a sort of lasting enchantment to every outing, brief
or extended, and almost everybody can associate one
or more pleasant memories with them. How.I have
enjoyed the precious moments on several occasions
when it was my privilege to watch the deer feeding
on the “lily pads” near our Adirondack camp! No
other experience in outdoor life can compare favourably
with it: the Water Lilies studding the thickly padded

226

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

surface of the inlet; the crisp, invigorating, balsam-
laden air; the wild, tangled background of gaunt,
scraggly trees and stumps, and the deer —I cannot
adequately describe it; no one can. Often I have let
my canoe drift quietly near these same “spring
holes” where the deer fed, while I sought to lure, with
tiny flies, the speckled trout that also loved the fas-
cination and seclusion of the captivating Water Lilies
and their “pads.” We never plucked the blossoms,
for they were our daily companions. The large,
attractive flowers float majestically upon the sur-
face of the water in a field of waxy-green leaves, and
exhale an exquisite fragrance. Their numerous
pointed oblong petals are deeply hollowed. Their
texture is firm, and their colour is a beautiful white,
sometimes tinged with pink. They are arranged alter-
nately in several rows and finally graduate toward the
‘centre into many pure yellow stamens. Their four
dark green sepals are shaped like the large petals, and
are lined with white or pinkish white. ‘The innermost
stamens are very slender and bear long anthers, while
those intermediate with the petals become broader
with shortened tips. The pistil is compound with
radiating and projecting stigmas. The flowers are
from three to five and a half inches broad. They open
at sunrise, and close toward noon, excepting perhaps
on cloudy days. As they fade, they are drawn beneath
the surface of the water, where the seeds ripen. The
large, floating leaf is from four to twelve inches in
diameter, and has a toothless margin. The upper sur-

227

“WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

face is smooth, shiny and rich green, but the underside
is more or less hairy and reddish in colour. It is shaped
almost like a large, rounded horseshoe, and is cleft at
the base with the tip of the divisions slightly flaring and
pointed. The texture is firm and tough. The flower
and leaves or “pads” are borne on long, slender, round,
rubbery stems. These are red in colour and have four
main air canals. They rise to the surface of the water
from long, thick, horizontal, and occasionally branch-
ing perennial rootstocks, which are said to have some
medicinal properties. ‘The Water Lily is found in clear
waters of lakes and streams from June to September,
and it ranges from the Gulf States northward to Mani-
toba and Newfoundland.

EARLY MEADOW RUE
Tbhalictrum dioicum. Crowfoot Family.

This is a smaller species of the Meadow Rue, and it
grows from one to two feet high in open woods and
along rocky hillsides, during April and May, from Lab-
rador to Alabama, and westward to Missouri. It is
slender and branching, and the thin, slightly drooping
leaflets are generally formed in groups of three. They :
are broader and more rounding than those of the Tall
species, and their margins are partly scalloped. The
staminate and pistillate flowers are borne on sepa-
rate plants and contrast noticeably with each other.
The pretty, tasselled blossoms of the former have many
long, brown-tipped, pale green stamens. The pale
green pistillate flowers are less conspicuous, with their

228

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

four or more pistils. The flowers have from three to
five petal-like sepals. The leaf and flower stems are
thin and delicate, and contribute to the plant’s
daintiness.

The Purplish Meadow Rue, 7. revolutum, flourishes
between the Early and the Tall species. It grows
from one to seven feet high in dry, rocky wood-
zands, and along river banks from Nova Scotia
to Florida, and westward to Arizona, during
June, July and August. The stem is often stained
with purple, and the rather large, thick, dark green
leaves are waxy beneath, have three notches and
are more or less hairy to the touch. The flowers are
tinged with purple. The plant emits a heavy odour.

TALL MEADOW RUE
Thalictrum polygamum. Crowfoot Family.

During midsummer when swampy, open woods and
low, wet meadows are overrun with the rank luxuriant
growth of vegetation peculiar to such localities, the
Tall Meadow Rue will be found in all its glory, tower-
ing head and shoulders triumphantly above the tangled,
struggling mass. And above them all, it will continue
to hold its proud head, whether its ambitious com-
panions grow three feet or a dozen feet high. What a
noble lesson it teaches discontented mortals to make
the best of surrounding conditions, and to be ever on the
alert to keep just ahead of every competitor, regardless
of his pace. If this were not the case with the Meadow
Rue, it would soon become lost in the struggle, and

229

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

unless it could change its mode of living, it would soon
become extinct. Such is the law governing the sur-
vival of the fittest.

The Tall Meadow Rue is noted for its beautiful,
fern-like and feathery flowers which grow in great pro-
fusion. It is open and branching. and its general
appearance is loose and delicate. The compound
leaves are comparatively small for the size of the plant,
and remind one a little of the Maiden-hair Fern. The
variable, rounding, wedge-shaped leaflets are arranged
in groups of three or five, and three or five of these
groups are again arranged to form the triangulated out-
line of the complete leaf, which occurs alternately upon
the stalk. The outline of the leaflets is entire except-
ing the ends, which are notched into pointed or rounded
lobes. The centre leaflet of each group is larger than
the one occurring on either side of it. The colour is a
cool, medium green above, and of a lighter shade on the
under side. ‘The texture is firm and rather thin, and
the surface is smooth and lustreless. The under side
is minutely hairy and shows a fine network of veins.
The stalk is rather stout, finely grooved, and round,
and its colour is light green, stained with purple near
the joints. The delicate, fairy-like flowers are arranged
loosely in large, fluffy clusters and their appearance is
at once attractive and pleasing. ‘They have no petals,
but four or five early falling petal-like sepals act for a
short time in their place. The white, hair-like, green
tipped stamens are very numerous and expand into
pretty, fuzzy, starry, and delicately scented balls.

230

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

The pistils number from four to ten. Botanists find a
particular interest in the Tall Meadow Rue because
both complete and imperfect flowers occur on different
as well as the same plant. A complete or perfect
flower, by the way, isone having both stamens (male) ©
and pistils (female) and producing seeds. An incom-
plete or imperfect flower lacks either the stamens or the
pistils. Flowers bearing stamens only are known
as staminate or male flowers, and those bearing
pistils only are known as pistillate or female flowers.
The Tall Meadow Rue may be found from June
to September, from Labrador and Quebec to Florida
and westward to Ohio.

RUE ANEMONE

Anemoniélla thalictroides. Crowfoot Family.

When one is just forming an acquaintance with the
Wood and the Rue Anemones, it frequently happens
that the names of the two flowers become confused in
the mind, and one finds it bothersome to determine at
sight which is which. It is easy, however to memorize

Wood — one, Rue — two,

Wood — one, Rue — two,
and to fix in the mind that the Wood Anemone has one
flower and one root stalk, hence Wood-one; while the
Rue Anemone has two or more flowers and iwo or more
root parts, hence, Rue— two. But there is no reason
in the wide, wide world to confuse the plants, although
they exhibit similar traits, and the foregoing matter is
intended merely for the purpose of keeping their names

231

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

mentally distinct. This will be better appreciated when
it is considered that both species blossom at about the
same time, and often grow side by side. The most
striking difference between the Wood and Rue Anemone
is found in the roots. The former has a thick, hori-
zontal root stock, while the roots of the latter are formed
of a small group of little bulbs, resembling tiny sweet
potatoes. The perfect, white flower is sometimes
tinted with pink. It is smaller than those of its cousin,
the Wind Flower, and in common with them, it soon
perishes after being plucked. From five to ten, usually
six, thin, oval, petal-like sepals form the flower, which
varies from one-half to one inch in diameter. It has
numerous short, yellow-tipped, white, hair-like stamens
clustered around the several light green pistils in the
centre. Two, or generally three, flowers are borne on
slender stems in a cluster surrounded with a loose
whorl of three-lobed, hair-stemmed leaflets, the stems
of which unite on the stalk with those of the flowers.
The centre flower opens first. The single, slender,
erect stem is stained with red, and grows from four to
nine inches high. The leaflets of the compound leaves,
which appear after the flowers, are grouped into threes,
and strongly resemble those of the Meadow Rue.
Their texture is smooth and fine, medium or dark
green in colour, or at first often tinged with red, and
notched into two or three lobes on the rounding end.
They are delicately veined and rise directly from the
roots. The Rue Anemone is found commonly during
the spring from March to June, in thin woods, through-

232:

WILD FLOWERS WHITE ANL GREENISH

out the Eastern United States, west to Kansas and
Minnesota, and sparingly in Ontario. The Latin name
is derived from the Greek and means bound together.

WOOD ANEMONE. WIND FLOWER
Anemone quinquefolia. Crowfoot Family.

The Anemone has been an especially favoured flower
in poetics from various sources of considerable antiquity.
Its legendary and traditional significance has furnished
an abundance of material for the dear old “once upon
a time’’ stories which every grandmother loves to tell to
boys and girls. When we think of the many windy
days that we have during the early spring and consider
that the Anemone blooms at the same time, and that
their delicate stems make it possible for them to nod
and sway to and fro, this way and that, with every
breath of the wind, it is quite easy for us to understand
why they received the very appropriate name of Wind
Flower. Anemos, the wind god of the ancient Greeks,
utilized the Wind Flower to announce his presence and
to mark his course in the spring. Pliny concluded that
without the grace of Anemos, the Wind Flower would
not open, and to this famous Roman naturalist we
trace its Latinname. From other sources, we learn that
the wind, after blowing through these flowers, was at
one time supposed to cause disease. Greek poets tell
us that the Anemone originated in the tears dropped
by Venus while she was grieving in the forest over the
tragic death of her sweetheart, Adonis. Again, we
are told that the Romans believed that the Wind Flower

233

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

possessed some mystic charm to ward off fever, and
with this faith they sought the earliest flower of the
year with more or less ceremony, and wore it attached
to their clothing with much the same spirit probably
as we of to-day seek and wear the four-leaf Clover.
The Anemone is also an oriental dignitary, having some
celestial significance among the Chinese, who make
use of it in connection with their funeral rites, and it is
referred to as the Death Flower. How times have
changed! If any one dared to advance similar sup-
positions in the present era, they would, in all proba-
bility, be. assailed with ridicule. Nevertheless, the
Ancients, though lacking much definite botanical
science, were undoubtedly sincere in their belief. The
roots have some medicinal value, and one species fur-
nishes a remedy for sore eyes. It is said that cattle which
have fed on the Anemone have experienced poisonous
symptoms therefrom. The Anemones follow closely
upon the heels of the Hepaticas, Bloodroots, and Yellow
Adder’s Tongues in the floral contest for early blossom-
ing in the springtime. They are commonly found in
colonies along the margins of low woods, or in some-
what open places along hillsides where the soil is light
and partially shaded, during April, May and June.
They are often clustered near the base of old trees or
stumps. The beautiful, delicate blossoms are faintly
fragrant and measure an inch in diameter. Four to
nine oval, petal-like sepals take the place of petals —
they have no true petals — and in this respect they
resemble the flowers of the Marsh Marigold. They

234

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

are pure white or sometimes tinted with pink or blue.
Numerous cream-tipped stamens are clustered about
the many small, green pistils in the centre of the slightly
cupped solitary flower which is borne on the tip of the
single, round, green stem, some four or more inches
high. The stem is smooth and slender, and is usually
stained with purple toward the base. It grows at right
angles from an elongated, fleshy, horizontal rootstock
—a storehouse of energy, which has so much to do with
the early flowering of the plant. The delicately tex-
tured, medium green compound leaves are gathered
on short stems in a whorl of three or sometimes five
about the flower stem, midway between the blossom
and the ground. ‘The leaves are divided into three or
five paddle-shaped parts or lobes, each of which is
noticeably creased by a midrib. The centre lobes are
much larger than those on either side. Their edges are
irregularly notched. One or more basal leaves appear
after the flowering season, rising directly from the root
stock on long, individual stems. The entire plant is
perfectly balanced, delicate in structure and graceful
and charming in appearance. It ranges from Nova
Scotia to Georgia and westward to the Rocky
Mountains.

The Tall Anemone, or Thimble-weed, A. virginiana;
is a much larger species growing singly in woods and
meadows throughout the same general range as the
Wind Flower, and occurring perhaps farther north,
during June, July and August. It grows from two
to three feet tall and is stout and branching, and

235

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD: FLOWERS

slightly hairy. The long-stemmed leaf is three-parted
and the flower has five petal-like parts.

VIRGIN’S BOWER. TRAVELLER’S JOY.
OLD MAN’S BEARD

Clématis virginiana. Crowfoot family.

If, perchance, we should be called upon to suggest a
new name for this beautiful climbing vine, it is doubt-
ful if one more appropriate or descriptive than the Wild
Festoon, or perhaps the Wood Garland, could be
applied. Trailing gracefully over old rail fences and
stone walls, or clinging affectionately to twig or branch
or wayside shrubbery, the Traveller’s Joy bids a wel-
come return to the prodigal, and God-speed to the
journeyman. The word travel really means to toil or
labour, and it is quite possible that the name as it is
applied to the Virgin’s Bower may have been Tra-
vailer’s Joy from the plant’s habit of constant endeav-
our to work its way, or éravail from point to point as it
progressed. Accordingly it might have been a cheerful
inspiration to labourers, or travellers, who also may
have rejoiced in its shade. Virgin’s Bower is a name
commonly applied to this vine, because of its habit of
forming delightful shaded arches and fairy-like castles,
wherein maidens would fain dwell. During the fall,
when the seed clusters appear with long, curling, feath-
ery, grayish plumes, their fancied resemblance to an
Old Man’s Beard is sufficient reason for the popular
application of this name. The Clematis is a very old
favourite with country people, and many a stiff, chro:

236

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

matic oil painting of the Father of our Country is
annually decorated with its plumy clusters which are
gathered in the fall. The Virgin’s Bower is a long,
slender, leafy vine, having a round, grooved, and tough,
woody fibred, purple stained, green stalk. The small,
white or greenish white flowers are imperfect, and the
staminate and pistillate blossoms grow on separate
plants. They do not possess true petals, but the four
or five rounded, oblong, petal-like sepals appear in their
stead. The numerous stamens and pistils are light
green in colour, and the latter measure an inch in length.
The expanded flowers are an inch broad and are
delicately fragrant. They are borne on short, slender,
green stems, in spreading clusters, at the end of the
vine, and from the stalk at the leaf joints. The large,
smooth, dark green leaves are set on long stems in pairs
and the three, or rarely five, broad, oval, short-stemmed
leaflets terminate acutely with long, tapered points.
They are slightly indented at the base, and are promi-
nently ribbed. The edge or margin is cut into a few
sharp, coarse notches or lobes. During September
and October the pistillate flowers are followed with the
curled, silky, silvery plumes of withered styles, which
are even more attractive than the flowers, and they
give the vine its greatest charm of fluffy, festooning
drapery. This handsome plant grows about a dozen
feet in length and spreads along its ways, groping and
clinging by its sensitive leaf stems, which support the
vine by hooking on to, or even coiling spirally around
whatever happens in their course to afford favourable

237

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

gripping places. Its favourite haunts are along river
banks or moist, damp lanes, and in lowlands about
waterways, where it may be found from July to Octo-
ber. It ranges from Georgia to Kansas, northward to
Manitoba and Nova Scotia. Clematis is a name of
Dioscorides, a Greek medical writer, for a climbing
plant with long and lithe branches.

GOLDTHREAD. CANKER=-ROOT
Céptis trifolia. Crowfoot Family.

There is no general rule that will enable everyday
folks to recognize each wild flower by its common name
at first signt. It will be found quite as necessary to
depend upon the imagination and reasoning powers
as the use of the eyes in this respect. It is true that as
one becomes better acquainted with various species, he
can usually tell by some characteristic or peculiarity
to what family an individual belongs, just as we can
distinguish the Chinaman by his “ pig tail” and slanting
eyes, or the African by his woolly hair and chocolate
skin; and equally as well he can tell the manner and
place in which they chose to live, even as diversified as
that of the Esquimaux, Cliff Dweller, or Hottentot.
Let us take, for example, the Wind Flower. This
name might as well have been applied to the Hepatica
or the Spring Beauty, or Dandelion, so far as the wind
is concerned. On the other hand, the name Spring
Beauty could with equal propriety be applied to the
Wind Flower, Hepatica, or a host of other early flowers
for that matter. We hear of a flower referred to as

238

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

the Bloodroot. The name is very suggestive and has
real significance, but in our search to find it, we could
hardly be expected to roam about pulling up every
strange flower to see if its root is full of blood. It
might just as well be called “bloodstem”’ as its leaf and
flower stems have the same “bleeding” habit when they
are plucked. Happily, however, many common names,
such as Bloodroot, Cardinal Flower, Bluebell, or
Wintergreen, really assist in their identification. And
so we come upon the Goldthread. Hear the name
alone and we might search in vain for this plant unless
we happen to uproot it, but the instant we see the bright
rootlets, we know why it received its name, and we shall
not easily forget it. But imagine looking for wind in
the Wind Flower, or for the wind exclusively where this
Anemone grows, and for only one Spring Beauty
when there are dozens of wild flowers equally deserving
the same title. It is right here that scientific. classi-
fication demands observance, and this subject is thus
briefly introduced with the sincere hope that the
reader will eventually become deeply interested in its
study. The small, solitary, glossy-white flowers of
the Goldthread appear from May to August in cool,
moist, mossy woods and bogs from Maryiand and
Minnesota to Alaska. The prominent calyx might
easily be mistaken for petals. The sepals are narrow
and pointed, white in colour, with a yellowish base, and
from five to seven in number. These petal-like sepals
soon fall away. The five or six real. petals are very
small and inconspicuous and are easily confused with

239

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

the numerous stamens and pistils, from which they may
be distinguished by their club-shaped, hollow-pointed
ends. This low, perennial herb grows from three to
five inches high. The shining, evergreen, fan-shaped
leaves are prominently veined, and like the flowers,
they are borne on long, slender stems rising directly
from the root. They are compounded of three small,
wedge-shaped, dark green leaflets having sharply
notched edges. The roots, from which the common
name is derived, are slender with numerous long, forked,
bright yellow, thread-like parts. They are quite bitter
to the taste, and yield a yellow dye. Country people
make a tea of them, which is used as an invigorating
spring tonic. In New England the steepings of the
dried roots are used as a gargle for canker spots in the
mauth and throat, and they are also chewed as a remedy
for these affections. The scientific name Coptis is
from the Greek, meaning to cut, and alludes to the
margins of the leaves.

BLACK SNAKEROOT. BLACK COHOSH
Cimuctfuga racemosa. Crowfoot Family.

The attractive, feathery spikes of the Black Snake
root emit a rank, offensive odour, and country people
used to say that they were good for driving away bugs
and flies from their'rooms. For centuries the Indians
regarded the thick, knotted root of this plant as being
a certain cure for snake bites, and it was a very popular
domestic remedy among their squaws. It was also
used for relieving rheumatism, dropsy and hysteria,

240

wansogipuesd UNITS, ‘NIGOU AMVM GAIWIMOTA-AOUVI

Trillium undulatum

PAINTED WAKE ROBIN

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

and now furnishes a medicine for nervous affections.
It :s a slender, tall, stately, leafy stemmed plant, grow-
ing from three to eight feet high in shady and rocky
woods, where it blossoms from June to August. The
alternating, long-stemmed leaves are thrice compounded
of thin, smooth, pointed-oblong, and deeply toothed or
cleft leaflets. The terminal leaflet is often again
divided. The stamens of the small white flowers are
exceedingly numerous and give a very soft, downy
appearance to the slender spike which forms the floral
arrangement. This perennial herb is found from
Maine and Ontario to Wisconsin, and south to Georgia
and Missouri. The Latin name is derived from
cimex, a bug, and jugere, to drive away.

COHOSH. WHITE BANEBERRY. HERB-
CHRISTOPHER. RATTLESNAKE HERB

Actaéa alba. Crowfoot Family.

Slip through the thicket that skirts the country
roadway and into the damp, shaded ravine or hillside
where the Jack-in-the-Pulpit is capering during May,
and the chances are, as you make your way through
the sparse undergrowth, that you will unconsciously
brush aside the large, soft leaves of the knee-high
Cohosh. The large, loose, fluffy, oblong, and cylindri-
cal mass of tiny, fuzzy flowers resemble a glass chimney
or bottle-cleaner as much as anything. The small
white flowers have from three to five petal-like sepals,
that drop as they open, exposing from four to ten tiny;
narrow, blunt, or claw-tipped petals which soon fall

241

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

away, leaving the numerous, longer, fine, hairlike, and
white, yellow-tipped stamens expanded into small airy
balls, each with its single pistil bearing a prominent,
two lobed stigma. The flowers are borne on short
stems which grow out from the main stem at right angles
and with a deliberate gesture that gives the blos-
soms and the later appearing fruit a decidedly poised
appearance. The clustered flowers open with almost
one accord along the end of the long, pale green stalk.
Their odour is coarse and unpleasant. The leaves
are large, open, and of rather fine and soft texture with
the veins showing effectively. They are dark green in
colour and are more or less deeply cut into three distinct
and acute lobes. They are arranged in threes and are
compounded again, sometimes twice or three times.
The margins are sharply notched and irregular. The
green, leafy stem is small, round, grooved, and slender,
and the leaflets are attached with or without short stems.
The flower stem unites with the stalk at the junction
of the leaf stems. The plant has a single, erect stalk
branching near the top, and is a perennial. The
most striking feature of the Cohosh appears during
September in the form of short, plump, bean-like
berries, pure white in colour and marked with a con-
spicuous, deep purple spot. The entire end of the
flower stem, which bears the fruit, is bright scarlet in
colour at this time. It is noticeably thick, and the
entire effect is stiff and waxy. The berries are said
to have some poisonous qualities. In Massachusetts,
these berries are known as “Dolls’-eyes.” The White

242

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

Baneberry is found during April, May and June, from
Nova Scotia to Georgia and west to Missouri and Brit-
ish Columbia. Acéaea is an ancient name of the Alder.

The Red Baneberry, A. ritbra, is a similar species,
more common northward than the above, and having
less pointed and more broadened leaves. Its principal
difference appears in its oval, cherry-red berries which
are borne on slender stems. It is found from New
Jersey and Pennsylvania west to the Rocky Mountains
and north to Nova Scotia.

MAY APPLE. MANDRAKE. WILD LEMON.
HOG APPLE

Podophjllum peltatum. Barberry Family.

The May Apple does not await the passing of April
showers before preparing to attend May’s annual
floral festival. But with an air of seeming indifference
and independence, as though borne of impatience,
it boldly defies the rain with its handsome leaves
arranged like a closed umbrella around its slender stalk
and which gradually expand as they clear the ground.
Excepting their bronzed-green colour, when they have
just emerged from the earth, they have much the same
appearance as a bit of oily rag after having been forced
through a rifle barrel on the end of a cleaning rod.
They are popularly known as Umbrella Plants by
children who roam the woods in early spring, and they
surely deserve this name. The wild Mandrake is an
interesting perennial herb with a distinctive, cleancut,
and well-balanced appearance. Its single, smooth,

243

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

round, stiff, fibrous stalk grows from twelve to eigh-
teen inches high, from a long, running rootstock.
It is pale green in colour, and its base is sheathed with
a dry, tough casing. There are two sets of leaves,
one of which, the larger, often measures a foot in dia-
meter, and is borne on a long stem from a rootstcok
which produces no flowers. These leaves are smooth
and glossy and deeply cleft into seven, eight, or nine
long, arrow-shaped lobes which diverge from the stem.
They are rather thin-textured, and the colour is dark
green above and lighter beneath. The lobes are two-
cleft, and they are toothed at the apex. The ribs and
veins are conspicuous. The other set of leaves are
borne on a separate flowering stalk. They are smaller
and similar, and from one to three, usually two, spread
from a forked joint between which hangs the pretty,
solitary, nodding, waxy-white flower on its short stem.
Owing to the large, spreading leaves, the flower might
easily be overlooked at first glance. It is two inches
broad when fully expanded. The bud case is enclosed
in three temporary bracts, and as the petals open
the six sepals fall away. The ovate petals are slightly
concave, and from six to nine of them form a very
pretty saucer-shaped flower. They are thick-textured,
and beautifully networked with fine veins. The
stamens have prominent yellow anthers, which are
arranged in a circle around the large, thick pistil.
-The blossom has an odour that is neither pleasing nor
Yepulsive. The Wild Lemon gets its name from
the large, lemon-shaped yellow fruit, which ripens in

244

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

July. It also resembles a small yellow, egg-shaped
tomato, such as are used for preserving. In some
localities in the South, where the hogs are allowed to
roam at will, they feed upon this fleshy seed case, and
consequently the plant is known by the inappropriate
name of Hog Apple. The fruit is sweetish, slightly
acid to the taste, has a sickish flavour, and is the only
part of the plant that can be eaten with impunity. This
plant is not a true Mandrake, although this name is
commonly applied to it. The leaves, stalk, and stems
of the May Apple are poisonous if taken internally,
and these parts should not be placed in the mouth.
The root contains powerful medicinal properties that
are likely to cause serious effects unless administered by
a physician in small quantities. The Latin name
is derived from pous, podes, a foot, and phylion, a leaf,
alluding to a fancied resemblance of the leaf to the
webbed foot of a duck. The fruit of this species
should not be confused with the May Apple of New
England which is altogether different. The latter
is a curious, pulpy growth occurring upon the Azalea
or Swamp Honeysuckle. The Mandrake is more or
less common in low, rich woods where the ground is
shaded and moist. It ranges from Quebec and
Ontario to Minnesota, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.

BLOODROOT. INDIAN PAINT. RED PUCCOON
Sanguinaria canadénsis. Poppy Family.

The Bloodroot is one of the very earliest spring
flowers. Long before the trees and shrubs take on

245

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

their vernal foliage, the flower stalks press through the
leafmould with the buds snugly enfolded in a delicate
silvery, paper-like leaf that seems to serve like the
cape of a débutante, from which emerges the single,
stately bud, corsaged in a two-parted green calyx.
While the leaf is expanding, the bud continues to rise
for several inches, and then, fully developed, sud-
denly bursts open, dropping its calyx and exposing
its six, eight or more beautiful, snowy white petals,
and a brilliant golden yellow centre of some twenty
odd pyramided stamens. The petals are long, narrow
and taper at either end. The alternating inner four
are distinctly narrower than the outer ones, and form
a square, rather than a perfectly round outline. On
bright, sunny days the lovely, solitary blossom expands
almost flat, and the tips of the petals curve upward
with a graceful tilt. They close at night, and remain
partly folded on dull days. They are very fragile, and
of few days’ duration. Wind and rain are their undoing
and unless closely watched for, they are more than
likely gone to seed ere their beauty has been observed.
The blossom is often an inch and a half broad and
is sometimes tinted with pink. Soon after the flower
is spent the leaves reach the height of ten or twelve
inches, and a narrow, pointed seed pod matures in
their shadow. The pale, yellow green stems are tinged
with red. The leaves, usually two, or often one, are
large, coarse-looking, and rounded, deeply lobed or
heart-shaped at the base, and toward the end more or
less indented, with from one to five smaller lobes,

246

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH.

with their edges slightly toothed. The smooth, rich
green upper surface is strongly veined, and the under
side is silvery white and coarsely veined. The thick,
fleshy, blunt-ended, perennial root contains a copious
deep orange-red sap which is both acid and astringent.
This sap is also present in the stems and leaves and
they “bleed” instantly when broken. The Indians
made ample use of the Bloodroot. The brilliantly
coloured juice was used for staining their faces and
arms when preparing themselves for their peace or
war dances. The squaws utilized it also for decorat-
ing skins and baskets. It served their medicine men
when catering to their bodily ailments. At the present
time Bloodroot is employed as a remedy in bron-
chial troubles. Many grandmothers can tell how they
used to dole out drops of its bitterish blood on a spoon-
ful of soft sugar to those of the family circle who
became afflicted with a cough or a cold. Sangui-
naria vinegar, made from the rootstock, has a domes-
tic ring, and is used locally for ringworm and also
as a gargle for sore throat. Bloodroot is found from
Nova Scotia to Ontario and Nebraska, southward to
Florida and Arkansas, during April and May. It
prefers rich, open woodlands, and especially rocky
slopes where the soil is loose and well drained.

DUTCHMAN’S BREECHES. SOLDIERS’ CAPS
Dicéntra Cucullaria. Fumitory Family.
Perhaps, in the olden days when the elfs made
merry in the woodland dells, they were dressed in tiny,

247

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

white, corduroy panties. Perhaps, one night dur-
ing the springtime, they were caught in an April
shower and their pretty white panties became soiled,
and perhaps their mammas washed them, and hung
them out to dry on a stem, and perhaps they grew
fast to the stem — who knows? Surely the dainty and
curiously constructed flowers of the Dutchman’s
Breeches would cause one to think so when he first
saw them. The finely ribbed, white, yellow-tipped
flowers consist of two upright, hollow, flattened and
tapered spurs, widely separated at the tips, like a
pair of horns, and joined toward the base, forming
a baggy, heart-shaped pouch — for all the world like
a miniature pair of inverted pantaloons, which were
so becoming to the dear, good old ancestors of our
own Pennsylvania Dutch. The two leg-like spurs
are in reality petals, of which there are four. The
other two are very small and narrow, and at right
angles with the two longer ones and their hollowed
tips are extended to form an arch over the slightly pro-
truding, yellow stamens, of which there are six. The
green style is very slender and is capped with a two-
lobed stigma. The flowers are daintily suspended by
a short stem, one after another, toward the tip of a
slender and slightly curving, pale green stalk, which
grows from five to ten inches high. The whitish,
two-parted sepal is exceedingly small. The minutely
crested flowers vary in number from one or two to
seven, eight or nine. They are delicately textured,
and of brief endurance. Frequently they are tinted

248

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

with a delicate pink, and have a slight odour. The
petals soon fall away and leave an oblong seed pod to
mature. The rather large, thrice compound, delicate
green leaves are divided again and again into sec-
tions of three, and present a well-grouped, thick and
feathery appearance. They are a shade lighter in
colour underneath, and are gracefully suspended from
long, slender stems which rise from the root. The
root is composed of a number of small tubers, closely
clustered together and having the appearance of a
scaly bulb. Sometimes these clusters may be found
partially exposed, where they have been washed out
of the banks by heavy rains, and then they have a
decidedly red colour. The plant is perennial, and
occurs commonly from Nova Scotia to Lake Huron.
Minnesota and Washington, and southward to North
Carolina, Nebraska, and Missouri. Look for the Dutch-
man’s Breeches early in April and May along rocky hill-
sides, in rich, open woods, where they may be found in
scattered groups, covering a considerable area. The
Latin name, Dicenira, means double spur. The beau-
tiful Bleeding Heart, D. eximia, cultivated in our gar-
dens, is a member of this decorative family, and is a
native of Japan, from whence it has been introduced.

Squirrel Corn, D. canadensis, is a similar species,
having its greenish white petals stained with purple
instead of yellow, and is slightly fragrant. It is named
from the appearance of its granular roots, which are
also said to be relished by the squirrels. The spurs
are short and rounded, and the crested inner petals

249

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

project conspicuously. The leaves are decidedly
whitish on the under side. This species comes into
blossom about a month later than the preceding, or
during May and June, and is inclined to rich woods
in the cooler portions of its range. The tubers are said
to be used as a tonic and as a remedy for skin diseases.

PEPPERGRASS
Lepidium virginicum. Mustard Family.

Peppergrass is common everywhere along road-
sides and in fields from the West Indies and the Gulf
States northward to Minnesota and Quebec. It is
known by every schoolboy in the land, who has nibbled
its peppery buds and seed cases, time and again. The
plant is somewhat similar to the Shepherd’s Purse, but
is more branching, and the seed-pods are set closer
and less sprawling on the stems. The upper part of
this plant is more leafy, and the colour is possibly a
paler green. The leaves of the basal rosette are less
divided and more paddle-shaped with their edges
nearly all toothed. The four white petals of the minute
flower are often wanting. The flat, notched, scale-
like seed-cases are loosely arranged around the ever
lengthening flower stalk, and they graduate finely into
‘the few flowers and buds at the tip.

SHEPHERD’S PURSE
Capsélla Birsa-pastoris. Mustard Family.

The Shepherd’s Purse takes its name from the little,
flat, triangular seed-pods, which are the plant’s most

250

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

conspicuous production. It is found the world over,
from one end of the year to the other. It was intro-
duced into this country from Europe and is, perhaps, -
our most common weed. It is found in blossom from
April to September, and prospers in waste places, and
along paths and roadsides everywhere. It resembles
the Sweet Alyssum of our garden borders, to which it is
related. The branching stalk rises from a long, deep
root to a height of from six to twenty inches. Four
little white petals and six tiny stamens, two of which
are shorter than the others, one pistil, and four early
falling, fuzzy sepals form this insignificant flower,
which is borne in a small terminal cluster. As the stem
grows, the flowers continue to blossom and graduate
into the small, wedge-shaped seed cases after they
mature. The long, narrow leaves form a large rosette
at the base of the stalk and they are deeply divided into
numerous, irregular pointed parts which are arranged
in pairs, with a larger, terminal lobe. The few alternat-
ing stem leaves are lance-shaped with the margins
more or less toothed. They are stemless and clasp the
stalk with an arrow-shaped base. The lower part of
the plant is often covered with fine, forked hairs. The
plant has some medicinal qualities.

TWO-LEAVED TOOTHWORT. CRINKLEROOT
Dentaria diphylla. Mustard Family.
Country people will tell you that the roots of the

Crinkleroot make a mighty tasty sandwich, and if you
happen to walk through the woods with them during

251

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

May, they will dig up a few pieces and let you nibble
on them, or if you are really hungry these roots will form
a delightful addition to your little lunch of home-made
bread, cold meat and hard-boiled eggs at the spring
where you stop to eat and rest. The crinkled, edible
root is considered of greater importance than the
flowers, although without the attraction of the latter,
they would not be so easily found. It is crisp and
fleshy and tastes much like watercress. It grows
horizontally from five to ten inches long and is often
branched, crinkled and toothed, from which formation
it takes its name. The pretty white flowers have the
cross-shaped ear-mark that brands every member of
the Mustard tribe. They are often found mingled with
the Anemone and the Spring Beauty and their kind in
the spring. The stem, which is stout and smooth,
rises directly from the rootstock from eight to fourteen
inches in height. The flower has four rounded petals
which are arranged in opposite pairs and are spreading
at the apex. They are over half an inch in diameter
and are borne in a small, terminal cluster. The four
green sepals drop early, and two of the six yellow
stamens are noticeably smaller than the others. Thé
single slender pistil ripens into a flat, lance-shaped pod.
The large, smooth leaves are divided into three short-
stemmed broad, wedge-shaped leaflets with toothed
edges. They are set on long stems springing from the
rootstock. Two somewhat smaller leaves are set
nearly opposite each other on the upper part of the
flower stalk. The Crinkleroot grows in pretty clusters,

252

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

preferably in rich leafmould, in woods and meadows,
from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, to Lake
Superior and Minnesota, south to South Carolina and
Kentucky.

The Cut-leaved Toothwort or Pepper-root, D.
laciniata, is found during April, May and June, in moist
or rich woods from Florida and Louisiana northward
to Minnesota and Quebec. The rootstock is deeply
seated and its jointed appearance has likened it to a
beaded necklace. It is edible and has a pungent and
peppery taste. The flowers are nearly three-quarters
of an inch broad and the petals are white, usually
tinted with pink. The upper leaves are three-parted,
having the outer parts often divided with two uneven
clefts. All the parts are sharply toothed or lobed,
and their general shape is narrowly oblong or lanceolate.
Three leaves are set on short stems in a whorl, well up
on the flower stalk. The similar basal leaves are
rarely developed at the time of flowering. The blos-
soms are arranged like those of the Crinkleroot.

ROUND-LEAVED SUNDEW. DEW-PLANT.
ROSA-SOLIS. YOUTH-WORT

Drosera rotundifolia. Sundew Family.

It is exceedingly interesting to ponder over the
unlimited resources of Nature, which enable her to
rise to any emergency. The Audubon Society will tell
you that a horrible famine might result if it were not
for the birds that hold in check untold hoards of insects.
But it is easy for an observer in botany to conjecture

253

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

that if this task of extermination had not been success-
fully maintained by the birds, the same economic
condition would have been developed in certain plants.
And while we listen to reports of decreasing bird life,
it is well to consider that there is also a corresponding
increase in plant life. While certain birds are really
becoming rare or even extinct, so are certain flowers.
On the other hand, certain birds are increasing, and
even so are certain flowers. So we find an active work.
ing force with an assisting support and an unlimited
reserve always available. The latter includes certain
fungi that attack and overcome swarms of insects
besides the real catch-them-alive plants like the Venus
Flytrap, Pitcher Plant, Dogbane, Catchfly, and the
Sundew. The last is a small flowered species having a
smooth, red, slender flowering stalk, rising from four
to ten inches high from a low spreading rosette of the
most curious leaves. This remarkable, small, circular
green leaf is suddenly narrowed into a short, flat, hairy
stem. ‘The upper surface is slightly hollowed, and is
covered with irregular, fine, reddish hairs, which exude
a colourless, sticky fluid from their tips, that sparkles
like dew drops. These transparent, glittering drops
are peculiar to the Sundews and seem to attract tiny
passing insects which, alighting on the leaf, immediately
become stuck in the gummy substance. Then the
slowly curling hairs hopelessly entangle their struggling
prisoner, and finally the leaf, closing inward, enfolds its
victim and ends its life. At this stage the leaf literally
digests its prey with the aid of a new flow of a peptic

254

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

liquid not unlike gastric juice in the stomach of animals.
A dozen or less tiny white flowers are borne along one
side of the drooping, terminal end of the stalk. They
open only in the sunshine and but one or two at a time.
This is a rather inconspicuous little plant and is likely
to be overlooked. It has a very. short rootstock and
yields a purple stain to paper. It is found commonly
during June, July and August in bogs or wet, sandy
ground from Labrador to Alaska, south to Florida and
Alabama, and in the Sierra Nevadas to Montana and
California.
EARLY SAXIFRAGE
Saxifraga virginiénsis. Saxifrage Family.

Early in March the pretty little white flowers of the
Saxifrage blossom in numerous spreading groups,
which are loosely clustered on the tops of long, thick,
often sticky, hairy stems. This plant grows from
four to twelve inches high and loves to dwell in dry
or rocky hillsides and woodlands, where it usually roots
in small chinks or crevices among the rocks. Its name
is derived from the Greek, meaning rock-breaker and
alludes to its fabled power to rend apart the rocks
where it is generally found growing. It also has some
significance in reference to certain bodily ailments which
it was supposed to cure. The small, smooth, oval
leaves taper to a rounding point and narrow at their
base into broad stems. They are thick textured and
their edges are scalloped. They are gathered into a
small, compact and rounded tuft near the ground.
The flowers have five pointed petals, ten yellow stamens,

255

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

and a five-parted light green calyx. They continue to
bloom into May and are found from New Brunswick
to Minnesota, south to Georgia and Tennessee.

FALSE MITREWORT. FOAM-FLOWER.
COOLWORT

Tiarélla cordifolia. Saxifrage Family.

The form of the pistil of the False Mitrewort is
responsible for its Latin name, meaning‘a little tiara or
turban. The slender, hairy flowering stalk rises from
six to twelve inches high from the rootstock or runners,
as do the long-stemmed and often mottled leaves,
The latter are broadly heart-shaped at the base and are
unevenly and sharply lobed and toothed. They are
sparingly hairy above, and downy on the veinings
beneath. The five clawed, white, pointed-oblong
petals are supported with a white bell-shaped calyx,
and the ten long, slender, orange-tipped stamens pro-
ject and give the flower a soft, fuzzy appearance. The
flowers are loosely clustered in terminal, feathery and
graceful spires. The Coolwort grows in dense masses
and in the late summer the foliage becomes discoloured
and brown. It is found in bloom during April and May
in rich, moist, rocky woods from Nova Scotia to Ontario
and Minnesota, and south in the mountain districts to
Georgia, Indiana and Michigan.

TWO-LEAVED-BISHOP’SCAP. MITREWORT
Mitélla diphjlla. Saxifrage Family.

The form of the young seed-pot of this plant sug-
gested its Latin name, from mitra,acap. ‘The slender,

256

Bqeynond efoIA “LA TIOIA MOCVAW Seplonsieqy e[Puomeuy “YNOWANV anu

MAY APPLE. MANDRAKE. Podophyllum peltatum

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

hairy flowering stalk is quite naked excepting for a
pair of nearly stemless opposite leaves halfway up its
length. Other leaves are borne singly on long, hairy,
slender root stems. They are broad-oval, pointed at
the tip and deeply heart-shaped at the base. They
have three or five unevenly scalloped or toothed lobes
and are rather thin with the ribs and veins showing.
The bewitching little flower has its five white petals
finely cut and fringed, and immediately suggests the
form of a tiny, star-like snow or frost crystal. It has
ten protruding yellow stamens and a little white, bell-
shaped calyx. The flowers are clustered on short
stems in an open, terminal, wand-like spike and are
found during April and May in rich, open woods and
on moist banks, from Quebec to Minnesota, North
Carolina and Missouri.

CAROLINA GRASS OF PARNASSUS
Parndéssia caroliniana. Saxifrage Family.

A pretty five-petaled perennial, growing from eight
to twenty-four inches high, in swamps and low meadows,
from New Brunswick and Manitoba, south to Virginia,
Illinois and Iowa. The spreading, broad, oval petals
are white or creamy white, veined with delicate, pale-
green lines. Five stamens with large anthers alternate
with the petals and numerous straw-coloured, imperfect
stamens are clustered around the green pistil. The
solitary flower is borne on a long, slender stem rising
from a loose cluster of basal leaves. Part way up the
flower-stem is a single clasping leaf. The long, thick-

257

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD. FLOWERS

stemmed, heart-shaped leaf is toothless, thick-textured
and blunt-pointed. It is often partly curled inward
like a scoop and is found in blossom from June to
September. This genus has been named from the
Greek Mount Parnassus, and the plant was called
Grass of Parnassus by Dioscorides. Six or seven
species are found in this country.
WILLOW-LEAVED, OR AMERICAN MEADOW=

SWEET. QUEEN OF THE MEADOW.
QUAKER LADY

Spiraéa salicifolia. Rose Family.

The large, fleecy pyramids of delicate, pink-tinted
white flowers of this pretty maid-of-the-mist enlighten
the rank growths peculiar to low, moist situations,
from June to August. Its smooth, tough, leafy,
yellowish brown stalk grows from two to four feet high
and is often branching at the top. The closely set
alternating leaves are oval or oblong, with pointed
tips and finely toothed margins. They are rather
firm-textured, nearly smooth, and _ short-stemmed.
The dainty little flowers have five slightly curved and
rounding petals and many rosy stamens, which pro-
ject and lend a feathery appearance. They are
densely clustered on terminal spires. These blossoms
have a slight odour but they are not at all fragrant,
and in this respect the name of Meadow-sweet is mis-
leading, although it does apply to the simple attractive-
ness of the plant. This species is found from Newfound-
land to the Rocky Mountains, and south to Georgia
and Missouri; also in Europe and Asia. Spiraea,

258

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

derived from seria, meaning band or wreath, is an
ancient Greek name of a plant used for garlands.

THE BLACKBERRIES

Rosaceae. Rose Family.

The starry white flowers of the Blackberries are very
conspicuous and exceedingly common during May and
June, when they smother the tangled, bristly bramble
patches with their fluffy, snowy whiteness. Owing to the
numerous prickles with which the stems are armed, the
showy flowers are not popular as a nosegay. The fruit
ripens during July and August. It is at first green,
then red, and finally black, graduating through the
intermediate shades as it matures. Blackberry jam
is one of the oldest cupboard favourites in the sweet-
meat line, and blackberry brandy or cordial is a simple
and popular remedy, much respected as an adjunct to
the family medicine chest. The syrup is made from
the roots as well as from the juice of the ripe fruit.

WILD, VIRGINIA OR SCARLET STRAWBERRY
Fragaria virginiana. Rose Family.
John Greenleaf Whittier twanged a sympathetic
chord that will vibrate for generations to come, when
he exalted the Barefoot Boy,

“With thy red lips; redder still
Kissed by strawberries on the hill.”

And it is quite evident that the great poet himself had
enjoyed the flavour and fragrance of the Wild Straw-
berry. Indeed, it is a delightful privilege that many

259

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

of us have experienced. The hairy leaf and flower
stems rise directly from the running roots. They are
from two to six inches long and are sheathed at the base.
The wheel-shaped flower has five short-clawed, rounded
white petals and numerous orange-yellow stamens
with a green, cone-shaped centre. The five green
sepals are alternated with an equal number of bracts
which show between the petals. Later, after the
petals fall away, the sepals remain closely set to the
maturing fruit. Several flowers are loosely clustered
on short foot stems from which, later on, the attrac-
tive berry droops prettily. The compound leaf has
three toothed and broad wedge-shaped hairy leaflets
that overtop the fruit. They form little dark green
tufts in scattered patches in fields, pastures and along
woodsides, flowering from April to June, and often
again during August, from New Brunswick to South
Dakota, and South to Florida, Louisiana and Arizona.

WHITE AVENS
Geum canadénse. Rose Family.

The slender, branching, angular stem of the com-
mon White Avens grows about eighteen inches high’
in moist, shady places and blossoms from June to
August. The large, tufted, long-stemmed, basal leaves
have from three to five unequal divisions or are lobed.
The upper leaves are long, oval affairs, arranged singly
or in threes, and are usually stemless. They are all
roughly textured, and both stem and leaves are coarse
and hairy. The five-petalled white flower is insig-

260

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

nificant, and the yellow-tipped stamens surround the
central cluster of green pistils. They occur on terminal
foot stems, and the large, five-parted, white-edged,
green calyx alternates with the widely separated
petals. The seed ripens in burr-like clusters, with long,
hooked tips that play havoc with one’s clothing, to
which they adhere with an especial delight. This plant
ranges from Canada to Georgia and Missouri.

BLACK RASPBERRY. BLACK CAP
Rubus occidentalis. Rose Family.

The smooth, curving, cane-like stalk of this species
often roots again at the tip, and it grows some ten or
twelve feet in length. It is sparingly covered with
small, hooked prickers. The leaf is three-parted,
rarely five, and the leaflets are oval and pointed. The
under surfaces are of a much lighter shade than the
upper, and the edges are coarsely toothed. The five-
petalled white flowers are densely clustered in pretty,
round terminal heads. This is the favourite little
Black Cap that country children like to string on grass
stems when they go berrying for fun. It is common
especially in burnt-over districts, and along fence
rows, stone walls, and neglected farm buildings,
everywhere from Georgia and Mississippi northward
to Quebec and Ontario.

HIGH BUSH BLACKBERRY
Rubus allegheniénsis. Rose Family.
A very common, scrubby, branching bramble with
long, grooved, erect or curving stalks growing from
261

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

three to ten feet in length, and armed with stout,
slightly recurving thorns. The stiff, prickly pur-
plish or brown stalks of the past year are easily dis-
tinguished from the new, green shoots. From three
to five pointed, oblong leaflets compose the compound
leaf. They are unequally toothed, strongly ribbed
and their surface is hairy. The five light green sepals
alternate between the large, narrow, white petals and
the numerous, slender, brown-tipped stamens are
prettily clustered around the little group of green pis-
tils in the centre. The flowers are borne in loose,
terminal clusters, The juicy, thimble-shaped fruit
ripens in hanging groups during July and August.
This is the original of the ordinary form of the culti-
vated or garden variety of blackberry, now exten-
sively raised for marketing. For over a hundred years
it was erroneously known as Rubus canadensis. It
prefers dry soil in open, sunny places, in low altitudes,
from Nova Scotia to Ontario and North Carolina.
A white-fruited variety occurs in Michigan.

RUNNING BLACKBERRY
Ribus hispidus. Rose Family.

This slender-stemmed and weak-bristled, branch-
ing Blackberry creeps gracefully along its way from
four to ten feet. The few prickers are scantily scat-
tered. The compound leaves are three-parted, and
the thick-textured, wedge-shaped, dark green leaflets
are rounding at the apex and sharply toothed above
the middle. Throughout the winter the dull, purp-

262

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

lish red leaves may be found in delightful contrast
with the snow. The small, five-petalled white flowers
are usually grouped, and the reddish purple fruit is
small and sour. It grows commonly in swamps and
low grounds generally, from Nova Scotia to Ontario
and Minnesota, south to Georgia and Kansas.

LOW RUNNING BLACKBERRY. DEWBERRY.

Rubus villdsus. Rose Family.

A trailing, woody-stemmed vine, loping along the
ground for several feet and often armed with scat-
tered prickers. Its ascending branches are sparingly
prickled. The large leaf has from three to seven
oval or pointed, wedge-shaped leaflets. They are
thin-textured and sharply cut with fine, even teeth.
The large, white, five-petalled flowers are fragrant,
and grow singly or in sparse clusters of two or three.
The small, juicy black fruit is large-seeded, but has
a delicious flavour. It is common along dusty road-
sides, on dry hillsides, and in fields, from Virginia,
Louisiana and the Indian Territory northward to
Lake Superior, Ontario and Newfoundland.

RABBIT-ROOT, OLD-FIELD, STONE OR
PUSSY CLOVER. HARE’S-FOOT

Trifoitum arvénse. Pea Family.
The funny, fuzzy heads of the Pussy Plant are often
cavelessly passed and unnoticed with the mistaken

idea that they are merely the faded and bleached remains
of some perished blossom. And if you are not careful

263

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

to investigate these hoary top-knots when you first find
them, you are likely to fall into the same error. Most
people fail to identify this species as a member of the
Clover tribe at sight, notwithstanding there is no get-
ting away from its trifoliate leaf. The generic name,
Trifolium, is derived from the Latin ives, three, and
folium, a leaf, and alludes to the three-parted com-
pound leaf, which is characteristic of this family.
The name Clover is thought to have been derived
from the Latin clava, meanmg clubs, in connection
with the mythical three-headed club of the mighty
Hercules, which the Clover leaf is supposed to resemble.
The so-called clubs on playing cards are believed to
have originated from the Clover leaf. The Rabbit-
foot Clover is an immigrant from Europe. The
name comes from the fancied resemblance of the
furry flower, to that popular token of good luck,
the foot of a rabbit. The annual, slender, erect
stalk is much branched and covered with minute silky
hairs. It grows from six to eighteen inches in
height and every branching joint of stalk and stem
is sheathed with a stipule having a pair of long, curv-
ing, needle-like points. The three small, thin, vel+
vety leaflets forming the compound leaf flare from the
tip of a short, slender stem. They are long and very
narrow, lance-shaped, the broader part toward the
rather blunt three-pointed apex, and they taper into
short stems at the base. The length is less than an
inch. ‘The midrib is noticeable the entire length, and
finally forms the centre one of the three tiny tips at the

264

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

apex. The margins and veinings are very similar
to those of the Yellow Clover. The sweetly scented
flowering heads usually occur in terminal pairs. They
are oblong or cylindrical in shape, and the general
colour is a beautiful pearl-gray tinted with pink.
They are composed of numerous florets densely
arranged in the exceedingly thick and downy plume
which varies from one-quarter to an inch or so in length.
The greenish-white corolla of the tiny floret is much
shorter than the little green calyx, which extends its
five remarkably long, feathery pink tips out of all
reasonable proportion, to form the silky heads. The
Stone Clover is a native of northern Asia. It blos-
soms from May to September and is more or less
common east of the Mississippi.

WHITE, DUTCH OR HONEYSUCKLE CLOVER
Trifolium répens. Pea Family.

This is the commest of the white Clovers and is found
everywhere in great abundance. It is extensively used
for lawns and has been cultivated in some parts of the
country where it is highly prized as a pasture for
cattle. Bee-keepers claim that the sweetly scented
flowers produce the choicest quality of white honey.
It is generally supposed that this species is identical
with the Shamrock of Ireland, although it is thought to
be native to the northern United States and Canada.
The leaf is commonly compounded of three parts or
leaflets, but here and there a solitary leaf is occasionally
found bearing four or more parts. The four-parted

265

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

one is universally known as the “four-leaf Clover” and
is popularly accepted as a token of good luck. A
diligent search will seldom fail to find one or more of
them in a healthy patch of Clover foliage. The earliest
primary school song I remember learning had much
to do with directing my mind to appreciate the glories
of Nature:

“Down among the meadow grass,
Searching it all over,
What a merry band are we,
Hunting four-leaf Clover.”

June finds this Clover at the height of its floral activity,
and the bees fairly swarm over the blossoms from day-
light to dusk. The slender, light green stalk is spread-
ing and creeping. As it extends, long, delicate leaf and
flower stems spring upright therefrom at short intervals,
forming dense mats of medium green flecked with white,
that are very pleasing. The stalk often takes root at
the sheathed nodes, or joints. It grows from four to
twelve inches long. Three rounding oval or inverted
heart-shaped leaflets with narrowing bases, which unite
at the tip of the slender stem, form the compound leaf.
Their margins are finely toothed and their surfaces are -
usually marked with a whitish or grayish green tri-
angular or broad V-shaped band, the angle of which
points toward their apex. The midrib is strong, and
the feathery veinings show on the under side. Clover
flowers are botanically known as pa-pil-i-on-a-ce-ous,
that is, they are butterfly-shaped. The beautiful Sweet
Pea of our gardens is a clever illustration of this curious

266

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

and irregularly constructed blossom. Of course, they
are necessarily greatly reduced in size and more or less
modified otherwise in the Clovers, since so very many
are crowded on the flowering head where they are
known as florets. In the present species, these florets
are white, cream white, or frequently pinkish. They
are set erectly in small, five-parted, light green calyces
on small stemlets. As they fade, they become brown-
ish and husky, and turn flaringly downward, separating
the head for a time in two parts, the quick from the dead,
until finally all become reflexed, while the seeds ripen.
The White Clover is very common everywhere in fields
and along roadsides, but more so east of the one-
hundredth meridian. It is quite possibly a native well
north, as itisin Siberia. It blooms from May to Decem-
ber. In England it is known as Sheep’s Gowan,
Honey Stalks and sometimes Shamrock.

WHITE MELILOT. WHITE SWEET CLOVER.
HONEY-LOTUS. TREE CLOVER

Melilotus alba. Pea Family.

Great armfuls of the White Sweet Clover are gathered
annually because of the delightful fragrance of its
leaves, which becomes more pronounced as they dry
out and emit their pleasing odour in our rooms and
closets. I have never heard of these leaves being
used as a tea, but have often thought that I should like
to try them — their fragrance is so refreshing. The
dried leaves have been used like camphor, as a pre-
ventative for moths in packing away furs and woollens,

264

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

but their efficacy is questionable. Somewhere, it is
said, the flowers are used for flavouring snuff and
tobacco. Many persons have been mistaken in their
belief that this plant supplied the material used by the
northern Indians who weave the scented sweet-grass
novelties that are offered to us conditionally, every-
where we turn during our summer outings. The
White Melilot is an annual or bi-annual herb, coming
to us from Europe and it is also a native of Asia. It
flourishes in the greatest profusion along our country
roadsides everywhere, and blossoms from June to
November, when Jack Frost cuts it down. The
widely branching stalk rises from three to ten feet in
height and is generally smooth The comparatively
small leaves are short-stemmed and three-parted. The
leaflets are long-oblong in shape and their margins are
toothed. They are narrow at the base and round at the
tip, which is either blunt or nicked. Many small, white
florets form the long, slender, flowing spike which, on
account of its abundance of nectar, attracts myriads of
insects and bees. The flowers are pleasantly scented.

POISON IVY. POISON OAK. MERCURY

Rhiis Toxicodéndron. Sumac Family.

Nearly everyone is familiar with the unpleasant effects
produced by contact with this treacherous and exceed-
ingly poisonous vine, which has undoubtedly caused
more harm to mankind than all other plants together.
The actual poison has been traced to a powerful, non-
volatile oil contained in all parts of the plant, and which

268

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH.

retains its baneful activities throughout every month in
the year. Now and again we hear of persons being
immune to its attack, but it is a mooted subject and
its ill effects vary greatly from mild to severe. The
writer recalls an occasion when both eyes were closed
for a day or two by the swelling caused by the effects
of this poison. And singularly enough, he has sub-
sequently handled all parts of the plant at all seasons
without experiencing the slightest infection. It is an
uncertain privilege, however, and it is always highly
advisable to avoid it altogether. The poison first
manifests itself by an inflamed irritation of the affected
part of the skin. Tiny blisters immediately succeed a
burning sensation. They spread and increase rapidly
in size and number until the itching and swelling finally
becomes very unpleasant. Frequent applications of a
strong solution of weakened alcohol and powdered
sugar of lead, well rubbed into the affected part, will
usually relieve the discomfort at once and prevent the
spreading of the poison. This lead solution is very
poisonous if taken internally. When the redness first
appears, a thorough washing of the affected part with
strong, hot soapsuds is recommended. Cold water
will not dissolve the poisonous oil.

This thrifty, climbing woody vine is very prolific,
and grows abundantly everywhere throughout its range.
It is commonly found in thickets and along country
highways, fences and woodland borders, where the
dense foliage covers everything it clings to. It climbs
readily by numerous aerial rootlets, but is quite as

269

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

frequently found low-growing, erect and bushy. The
shining green leaf is composed of three smooth, broad,
pointed-oval and short-stemmed leaflets, which are
plainly ribbed and have either regular or irregular
margins. ‘These three leaflets are set on the end of a
long, slender stem. ‘The stem of the centre leaflet is
longer than those of the other two. During May and
June numerous small, fragrant, yellowish-green flowers
appear in densely clustered spikes which grow from
the axils of the leaf stems. They are succeeded in the
fall by many smooth, white, waxy berries which often
remain through the winter months. The Virginia
Creeper is generally confused with the Poison Ivy,
but can always be distinguished from the latter by its
slender-pointed, coarsely toothed and usually five-
parted leaf and also by its spreading clusters of blue
berries. Poison Ivy yields a milky juice which turns
black when exposed and imparts an indelible stain to
fabrics. In the fall the foliage of this plant turns to
beautiful shades of yellow and scarlet and becomes
very attractive and decorative. It ranges from Nova
Scotia and British Columbia to Florida, Texas, Arkan-
sas and Utah. .

NEW JERSEY TEA. RED-ROOT. WILD SNOWBALL
Ceandthus americanus. Buckthorn Family.

Every patriotic citizen of the United States should
know this historic plant, because a brewing of its leaves
was used as a substitute for tea by the American troops
during the Revolution. It was employed at about the

270

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

same time, too, when old King George the Third unwit-
tingly assisted in creating the greatest tea-party at Bos-
ton Harbour that the world has ever known. The
astringent roots possess some medicinal qualities, and
they also yield a brown dye. It is a small, shrubby,
branching species, with a whitish, powdery bloom, and
its leafy stalk rises two or three thet high from a deep,
reddish root. The pointed, oval leaf is set alternately
upon the stalk with short stems. The hairy surface is
creased with three ribs and its edges are finely toothed.
Numerous tiny, white or creamy white flowers are
densely crowded into oblong, terminal clusters. They
are composed of five petals, and have long, slender
stems, and possess a faint fragrance. It ranges from
Ontario and Manitoba to Florida and Texas, in dry,
open woods, where it blossoms from May to July.

VIRGINIA CREEPER. AMERICAN IVY
Psédera quinquefolia. Grape Family.

The name Woodbine is very frequently misapplied
to this high climbing or trailing vine with its numerous
tendrils. It is commonly confused with the Poison
Ivy, but can be easily distinguished by its five-parted
leaf, while the leaf of the latter is three-parted. The
short-stemmed leaflets are elliptical in shape with taper-
ing points, and the outer half is coarsely toothed. The
surface is usually smooth, and the colour is dark green
above and lighter underneath. ‘The insignificant
yellowish green flowers grow in irregular, broadly
branching clusters. These are succeeded in the fall

271

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

by small, round, dark blue berries. At this season, the
foliage turns to a beautiful red or scarlet and is very
attractive and greatly admired. The Virginia Creeper
sprawls over everything within its reach, and is exten-
sively cultivated about the porches and fences of subur-
ban homes. The berry is not edible. This vine is
<ommon in woods and thickets from Quebec to Mani-
soba, Florida, Texas and Mexico.

SWEET WHITE VIOLET
Viola blanda. Violet Family.

“The dearest violet of all,’ observes Neltje Blanchan,
Surely a more charming and appropriate: comment on
the Sweet White Violet would be difficult to imagine,
for the very modesty and nature of this dainty little
queen of Violets defies the effort. If it is true that the
Violets are steeped in the bluest blood of royalty, then
it must be true also that this particular Violet is mistress
of them all. Its exclusive air of refinement, its exquisite
race, its delicate fragrance, even its robe of ermine
petals, all tend to betray its dignity. In low, damp,
open woods, or wet meadows and swamps, where few
flowers are wont to dwell, this tiny reflection of love artd
simplicity waits, with becoming stateliness, to greet us
during April and May. It is one of the smallest, :if
not the smallest of the Violets, and is also one of the
earliest to be found in blossom. The uniformly sweet-
scented flower has five white petals. The upper pair
are often long, narrow and decidedly recurved. It is
usually beardless and has a short spur. The lower

272

BLOODROOT. Sanguinaria canadensis

DUTCHMAN’S BREECHES. Dicentra Cucullaria

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

petals are veined or hair-lined with purple. The
matured flower measures from one-quarter to one-half
inch broad, and is borne singly on short, slender
stems that really seem a little stout for so small a blos-
som. Though often found growing five or six inches
high, the plant averages nearer two inches. The thin
textured, smooth surfaced, yellow-green leaves are
round heart-shaped with finely toothed margins. The
plant is stemless, that is, it has no main stalk, and
the leaf and flower stems spring directly from a very —
slender rootstock. As the season advances, the plant
sends out slender stolens or runners bearing a few petal-
less flowers that never open. It is found from New-
foundland and New Brunswick to Georgia and Louisi-
ana, and in California.

The Lance-leaved Violet, V. lanceolata, is a more
slender and somewhat taller species, having striking
long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves which gradually
taper into a long, slender stem, or petiole, and which
is‘a distinct. and ready means of identification. The
margins are finely toothed or scalloped, the texture is
thin, and the colour yellowish green. The white-petaled
flowers are slightly fragrant, and if anything, they are
a trifle larger than the preceding species, and like those,
their lower petals are marked with purple lines. They
are usually beardless and have a short spur. Late in
summer they send out many stolens that take root at
short intervals and bear apetalous flowers which never
open, and in fact, are seldom observed because they are
inconspicuous and are obscured by the leaves. This

273

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

species is found in wet places, often near the Sweet
White Violet, along streams and in wet woods, from
Nova Scotia to Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas,
during April, May, and June.

The Primrose-leaved Violet, V. primulifolia, is
another white-flowered species having many of the
characteristics of the preceding. The flowers are borne
on slightly longer stems, and all of the petals are marked
with purple lines. It is readily identified by its spoon-
shaped leaves, the edges of which are slightly scalloped,
and the veins on the under side being more or less hairy.
It is found in open, moist soil from New Brunswick
to Florida and Louisiana, from April to June.

CANADA VIOLET

Viola canadénsis. Violet Family.

This pretty, fragrant violet distinguishes itself by
blooming twice during the season, first in May and
again in August. It is also the tallest of its family,
growing sometimes two feet in height. It selects the
cooler, higher climate of its range which covers hilly
or mountainous portions of Newfoundland and the
Hudson Bay region to Saskatchewan and south to
North Carolina, Tennessee, Nebraska, and in the
Rockies, Arizona and New Mexico, during May and
June. The small, yellow-centred flower is pale violet
in colour, nearly white within, tinged on the outside
with pink and veined with purple. The side petals are
bearded. The broad, lower petal is yellow at the base
and is striped with fine dark lines. It is sharply pinched

274

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

together at the point and has a short spur. The calyx
is lined with a purple tint and the flower is borne singly
on a short stem which springs from the angles of the
branching leaf stems. The plant is smooth, branching,
and light green in colour. The thin-textured, strongly
ribbed, heart-shaped leaf has a slightly scalloped mar-
gin. It is pointed and wavy, or with the edge partly
curled upward. Altogether the plant reminds one a
little of the Downy Yellow Violet.

ENCHANTER’S NIGHTSHADE

Circaéa lutetiana. Evening Primrose Family.

A rather inconspicuous flowering perennial, receiving
its Latin name from Circe, the daughter of Sol and
Perse, a mythical enchantress who first charmed her
victims and then transformed them into various animals.
The frequency with which it is encountered in shady
woods makes this otherwise inconspicuous plant note-
worthy. The upright stalk is covered with fine hairs,
and grows from one to two feet in height. It is branch-
ing, and swollen at the joints. The slender stemmed
leaves, which are arranged in opposite pairs, are pointed
oval in shape with the edges faintly scalloped. The
tiny, white flowers are set in a slender terminal spike.
They have only two petals, which are heart-shaped, and
alternate with two stamens. The tiny, two-parted
calyx is hairy, and the small, drooping, pear-shaped
fruit is densely covered with stiff, hooked hairs. This
species is found from June to August, from Nova
Scotia to Georgia, Nebraska, and Missouri.

275

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

A smaller species, C. alpina, has thin, somewhat
shining leaves which are acutely pointed, slender-
stemmed, coarsely toothed and, at the base, somewhat
heart-shaped. The flowers are an inch broad and
the long, oval seed case is covered with soft, hooked
hairs. It is found in cool, moist woods from Labrador
and Alaska southward to Georgia, Indiana, Michigan,
and Minnesota. Also in Europe and Asia. It is
found in blossom from July to September.

AMERICAN SPIKENARD. INDIAN ROOT.
SPIGNET

Aralia racemosa. Ginseng Family. |

The Spikenard is very apt to attract one’s attention
in the autumn with its ripening clusters of dark purple
or reddish brown berries. The large, thick, aromatic
roots of this species have an odour and taste resembling
that of the Wild Sarsaparilla, but are more spicy.
The roots of these two plants are well known and have
been used as a family remedy, chiefly in rheumatic and
skin affections, much in the same manner and dose as
genuine sarsaparilla. It grows from three to six feet
high, and is widely branched. The stalk is round and
blackish. The very large, compound leaf is slightly
downy and has three distinct parts, each of which
has. several thin, broad, pointed-oval leaflets with
doubly toothed margins, heart-shaped bases, and
short stems. The numerous small, five-parted, greenish
white flowers are loosely arranged in small, round
clusters that form 4 large, curving terminal spike

276

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

which sometimes starts from the angles of the leaf
stems. It is found in rich, open woodlands, from
New Brunswick to Georgia, and west to Minnesota
and Missouri, during July and August.

WILD, OR VIRGINIAN SARSAPARILLA.
SMALL SPIKENARD. © RABBIT-FOOT

Aralia nudicatlis. Ginseng Family.

Because the long, creeping, aromatic roots of this
plant are very fragrant, they are extensively gathered
and sold as a substitute for the genuine article, and so
this species has received its common name of Wild
Sarsaparilla. Rabbits are said to be very fond of the
root, and on this account it has been called Rabbit-
foot. It has long been a popular remedy both among
the Indians and in domestic practice. The leaf is
borne on a single, slender stalk that rises a foot or
so in height. It is triply compounded and each part
has from three to five pointed-oval parts that are
rounded or narrowed at the base and have finely
toothed margins. They are gracefully balanced on
their three short stems which are set on the top of the
leaf stalks. The shorter flower stalk bears several
forks, and on the tip of each is set a circular, flat-topped
cluster of very small, greenish-white flowers. The
five petals of the latter are turned back against the
calyx, and expose five stamens. The flowers are
succeeded with clusters of shining, globular, purp-
lish black fruit. The young leaves are dark and
bronzy. Wild Sarsaparilla is found in rich, shady,

277

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

and moist, rocky woods, during May and June, from
Newfoundland to Georgia, Colorado, and Idaho.

GINSENG
Panax quinquefolium. Ginseng Family.

The Chinese have regarded the root of the Gin-
seng with the highest of fanatical esteem from time
immemorial, and believe it to possess almost miracu-
lous powers in preserving health, endowing youth,
and prolonging life. It is said to have been actually
worth its weight in gold in Pekin, and the first ship-
ment to Canton from this country yielded fabulous
profits. ‘The Chinese name, Ginseng, is said to have
originated from the fancied resemblance of the human
figure in the root, and the more this shape is developed
the higher it is prized. Its medicinal virtues, however,
seem to be wholly imaginary; still every Chinaman
wants it, and it is now being cultivated and exported
at the rate of over a million dollars worth annually.
It is small wonder then, that this plant is not common.
The stem grows from eight to fifteen inches high, and
bears three irregularly toothed leaves in a whorl on
slender stems at its summit. Each leaf has five thin,
long-pointed, oval leaflets, the outer three of which
are largest. From six to twenty tiny, five-petalled,
yellowish green flowers are gathered in a rounded,
fleecy cluster on the tip of a slender stem springing
upright from the common axil of the leaf stems. They
are succeeded by a few flattened, bright crimson ber-
ries. It should be found during July and August in

278

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

rich, cool woods from Quebec to Alabama, Minne-
sota, Nebraska, and Missouri.

SANICLE. BLACK SNAKEROOT |

Sanicula marilandica. Carrot Family.

From the Rocky Mountains eastward to Newfound-
land and Georgia, this common and well-known herb
raises its stout, smooth, hollow, usually simple and
swaying stalk from one and a half to four feet in height.
The firm, smooth, dark, or bluish green leaves are com-
pounded of from five to seven palmate or spreading,
long lance-shaped leaflets with their margins irregularly
notched and toothed. The upper ones clasp the stalk
and the lower ones are set on long stems. The tiny,
pale, greenish yellow flowers have five petals that curve
inward at first and cover the five stamens. Later they
unfold and expose their charge. The flowers are both
staminate and pistillate, and are found together in the
same cluster. They are gathered in a rounding head
and from two to four of these heads are borne in a loose
terminal umbel. The small, cone-shaped fruit, or burr,
is covered with numerous hooked bristles, and is usually
tipped with two recurving styles. ‘The fibrous aromatic
root has been used for nervousness and fevers. Sanicle
blooms from May to July, in rich, moist woods

SWEET CICELY
Osmorhiza longistylis. Carrot Family.
This species is a perennial herb having large, thick,
clustered, edible roots that are regularly sought by
279

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

country children because of their pleasant, anise-
flavoured odour and taste. Greatest caution should
be exercised in collecting, handling, or eating any part
of this plant without positive knowledge of its iden-
tity, as it strongly resembles the exceedingly poison-
ous Water Hemlock, which has caused fatal results.
Sweet Cicely is an earlier bloomer, however, and blos-
soms during May and June. Its upright stalk is
widely branched and grows from one to three feet in
height. The large, fern-like leaf has three prom-
inent, pointed-oval divisions that are again deeply
cut and notched with irregularly toothed margins.
The leaves are thin-textured and dark green in colour,
and the lower ones have long stems. The small
white flowers are five-petalled, and are borne in few-
rayed, long-stemmed, flat-topped clusters. The long
seeds are armed with two sharp, spreading points.
Sweet Cicely is a tall, loose, and rather sparingly foliaged
plant, of graceful growth. From it oil of anise has been
distilled. It is found in rich, moist woods from
Alabama, Tennessee, and Kansas northward.

WATER HEMLOCK. MUSQUASH ROOT. SPOTTED
COWBANE. BEAVER POISON

Cicista maculata. Carrot Family.

This is one of the most poisonous plants native
to the United States, and particular attention should
be given to establish its identity that it may not be
confused with the Sweet Cicely, or Wild Carrot. It
has been thought that this species is identical with

280

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

the one from which the ancient Greeks extracted
the poisonous potions that were administered to their
political prisoners and others of their day. The
great Socrates, it is believed, died from a draught of
this poison. The deadly qualities are contained in
an aromatic, oily fluid, found chiefly in the roots, but
also in every part of the plant. The underground
parts are most dangerous, and both men and cattle
are poisoned annually through eating its roots, or by
drinking water in which its roots may have been
crushed. No chemical antidote for this poison is
known, and it produces violent deaths. It is a stout,
smooth, erect, and slender branching perennial, grow-
ing from three to six feet high. The hollow stalk
is usually marked with purple lines, and the root has
several oblong, fleshy tubers. The compound leaf
is twice or thrice divided, and the long pointed, lance-
shaped divisions are coarsely and sharply toothed.
The veinings seem to end in the notches. The leaves
are smooth, dark green, and are set on regular stems.
The numerous, insignificant, whitish flowers are
loosely arranged in a large, spreading wheel of small,
flat-topped umbels. It is found from June to August in
swamps and low grounds, from New Mexico and
Florida, northward to Minnesota and Manitoba.

COW PARSNIP. MASTER=WORT
Heracléum lanatum. Carrot Family.
Linnzus made no mistake when he dedicated this
tall, strikingly bold, and giant-like perennial to
281

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

Hercules who, according to Pliny, used it in medicine.
The immense hollow stalk, which is grooved, woolly
and very stout, grows from four to eight feet high,
and at the base it is often two inches in diameter. The
large, rather thin, but coarse compound leaf has three
deeply lobed and irregularly notched and _ toothed,
broad, pointed-oval leaflets that are very hairy on the
under side, and quite smooth above. The leaf is set
on short, widely winged stems that clasp the stalk.
The small, white, five-petalled flowers are gathered
in an extensive, wide-spreading, flat-topped disk or
umbel which is sometimes a foot or more broad. The
outer blossoms are larger than the inner ones and
their petals are deeply notched and heart-shaped.
The Cow Parsnip is rank and coarse, and grows with
a tropical luxuriance, in low, moist grounds, where
its great white, floral heads are raised like a platter
during June and July. The plant has a disagreeable
odour, and the foliage and roots produce redness and
inflammation when applied to the skin. The acrid
roots have been used as a remedy in epileptic cases
and also as a stimulant. The roots are also said to
have been roasted and used as a food by the Canadian
Indians, who also ate the raw leaf stems, which they
called Indian Rhubarb. The Parsnip River was so
named because of the abundance of these plants along
its banks. The Cow Parsnip is the only important
one of its genus growing in North America.
It is found from Labrador and Newfoundland
to Alaska, south to North Carolina, Missouri,

282

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

Utah and California, and probably in Washing-
ton.

WILD CARROT. BIRD'S NEST. QUEEN
ANNE’S LACE

Daticus Cardta. Carrot Family.

Tirades of abuse and condemnation have been
heaped upon the Wild Carrot by farmers whose fields
and pastures have been overrun by this prolific immi-
grant from Europe and Asia. It is doubtful, how-
ever, if the farmer knows, or even whether he cares,
that this species is said to be the original of the very
carrot that he regularly cultivates. Scrapings from
the strongly scented roots have been applied as a local
stimulant for wounds. The round, slender, hairy,
biennial stalk grows erect from one to three feet from
a deep, conical root. It is a light green in colour, and
very finely ribbed. The lower leaves are exceedingly
fringy, being very much cut and divided, and the
upper ones less so. Their surface is rough, and the
colour is yellowish green. The foliage is sparse and
occurs at distant intervals. The tiny, white, usually
five-parted flowers have minute, yellow-tipped stamens,
and are densely clustered in many small, flat wheels
that are again grouped in a symmetric, flat-topped disk.
The central flower of each disk is often dark or purp-
lish, and occasionally all of the flowers have a delicate
purplish tinge. The outer florets are largest. The
flowers are set on slender stems that radiate from a
common centre, and about which is set a whorl of

283

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

narrow, pointed bracts. On account of their white,
fleecy, geometric design, they have a decidedly lace-
like appearance. As the fruit ripens, the floral disks
or umbels curve upward and form a hollowed nest
or basket-like head. This plant is extremely common
east of the Mississippi, in fields and waste places,
from June to September.

LOW, OR DWARF CORNEL, BUNCHBERRY
Cérnus canadénsis. Dogwood Family.

Whatever the Bunchberry lacks in height, it makes
up for in spread of foliage during the summer, and
brightness of fruit during the autumn. The single
slender stalk is four-sided and grooved, and rises from
three to nine inches in height from a nearly horizontah
rootstock. ‘The four, five, or six, pointed, broad-oval,
toothless leaves radiate in a close, flat whorl from the
tip of the stalk. They are yellowish green in colour
and their surface is strongly marked with several pairs
of curving ribs. Frequently one or two opposite pairs
of these leaves occur on the stalk below the umbrella-
like top. The curious, solitary flower head is composed
of a small, dense, flat cluster of tiny, greenish florets,
each of which has four spreading petals and an equal
number of stamens. Four large, greenish white,
rounded, petal-like leaflets surround the cluster, and
at a glance the arrangement appears like a single large
flower with a greenish centre. The flowers are borne
on the tip of a slender stem an inch or so above the
centre of the leaves. ‘The rather large, scarlet berries

284

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

succeed the flowers, and form a stiff, crowded bunch
that is very attractive and decorative. They are said
to be edible, and to woodland campers they are a most
familiar sightin the autumn. This species is very com-
mon in cool, moist woods from Newfoundland to Alaska,
New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, Colorado,
and California, where it is found blooming during May,
June and July.

ONE-FLOWERED WINTERGREEN
Monéses uniflra. Wintergreen Family.

This quaint little solitary-flowered denizen of our
northern woods is often mistaken for a Pyrola. The
slender stalk is acutely recurved, somewhat like a
question mark, and, indeed, when one sees for the first
time so large a flower on such a little plant, the sur-
prise is apparently mutual, for it seems to say: “Well,
what are you staring at?” The stalk terminates a
creeping underground shoot, and is beset with a clus-
ter of thin, veiny, shiny, rounding, dark green leaves
which have finely toothed margins and slender stems.
The five-petalled, white or pinkish, waxy flower is
fragrant, and has ten white, yellow-tipped, widely
spreading stamens and a prominent, green, club-shaped
pistil. It nods or droops from the tip of the curved
stalk, and the anthers are noticeably large. The
stem becomes erect after the petals fall. It grows
from two to six inches high along banks of streams
and under pine trees in deep, cool woods, from June
to August. It ranges from Labrador to Alaska, and

285

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

south to Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and
in the Rockies to Colorado and Oregon.

ONE-SIDED WINTERGREEN

P5rola sectinda. Wintergreen Family.

This strange little Pyrola is easily identified by its
drooping, one-sided floral spike of greenish white .
five-lobed, bell-shaped flowers which have exceedingly
prominent pistils. Usually several slender flower-
ing stems rise from four to ten inches high from the
much-branched rootstock. The thin, glossy, oval,
evergreen leaf has a rounded or narrowed base, and
tapers toward the tip. The leaves grow in a tuft on
slender stems and have a finely scalloped margin and
a strong midrib. The stalk is erect at first, but bends
to one side as the small, scarcely nodding flowers
mature. The flowers blossom in an irregular order
along the stalk, and the long, slightly curved pistil
remains after the petals have fallen. It should be
noted that the petals are not entirely separated, but
are joined together in growth. This little plant is
found during June and July in rich woods and thick-
ets, from Labrador to Alaska, south to the District: of
Columbia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and along the Rock-
ies to Mexico and California. Also in Europe and Asia.

SHIN=-LEAF
Pyrola elliptica. Wintergreen Family.
This, one of the smallest of the Pyrolas, is also one
of the commonest. Its flower stalk grows from five
286

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

to ten inches high, and bears from seven to fifteen
very fragrant, greenish white, nodding flowers. The
thin, tough, evergreen leaf is broadly oval or ellip-
tical in shape, and narrowed or rounded at the base
where it tapers into a short, reddish margined stem.
The edges are obscurely dented with low teeth, and
the ribs and veins show whitish against the dark green
surface. The stems of the tufted leaves are sheathed
at the base. The five thin petals of the waxy flower
form a little, spreading cup within which are the ten
yellow-tipped stamens. The long, curving pistil
extends conspicuously beyond the corolla. The five-
parted, green calyx spreads to support the petals.
The slender flower stalk bears one small leaflet near the
middle. The common name was applied because the
leaves were formerly used to allay inflammation in
bruises and sores. The Shin-leaf is found from June
to August, in rich and mostly dry woods, from Canada
to the District of Columbia, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa,
and along the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico.

ROUND-LEAVED, PEAR-LEAVED, OR
FALSE WINTERGREEN. INDIAN,
OR CANKER LETTUCE

Pyrola americana, Wintergreen Family.

This is the tallest of the Pyrolas, which at a dis-
tance resemble somewhat the flowers of the Lily of
the Valley. The flower stalk rises from six to twenty
inches from a perennial, creeping root. The shin-
ing, evergreen leaves spread from the base on long,
287

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

narrowly margined stems. They are thick, round, or
broadly oval, and often have obscurely toothed margins,
From six to twenty delightfully fragrant, white, waxy
flowers nod from the slender spike. The thick, round-
ing, white petals are rather spreading, and the calyx
lobes are long and slender. The flower has ten sta-
mens, and an extended, curving pistil. This plant
blossoms during June and July in dry, open
woods from Georgia and Ohio to Minnesota, and
Canada.

INDIAN-PIPE. ICE-PLANT. GHOST-
FLOWER. CORPSE-PLANT

Monétropa uniflora. Indian-pipe Family.

Gathered together in stiff, colourless groups of from
three to a dozen or more, these strange, uncanny, waxy
white flowers hold their silent, Quaker-like meetings
with bowed heads, as if awaiting the motion of some
woodland spirit to arouse them. This leafless plant is
known as a parasite because it draws its nourishment
from other living roots and decaying vegetable matter.
It is noticeably cold and clammy to the touch, and is
inclined to turn black when plucked or exposed to the
sun. The Indians used the Ice-plant for relieving
affections of the eyes. The white flower stem, which
grows from four to ten inches high, is thick and smooth,
and springs from a ball of matted, brittle rootlets. The
stem is covered with small, scaly white bracts. The
rather large, white terminal and nodding, oblong,
shell-shaped flower is wax-like, scentless, and solitary.

288

YARROW. Achillea Millefolium

MEADOW-SWEET. Spiraea salicifolia

epuelq FIA LATIOIA ALIHM LAAMS sega eypunig = “TTV-IVaH

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

It has from four to six scale-like petals and from two
to four early falling white sepals. The short, thick
pistil is surrounded with usually ten stamens. After
the aan matures, it becomes erect for the seeds to
ripen. It is found commonly in dark, rich woods,
from June to August, and from one end of the country
to the other, also in Japan. Sometimes the entire plant
is tinted with pink.

WHITE AZALEA. SWAMP PINK. SWAMP
HONEYSUCKLE. CLAMMY AZALEA

Rhododéndron viscbsum. Heath Family.

This species closely resembles the Pink Azalea and
grows from four to eight feet high. It is found only in
swamps and low, wet places during June and July.
The smaller flowers are deliciously fragrant, far more
so than those of the Pink species. The plant is. more
hairy, and the tube of corolla is covered with very
sticky, brownish red hairs. It does not become fully
flowered until its foliage has well expanded. It is not
quite so leafy as the above plant, but is perhaps more
branchy. The long, oval leaf becomes wider toward the
bluntly pointed tip and narrows to a very short stem.
The upper surface is glossy and nearly smooth. The
leaves grow in clusters. The beautiful flowers are pure
white or occasionally faintly tinted with pink, and the
long, yellow tipped, white stamens are very prominent.
The calyx is very small and hardly noticeable. The
Swamp Pink bears the same peculiar juicy pulps
among its lovely flowers, known as May or Swamp

289

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

Apples, referred to in the description of the Wild Honey-
suckle. The White Azalea is found from Maine,
Ohio, and Arkansas south to Florida and Texas. It is
much more common near the coast.

SPRING, OR CREEPING WINTERGREEN. CHECK-
ERBERRY. PARTRIDGE-BERRY. MOUNTAIN
TEA. GROUND=-TEA, OR DEW-BERRY

Gaulthéria procimbens. Heath Family.

To find the Wintergreen is to find ourselves tramping
noiselessly over thick, green, mossy rugs, or slipping and
sliding over mattings of bleached pine needles in the
mountains. It has lured us away from the clang and
rattle of the trolley, and the din and dust of the city.
And, as we linger to catch our breath in the cool shade
of the evergreens, and to sniff the delightful, woodsy
fragrance of the rare atmosphere, we realize that it is
also the home of the Bunchberry, Claytonia, Gold-
thread and Trillium. Children and “grown-ups,”
too, who foam the woods, like to nibble on the leaves of
Wintergreen because of their pleasant, aromatic taste.
The leaves are also used for making a fragrant tea, and
Wintergreen oil is popularly used as a liniment, particu-
larly in cases of rheumatism. Wintergreen lozenges
are used in slight throat affections. The edible “ berry”
is frequently found in the markets. The slender, creep.
ing stalk extends along the surface of the ground, or
just below it, and sends up its erect branches from two
to six inches in height. The thick, shining, evergreen
leaves are oval or oblong in shape, with rounded tips

290

WILD FLOWERS. WHITE AND GREENISH

and narrowed bases. They are short-stemmed, and the
indistinctly sharp-toothed margins are turned back-
ward. They are borne alternately in small terminal
clusters at the top of the branching stems. At first the
leaves are light yellowish green, becoming darker and
bronzed with age. The small white, bell-like flowers
are usually solitary and hang nodding from among the
leaves. They are urn-shaped, minutely five-toothed,
and are succeeded by a bright red, mealy, and very
spicy-flavoured fruit. This fruit consists of the seed
case that is enclosed when ripe by the calyx, which
thickens and turns fleshy and appears as a globular
red berry. The berry-like fruit is found in October
and throughout the winter. The flower season con-
tinues from June to September, and the plant is found
from Newfoundland to Manitoba, southward to New
Jersey, Georgia and Michigan.

CREEPING SNOWBERRY. MOXIE PLUM
Chiogenes bispidula. Huckleberry Family.

In cool, damp woods where the exquisite Twin-flower
and familiar Clintonia love to dwell, this daintiest of our
low, trailing plants decorates the mossy hummocks of
smouldering stumps with its beautiful, evergreen foliage.
It is a very slendér, hairy stemmed, and branching
creeper with two rows of very tiny, stiff, rounded or
pointed oval, dark green alternating leaves. They
are glossy above and rusty-haired beneath and, on the
curled edges, are also hairy. The tiny, solitary, white
flowers spring sparingly from the leaf axils on short;

291

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

nodding stems, with two large bractlets under the
calyx. The bell-like corolla is four-cleft with rounded
lobes. The little flowers blossom during May and
June and are succeeded by a finely haired, globular,
aromatic, mealy, snowy white berry which is edible and
matures during August and September. The berries
and foliage have a pleasing flavour like that of Winter-
green or Sweet-birch. The Snowberry is also found in
our cranberry and peat bogs, and ranges from North
Carolina and Michigan northward to British Columbia
and Newfoundland. The generic name is from the
Greek, meaning snow-born or snow of spring and
alludes to the snow white berries.

STAR FLOWER. CHICKWEED WINTER-
GREEN. STAR ANEMONE

Trientalis americana. Primrose Family.

This delicate little white, starry flower is found during
May and June in damp, open woods and thickets,
from Virginia, Illinois, and Minnesota far into Canada.
It grows from three to nine inches high from a long,
slender, horizontal or creeping rootstock. The smooth
slender stalk bears a whorl of from five to ten thin,
smooth, veiny leaves at its summit. The unequally
sized leaves are lance-shaped and taper sharply toward
both ends. They are short-stemmed, and their margins
are finely nicked with rounded teeth. The flat, spread-
ing flower has from five to nine sharply pointed petals.
The blossoms are usually solitary and rise above the
leaves on a slender stem, which springs with a

292

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

noticeable curve from one side of the centre of
the leaf whorl. The long-pointed, green sepals
alternate with the petals, and the ten, long, spreading,
white, orange-tipped stamens are united in a Ting
around the pistil at their base.

INDIAN HEMP. AMY-ROOT
A pécynum cannabinum. Dogbane Family.

This species is very similar to the Spreading Dog-
bane. The five-pointed, tubular flowers,. however,
are very small and greenish white and are borne
erect in terminal clusters. The plant is somewhat
less scrawly and grows from about one to four feet in
height from a deep, vertical root. It is found in
gravelly or sandy soils, chiefly near streams, and varies
greatly. It flowers from June to August. The tip
of the long, oval leaf is very sharply pointed, and the
juice is milky and sticky. The tough-fibred stalks
offer a substitute for hemp, and were employed by the
Indians fo making twine, fish nets, baskets and kindred
articles. The root is used in medicine to some
extent. Indian Hemp is found in fields and thickets
from Florida and lower California, northward into
the British Possessions.

WHORLED MILKWEED
Asclépias verticillata. Milkweed Family.

This dainty, low growing Milkweed is characterized
by the extremely small, narrow leaves which are
arranged in whorls along the milky, swaying stalk.

293

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

The latter is very leafy, slender, and hairy and often
branches sparingly at the top. It grows from one to
two feet high from a cluster of roots. The delicate,
thread-like leaves are nearly smooth, and from three
to seven are grouped in circles, or occasionally they
alternate. The margins are slightly turned back-
ward. The many greenish white flowers are arranged
in numerous clusters or umbels, and are set on slender
stems both along the upper stalk and terminally. The
oblong or egg-shaped parts of the corolla are greenish
white, and the rounding oval or oblong white hoods
are half as long as the incurved awl-shaped horn.
It is found commonly in open woods and dry fields,
on hills and prairies from Maine to Saskatchewan
and south to Florida, Mexico and New Mexico, from
July to September. This plant is used in the
Southern States, where it is very common, as a
remedy for snake bites and for relieving the bites
or stings of venomous insects.

COMMON DODDER. LOVE-VINE.
STRANGLE-WEED

Cuscuta Gronévit. Dodder Family.

This is the commonest of our Dodders, and is found
in twisted and tangled masses about herbs and low
shrubs, during July and August, from Canada to the
Gulf States. It is a variable species and is known as a
parasite. Its seeds germinate annually in the soil and
the plantlet promptly attaches itself to the nearest
favourable growth which becomes its host. Its roots

204

vavavayeayans

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

and lower portion soon perish, and the vine then depends
upon its numerous, minute suckers to absorb its nourish-
ment from the host to which it is attached. It is a
slender, high climbing, leafless, thread-like vine, vary-
ing in colour from yellow to orange, and producing
numerous, dense clusters of tiny, dull white flowers.
The little corolla is broadly bell-shaped with five
rounded, spreading lobes containing five fringed
scales, above which are inserted the five stamens.
The minute calyx is greenish white. This Dodder
is found chiefly in moist, shaded soil in low thickets
and near streams.

BLACK, OR COMMON NIGHTSHADE

Solanum nigrum. Potato Family.

A low, native, annual species growing one or two
feet high in rich, shaded grounds from July to Octo-
ber. It is usually smooth, much-branched, and
spreading. ‘The thin, pointed-oval leaf is wavy-toothed,
and is either narrowed or rounded at the base. The
small, white flowers are similar in structure to those
of the purple-flowered species, and the fruit is round,
juicy and black. There is some question as to the
extent of the poisonous qualities which have been
attributed to this plant and its fruit. It is employed in
medicine, and in the Isles of France and Bourbon as
well as in the Hawaiian Islands, the leaves are said
to be extensively used as food, being boiled like spin-
ach, In the Dakotas, according to Professor Hansen,
this plant is known as the Stubbleberry, and the fruit

295,

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

is much used for pies and preserves. The Night-shade
is extremely variable, and ranges from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, and from Nova Scotia to the North-
west Territory and south to the Gulf States. It is
also a widely distributed and common plant in nearly
all countries.

JAMESTOWN, OR JIMSON-WEED. DEVIL’S
TRUMPET. STRAMONIUM

Datura Straménium. Potato Family.

The well-known, rank-odoured, showy-flowered
Jimson-weed’s chief occupation seems to be in hiding
the unsightly scars created by ruthless man, in the
shape of refuse piles, public dumps, and neglected
barnyards. The dried leaves are smoked in a pipe
by people seeking relief from asthma. The fruit is
poisonous, and the flowers have been known to pro-
duce serious results when held in the mouth. This
plant is a stout, smooth, bushy annual with a coarse
green stem, growing from one to five feet high. The
large, thin, smooth leaves are pointed-oval in outline
with an irregular, wavy, toothed margin. They have
a veined surface, and are long stemmed. The large,
showy, Morning-glory-like white flowers, which
open late in the afternoon, have a heavy odour, and
grow erect and solitary from the forks of the branches.
The large, tubular calyx is five toothed and angular.
The five-pointed, funnel-formed corolla has a deep
throat and contains five stamens and a pistil. The
Indians call this species the “White Man’s Plant.”

296

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

It blossoms from June to September, and ranges from
Nova Scotia to Minnesota, and south to the Gulf States.

CULVER’S ROOT. CULVER’S PHYSIC.
BLACK-ROOT

Verénica virginica. Figwort Family.

Bold and stately, this tall and rather stiff white.
flowered perennial herb rears its wand-like spires from
two to seven feet high in rich, moist woods, thickets, and
meadows, from June to September. The plant is
smooth, slender, and usually unbranched. The long-
tapering lance-shaped, short-stemmed, sharply toothed,
and noticeably veined leaves are arranged in circles
of from three to nine. The numerous white or bluish;
four-lobed, long, tubular flowers have two protrud-
ing stamens each, and are densely crowded on long,
slender terminal spikes. This plant is said to have
been used considerably as a remedy in domestic prac.
tice by the Indians and the early settlers. It is found
from Canada to Alabama, Mississippi, and Nebraska.

CLEAVERS. GOOSE GRASS. CLEAVERWORT
Galium Aparine. Madder Family.

This particular Bedstraw has literally more popular
names than one could shake a stick at. No less than
seventy have been recorded to its credit! The generic
name, Galivm, was mentioned by Dioscorides as
being used for curdling milk. This is an annual
species, having a small, weak, square stem with its
edges armed with tiny downward-slanting barbs,

297

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

and grows from about two to five feet long. The
short-pointed, narrow, tapering oval leaf is set in a
whorl of six or eight at short distances along the stalk.
Their margins and midribs are very rough. The incon-
spicuous, four-parted, white flowers are set in clusters
of from one to three on rough stems that spring from
the angles of the leaves. The juice of this plant is
used as a remedy for dropsy. It is found from May to
September in rich, shaded grounds and along the
seashore, from New Brunswick to Florida, and from
Ontario to Missouri and Texas.

STIFF MARSH BEDSTRAW. WILD MADDER
Galium tinctorium. Madder Family.

This stiff, erect perennial species grows from six to
fifteen inches high. The branching stem is nearly
smooth, and the lance-shaped, dull green leaves are
mostly in whorls of four. The white flowers are
borne terminally in twos and threes. The Wild Mad-
der is found from May to July, in damp, shady places,
and in wet meadows and swamp lands, from Canada to
North Carolina and Tennessee, west to Michigan,
Nebraska and Arizona. The root of the Wild Mad-
der was used by the Indians for staining their feathers,
skins and other ornaments red.

SWEET-SCENTED, OR FRAGRANT BEDSTRAW
Galium triflsrum. Madder Family.
This is a perennial species, having its shining,
broad lance-shaped, bristle-pointed leaves grouped
298

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

in whorls of three, and its greenish flowers usually in
clusters of three. The foliage becomes sweet-scented
in drying. It is found from June to August, from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from Alaska to the
Gulf of Mexico. Also around the world through nor-
thern Europe and the Himalayas to Japan.

PARTRIDGE-BERRY. TWIN-BERRY
Mitchélla répens. Madder Family.

One of our smallest, prettiest, and most common
creeping herbs, having three conspicuous character-
istics that make an otherwise insignificant vine of more
than passing interest. First of all are the evergreen
leaves; then the delightfully fragrant twin flowers:
and, finally, relatively large, attractive scarlet fruit.
The Partridge-berry enjoys a most luxuriant growth,
extending itself from six to twelve inches in length.
Its slender and often branching stalk trails along over
the ground, or grass, or mossy rocks near its abode in
a thrifty, self-satisfied manner, often forming large
masses. ‘The smooth, round, leafy stem takes root
again and again at its leaf joints as it extends. It is
light green in colour, and is sometimes stained with red.
The leaves occur in opposite pairs at short intervals
on tiny stems. They are small, shiny and dark green,
with the under surface of a lighter shade. The mid-
rib is prominent, and the veinings are easily traced.
These ribbings in a lighter shade show plainly, giv-
ing the older leaves a variegated aspect. The leaves
are generally rounding egg-shaped, at first almost round

299

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

and slightly heart-shaped at the base, and tapering
toward a rounding apex. Their texture is thin and
stiff, but exceedingly tough. The margin is toothless
and occasionally a little wavy. The flowers, which
appear from April to July and frequently again during
autumn, are singularly pretty and interesting, and
one cannot help comparing them instinctively with
those of the Trailing Arbutus. They are noticeably
large for the size of the vine and its leaves, and as
they always blossom in pairs, this appearance is more
striking. They exhale an exquisite and refreshing
fragrance, not unlike that of lilacs. The flowers are
funnel-shaped with four spreading, recurved, petal-
like points, the inner surface of which is covered with
a fine white or light creamish white, cottony fuzz that
fairly fills the throat of the stout, waxy corolla. The
outer surface of the tube is shiny .and shades from
white at its base to purple at the tips. The flower is
half an inch long, and the tubes are often united, form-
ing so-called double flowers. The little green calyxes
of the twin flowers are united, and together they spring
from the tip of the single terminal stem. The flowers
are of two sorts. In one the stamens are very short
and do not show, and the pistil is very long, extend-
ing beyond the corolla, while in the other, these con-
ditions are exactly reversed and the dark-tipped
stamens protrude. There are four stamens attached
to the throat of each flower, one each between the
divisions thereof. The pistil has a four-pointed style.
The fruit is small, oval, and berry-like, and when it is

300

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

matured, it is a smooth and shiny coral-red, and has
two eye-like openings. These red berries are abun-
dant and conspicuous during the fall and winter, and
are relished by birds and small animals. Indeed,
there are few persons who roam the woods who have
not indulged in this tempting yet quite tasteless fruit.
It is often found on sale in the markets at holiday time.
This vine is called sometimes the Squaw-berry, and
it is said to have been steeped and used by the Indian
squaws as a medicine which they commonly believed
possessed some peculiar advantages. This plant is
named Mitchella, after Dr. John Mitchell, of Virginia,
one of our first American botanists, and who was a
correspondent of Linnaeus. It has many interest-
ing local names among which are Hive-vine, Squaw-
vine, Checkerberry, Deerberry, Foxberry, Box-
berry, Partridge-vine, and Winter Clover. It is easily
transplanted and grows readily about the garden.
Tt is found abundantly in the woods, often about the
base of pine trees, and along partly shaded hillsides,
from Nova Scotia to Florida, and to western Ontario,
Minnesota, Arkansas, and Texas.

BONESET. INDIAN SAGE. AGUE=-WEED.
THOROUGHWORT. WILD SAGE.
CROSSWORT

Eupatorium perfoliatum. Thistle Family.

The very thought of Boneset will send a shudder
through most everyone who has been “brought up”
in the good, old-fashioned way. Wet feet and snuffles,

301

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

headache and cough, fever and ague, Boneset tea and
goose grease! My, oh my! And yet Boneset tea
certainly has a knack of rallying drooping spirits,
and particularly so while it is being administered,
for it is a horrible dose to take. However, it has long
been regarded as a household remedy of no mean dis-
tinction. The Indians are said to have first used
this plant and called it Ague-weed. Boneset taffy
was often substituted for the tea and was easier to take.
The latter was most effective in breaking up attacks
of influenza, muscular rheumatism, or a general cold,
and as a tonic in dyspepsia, jaundice, and general
debility, also in producing perspiration. Yes, indeed,
Boneset saved many a doctor’s bill, and there is still
many a bagful hung from the rafters in the garrets of
old country homes. The large, round, hairy stalk
grows from two to five feet in height, and branches at
the top. The long, tapering, and slender-pointed
leaves are set upon and around the stalk in opposite
and completely united pairs. They appear like one
long, continuous leaf with the stalk passing through
its centre. They are finely notched with round-pointed
teeth, and their upper surface is rough and wrinkled,
with numerous veinings, while the under side is hairy.
They alternate at regular distant intervals on the stalk.
The numerous tiny, tubular florets are greenish white
in colour, and from ten to sixteen are gathered in
small, dense tufts, which terminate the branches in
rather crowded, flat-topped clusters. The protrud-
ing stamens give the flowers a fluffy appearance. The

302

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

leaves and flowering tops are used in medicine; their
odour is faintly aromatic, and the taste is bitter and
astringent. Boneset is commonly found from July to
September, in low, wet places along streams and on the
edges of swamps and in thickets, from New Bruns-
wick to Manitoba, Florida, Nebraska, and Texas.

WHITE SNAKEROOT. WHITE SANICLE. DEER-
WORT BONESET. INDIAN SANICLE

Eupatorium urticaefolium. Thistle Family.

A usually smooth and much-branched species grow-
ing from one to four feet high, with opposite, slender-
stemmed leaves. It is a much more graceful and hand-
some plant than the common Boneset, and is not quite
so frequently found. The large, thin, broadly oval
leaves are taper-pointed, coarsely and sharply toothed,
smooth surfaced, three-nerved and veiny. From ten
to thirty tiny white florets are loosely grouped into
small, fringy heads which are closely gathered in a
terminal and somewhat flat-topped cluster. This plant
grows from July to November, in rich woods, from
Canada to Georgia, Nebraska, and the Indian
Territory.

WHITE WOOD ASTER
Aster divaricatus. Thistle Family.

A dainty, pleasing species of extremely varying
habit, favouring the shaded portions of well-drained
woodlands and thickets, but often found along dusty
roadsides. The slightly zigzagged, brittle, green stalk
rises from one and a half to two feet high, and branches

393

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

irregularly at the top. It is often streaked with a red
or purplish stain. The thin-textured, rather smooth,
slender-stemmed leaves are broadly lance-shaped,
and have long, sharp, tapering points. The margins
are coarsely and irregularly nicked with sharp, spread-
ing teeth. They are broader and heart-shaped at the
stem toward the base of the stalk. The flowers are
loosely arranged in a broad, flattened, and repeatedly
forked top. The few yellow disc florets finally turn to
brown. The thin, narrow, white ray flowers number
from six to twelve, and are occasionally tinted. This
Aster is one of the earliest to blossom, and ranges from
Canada to Manitoba, Georgia, and Tennessee, from
August to October.

WHITE HEATH, OR FROST-WEED ASTER. FROST=
WEED. MICHAELMAS DAISY. FAREWELL
SUMMER. WHITE ROSEMARY. DOG-FEN-

NEL. MARE’S TAIL. SCRUB-BRUSH

Aster ericoides. Thistle Family.

A common, small-flowered, and usually bushy
Aster with its nearly smooth stalk rising from one to
three feet, and covered with very small, bract-like
leaflets. It is so closely studded with the prettiest little
flowers that methinks it may well be the Christmas
tree of Fairyland, spangled with starlets. The leaves
are firm or rigid, and the lower ones are paddle-shaped
with toothed margins and narrowed into winged stems.
The upper leaves are long, narrow and toothless. The
flower heads are very numerous and measure from one-
third to one-half an inch across. From fifteen to

304

ae

WILD CARROT. QUEEN ANNE’S LACE. Daucus Carota

BONESET. INDIAN SAGE. Eupatorium perfoliatum

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

twenty-five fine, white or rose-tinted rays surround
the yellow disc florets. The flowers are thickly set
along one side of the numerous, wire-like branches,
and become very attractive as the majority bloom at
about the same period. The rays are necessarily
very fine. The yellow centre is plump and compact,
and it resembles a miniature Daisy more than
the general run of Asters. This Aster is found
almost everywhere in dry soil, from August to
October, and from Maine and Ontario to Florida,
west to Wisconsin and Kentucky.

DENSE-FLOWERED, OR WHITE WREATH
ASTER. FALL FLOWER

Aster multiflorus. Thistle Family.

This tiny-flowered Aster is common in dry, open
places from August to November, and grows from one
to seven feet high, with ascending and spreading
branches. It is so thickly covered with the finest
whitish hairs as to appear pale and hoary. The leaves
are very narrow and rigid, with entire margins, and
they partly clasp the stalk at the base. They are rough
to the touch, and those which are crowded on the
branches are very small and bract-like. The minute
flowers measure from one-quarter to one-third of an
inch across and are densely clustered along the branches.
They have from ten to twenty white rays and the yel-
low disc florets are few in number. The leaflets are
so very numerous that notwithstanding the reckless pro-
éusion of the flowers, the plant shows much of the green

395

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

foliage. It ranges from Maine and Ontario to British
Columbia, southward to Georgia, Texas, and Arizona,

WHORLED, OR MOUNTAIN ASTER

Aster acuminatus. Thistle Family.

A low-growing woodland Aster with very large,
sharply pointed leaves so closely alternated toward the
top of the stalk beneath the flowers as to appear as
though they were whorled. The flowers often have
a scrawly, bedraggled appearance that gives the plant
an untidy effect. The somewhat hairy and zigzag
stalk grows from one to three feet high. It is generally
naked below with the great, drooping leaves which
spread from the crowded top in a ragged circle. The
thin-textured, coarsely toothed leaves are broadly ob-
long, tapering at the apex and narrowing into a wedge-
like base. The flower heads, few or several, are an inch
or an inch and a half broad. The long, narrow rays,
numbering from twelve to eighteen, are white or purple
tinted and surround the purple-stained centre of tubular
yellow florets. The flowers are set on long, slender stems
that spread just above the clustered leaves. This strik-
ing Aster is found only in cool, rich, moist woods from
Labrador to Ontario and New York, and southward
along the Alleghanies to Georgia, from July to October.

DAISY FLEABANE. SWEET SCABIOUS
Erigeron dnnuus. Thistle Family.
The common Daisy Fleabane follows immediately
upon the heels of Robin’s Plantain in Tune. It is one
306

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

of the smallest of the Daisy-like flowers, having a light,
greenish yellow centre with a finely fringed wreath of
from forty to seventy fine white or often purple-tinged
ray flowers. It is easily confused with others of its
kind, owing to its similarity. The name Fleabane
was applied to this plant because there was a popular
belief among country people that the flowers possessed
some objectionable features that caused undesirable
insects to give it a wide berth. Accordingly the flowers
were gathered and hung over the windows and doors,
or they were dried and coarsely powdered and scattered
about infected places in the house. Sometimes when
the insects became too persistent, a few of the dried
flowers were burned in the rooms so that the smoke
would drive them away. ‘The erect, light green stalk
is long, slender, grooved, hollow, hairy and leafy. It
grows from one to four feet high and branches at the
top where several flowers are borne on each terminal.
The thin textured, light green leaves are soft and
velvety to the touch, and their strong midribs show
prominently. They are generally lance-shaped, tapering
toward the point and narrowing into a long stem at the
base. ‘The margin is coarsely notched into sharp teeth.
The leaves graduate in size from the foot of the stalk,
becoming very small and narrow, with the toothed
margins disappearing entirely as they approach the top
where they seem to set directly upon the stalk. Their
arrangement is alternate. The flowers have a little
edour and at night the ray flowers close upward, enfold-
ing the centre. They are found almost everywhere

307

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

in fields and along roadsides and often along the edge
of woodlands, from Nova Scotia to the Northwest
Territory, and south to Virginia, Kentucky, and
Missouri, from May to November.

PEARLY, LARGE-FLOWERED OR LIFE EVER-
LASTING. SILVER-LEAF. MOONSHINE. COT-
TON-WEED. NONE+SO-PRETTY

Andphalis margaritacea. Thistle Family.

This is the prettiest of our Everlastings. It is much
used for making memorial wreaths, and for decorating
vases or catch-alls on the mantelpieces in country
houses. The little flowers have been likened to the
forms of miniature Roses or Water Lilies. Before they
open, they really have a round, pearly look. They
also have a slight odour. The erect, round, cottony
stem grows from one to three feet high and is leafy up
to the spreading, flowering top. The toothless leaves
are very long and narrow with a noticeable midrib.
They are narrowed to the clasping base, and circle the
stalk alternatingly. They are grayish green above
and woolly beneath. The little flower heads are formed
of many dry, pearly white, overlapping scales enclosing
a tuft of numerous fuzzy, yellow tubular florets, and are
borne in small groups that are gathered in a terminal,
slightly rounded or flat-topped cluster. When fully
expanded and matured, the centres become brownish.
The flowers are both staminate and pistillate, and grow
on different plants. They have been used in domestic
practice as a cough medicine, and also as an application

308

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

for healing bruises. This Everlasting iscommon from
July to September, in dry fields, hillsides, and recent
clearings, from Alaska to Newfoundland, North Caro-
lina, Kansas, and California, also in northern Asia.
It was naturalized in this country from Europe.

PLAINTAIN=LEAF, SPRING, EARLY, OR MOUSE-
EAR EVERLASTING. WHITE PLANTAIN.
PUSSY-TOES. LADIES’ TOBACCO

Antennarta plantaginifolia. Thistle Family.

Broad, white patches of this very common Everlast-
ing carpet dry fields and hillside pastures almost every-
where during the early spring. It seems to come out of
the ground with the frost and is the earliest of its kind
to appear. It spreads its leafy tufts by runners, and
the leafy, woolly stalk sprawls along the ground. The
flowering stems grow from six to eighteen inches in
height. The basal leaves are paddle-shaped, or
broadly oval, and sometimes smooth. They have short
stems and are distinctly three-ribbed. They are dark
green above and silvery beneath. The upper leaves are
oblong or lance-shaped, and stemless and usually small
and distant. ‘The numerous tubular flowers are set in
their little pale green cups and are crowded into small
terminal heads. They are of two kinds, pistillate and
staminate, and occur on separate plants, often in
distinct patches. The former appear like miniature
inverted, silvery white tassels of silk, and the
latter, on smaller plants, are more disc-like and
creamy white with brownish, orange-tipped stamens.
They are found from April to June in dry soil in

399

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

rocky fields and open woods, from Texas and
Florida to Nebraska and Labrador.

SWEET, OR WHITE BALSAM. SWEET, OR FRA-
GRANT LIFE EVERLASTING. POVERTY.
BALSAM-WEED. INDIAN POSEY

Gnaphalium polycéphalum. ‘Thistle Family.

A fragrant annual species with oval, or compressed
oblong heads that do not expand until the seed is
matured. The leafy stalk grows from one to three
feet high. The lance-shaped, wavy leaves are acutely
pointed, and are densely covered with whitish wool on
the underside The yellowish white flower heads are
composed of many tubular florets, and are loosely
clustered at the summit of the branches. Sweet
Balsam is very common in old fields and in dry, open
woods from Florida, Texas and Missouri to Canada
during August and September.

YARROW. MILFOIL. SANGUINARY. NOSE=
BLEED. OLD MAN’S PEPPER.
SOLDIER’S WOUNDWORT

Achilléa Millefolium, Thistle Family.

The Soldier’s Woundwort was dedicated to the
mighty Achilles, who, it is said, made use of this plant
at the siege of Troy to heal the wounds of his soldiers.
Mrs. Dana says that it still forms part of the ingredients
of an ointment used by the Scotch Highlanders. It was
largely used in some localities for making bridal wreaths.
The leaves and flowers have been used for almost every

310

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

ill that flesh is heir to. Yarrow tea is a mild tonic, and
the green leaves when steeped in hot water are used in
healing bumps and bruises. It has also been used in
nosebleed and the green leaves are still used as a styptic
in fresh cuts and wounds. In Sweden, Yarrow is used
for making beer. Quaint old Gerarde mentions the
chewing of the green leaves as a remedy for toothache.
Timid people believed that when this plant was carried.
about the person, it would drive away fear and on this
account it was frequently worn in times of danger.
Susceptible maidens believe the plant to possess some
mystic charm that can reveal their future lovers. And
so on. Yarrow is naturalized from Europe and is
found in flower everywhere in fields, along roadsides,
and river banks from June to November. The erect,
round, grooved, leafy stalk which is nearly smooth is
single or forked near the top, and grows one or two feet
in height from perennial, horizontal rootstocks. The
long, narrow leaves are deeply cut into slender, balanced
parts, each of which is again cut into very fine fringe.
They are curled and feathery, and clasp the stalk at
frequent intervals. The strong midrib is covered. with
whitish hairs on the under side. From four to six
small, oblong, three-nicked, usually white ray florets
surround the tiny head of perfect yellowish or brownish
disc florets, and form the flower head, which sits in a
little light green cup. These heads are borne in many
small, compact groups which are gathered into one or
more large, flat-topped, stiff-branched terminal clusters.
Both the leaves and the flowers are pleasantly scented

31r

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

with an aromatic odour. Yarrow is found from coast
to coast and is one of our commonest wild flowers.

MAY-WEED. FETID CAMOMILE. DOG-FENNEL
Anthemis Cotula. Thistle Family.

The pretty flowers of the May-weed bear a strong
resemblance to the Daisy and are very often mistaken
for it. ‘They are much smaller, however, and the strong
unpleasant odour of the May-weed’s foliage immedi-
ately betrays it. Camomile tea, brewed from its leaves,
was frequently administered for several bodily ailments
in olden times. In California it is dried, powdered, and
used for relieving colic. The fresh leaves are bruised
and applied externally for producing blisters. The
much-branched, smooth, annual stalk grows one or
two feet in height and is very leafy and slender. The
alternating leaf is so finely cut and divided that it is
little short of a fringe, or as if it were simply the ribs
and veinings of a leaf rather than a complete forma-
tion. It is somewhat coarse but has the appearance of
delicacy. The flower is Daisy-like. The yellow disc
florets are closely packed in a central, button-like head
which is surrounded with a flaring circle of from tén
to eighteen oblong, white, grooved, and notched ray
flowers. The latter close abruptly downward against
the stalk at night. The numerous flower heads are
an inch broad. As the disc flowers mature, the yellow
centre becomes cone-shaped and chaffy. The flowers,
which are set in little green cups, terminate the branches,
It is common from June to November along roadsides,

312

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

about buildings, and in waste places generally, through-
out our area and Canada. It is also found in Europe,
Asia, Africa, and Australasia.

DAISY. OX-EYE DAISY. WHITE-WEED
Chrysdnthemum Leucdnthemum. Thistle Family.

The fields, meadows, and roadsides of our more
northern and eastern states and Canada are brightened
from May to November with the beautiful, wheel-like,
golden and white flowers of the Daisy. In June, when
their flowering season is at its height, many of our
fields are completely snowed over with their starry blos-
soms. During the annual graduation exercises at
Vassar College, the famous Daisy-chain, an immense
rope made from thousands of Daisies, is carried on
dainty pillows which rest upon the shoulders of our
fairest maidens, and their combined beauty inspires the
beholder with an admiration for this flower that never
wanes. Even country schools have their class mottoes
or more frequently the word ‘“ welcome” reproduced
in Daisies and strung across the blackboards on
closing day. On Memorial Day, school children make
wreaths of Daisies and decorate the graves of soldiers.
Every lassie has “told her fortune” by plucking away
the white “petals” one by one, to determine the pur-
suit of her future husband, while chanting:

“Rich man, Poor man, Beggar man, Thief.
Doctor, Law-yer, Mer-chant, Chief,”

or to tell whether her lover “loves me, or loves me not.”
Various other pastimes are indulged in by separating

313

WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS

the tiny yellow disc florets and throwing them over the
shoulder from the back of the hand, and deciding) by
those remaining, any one of a dozen fancies. The
Daisy is the state flower of Tennessee. In France, the
Orleanists wear white Daisies. The usually simple
perennial stem rises from one to three feet and is often
tufted and nearly erect. Itis sparingly leaved with
partly clasping, generally lance-shaped leaves which
are variously cut and notched with larger, spreading
teeth at the base. The basal leaves have long, slen-
der stems and are oblong, broader toward the round-
ing tip, and coarsely cut and notched. They are firm-
textured, dark green, and strongly ribbed. The slightly
hollowed, yellow centre is composed of many densely
packed, tubular florets and is surrounded with from
twenty to thirty beautiful, long, white, spreading ray-
flowers. Their surface is slightly grooved and they
are finely toothed at the tip. They are secured in a
wide, flat, green support set singly on the tips of the
stems. The Daisy is not socommon south and west.
It is naturalized from Europe.

RATTLESNAKE-ROOT. WHITE LETTUCE. LION’S
FOOT. WHITE CANKERWEED

Prendntbes alba. Chicory Family.

The smooth, large, round, leafy, and commonly
purple-stained stalk of the graceful White Lettuce grows
from two to five feet high along woodland borders and
thickets, during August and September, from Georgia
and Kentucky to Canada. ‘The alternating leaves

314

WILD FLOWERS WHITE AND GREENISH

vary greatly in size and shape. The long-stemmed
lower ones are large and broad, and are deeply cut and
slashed. As they ascend the stalk, they graduate
through several forms into small, lance-shaped leaves
at the top, with entire margins. The numerous,
fragrant, nodding, bell-shaped flower heads are greenish
or yellowish white and often tinged with lilac. They
are borne in loose, open, narrow, terminal clusters
on slender stems that usually spring from the axils of
the leaves. They are formed of from eight to fifteen
drooping ray flowers, surrounded with eight principal,
coloured bracts with several minute outer ones at their
base. The cream-coloured stamens protrude with two
spiral tips beyond the prettily curved corolla. The
flowers are succeeded by a tuft of silky, cinnamon
brown fluff. In certain parts of Virginia and North
Carolina where this perennial herb grows, much faith
is attached to it as a remedy for rattlesnake bites.
The milky juice is taken freely internally, and the
leaves are steeped in water which is locally applied and
frequently changed. It is also used for summer
complaint.

315

SECTION. V

BLUE AND PURPLE FLOWERS

317

VIRGINIA DAY-FLOWER

Commelina virginica. Spiderwort Family.

Ts attractive little petals of the Day-flower un-
fold but once and endure only for a few
hours. That is reason enough for its common name,
but there is quite another story woven about its generic
title. It seems that Linnzus knew of three brothers,
Dutchmen, named Commelin, who were botanists.
Two of the brothers succeeded in publishing the re-
sults of their labours, but the third brother was a
worthless sort of a chap, and did not pan out so well.
The Day-flower, having two large, beautifully devel-
oped petals, and one small, insignificant, colourless
one, suggested the application of the Hollanders’ name,
to whom it was dedicated by the great naturalist.
The flower is a singular one. The two conspicuous
petals are of an exceedingly fine texture and _ their
colour is of the choicest shade of blue—an impres-
sive blue, that one will always remember as being
distinctly apart from the general run of floral blues.
They do not dry and wither up, as do most petals,
but deliberately shrink into a most hopeless, miser-
able, sticky pulp. The blossom has two large, showy,
rounded blue petals that are erect and flaring, earlike,
from between three unequal sepals. A third petal,
colourless and inconspicuous, forms a very small
tongue or lip. Its three perfect stamens are tipped

319

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

with five-parted petal-like yellow anthers having a
cream-coloured centre, and three others are larger
and recurved, without the elaborate tips. The
smooth, juicy, and much-branched stem is rather weak.
It is very slightly zigzagged, and the juice is thick like
mucilage. It often takes root at the joints. The long,
lance-shaped leaves are contracted at the base into
sheathing stems. They alternate on the stalk. The
floral one is heart-shaped, clasping and folded to-
gether or hooded to guard the short flower stems.
The low-growing Day-flower is common throughout its
range, in moist, shaded soils, particularly about old
farm buildings, neglected gardens, or roadside fences.
It is found from New York to Illinois and Michigan,
south to Florida, Nebraska and Texas, from June
to September. It extends also throughout Central
America to Paraguay.

PICKEREL-WEED

Pontedérsa cordata. Pickerel-weed Family.

The ragged, bright blue floral spikes of the Pickerel-
weed blossom from June to October, in shallow water
along the borders of ponds and streams where, so the
disciples of Izaak Walton declare, the Pickerel lays its
eggs. The rather stout stalk is smooth, round and
green, and grows from one to four feet in height. The
large, solitary, smooth, arrow or heart-shaped, dark
green leaf is thick, tough and leathery. The margin
is entire; the veins are numerous and paralleled, and
the thick, round stem sheathes the stalk, which rises

320

WHITE WOOD ASTER. Aster divaricatus

caniposusndue wniqouussig §-SsvVuO CAAT-ANTA BInI0D sjuppuy “daaM- AVN

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

from a horizontal rootstock. The two-lipped, slightly
curved, tubular flower is unpleasantly scented, and
fades rapidly after it opens. The three-lobed, upper
lip is broad and erect, and the longest or middle lobe
has two yellow spots at its base. The lower lip has
three spreading divisions. The six stamens and pistil
are bright blue. They are densely crowded in a blunt
terminal spike, and blossom spirally. The flower
stem is sheathed, about midway, with a small, green
‘leaf. This species is often found associated with the
Arrowhead, and ranges from Nova Scotia to Minnesota,
and south to the Gulf States.

PURPLE TRILLIUM. BIRTHROOT. ILL-
SCENTED WAKE-ROBIN

Trillium eréctum. Lily Family.

The Trilliums are easily distinguished by the arrange-
ment of their three drooping, toothless leaves in a
whorl, at the top of a smooth, stout, and usually purple-
stained stalk. The blossom has three flaring, pointed
green sepals, with an equal number of petals which
alternate with them; also six stamens and a three
parted pistil. The root is deep-seated and tuberous.
This species is very common throughout the Eastern
States, and the rather large, dark purple or maroon
flowers have a disagreeable, musty, fetid odour. » It
grows from eight to sixteen inches high, and the much
veined, loose-textured leaves are very broad, often
broader than long. The solitary flower is borne on a
short, curved, erect or drooping stem. The lance-

321

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

shaped petals are a little longer than the sepals, and
spread open nearly flat. The stamens have very con-
spicuous whitish anthers, and a prominent, purplish
pistil. Singularly enough, the rank odour emitted by
the flowers attracts the green fly, so commonly found
wherever tainted or putrid meat and fish are exposed.
The purplish oval fruit is often one inch long. The
flowers vary, and are frequently pinkish, greenish or
even white. Strange, too, that the dainty, chaste, and
fragrant Lily of the Valley and this coarse-scented plant
should belong to the same family. The astringent root
of this species was highly regarded as a medicine by
the Indians and the early settlers. It is still known as
Bethwort, and is used as a tonic, and as a remedy for
coughs and other throat afflictions. The plant blos-
soms from April to June in damp, rich, shady woods
from North Carolina, Tennessee and Missouri, north-
ward into Canada. Also in Japan.

LARGER BLUE FLAG. BLUE IRIS. FLEUR-DE-LIS

Tris versicolor. Iris Family.

The Iris, famous in the history of France, is named
after the Greek god of the rainbow, which its various
colours aptly suggest. It was considered peculiarly
sacred in olden days, and seems to enjoy a somewhat
classical dignity even to-day. Ruskin says that it is
“the flower of chivalry” and has a “‘sword for its leaf,
and a lily for its heart,” but Thoreau, with less gracious-
ness considered it “too showy and gaudy, like some
women’s bonnets!” The Indians, however, viewed it

322

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

from a more serious and practical side, and long ago
used the root as a remedy for stomach troubles. Now
the flowers furnish a fine blue colouring, which is used
by chemists as a test for acids and alkalies. This
highly ornamental species is found in low places, parti-
cularly in wet meadows and swamps, from May to July,
and ranges from Newfoundland and Manitoba, south
to Florida and Kansas. The long, narrow, pointed,
sword-shaped light green leaves rise from a thick,
fleshy, horizontal rootstock, which is covered with
numerous fibrous rootlets. The leafy flower stalk
grows two or three feet tall, and often branches for the
blossoms. The large, handsome, plumy flowers are
violet-blue, variegated with white, green and yellow.
They are composed of nine petal-like divisions, which
are divided into three distinct sets of three parts each.
The three large lower parts are broadest toward the
rounded tip, and are prettily spread and curved. They
are violet coloured, with white and yellow markings,
and purple veinings. The next three parts taper to a
narrow base, and are much smaller, less spreading and
nearly erect. They are violet coloured, with delicate
purple veinings. The third set of parts represent the
curious pistil, which is divided into three narrow arch-
ing sections, each curving outward and directly over-
lying the first three large parts beneath. These divi-
sions are notched at the tips and are violet coloured —
darker at the tips and purplish on the arch. Each of
the latter parts hides a large, slender yellowish stamen.
The magnificent flower is mounted on a three-angled,

323

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

green seed case which terminates the stem. Usually
several buds are guarded with a pair of short, sheathing
leaflets, and they blossom one at a time. About
twenty species of Iris are found distributed through-
out North America and the name Fleur-de-lis is
generally applied to them all.

POINTED BLUE-EYED GRASS

Stsyrinchium angustifélium. Iris Family.

The pretty little blue, starry flowers of this familiar
species peep up here and there through the grass of our
moist fields and meadows from May to August, like so
many golden-centred floral scarf pins. The blossoms
expand only once, and even then require the bright
morning sunshine to coax them fully open, so that their
petals curve gracefully backward and expose their
bright yellow eyes. The slender, rigid, two-edged,
light green stalk grows from three to fourteen inches in
height. It is usually winged and rarely forked at the
top. The long, slender, sharp pointed grass-lke
leaves are mostly gathered in a sheath at the base.
From one to three, six-parted, violet-blue, yellow-eyed
flowers blossom one at a time, on tiny stems, which
spring from a pair of sheathing leaflets at the top
of the stalk. Each of the blunt oblong flower parts
is tipped with a short, sharp, bristly point. They
have three stamens and a pistil. This quickly perish-
ing and very dainty little beauty is all the more
lovely when we realize that it belongs to the Iris
family and is related to the showy Blue Flag. It

324

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

is found from Newfoundland to British Columbia,
Virginia, Kansas and Colorado.

SMALLER PURPLE FRINGED ORCHIS
Habenaria psycides. Orchid Family.

This very pretty and rather slender-stemmed plant
is generally smaller than the Large Purple Fringed
Orchis and grows from one to three feet high, in wet
woods, swamps and meadows, where it unfolds its
fragrant, shorter-fringed lilac blossoms, during July
and August. The smooth, angular, purple-stained
stalk bears a few thin, tough and pointed-oval or
lance-shaped leaves which are clasping and _alter-
nating. The flowers and their arrangement are quite
similar to the following species. The petals are toothed,
however, and the three-parted, fan-shaped divisions
of the lip are not so deeply fringed, while the slender
spur is morecurved. Altogether this Orchid resembles
its beautiful larger and earlier-blossoming sister so
closely that it is often confused with it. Happily, the
Smaller Purple Fringed species is very common and
more easily found. It ranges from Newfoundland to
Minnesota, and south to North Carolina and Indiana.

LARGE PURPLE FRINGED ORCHIS
Habenaria fimbriata. Orchid Family.

This magnificent Orchid grows from one to five feet
high, in rich, wet woods and meadows, from June to
August. It is the largest and handsomest of its genus,
and is a prize that is well worth the wet feet and tem-

335

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

per-testing search, usually required to behold this one
of the most beautiful of all our American wild flowers.
The tall, leafy stalk is often deeply grooved and twisted,
and grows from a fleshy root. The long-pointed,
lance-shaped leaves are smooth, shining and strongly
ribbed. They suddenly become very much smaller
and narrower as they mount the stalk. The exquisite
lilac or purplish flowers are laden with a heavy fra-
grance, and are loosely clustered in a large, thick,
terminal, feathery spike, which is very, very showy.
The upper petals and sepals are erect, flaring and con-
necting. The petals are oblong and more or less
toothed. The widely spreading and highly coloured lip
is cleft into three broad, fan-shaped divisions, each of
which is finely fringed to about the middle. The long,
slender spur is thread-like and curving. This tallest
and grandest of the Orchidsranges from New Bruns-
wick, Ontario and Michigan, south to North Carolina.

SAND SPURRY. PURPLE SANDWORT
Spergularia rubra. Pink Family.

A little bit of a plant, growing from two to six inches
itigh, either single or often forming dense little mats in
waste places and along roadsides where the soil is dry
and sandy, from Nova Scotia to Virginia, and Ohio.
It has also been introduced into California and Oregon.
It is a native of Europe and Asia. The rather fleshy,
flat leaves are very small and narrow. They are
arranged in pairs, and are sheathed at the joint. The
five concave petals of the tiny flower are bright pink in

326

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

colour, and several yellow-tipped stamens are set effec-
tively within the corolla. The tips of the five-parted
green calyx just show at the edge of theblossom. One
or two flowers open at a time throughout the summer.

The Salt Marsh Sand Spurry or Seaside Sandwort,
S. marina, is a similar species, having numerous, lighter
coloured flowers. The stalk is much branched, and
grows from four to eight inches high. ‘The leaves are
very fleshy and the roots are fibrous. It is found in.
salt marshes along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts,
and in saline regions of the interior, during the summer.

HEPATICA. LIVERLEAF. KIDNEY-LEAF.
NOBLE LIVERWORT

Hepdtica triloba. Crowfoot Family.

The well-developed flower beds of the Liverworts can
hardly await the final thaw and the first warm rain to
start them as pace-makers in Nature’s annual spring
race for first honours. They are probably the earliest
of our spring flowers, earlier even than the Bloodroot,
and if we except the cold, stiff and unattractive Skunk
Cabbage, the beautiful Hepaticas invariably lead them
all. The buds must necessarily have many favour-
able conditions to cause their early appearance. The
leaves of the passing year do not wither and dry up
like those of most wild flowers. Instead, they sur-
vive the winter, and who will deny the reasoning
that they contribute no small part toward the early
appearance of the flowers. The evergreen leaves offer
shelter from the frosts and assist in accumulating.

327

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

a blanket of fallen leaves and similar litter, until they.
are covered by the snow and made triply snug and
secure for the winter. Again in the spring these
leaves are first to catch the warm rays of the sun, and
the ground about them is first to become freed from
the frost crystals and to arouse their roots to activity.
It is interesting at this point to compare the appear-
ance of the flowering buds of the Hepaticas with those
of the Bloodroot. The flowers of the former rise direct
from their fibrous roots, and the bud and stem are
thickly covered with very fine fuzzy hairs, which have
been likened unto a fur overcoat, intended to protect
them from the cold, while the stem and bud of the latter,
flowering somewhat later, are perfectly smooth and
appear carefully folded in a leafy cape, which is forced
up from a thick, juicy rootstock, purposely to pro-
tect it from the chilly spring air.

The blossom of the Hepatica has no petals. Its
six to twelve delicate, coloured, oblong sepals may
easily be mistaken for them as they are closely supported
by three small, oval, hairy, reddish-green leaflets which,
at the same time, might be mistaken for the calyx.
Solitary flowers are borne on slender, hairy stems,
some three to five inches in height. They are less than
an inch broad, and exhale a delicate fragrance, although
the odour is by no means constant. The blossom
closes at night. The numerous greenish pistils and
yellowish, hair-like anther-bearing stamens, are
prettily clustered in the centre. The general colour
of the blossoms varies from blue, lavender and pink, to

328

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

white, and they are found blossoming in scattered
groups during March, April and May. The old
leaves are broader than long, heart-shaped with three
distinct lobes, and spring direct from the root on slen
der, hairy stems. The tough, rounded, purple-stained
stems are grooved on one side. The old leaves spread
upon the ground, and the new ones which immediately
follow the buds form pretty, thick, rounded tufts.
They are thick and leathery, and the older ones are
usually strongly tinged with purple. In the fall, the
following season’s sprout may be found at the base
of the tuft, in a fuzzy casing. During my winter
rambles I often find their evergreen tufts associated
with those of the beautiful Christmas Ferns. The
Hepaticas grow in scattered patches in rich, loose soil,
along the rocky hillsides of open woodland, where it
is partly shaded. The leaves were formerly used as
a remedy for torpid livers, and this custom is still
said to be practised among the country people in
Tennessee. Hepatica is from the Greek, meaning
liver-like, and alludes to the shape of the leaves.
This species grows perennially from Nova Scotia to
Florida, and west to Manitoba, Iowa and Missouri.
Its flowering period extends from December to May,
according to its location.

PURPLE VIRGIN’S BOWER. PURPLE CLEMATIS
Clématis verticillaris. Crowfoot Family.
The Purple Clematis is much less common than the
white-flowered Virginia Virgin’s Bower, and grows
329

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

sparingly in rocky places in the more hilly country,
from Hudson Bay to Manitoba, and southward to
Virginia and Minnesota, during May and June. The
large, prominent, solitary flowers are light purple or
purplish blue in colour, and measure from two to four
inches broad when expanded. The four long, taper-
ing-oval, strongly veined, petal-like sepals are thin,
translucent and pointed. Both sides are very downy
or silky along the margins and veins. They are
borne singly on long stems from the end of the vine,
and from the axils or joints of the leaf stems. The
true petals are very small, and spatulate or spoon-
shaped. The many stamens are clustered in the
centre, and are greenish white in colour. The ones
forming the outer row are broadened. The flower is
very showy, and is generally cup-shaped, with the ends
of the sepals curved inward, but it often opens flat.
The pistils are long, and ripen with long brownish-
gray plumes. The leaf is similar to the Virginia Vir-
gin’s Bower, but rather smaller, and has three leaflets
with either irregularly cut margins, or toothless, and
slightly heart-shaped at the base. The texture is
thin, and shows the network of veins plainly. The
surface is slightly downy, and the stem is tinged with
purple. The stiff, dried leaf stems of the previous
season are often found still attached to the stalk among
the new foliage. The stalk is smooth, woody, and
brittle. It is a trailing plant, or semi-climbing in
habit. If you are fortunate enough to find this mag-
nificent flower it is well not to molest it nor to dis-

33°

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

close its whereabouts, but, instead, cherish its dis-
covery with secrecy and number it among your choicest
and rarest wild flowers as one that demands your pro-
tection.

The Marsh Clematis, C. crispa, is our most beau-
tiful Southern species, and bears large, fragrant, soli-
tary, nodding, and bell-shaped flowers. They are
bluish purple, and from three-quarters to an inch and
a half long, with the petal-like sepals of thin texture,
and widely spreading and backward curved from the
opening of the cup which they form. Their broad
margins are prettily crimped and wavy. The long
tails of the seed cases are silky and less plumy than
the foregoing species. The leaves are compound, and
the three or more lance-shaped leaflets are generally
entire or occasionally lobed and thin textured.
This climbing vine grows three or four feet in
length, and is found in marshes from southeastern
Virginia to Florida and Texas, through May
and June.

The Leather Flower, C. Virona, is found from May
to August, climbing over bushes in rich soil, sometimes
to the height of ten feet, from southern Pennsylvania to
Ohio and West Virginia, south to Georgia and Ten-
nessee, and also westward and northward. The
solitary purple flowers are bell-shaped and nodding.
They have no petals, but the four petal-like sepals

-measure about an inch long, and are pointed and
usually slightly recurved at the apex. They are very
thick and leathery. The flower is scentless. The

331

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

achenes or seed cases are short, stout and flat, and
have long, feathery, pale yellow plumes by which they
are carried by the wind to find a favourable spot where
they may germinate and grow and increase their kind.
The leaves are mostly compound, and the three to
seven leaflets are oval and pointed, and their margins
are either entire or lobed. This plant is probably
found somewhat farther north and west. There are
about twenty odd species of Clematis occurring through
North America.

ORPINE. LIVE-FOR-EVER. LIVE-LONG.
AARON’S ROD. MIDSUMMER-MEN

Sédum purpiureum. Orpine Family.

This plant is probably better known to children as
the “Pudding-bag,” than by any other name. The
thick, fleshy leaves are bruised in the mouth with the
tongue until the skin separates bag-like, and then, by
blowing in the open end they are inflated into so-called
balloons or pillows. Orpine was formerly employed
as a domestic remedy for healing wounds. The stout,
branching, very leafy, pale green stalk is smooth and
juicy, and grows from twelve to eighteen inches high.
The smooth, broadly oval, alternating leaf has a coarsely
toothed margin, and is thick and juicy. They are
supported by a stout midrib, and clasp the stalk with
an upward tilt. The purplish flower is small and has
ten stamens and five sharply pointed and spreading
petals. They are densely clustered in round terminal
groups. The plant is reserved, however, in its flowering

332

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

habits, but i is not easily discouraged in maintaining its
livelihood, and spreads freely by its joints. It is
common in fields and along woodsides from Quebec
and Ontario, southern Maryland, and Michigan, from
June to September.

WILD LUPINE. OLD MAID’S BONNETS.
WILD PEA

Lupinus perénnis. Pea Family.

Lupinus is derived from lupus, a wolf, and was ap-
plied to this plant because the roots, which are deeply and
firmly buried, were believed to rapidly exhaust the
fertility of the soil. There might have been a time and
place wherein its means of subsistence was begrudged.
But it is certainly welcomed nowadays, when we are
privileged to enjoy the azure reflections of its attrac-
tive, pea-like flowers along railroad banks and on dry,
sandy hillsides and waste fields, where it gathers to
bloom during May and June. The round, hairy,
leafy, perennial stalk is erect and branching, and
grows one or two feet in height. The slender-stemmed,
wheel-shaped leaf is composed of from seven to eleven
long, narrow leaflets, which are widest toward their
acutely pointed apex. They radiate from the stem
and are thin textured, light green and toothless. At
night they fold together like an umbrella. The numer-
ous, sweetly scented, butterfly-shaped flowers form
a long, loosely clustered, showy terminal spike of vivid
blue. They blossom in great numbers at about the
same time, and produce a very striking effect. Wild

333

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

Lupine is found from Maine and Ontario to Minne-
sota, Florida and Louisiana.

PURPLE MEDIC. ALFALFA. LUCERNE.
CHILIAN, OR BRAZILIAN CLOVER.

Medicago sativa. Pea Family.

This purple-flowered Clover is extensively raised
in the Western and Southern States where hundreds of
thousands of tons are annually harvested for fodder.
It makes the best grade of hay, and has been cultivated
for at least two thousand years. The smooth, slender,
upright or ascending stalk is much branched, and grows
a foot or more high. The three-parted leaves are
short stemmed, and the leaflets much resemble those of
the Stone Clover in a general way. They are a little
broader, however, and the blunt apex is more abrupt
and ragged toothed. The middle one is offset from
the others in a little kinked stem. The joints are
sheathed after the manner of the latter species, though
slightly modified. The rather pretty flower head is
composed of numerous violet, purple or bluish florets,
arranged in several short, dense clusters on slender
stems. The seed pod is curiously twisted into two or
three spires. Alfalfa grows wild during the summer,
in fields and waste places most everywhere from New
England and Ontario, westward and southward.

TICKWEED. TICK-TREFOIL
Desmodium nudiflorum. Pea Family.

Every one of us who has tramped through the
fields and woods during the fall has had occasion to:

334

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

share Job’s patience, while we picked, scraped and
brushed the affectionate, triangular stickers of the
Tick-trefoil that were everlastingly stuck to our clothes.
It is a certain and easy means of identification, too.
A number of species are distributed throughout the
country. This one has a slender, naked stem grow-
ing direct from the root some two or three feet high,
and bearing sparsely scattered, small, purplish,
butterfly-shaped flowers, which are succeeded by
flat, two or three jointed, deeply lobed pods. They
are covered with minute hooked hairs that are directly
accountable for their adhering qualities. The stout,
shorter leaf stalk bears a terminal cluster of long-
stemmed compound leaves, each having three pointed,
egg-shaped leaflets with entire margins. They are
thin textured, slightly hairy, and on the under side
their colouring is lighter. ‘Tickweed is common in dry
fields and woods, from Quebec to Minnesota, south
to Florida and Louisiana, during July and August.

TUFTED, COW, OR BLUE VETCH. TINE-
GRASS. TARE

Vicia Cracca. Pea Family.

The bluish purple flowers of this weak, angular-
stemmed, climbing or trailing perennial vine are pro-
fusely massed along the borders of thickets and in dry
soils during June, July and August, from Newfound-
land to New Jersey, and west to Kentucky, Iowa, and
Minnesota. The compound leaf has from eighteen
to twenty-four small, narrow, lance-shaped leaflets,

335

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

alternated along opposite sides of a slender stem which
terminates in a tendril. The downy, thin-textured
leaflets are acutely pointed and bristle-tipped. The
main stalk is grooved, and grows from two to four feet
in length. The small flowers resemble those of a bean,
and are closely crowded along one side of a long curve-
ing spike growing from the angles of the leaves. They
are reflexed on the stem — that is, they are abruptly
bent or turned downward and are not erect, like, for
instance, the florets of a freshly opened Clover.

WILD, OR HOG PEANUT

Amphicarpa monoica. Pea Family.

This ill-named, slender, sparingly branched climb-
ing vine grows from one to eight feet in length. It is
common everywhere in moist thickets and rich, damp
woodlands during August and September. Three
pointed, egg-shaped leaflets compose the compound leaf.
They are smooth, thin, toothless and short stemmed.
The delicate, light green alternating leaves are slen-
der stemmed. The butterfly-shaped flowers are gath-
ered in small, drooping, short-stemmed clusters, at the
leaf angles. They are purplish or lilac, and precede the
numerous small, hairy pods containing several mot-
tled brown seeds. Rudimentary flowers are also borne
on very slender, creeping stems at the base or root of
the vine and ripen their fruit beneath the surface of
the ground in the form of fleshy, pear-shaped pods.
Pigs are notorious rooters after these subterranean
Peanuts, and consequently country people began to

336

OX-EYE DAISY. Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum

Habenaria fimbriata

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LARGE PURPLE

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

know this graceful, twining perennial as the Hog
Peanut. It is found from New Brunswick to Florida,
west to Lake Superior, Nebraska, and Louisiana.

THE VIOLETS
Violaceae. Violet Family.

Violets are probably the best and most popularly
known of all the wild flowers. The Latin name
Viola, is derived from the classic Greek, Jon. Jupiter,
we are told, fell in love with Io, the daughter of the
river god, Inachus, and in order to conceal her from
the jealousy of Juno, his wife, Jupiter changed Io into
a heifer, and then created the fragrant Violet that she
might feed upon the delicate petals during her trans-
formation. So runs this ancient Greek myth regard-
ing the origin of the Violet. Be this as it may, Jupiter
must have considered the creation of the Violet with
exceeding affection for Io, since his irony is revealed
later in the lines of Shakespeare, who regarded the
Violet “sweeter than the lids of Juno’s eyes.” The
Violet became the national emblem of the Greeks.
They wove it into the chaplets with which they
crowned both the living and the dead, as occasion
required. The flowers were used extensively for deco-
rating on gay, festive and holiday celebrations, and
they also served an equal purpose in times of grief
and sorrow as a fitting tribute to the departed. There
was a superstition among the Greeks that the Violet
possessed a charm that could stay the ill-effects of
excessive indulgence in wine. Wreaths of Violets

337

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

were cast upon the cradles of children and the beds of
young bridal couples much after the custom with
which we shower the latter with rice and old shoes,
as a token of good luck. The former ceremony is still
practised in parts of Germany, where the Violet is also
believed to prevent ague. The Violet has some religi-
ous significance among the followers of Mohammed,
who considered the odour of the Violet, which he
referred to as the “Flower of Humility,” superior
to all others. The Romans offered Violets of solid
gold as prizes for poetic competitions. In England,
broths, salads, and puddings were at one time flavoured
with Violets, and many dishes were garnished with the
flowers. Napoleon adopted the Violet as his emblem,
and when he ascended the steps of the Tuileries,
upon his return from Elba, he was greeted with showers
of Violets from every direction, and beautiful violet-
gowned ladies and children welcomed him with great
masses of the flowers which were cast before him that
he might tread upon them. In Paris, the statues com-
memorating the loss of Alsace and Lorraine, and the
tomb of Victor Hugo in the Pantheon, are annually
decorated with wreaths of Violets. In royal and in
religious ceremonies violet is a conspicuous colour.
It is the college colour of New York University. Yale
University has adopted the Violet as its floral emblem,
and it is also the state flower of Rhode Island. Sev-
eral fragrant varieties have been highly cultivated, and
are regularly sold by florists for every conceivable
floral purpose, and they are popularly worn as a cor-

338

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

sage and buttonhole nosegay. The odour of Violets
is one of the most popular known, and it is extensively
used in scenting soaps, perfumery, and other toilet
preparations. Candies, syrups, and cordials are
flavoured with it, and even glacé or sugared Violets
are sold at the confectioners. Over sixty thousand
acres of flowers are regularly cultivated about the town
of Grasse, in France, purposely for the manufacture of
perfumery. Literally it is the “sweetest” spot in the
world, and tons upon tons of Violets are annually
gathered and spread upon frames of greased glass
which catch and retain the minute particles of precious
oil contained in the flowers — an industry involving
hundreds of thousands of dollars.

BIRD’S-FOOT VIOLET
Viola pedata. Violet Family.

There is no mistaking the identity of the Bird’s-
foot Violet. It appears later than the Meadow Violet,
and its finely cut, dark green, thick-textured foliage,
and large, beardless-petalled flowers are positive
ear-marks of birthright. The leaf is deeply cut into
from five to eleven long, narrow parts, with the longer
middle ones having their ends notched with two or
three rounded lobes, while the others have tapering
points. When spread flat, the matured leaf is fan-
shaped, and some of the divisions are grouped or
separated from each other with a wider opening —
a characteristic giving significance to it; common name.
The plant grows in a loose tuft, with its leaves spread-

339

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

ing widely and giving it a slightly scrawly appearance.
The great, handsome flower is the largest of our Violets.
It varies in colour from red violet to blue violet. Some
varieties have the upper petals coloured dark purple,
and the lower ones of a lighter shade. Rarely white
flowers are found. The stamens are orange-tipped,
and set off the regal beauty of the flower with their
contrast. The lower petal is slightly grooved, and
has a prominent, flat spur. The upper petals are
curved backward, adding greatly to the general pleas-
ing effect of the flower. This Violet frequently blos-
soms again in August. It does not produce stoléns.
It is partial to dry fields and hillsides, from Maine and
southern Ontario to Minnesota, Florida, and Missouri,
during April, May and June.

MEADOW VIOLET. COMMON BLUE VIOLET.
HOODED BLUE VIOLET

Viola cucullata. Violet Family.

This is the most common and best known of our
Violets, and is found everywhere within its range,
preferring generally low grounds in woods, meadows
and marshes from Nova Scotia to Minnesota, and
southward to Georgia and Kansas during April, May
and June. It readily adapts itself to all conditions,
and varies greatly in colour, size and leaf form, accord-
ing to its situation. In boggy lands it produces ridicu-
lously long, flowering stems, quite necessary, however,
to raise its blossoms to the light, above the long grasses,
In wet, swampy woods, forms having their leaves

340

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

twice as long as wide and nearly lance-shaped are
found. The golden-centred flowers vary widely in
size and colour, graduating in the latter from light
purple to pale violet, and even striped varieties fre-
quently occur. While they are found commonly in
open, sunny places, Violets as a family are to be seen
at their best where there is shade and moisture, and in
the vicinity of cool streams and springs they are most
beautifully developed. The lower petal is spurred, and;
together with the two lateral or side ones, which are
prettily bearded, have a flash of white at their base
and are marked with dark purple lines. The stamens
are tipped with orange. The rootstock is short and
thick, and the foliage which closely surrounds the flowers
is full bright green in colour. This Violet does not
produce runners, but flowerless buds succeed the true
flowers and mature without opening. The large,
heart-shaped leaf is prominently ribbed, and has a
toothed or scalloped edge. The surface is covered with
very fine hairs, and before they are fully matured, the
lobes of the leaves are curled upward. The flower
stem is slender and smooth, and the leaf stem is grooved
on one side, and both rise direct from the root.

EARLY BLUE VIOLET
Viola palmata. Violet Family.

Although not so abundant as the widely distributed
Meadow Violet, with which everybody is so familiar,
the Early Blue Violet is very common. Its flowers are
smaller, and the plant is more or less hairy, and alto-

341

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD PLU Wiss

gether it is more uniform and less variable, and pre-
fers drier soil than the former. On the sides, toward
the base, its peculiar leaves are strikingly notched into
numerous irregular lobes that flare, heart-shaped at
the stem. ‘The centre of the blade is usually extended
into a broadened and bluntly pointed lobe. The
bright blue flower is occasionally paler and rarely
white. The side petals are bearded. This species
does not extend quite so far north as the Common Blue
Violet, and it prefers dry woodland soil. It blooms
during April and May, from Georgia and Arkansas
northward to Minnesota, Ontario and Maine.

AMERICAN DOG VIOLET
Viola conspérsa. Violet Family.

It is whispered that this violet was formerly held in
contempt by our English cousins because of its lack of
fragrance. They referred to it as the Dog Violet, so
that it might be distinguished from other species
meriting more popular favour. However that may
have been, we are disposed to extend much charity
toward this interesting little waif, if for no other reason
than the independence and freedom that it manifests
whenever it brightens our roadsides and woodlands,
from March to May. With us, the Dog Violet has
become a popular nickname rather than one of mere
caste. The leaves and flowers are small. The plant
is low and creeping, and blossoms profusely. The
slender flower stems spring from the angles of the leaf
stems. The flowers have a prominent spur, and are

342

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

light purple or pale violet. in colour, rarely white.
The stamens are tipped with orange. The lateral
petals are slightly bearded, and the lower one is
marked with fine violet lines. The smooth, light
green, rounding, heart-shaped leaves have finely
toothed edges and grow in pairs. The base of the
stems is sheathed with a small, pointed and toothed
leaf-like stipule. The early leaf stems later develop
creeping branches, and increase from two to six
inches in length. In the fall this Violet bears flower-
less buds on very short stems. It is fairly common
in moist, shady situations, from Labrador to Min-
nesota, and south to North Carolina and Kentucky.

SEA LAVENDER. MARSH ROSEMARY. CANKER-
ROOT. SEA THRIFT. INK-ROOT.

Limonium carolinianum. Leadwort Family.

The misty, spray-like bloom of the Sea Lavender
fits in nicely with the azure stars of the Chicory in an
endeavour to harmonize the colour scheme of the
sea and sky with that of the sandy shores. It grows
abundantly in the salt meadows along the Atlantic
seaboard from Labrador to Florida and to Texas.
The slender, grooved, leafless stalk is much branched
at the top, and grows one or two feet high from a
thick, smooth, fleshy, perennial rootstock. The thick,
narrow, oblong leaf is bluntly pointed, and tapers into
a long, slender, margined stem, which rises from the
root. The margin is slightly wavy, and the midrib is
strong. The minute, solitary, pale purple flowers are

343

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

set erect and loosely along the upper side of the
branches. The tubular calyx is five-toothed and
finely ribbed. The corolla has five tiny petals. They
blossom from July to October. The bitter root fur-
nishes a powerful astringent which has been exten-
sively employed, especially in New England, as a
local application for relieving canker sores. The
roots of a larger species is used in Spain and Russia for
tanning hides. The Marsh Rosemary is an open,
frail-looking plant, and as the fragrant flowers do not
lose their colour, dried bunches are used for decorat-
ing vases and mantels, and are said to keep away
moths. Simonium is an ancient name of the wild
beet.

FRINGED GENTIAN

Gentiana crinita. Gentian Family.

This lovely Gentian has been considered one of the
choicest of American wild flowers. There is never
any certainty of finding it from year to year, because
it does not establish itself permanently in any par-
ticular spot or locality. It has a general liking for low,
moist woods and meadows, and is a late bloomer,
coming into flower during September and October.
It is rather rare in the vicinity of dense communities,
and is likely to become even more so than the Trailing
Arbutus, as it is extremely difficult to cultivate. This
genera has been dedicated to Gentius, King of Ancient
Illyria, who is said to have discovered its medicinal
qualities. This species has been proposed as our

344

Ue ee

Pea

FRINGED GENTIAN.

Gentiana crinita

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

national flower, and it has also been immortalized in
our literatute since Bryant wrote:
“Thou waitest late and cometh alone,
When woods are bare and birds are flown,

And frosts and shortening days portend
The aged year is near his end.”

Artists consider that the blue of the Gentian is the
nearest approach to the colour of the sky. The leafy,
angled, and usually branching stalk is smooth and
grooved, and grows annually from one to three feet
high. The clasping leaves have a heart-shaped base
and a long, tapering point. They are thin and toothless
and are set upon the stalk in alternating, opposite
pairs. There is something classical about the deep,
yase-shaped corolla, of the erect, bright blue flowers.
They are mostly four-parted, and about two inches
high. The four rounded and spreading lobes are
finely fringed around the top edge, and are sensitive
to the sunlight. They open and close with a twisting
gesture at night, or on dull days. Each of the four-
pointed parts of the calyx is ridged. The solitary
flowers are borne on the tips of long and short branches,
several of which are so closely parallel as to form a
loose, upright group. They are found from Quebec to
Minnesota, and south to Georgia and Iowa.

CLOSED, OR BOTTLE GENTIAN
Gentiana Andréwstt. Gentian Family.

The singular flowers of the Closed Gentian have a
curious attraction because they never open. They are

345

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

shaped like the thick part of a miniature Indian club
and have the appearance of a large, healthy bud,
that is just about to unfold. The plant is perennial,
and consequently much more common and easier to
find each year than the Fringed Gentian. It flourishes
in moist, rich soil in meadows and thickets, or along
woodland borders, and may be found at its best from
August to October. The single, leafy stalk is erect
or nearly so, and grows one or two feet in height. It
is smooth and stout. The rather large, toothless,
lance-shaped leaves have a long, tapering point, and
are narrow or sometimes rounded toward the base.
They are arranged in alternating opposite pairs at
regular intervals, and are often tinged with brown.
The flowers are of an intense blue in colour, becoming
lighter toward the base. Several of them are gathered
in a crowded terminal leafy cluster, or occasionally
one or two are set in the axils of the leaves. The
stamens are gathered in the form of a tube, and
the divisions of the green calyx are long and narrow.
This Gentian ranges from Georgia and Missouri,
well into Canada.

FORGET-ME-NOT. MOUSE-EAR. SCORPION
GRASS. SNAKE-GRASS. LOVE-ME

Myosdtis scorpioides. Borage Family.

The exquisite little baby-blue flowers of the Forget-
me-not have a certain sentiment attached to them
through various legends of love and affection that
endears them to all. In the language of flowers they

346

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

are symbolic of true love and constancy. A pretty
Persian legend, told by the poet Shiraz, runs as follows:
“Tt was in the golden morning of the early world, when .
an angel sat weeping outside the closed gates of Eden.
He had fallen from his high estate through loving a
daughter of earth, nor was he permitted to enter again
until she whom he loved had planted the flowers of
the Forget-me-not in every corner of the world.
He returned to earth, and assisted her, and they went
hand in hand over the world, planting the Forget-
me-nots. When their task was ended they entered
Paradise together; for the fair woman, without tasting
the bitterness of death, became immortal like the angel,
whose love her beauty had won, when she sat by the
river twining the Forget-me-nots in her hair.”

This species is a native of Europe and Asia, and
is the true flower of our gardens, which has escaped,
and is found in marshes and along brooks or
in moist meadows from May to August. It is
a low-branching perennial, having slender root-
stocks or stolens. The slender, leafy stems grow
from six to eighteen inches in length, and often take
root again at the lower leaf joints. The oblong, lance-
shaped, and hairy leaf has a blunt tip and partly clasps
the stalk. The small spreading, five-lobed, yellow-
centred, light blue, or sometimes pink, flowers are
borne in small, one-sided, curving terminal clusters.
The buds are tinted with pink. The Forget-me-not
is spreading rapidly from Nova Scotia to New York,
and Pennsylvania southward and westward. The

347

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

generic name, Myosotis, is from the Greek, meaning
Mouse-ear, and alludes to the leaves.

VIRGINIA COWSLIP. TREE LUNGWORT.
BLUE BELLS

Merténsia virginica. Borage Family.

The beautiful, showy, blue-purple bells of the Vir-
ginia Cowslip delight the eyes of those who are fortunate
enough to stroll along the brooks of some low meadow
during the spring when this plant is in flower. The
smooth, stout, pale green stalk is either single or branch-
ing and grows one or two feet high. The large, veiny,
pointed oblong or oval leaves are dark green and tooth-
less, and they alternate upon the stalk. The upper
ones are seated upon the stalk, and the lower ones
are narrowed into long stems. The pretty five-lobed,
spreading, trumpet-shaped flowers are an inch long,
and are gathered in a loose terminal cluster, from which
they spread or hang. ‘They are pinkish in bud, becom-
ing purplish when in blossom, and finally bluish as they
fade. This handsome perennial is a lover of moist, wet
situations, and often grows in great masses. It blooms
from March to May, from New York and South Caro-
lina to Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota and Ontario.

VIPER’S BUGLOSS. BLUEWEED. SNAKE
FLOWER. BLUE THISTLE

Echium vulgare. Borage Family.
In some sections of the country, this plant has been

regarded as a troublesome weed, and one that is not
easily discouraged by frequent attempts to eradicate it

348

WILD FLOWERS . BLUE AND PURPLE

from cultivated fields, which it has overrun since its
introduction from Europe. The flower lover however,
will always welcome it along our highways and byways,
inasmuch as our flora is not over-toned with true blues.
The stout, bristly-haired biennial stalk is much
branched, and its light green surface is dotted with red
or purple. The alternating rough and hairy, oblong
or lance-shaped leaves are toothless and clasp the stalk,
and the lower ones are narrowed into short stems.
The numerous, brilliant blue, tubular, funnel-formed
flowers are unequally five-lobed. The latter are
rounded and spreading. They are at first bright blue,
varying to reddish purple. The five slender stamens
and the pistil are rosy tinted, and project beyond the
corolla, adding much to the general fuzziness of the
plant. The flower buds are pink before they finally
expand, and the numerous buds are closely arranged
in a double one-sided row along the ends of the branches
which are tightly curled. A few flowers on each cluster
open at a time, as the stem gradually straightens.
These floral clusters are closely grouped on the stalk,
and at a distance from the large, thick, clumsy spike.
The entire plant is so bristly that it is not likely to be-
come a popular bouquet flower. It is found from Can-
ada to Virginia and Nebraska, from July to September.

BLUE VERVAIN. WILD HYSSOP

Verbéna hastata. Vervain Family.

During July and August we find the Blue Vervain
with every one of its slender, upright branches terminat-

349

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

ing in numerous long, beady, rocket-like, flowering
spikes, each so lengthened and regulated as to form an
elaborate, equally balanced, floral candelabra. It is
a handsome perennial, growing from three to seven
feet high in moist fields and meadows, or along rail-
roads and highways. The stout, rough, leafy stalk
is four-sided and grooved, and is often stained with
red. The opposite lance-shaped leaves are irregularly
double-toothed and taper-pointed, with noticeable
veins, They are short-stemmed and rough surfaced,
and the lower ones are sometimes lobed or arrow-
shaped at the base. The five-lobed tubular flowers
are very small, and several open at a time in a single
circle as they mount the extending, purple-stained spike.
They are deep purplish-blue in colour, and have a
pistil and two pairs of stamens. As the flowers continue
to blossom toward the top of the spike, they are suc-
ceeded by ripening seed enclosed within the overlapping,
purplish calyx, which lends much to the attractiveness
of the royal colour scheme. Vervain is also known as
the Holy Herb, and was one of the religious plants
of the Druids. Long, long ago, Vervain was held
sacred to Thor, the god of thunder, and like other plants
connected with lightning, it was supposed to possess
peculiar influences upon the eyesight. It is also said
to have been found growing upon the Mount of Calvary
when Jesus died. On account of its mystic virtues, it
was formerly much used for stimulating affections and
charms. It was reputed to break the power of witches.
In France, it is gathered under certain changes of the

350

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

moon with secret incantations, after which it is supposed
to accomplish remarkable cures. Bridal wreaths
made of Vervain are used in Germany. It was one of
the most important assets of the old herb doctors who
were called “Simplers,” and who professed to cure
everything that flesh was heir to. Virgil and Shakes-
peare both mention Vervain in their writings. The
Wild Hyssop, as it is sometimes called, is found from
Canada to Florida, Nebraska and New Mexico.

BLUE CURLS. BASTARD PENNYROYAL
Trichostéma dichétomum. Mint Family.

This rather stiff, slender-stemmed, sticky haired,
strong-scented, and much-branched annual grows from
six inches to two feet high in dry, sandy fields. The
toothless, short-stemmed, and nearly smooth, lance-
shaped leaves occur in opposite pairs. They are sticky
haired, and exhale a balsamic odour, coarsely suggest-
ing that of Pennyroyal. ‘The numerous blue, pink,
or rarely white, deeply five-cleft, tubular flowers have
ridiculously long, hair-like blue or violet stamens,
which extend far beyond the corolla. When the flower
opens they are nearly erect, but soon curl gracefully
inward, forming a large spiral. ‘The lobes of the corolla
spread open, and the lower and longer one is widely
flared like a long tongue or lip. They terminate the
branches, usually in pairs, and opening in the morning,
last only for the day. Some of the flowers grow upside
down, owing to the peculiar twisting of their short
stems. They blossom from July to October, and

351

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

range from Maine to Florida, and west through
Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Missouri and Texas.

MAD-DOG. SKULLCAP. MADWEED.
HOODWORT

Scutellaria latersflora. Mint Family.

A well-known, perennial herb, formerly esteemed as a
remedy in dog-bites. It was also used as a family
medicine for nervous disorders of every description
This species grows commonly in moist, shady places.
along ditches and ponds, where it raises its slender.
smooth, square, leafy, and much-branched stalk a
foot or two high. ‘The thin, coarsely toothed, slender-
stemmed leaves are pointed oblong to lance shaped,
and are arranged in opposite alternating pairs. The
several or many small, tubular, blue flowers are two
lipped. The upper lip is arched and the spreading
lower one is notched at the apex. The two-lipped
calyx has a small, helmet-like appendage on the upper
lip, which is an easy means for identifying the genus.
The flowers spring from the axils of the uppermost
leaves, on one-sided, terminal branches, from July: to
September. This species ranges from coast to coast,
and from the British possessions south to Florida,
New Mexico and Washington.

CATNIP. CATMINT. NEP
Népeta Cataria. Mint Family.

Country folks who have drifted to the great cities will
never forget how Aunt Kate or Aunt Sue used to soothe

352

ego eonedaH “YOILVdaH

CLOSED, or BOTTLED GENTIAN. Gentiana Andrewsi

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

our troubled and aching stomachs with Catnip tea.
We relished its flavour for it tasted so good. First it
was green apples or green grapes — then Catnip tea.
Again wet feet and snuffles— then, more Catnip tea.
And ofttimes it was just Catnip tea for the sake of drink-
ing it. Grandmother will tell you that it is the safest
remedy for quieting little babies when they are in pain.
Cats display an exceedingly strong liking for this plant,
and will eat it and roll into it almost as easily and
naturally as they will take to a bird or a mouse. You
can always distinguish a member of the Mint family by
‘its usually four-sided or square stem, and ‘its simple
opposite leaves. The pleasing, aromatic odour,
peculiar to the Catnip is familiar to most everyone
wherever it grows. The large, leafy, hollow. branching
stalk is distinctly square and grooved. It rises from
two to three feet high, and the downy branches are
straight and ascending. The fragrant, short-stemmed,
grayish green leaves are generally heart-shaped, with
large, sharp-pointed, saw-toothed margins. They are
greener above than beneath, and the surface is' velvety,
and they occur at right angles on the stalk. The dark-
spotted, pale purple or nearly white tubular flowers are
rather small and inconspicuous. They are gathered
in whorled clusters, which are set in short, dense termi-
nal spikes. ‘They are strongly two-lipped. The
erect upper lip is two-lobed; arid the spreading lower
lip is three-lobed, with the central lobe largest. The
‘small, hairy, green calyx is five-parted. Catnip: is
frequently found near dwellings ‘and barns, and along

353

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

roadsides, from July to November, and ranges from
New Brunswick and Quebec, to Virginia and Kansas.
Also in Asia.

GROUND-IVY. GILL-OVER-THE-GROUND. FIELD
BALM. HAYMAIDS. CAT’S FOOT.
CREEPING CHARLIE

Népeta bederacea. Mint Family.

This gallivanting perennial came to us from Europe,
and delights to trapse over moist, shady dells, thickets,
and turnpikes, where it blossoms gaily during the
spring months. It is an old and familiar herb, formerly
much used as a “simple” in those homely days when
hospitals were few and far between, and skill and
scalpel were less in vogue in the medical line, and
“Angels with lint and lance, and God’s messenger,
the ambulance,” were blessings yet to record.
Dear, quaint, old Gerarde! Quoth he: “Boiled
in mutton-broth, it helpeth weake and acking backs.”
It has a peculiar, disagreeable odour, and a bitterish,
somewhat aromatic taste, and cattle purposely avoid it.
As a domestic remedy it is said to be a gentle stimulant
and tonic, and useful in lung troubles. The creeping
and trailing stalk grows sometimes eighteen inches in
length, with ascending branches. It is square and
leafy, and roots at the joints. The small, roundish,
evergreen leaves are set in pairs, on long, slender, curv-
ing stems, which are flattened and grooved on one side.
They are heart-shaped at the base, and their margins
are cut with broad, rounded scallops. Their surface

354

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

is soft and downy to the touch. The rather large,
light, bluish purple, tubular flowers are two-lipped.
The upper lip, which arches over the four unequal
stamens and pistil, is erect and notched at the middle.
The spreading lower lip, which is spotted with dark
purple, is three-lobed, the middle one being much
enlarged. The long, ribbed, tubular calyx is unequally
five-parted. The flowers are borne in sparse clusters
from the axils of the leaves. The Ground-ivy often
forms dense, green mats, and is found in blossom from
March to May, from Newfoundland, Ontario and
Minnesota, south to Georgia and Kansas.

SELF-HEAL. HEAL-ALL. BLUE CURLS. THIM-
BLE-FLOWER. ALL-HEAL. CARPENTER’S-
HERB. HEART-OF-THE-EARTH. BRUNELLA:

Prunélla vulgaris. Mint Family.

One of the commonest and most widely ranged of
all plants. Along dusty roadsides, cowpaths, and in
fields, woods and waste places everywhere, this familiar,
low-growing perennial flourishes with little effort.
The thick, round, elongated flower head blossoms
sparingly as it lengthens, from spring to fall. The
usually smooth, slender, leafy and occasionally branch-
ing stalk, is usually too weak to hold itself erect, and
lies sprawling in the grass. The four-sided stalk is
deeply grooved on two opposite sides. The smooth,
oblong, lance-shaped leaves have a long, tapering tip
and a narrowed base. They are rather thin, and their
margins are often slightly toothed. They occur in

355

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

alternating opposite pairs on slender stems. The
small, violet, purple, or rarely white, hooded, tubular
flowers are gathered in dense terminal spikes, suggesting
a Clover head. They are strongly and irregularly
two-lipped. The darker toned and deeply arched upper
lip is hood-like. The spreading lower lip is three-
lobed, with the edge of the middle and longest lobe,
fringed. The four unequal stamens and pistil show
within the arch of the upper lip. The oblong calyx
is deeply cleft into two unequal parts, and is guarded
at its base with a broad, heart-shaped bract. The
flowers may be found from April to October, and from
one end of the country to the other. In Germany
this plant formerly had a reputation for curing throat
diseases. It has also been used in healing wounds,
and for making a gargle for sore throats.

AMERICAN, OR MOCK PENNYROYAL. TICK=
WEED. SQUAW-MINT

Hedeoma pulegioides. Mint Family.

There is small chance of overlooking this little mem-
ber of the Mint family because of its size. Whatever
it lacks in this respect, it more than makes up ‘for
in the familiar fragrance exhaled by its foliage.
Its pleasing, aromatic pungency permeates the atmos-
phere for a considerable distance, and is always sure to
attract the attention of the passer-by. The odour is
believed to keep away mosquitoes, and for this purpose
the oil of Pennyroyal is popular with hunters, campers
and summer vacationists. It is also used as a gentle

356

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

stimulant, and for relieving cramps and sick stomachs,
which children are prone to experience. It has a pleas-
-ant taste, and there is no harm in nibbling its leaves as
we do those of the Wintergreen. The erect and very,
slender, leafy stalk of this annual herb is branching and
hairy, and grows from six to eighteen inches high in
‘dry, grassy fields and pastures. The small, strongly
scented leaves are somewhat egg-shaped, tapering
at the base into short stems, and their margins are
scantily toothed. They occur in alternating, opposite
pairs, which graduate in size as they mount the square
stalk. The tiny, two-lipped, tubular, purple flowers
are gathered in the axils of the leaves, and form
long, slender, terminal spikes. The erect, upper lip is
usually flat and notched, and the lower one is three-
lobed and spreading. It is found from July to Septem-
ber, from Canada to Florida, and westward to Nebraska
and the Dakotas.

SPEARRINT: SAGE OF BETHLEHEM.
GARDEN MINT

Méntha spicata. Mint Family.

We have inherited nearly all of our Mints from
‘Europe. Their strongest family traits consist of square
stems, and opposite, simple, and odorous leaves. They
are perennial herbs, with usually small-clustered, tubular
flowers. The Spearmint grows commonly in wet
places near cultivated grounds, where it has escaped
from gardens, and may be found in blossom from July
to September. This generally smooth, erect, and

357

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

branching plant grows a foot or so high, from leafy
runners or stolens. The sharply toothed, lance-shaped
leaves are pointed at the tip and narrowed at the base.
They are noticeably veined, and are set in alternating
pairs upon the stalk, sometimes with short stems.
They have a strong, aromatic taste, and are much in
favour as a flavouring for meat sauces and cooling
drinks. It is also used to some extent in medicine,
The very small, pale purple, four-cleft, tubular flowers,
are set in a tiny, five-parted, bell-shaped green calyx,
and are gathered in small whorls, one above the other,
with a space between; forming long, slim, terminal
spikes, the central spike becoming very long. This
Mint is found from Canada south to Florida and Kansas
and west to Minnesota and Utah.

PEPPERMINT. LAMB, OR BRANDY-MINT
Méntha piperita, Mint Family.

Peppermint is one of the most popularly known
flavourings for candies. The plant is extensively cul-
tivated for the strong aromatic oil which it produces,
and in this respect it ranks as one of the most important
of all plants. This oil is used very extensively in
medicines, and for the production of menthol. The
cultivation of this species was carried on long ago by
the Egyptians. It has a peculiar, penetrating odour,
and is pungent and cooling to the taste. In medicines
it is used as a stimulant, to allay nausea, and to relieve
sudden cramps or pains in the stomach. Peppermint
grows from one to three feet high in wet soil, and along

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WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

brooks, where it may be found from July to September.
It is erect and branched, with smooth stems, and
increases by underground suckers. It resembles
somewhat the Spearmint. The thin, broad oval,
sharply pointed dark green leaf is set on purple
stained stems, and is regularly toothed. The tiny
flowers are arranged in dense whorls, which are
closely gathered in a short, thick, round, terminal
spike. It ranges from Canada to Florida, Tennessee
and Minnesota. Spiraea is from the Greek, meaning,
twisting, and alludes to the twisted seedpods in some
of the species.

AMERICAN WILD MINT

Méntha arvénsis. Mint Family.

A native variable species with an odour like Penny-
royal, growing commonly along the brooks and in moist
soils, from six inches to two and a half feet in height,
with the whorled flowers seated in the leaf-axils. It is
more or less hairy. The long, narrow, prominently
ribbed leaf tapers toward both ends, and is slender-
stemmed and sharply toothed. The texture is coarse
and the surfaces are either roughish or nearly smooth.
The little flowers are light purple or nearly white. This
plant is frequently mistaken for Peppermint, for which
it is sometimes substituted. It may be found from
July to October, and ranges from the British possessions
to Virginia, Nebraska, New Mexico and Nevada.
It is also found in California. This is the only Mint
that is truly native to our country. Mentha is derived

359

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

from Mintha, the Greek nymph and daughter of Cocy-
tus, whom Prosperine, the wife of Pluto, is said to have
transformed into these plants.

NIGHTSHADE. BLUE BINDWEED. FELON-
WORT. BITTERSWEET. POISON-FLOWER.
POISON, OR SNAKE BERRY

Solanum Dulcamara. Potato Family.

This pretty Nightshade has been classed among the
principal poisonous plants of our country, but it is far
from being the treacherous and violent sort with which
it has often been associated in folk-lore. It is not of
the Poison Ivy sort, and can be handled with impunity
in this respect. At the same time one should refrain
from testing its effects upon the system. It should not
be held in the mouth nor chewed, neither should the
berries be eaten, as some ill effects have been caused
thereby. It is rather common in moist thickets and
along damp, shady roadsides, streams and ditches,
from May to September. The smooth or finely-haired,
green stalk grows from two to eight feet in length, and
is perennial. It is branched, straggling and climbing,
and has a rank, coarse odour. The thin, alternating,
dark green, toothless leaves taper toward the tip and
are set on slender stems. The lower ones are usually
heart-shaped while the upper ones are deeply cut at the
base into two narrow, flaring lobes or wings with pointed
tips. The veinings show on the under side, and the
midrib is coarse. The surface is frequently marked
with irregular, pale rusty spots. The enticing, yellow-

360

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURFLE

centred, purple flowers have a star-shaped corolla, and
are set in a small, green, five-parted, bell-shaped calyx.
They hang gracefully on their curved stemlets in small.
loose, spreading and nodding clusters, from a slender
stem which springs from the axils of the leaves. The
five deeply cleft and pointed segments of the corolla are
prettily recurved, and at the base of each there are two
green spots. ‘The five yellow stamens project with their
anthers united in the form of acone. The bright red
berries form very attractive drooping clusters in the
fall. Nightshade is found from New Brunswick to
Minnesota, and south to North Carolina and Kansas.
The plant has a peculiar juice which is at first
sweetish to the taste, then soon becoming bitter and
it has also some medicinal qualities. It is related
to the potato, tomato and egg-plant of our gardens,
and is naturalized from Europe..

BLUE, OR WILD TOAD FLAX
Linarta canadénsis. Figwort Family.

Here is an extremely dainty and slender white
throated blue-flowered relative of the notoriously com-
mon Butter-and-Eggs, and it is found in dry, sandy soils.
from May to September. The slim, delicate, smooth and
shining green stalk is often branched, and grows from.
four inches to two feet or more in height, annually or bi-
annually. It is weak-stemmed, and is often found sup-
ported by neighbouring vegetation. The alternating, -
toothless leaves are very small, stemless, and sharply
pointed. The pretty little tubular flower is two lipped,

361

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

with a slender, sharply-pointed, curving spur. The
upper lip has two small, rounded and erect lobes. The
lower lip has three rounded, spreading lobes, and at the
throat there is a prominent, white, two-ridged swelling
that hides the stamens and pistil. Several flowers are
set on tiny stems in a loose terminal spike. They
remind one somewhat of the Lobelias, but are easily
distinguished by the rounded lobes of the corolla, while
those of the latter flower are always sharply pointed.
This species is found from Nova Scotia to Florida, and
west to Minnesota, Oregon, Texas and California.

HAIRY BEARD-TONGUE
Pentstémon birsittus. Figwort Family.

The beautiful showy purple or violet trumpets of this
rather common Beard-tongue are found from May
to July in dry, open woods and rocky fields and thickets,
The stalk rises from one to three feet high, and is slender
and downy, with fine whitish hairs. The slightly
toothed, pointed oblong to lance-shaped light green
leaves are somewhat woolly, and vary in size and shape
as they mount the stalk in opposite pairs. The upper:
ones are clasping, and the lower ones are stemmed.
The flowers are borne in a loose terminal spike. The
five sharply pointed sepals are overlapping. The
tube of the corolla is gradually swelled above, and has
two grooves on the lower side. The upper lip is
two-lobed, and the lower one is three-cleft. At the
base of the latter is a hairy palate that nearly closes
the throat. One of the stamens is densely bearded.

362

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

for half its length. This species ranges from Maine
to Manitoba, south to the Gulf States.

MONKEY FLOWER
Mimulus ringens. Figwort Family.

With erected ears and extended jowls, this gaping,
grinning ape of the damp, grassy jungle greets us cutely
with its impudent, animated poise, from June to Sep-
tember. Ifits lower lip is pulled downward and allowed
to close again, the operation causes one to experience
a strong inclination to yawn. And right here, this same
operation fancifully suggests an exaggerated grin that
has given rise to its Latin name, which is derived from
the Greek, mimus, a small, mimicking ape or buffoon.
The square-stemmed Monkey Flower is usually found
in moist meadows or swamp land, particularly along
cool streams and in company with rank growths of
grass and other vegetation peculiar thereto. Here their
pertinent, inquisitive flowers seem to strain their tethers
in an effort to satisfy their apparent curiosity at one’s
presence. The attractive blossoms open one or two
at a time toward the top of the slender, leafy stalk.
Their pale violet or occasionally white corolla appears
delightfully cool and cheerful on a hot, midsummer’s
day, and it is a pleasant relief to come unexpectantly
upon them, as is often the case when the path follows
along the near bank of a stream. The smooth, hollow
stalk is erect and rises from one to three feet in height.
Two of its sides are flattened, and the other two are
deeply grooved. These flattened surfaces alternate

363

‘BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

with each pair of leaves. The oblong; or lance-shaped
leaves taper to a point, and become narrow toward the
base, each with two small flaring lobes where they partly
clasp the stalk, upon which they alternate. The
margins are Eady toothed, and the feather-veined
ribbings crease the smooth, green surface. The flowers
spring from the axils of the leaves, on partly curved,
slender stems, and are set in a deep, five-parted, five-
toothed tubular calyx, the uppermost tooth of which is
longer than the others. The irregular corolla is two-
lipped. The upper lip has two erect lobes which curl
backward together, causing a two-eared effect, while
the lower lip has three widely flaring lobes, with its
centre bulged, forming two small, yellow-patched
swellings that close the throat of the tube, which sets
into the calyx. Four white, thread-like stamens are
seated on the inside of the tube, and their yellow tips
meet over the top of the two-lobed pistil. They are
arranged in two pairs, one set being shorter than the
other. Neither the pistil nor the stamens protrude from
the corolla, but may be seen flattened against the hooded
crease of the upper lip, if the lower lip is pulled partly
open. The texture of the flowers is fine and delicate.
This perennial herb ranges from Nova Scotia to Vir-
ginia, Tennessee, Manitoba, Nebraska and Texas.

AMERICAN BROOKLIME
Verénica americana. Figwort Family.
Exceedingly fragile, this nobbiest one of our
Speedwells drops its tiny, white-centred, light blue
364

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

flowers the instant we attempt to pick them. They
have frequently been mistaken for those of the Forget-
me-not by careless observers. It is common in wet
ditches and swamps and along meadow brooks from
April to September. The rather stout, smooth, hollow
stalk is usually branched, and grows from six inches to
three feet in length from perennial creeping roots or
leafy shoots. The weak, sprawling stalk often takes
root at the lower joints. The long, lance-shaped, light
green leaves are sharply toothed, and taper toward
the point. They are rounded at the base, and are set
on the stalk in alternating opposite pairs, with short,
broad, flat stems that clasp the stalk. Their surface
is smooth, and the midrib is strongly grooved.- The
flowers are similar in structure to those: of the
Common Speedwell, but are light blue with purple
stripes, and have a white spot in the centre.
The two stamens and pistil are light purple. The
flowers are set on slender stems which are guarded.
with bract-like leaflets, and are arranged in long,
loose terminal spikes that’ spring from the angles
ef the leaves. They are found from. Alaska to
New Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

COMMON SPEEDWELL. UPLAND SPEEDWELL..
FLUELLIN. PAUL’S BETONY

Verénica officinalis. Figwort Family. ’
Dear little Speedwell! How much good-fellowship

its name implies! Before the steam engine became a
convenient means of transportation, many a weary and

365

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

foot-sore traveler has been cheered and encouraged
as he trudged the by-paths of country highways,
by these little bright blue blossoms, or as Tennyson
says, “the little Speedwell’s darling blue.” There
is an ancient tradition regarding this flower that
is connected with our Lord. When bearing His
cross to Calvary, He happened to pass the door
of Veronica, a Jewish maiden, who, seeing the drops
of agony on His brow, wiped His face with a linen
cloth. The sacred features remained impressed upon
the linen, and owing to the fancied resemblance of
the Speedwell’s blossom to the markings on this hal-
lowed piece of fabric, the plant was named Veronica,
This relic is known as the kerchief of St. Veronica,
and still reposes, it is said, in St. Peter’s Cathedral
in Rome. Small wonder, then, that this plant was
believed to possess miraculous virtues for curing
various bodily ailments. Even now it is used as a tonic
and cough medicine, and also for healing wounds.
The Common Speedwell is found in blossom from
May to August along roadsides and in dry fields, uplands
and open woods, from North Carolina and Tennessee to
Michigan and Canada. | It is a low-growing perennial,
increasing by creeping roots or stolens and extending
its slender, hairy, branching and leafy stalk, from three
to ten inches in length. It usually sprawls along the
ground, often rooting again and again at the leaf joints.
The downy, oblong, saw-edged, evergreen leaf is broad
and rounding at the apex, and is narrowed at the base
into a short stem. They are set upon the stalk in oppo-

366

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

site pairs. The delicate little pale blue flower has
four lobes, each of which is striped with a darker shade.
The lower lobe is noticeably smaller and narrower
than the outer three. The calyx is four-parted, and
there are two opposite flaring stamens and a pistil.
They are crowded on slender upright stems, which
spring from the axils of the leaves, forming narrow
spike-like arrangements. The flowers are remarkably
fragile and drop away upon the slightest provocation,
and especially so when an attempt is made to pick them.

THYME-LEAVED SPEEDWELL
Veronica serpyllifolia. Figwort Family.

This small and nearly smooth perennial species has
weak, slender stems which are much branched at their
creeping base. It grows from two to ten inches in
height and often lies close to the ground. The little
oval or oblong leaves are indistinctly toothed, and
occur in opposite pairs on short stems.. The tiny
flowers resemble those of the American Brooklime, and
are pale blue with darker stripes, or sometimes white
in colour. The tips of the green calyx show between
the divisions of the corolla, and the two spreading
stamens are tipped with light blue. They are set on
short stems springing from the axils of small leaflets,
and are arranged in short terminal spikes. Though
delicate in texture, they are much less fragile than those
of most of the Speedwells.. It is found commonly in
grassy fields and thickets, and along highways from
April to August, and ranges from Labrador to Alaska,

367

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

south to Georgia, New Mexico and California. Alsc
in Europe, Asia and South America.

BLUETS. INNOCENCE. QUAKER LADIES.
QUAKER BONNETS. VENUS’S PRIDE

Houstonia caerilea. Madder F amily.

When one has viewed the myriads of Quaker Ladies
that blossom so vigorously from April to July, it is not
difficult to realize that the spirit that moved them never
prompted their dignified namesakes with such strenuous
activity. Otherwise their azure bonnets would never
have graced our grassy meadows with so much pro-
fusion as we are annually privileged to enjoy. The
slender; spreading'rootstock forms a dense tuft of small
leaves, from which a frail, sparingly branched green
stem rises from three to seven inches in height... The
tiny, toothless leaves are generally oblong in shape.
The basal ones are broader toward the end and are
narrowed into short stems. A few smaller ones clasp
the stem in opposite. pairs. The delicate flowers are
very‘small, and are set in.a tiny green calyx on ‘the tip
of the stem, where they nod in the bud.. The corolla is
funnel-shaped, with four widely spreading and. pointed
lobes. They are white, faintly tinged with light blue
or violet, with a circle of yellow in the centre. The
Bluets often grow in great.colonies in moist, sunny
fields, along roadsides and fences or on wet rocks,
from Georgia and Alabama to Michigan, Ontario and
Nova Scotia. Linnaeus dedicated this genera to
Dr. William Houston, an English botanist who collected

368

GREAT, or BLUE LOBELIA. Lobelia siphilitica

NEW YORK ASTER. Aster novi-belgii

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

in tropical America, and who died in 1733. There
are about twenty-five species of this genus in North
America.

VENUS’S LOOKING-GLASS. CLASPING
BELLFLOWER

Specularia perfoliata. Bellflower F amily.

For a possessor of such a fanciful semi-classic name
as Venus’s Looking-glass one would naturally expect
to find a more elaborate and dazzling representative
than this rather lowly and demure flower. The some-
what weak, slender, annual, wandlike stalk is very
leafy, and often leans or reclines against surrounding
growths for its support. It is angled and slightly
hairy, and branches from near the base. The small
leaves are almost an exact heart shape, with scalloped
margins, and they clasp the stalk alternatingly. They
are prettily folded, and set out from the stalk like tiny
basins on a miniature fountain. The corolla of the
blue, violet or purplish wheel-like flower has five
spreading divisions. There are five stamens and a
three-tipped pistil. The long, green calyx has five,
stiff, pointed parts. The flowers, which are usually
solitary, or sometimes in twos or threes, at the top of
the stalk, are set in the axils of the enfolding leaf, and
only a few open at a time. The small, lower buds,
which are first to appear, ripen their seeds without
opening at all. Such buds are called cleis-to-gamic.
This Bellflower is found commonly from May to Seps
tember, in dry, open woodland borders, and grassy

369

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

hillsides, from ocean to ocean, and from Canada to
Utah, Mexico and the Gulf States.

HAIRBELL. HAREBELL. LADY’S THIMBLE.
BLUE BELLS OF SCOTLAND

Campénula rotundifolia. Bellflower Family.

There is always an airy, cheery loveliness about this
bonny blue Highland lassie, that wins our constant
affection and admiration. Blue Bells of Scotland}
How it tingles the blood to come upon them and to
recall that they were the same dear flower. The name
fairly rings in our ears as we ponder over their dainty
drooping blossoms, which seem to nod in cadence with
the murmur or babble of the mountain brook whose
moist, rocky banks they love to decorate from June
to September. This rather frail, delicate perennial,
grows usually from six to twenty inches, or sometimes
fully three feet high, from a slender rootstock. The
smooth, single, or branching stem is very slender,
and frequently several of them spring from the same
root. The small, basal leaves are usually round heart-
shaped, and mostly toothed, with long, slender stems.
They often wither before the flowers are ready to open.
The numerous, long upper leaves, which are seated on
the stem, are very narrow, smooth and pointed. Sev-
eral pretty, five-lobed, bell-shaped, hair-stemmed
flowers hang downward from a terminal arrangement
and dangle coyishly on the swaying, wind-tossed stalk.
Their colour varies from purplish to violet blue. Five
slender stamens alternate with the spreading lobes of

370

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE.

the corolla, beyond which extends the greenish white.
pistil. The green calyx has five narrow parts. The
Hairbells are found in dry or moist, rocky cliffs or in
meadows and uplands generally from Labrador to
Alaska, south to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois
and Nebraska, and westward in the mountains to
Arizona and California. Also in Europe and Asia.

GREAT, OR BLUE LOBELIA.
Lobelia sipbilitica. Lobelia F amily.

The bright blue flowers of this handsome Lobelia are
found commonly in low, moist or wet soil, generally
along streams from July to October. The usually
single stalk is rather stout, very leafy, sparingly hairy,
and grows from one to three feet high from short,
perennial offshoots. The thin, light green leaves
are slightly hairy, oval to lance-shaped and irregularly
toothed. The upper ones clasp the stalk alternately.
The attractive flowers are arranged in a long, dense,
terminal, leafy, wand-like spike, and the stiff, hairy,
green calyx has five long, slender parts. They are
formed similar to those of the Red Lobelia, but the
lobes are much shorter, and the stamen tube does not
stand out beyond the corolla. They are found from
Maine and Ontario to Minnesota and Dakota, and
south to Georgia, Louisiana and Kansas.

PALE SPIKED LOBELIA
Lobélia spicata. Lobelia Family.
The very slender, erect, wand-like spikes of this
pale-flowered Lobelia are found here and there im

371

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

grassy meadows when the soil is dry and sandy, from
June to August. The perennial or biennial, brittle
leafy stalk is minutely hairy below and is noticeably
twisted. It is stained with red inside the leaf joints,
and grows from one to four feet high. The rather
thick, pale green leaves are often irregularly notched.
The short-stemmed basal ones are tufted, and are
broad-oval shaped, with very blunt, rounding tips.
The upper ones clasp the stalk alternatingly, and are
oblong or lance-shaped, and smaller and more acutely
pointed. The small, two-lipped, pale blue flowers
are scattered along the spike for some distance,
The lower lip is three-parted with two white swellings
at the throat, and the smaller upper lip is divided
by the cleft that separates the tube its entire length.
The parts. are all sharply pointed and flaring. The
green calyx is five-parted. This species is found from
North Carolina, Louisiana, and Arkansas to Canada.

BROOK LOBELIA
Lobélia Kaélmit. Lobelia Family.

This is a small, slender species, growing only from
six to twenty inches high, in wet meadows and on wet
banks, where it increases from perennial offshoots
and blossoms from July to September. The smooth,
light green stalk is erect, leafy and branching. The
leaf is very narrow, blunt-pointed, and nearly toothless.
The upper ones clasp the stalk. The small, light blue
flowers are arranged in sparse, loose, terminal spikes.
The three lobes of the lower lip are spotted with white

372

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

atthe throat. The upper lip has two upright parts, and
the stamens peek from between them. This Lobelia is
found in grassy colonies from Nova Scotia to New
Jersey, and westward to Ohio, Michigan and Manitoba,

INDIAN TOBACCO. WILD TOBACCO. GAG-ROOT.
ASTHMA WEED. BLADDER-POD LOBELIA

Lobélia inflata. Lobelia Family.

This very common annual grows from one to three
feet high along roadsides and in neglected fields,
and blossoms from July to November. All parts of
this Lobelia are medicinal, and Shakers and herb
dealers prepare and sell it in oblong, compressed cakes.
The plant, however, is considered to be somewhat
poisonous, and if the leaves or capsules are chewed
for a short time, they produce a sensation of giddi-
ness, then headache, and finally nausea and vomiting.
If swallowed it produces more serious results, and has
been known to have caused death. The Indians are
said to have used the foliage as tobacco. In more
modern practice it has been employed as a remedy in
various affections of the throat, including acute attacks
of catarrh, croup and asthma. The upright stalk is
leafy, often slightly hairy, rather stout and branching.
The thin alternating leaves are oval or oblong in shape,
with short-pointed ends and toothed margins. The
upper ones clasp the stalk and become smaller and
narrower as they approach the top. The flowers are
quite small, light blue in colour, and are set on tiny
stems, generally in the axil of aleaflet. They are formed

373

BLUE AND PURPLE . WILD FLOWERS

much the same as those of the Spiked Lobelia, and are
scattered along the stalk, forming loose, terminal
spikes. This species is easily distinguished by the
prominent inflated seed cases which succeed the flowers.
The Indian Tobacco is found in dry, open soils from
Georgia, Nebraska and Arkansas, and far into Canada,

IRONWEED. FLAT TOP

Vernonia noveboracénsis. Thistle Family.

The deep purple, Thistle-like flowers of the Ironweed
enliven our roadsides and low meadows with their
intense colouring from July to September. The
tall, branching stalk is smooth or rough, and grows
from three to nine feet in height. The narrowly oblong
or lance-shaped and pointed leaves are alternating
and finely toothed. From twenty to thirty bell-shaped
flowers are borne on short, branched stems, and form
broad, flat-topped clusters. The small bracts of the
leafy, brownish purple cup are tipped with spreading
bristles. The feathery flowers are often mistaken
for those of an Aster, but as they are composed entirely
of tubular ray florets and lack the central yellow disc
florets of the latter, they are easily distinguished,
The Ironweed ranges from New England to Georgia
and Mississippi, and west to Misscuri and Minnesota.

LARGE BUTTON SNAKEROOT. GAY FEATHER.
BLUE BLAZING STAR.

Liatris squarrdsa. Thistle Family.

The showy, bluish purple flowering spikes of this
tall, beautiful perennial, blossom with the Golden-rods

374

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

and Asters, during August and September. The hairy
stem grows from one to six feet high, and usually in
dry soil. The alternating deep green leaves vary in
size and shape as they ascend the stalk. They are gen-
erally narrowly lance-shaped, and their surface is
densely covered with tiny dots. The flower heads are
semi-circular, and from fifteen to forty-five are borne
on short stems in a long, terminal, wand-like spike.
They are composed entirely of coloured tubular florets.
The large leafy cup has five or six rows of long, bristly,
purple-tipped scales. The tuberous root has been used
as a remedy for sore throats, and also as a cure for
rattlesnake bite. It ranges from the Gulf of Mexico
to Maine, Ontario and Nebraska.

THE ASTERS

The Asters or Starworts come tripping along toward
the last of August, with the Golden-rods, and continue
throughout September and most of October in such
profusion that they appear to completely smother
everything with their beautiful starry flowers. With-
out the Asters, the glorious American autumn would
lose much of its lovely charm, for every roadside, fence-
row, field, meadow and hillside is brilliantly spangled
with their scintillating and billowy radiance, and I
have often surmised that perhaps Dame Nature
rehearsed them annually for a grand snow-scene ta-
bleau. Subject to great variation, big and little, short
and tall, dense and sparse, ragged and tidy, they
become: highly confusing, and it takes considerable

375

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

patience and experience to distinguish a majority of the
two hundred and fifty species existing in North America.
The word Aster is derived from the Greek, meaning
star, and it alludes to their pretty radiating flower
heads. Asters are perennial, mostly branching, and
late-flowering herbs with alternating leaves. They
are rarely annual, and grow from six inches to eight
feet in height, and possess Daisy-like flowers vary-
ing in size from one-eighth of an inch to two inches
broad. The floral heads are seldom solitary, and are
usually arranged in terminal groups or clusters of both
tubular and radiate flowers. The white, pink, purple,
blue or violet ray flowers are pistillate. The tubular
disc flowers are perfect, with five-lobed corollas, usually
yellow and changing to red, brown or purple. The
fading flower usually develops tiny whiskered seeds,
that sail hither and thither with the wind, much after
the fashion of those of the Dandelion. The.coloured
rayed species greatly outnumber the white-rayed, but
the latter are so very prolific and abundant that they
do not appear in the minority. Some species have
very long recurving ray flowers, and the latter are
found in every degree of length down to one speciés,
A. augustus, which has the corolla of its ray flowers
reduced to a mere tube.

LARGE-LEAVED ASTER
Aster macrophgllus. Thistle Family.

This rather coarse and extremely variable species
has a stout, simple, purple-stained, angular stalk,

376

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

which grows two or three feet high from a long root-
stock. The basal leaves are very large. They are
broadly heart-shaped, taper to a sharp point, and have
toothed margins. They have long, slender, grooved
and often sticky stems. These very noticeable leaves
are set three or four together near the ground, and com-
monly form large mats or patches—a means by
which they may be usually identified. The upper
leaves become suddenly smaller and oblong in shape,
with short, broadly winged stems, the topmost ones
finally occurring almost stemless. The attractive flower
heads are loosely arranged in broad, terminal clusters,
and they are nearly an inch across. They have from
twelve to sixteen rays of various shades of lilac, laven-
der or violet, and their yellow disc florets turn reddish
brown as they fade. This sweetly scented Aster is
common in well-drained soils in open woods and
thickets, from Canada to Minnesota, and North
Carolina during August and September.

LOW SHOWY ASTER. SEASIDE PURPLE ASTER
Aster spectabilis. Thistle Family.

A very pretty member of the family, found in dey,
sandy soil, along the coast, from Massachusetts to
Delaware, during August, September and October.
The stiff, coarse stem grows only one or two feet high,
and branches slightly at the top to accommodate the
flowers. The leaves are thick-textured, and mostly
toothless. The lower ones, which have stems, are oval
and taper acutely toward either end. The upper ones

377

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

are narrow and lance-shaped, and are set directly on the
stalk. The flower heads are very showy. ‘They are
an inch and a half broad, and several or many are set
on the tips of branchlets, forming a rather flat-topped
arrangement. The disc florets are yellow centred,and are
surrounded with from fifteen to thirty bright violet rays.
They are set in partly spreading, sticky green cups.

NEW ENGLAND ASTER

Aster novae-dngliae. Thistle Family

Here, perhaps, is the most popular and the most
captivating of the taller Asters. The very name
of this familiar and delightfully handsome plant
rings true with the Puritanic comeliness which it grace-
fully diffuses. Altogether, it is one of those happy and
pleasing combinations that fairly thrills one with its
pure, wholesome loveliness, and it provokes an irre-
sistible admiration wherever it abounds. Gardeners
have cultivated this Aster successfully in England, but,
discontented with their restraint and coddling, it has
escaped therefrom, and asserting the original element
of freedom, become naturalized in adjacent fields
and byways. Then, again, it has a cunning knack
of closing its so-called “petals” or rays at sunset,

Like the ‘tots of ancient days
Cuddling up from sight,

When curfew through autumn’s haze
Bade them nightie-night.

This showy Starwort raises its rough, stout, leafy
and branching stalk from two to eight feet high. The

378

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

hairy, lance-shaped leaves are pointed at the tip, and
heart-shaped at their base, where they snugly clasp the
stalk. They are toothless, and the texture is tbin.
The numerous flower heads are from one to two inches
broad, and are clustered at the ends of the branches.
From thirty to forty narrow rays, varying in colour
from light violet to rich purple, or rarely white,
surround the perfect five-lobed, tubular, yellow;
purple-stained disc florets, which are set in a large;
sticky green cup. This beautiful Aster is commonly
found in rich fields and along swamps from Quebec
to the Northwest Territory, and south to South
Carolina, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado, during
August, September and October.

LATE PURPLE ASTER. PURPLE DAISY
Aster patens. Thistle Family

One of our most attractive, early flowering and com-
mon blue Asters, frequenting dry, open places from
August to October, and ranging from Maine and Min-
nesota to Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. The slen-
der leafy stalk is rough and widely branching. It
grows from one to three feet high, and is often stained
with purple. The long, lance-shaped leaves are rather
thick and rigid, and they are decidedly heart-shaped
at the base where they partly clasp the stalk. Their
margins and upper surfaces are rough. The soli-
tary flowers are an inch or more broad, and they crown
the tips.of the spreading branches. Twenty or thirty
showy rays of.a deep rich violet surround the yellow,

379

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

purple-stained centre of disc flowers which are set in
pleasing green cups of overlapping parts. The rays
close inward with recurved tips at night, and when
they finally fade, they assume the same position, and
incidentally give an untidy appearance to the other.
wise neat and trim flowering top.

WAVY-LEAF, OR VARIOUS-LEAVED ASTER.
SMALL FLEABANE

Aster undulatus. Thistle Family.

A stiff, slender and very rough stalk is possessed
by this species, and it grows from one to three and a half
feet high, with a spreading top. The leaves are
noticeably thick-textured, rough-surfaced above, and
downy on the under side. They are somewhat egg-
shaped, with a tapering tip and have wavy or slightly
toothed margins. The lower leaves are heart-shaped,
and have long, slender, margined stems. Those

above taper abruptly into shorter, broadened stems, ’

which are widely flared, with conspicuous wings as
they clasp the stalk, and this is an easy route to its
identity. The topmost leaves become much smaller
stemless, toothless and more lance-shaped, and they
often clasp the stalk with a heart-shaped base. The
flowers average less than an inch broad, and have
from eight to fifteen rays varying in colour from pale
blue to violet. The pale yellow disc florets fade to
brown. The numerous flower heads generally form a
loose terminal cluster, but are often set one-sided on
the spreading, swaying branches. They are common

380

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLB

enough in dry copses, from New Brunswick and Ontario
to Florida, Alabama and Arkansas, during mare
September and October.

COMMON BLUE WOOD ASTER
Aster cordifolius. Thistle Family.

This is a very handsome, spreading, bushy and
small-flowered Aster, growing from one to five feet
high, in partly shaded woods, roadsides, thickets and
on dry banks from early August until the frost and
snow finally obliterate them. The slender, leafy stalk
is almost smooth, much-branched and often stained
with purple. The thin-textured, sharply toothed
leaves have a rough surface, and on the under side,
the more prominent veins are lightly covered with fine
hairs. They are decidedly heart-shaped, taper to a
slender point, and are set on slender stems. As they
ascend the stalk, the leaves become shorter-stemmed
and are egg-shaped or lance-shaped in outline. From
ten to twenty delicately coloured rays surround the
dark centre of the flower- heads, which are densely
clustered like little handfuls of confetti, toward the lips
of the numerous branches. This is one of our com-
monest Asters, and ranges from New Brunswick to

Minnesota, Georgia and Missouri.
_ SMOOTH ASTER
Aster laévis. Thistle Family.
‘A variable but most elegant Aster everywhere com-
‘mon in dry soil along roadsides and in open woods,
381

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

during August, September and October. The rather
stout stem rises from two to four feet in height, and
is either branched or simple. The thick-textured,
long-oval, light green leaves are sometimes toothed.
The upper ones are usually heart-shaped and clasp
the stalk, while the lower ones taper into winged stems.
The rays of the flower head number from fifteen to
thirty, and are of a beautiful shade of blue or violet,
rarely white. They are set around a yellow centre of
disc florets. The heads are an inch broad, and they
are closely set in a lovely terminal cluster. The
Smooth Aster ranges from Maine and Ontario to
Missouri, Pennsylvania and Louisiana.

NEW YORK ASTER
Aster ndvi-bélgii. Thistle Family.

One of the very commonest of the late-flowering
Asters of the Atlantic States, and also an extremely
variable species. The slender stalk is usually much
branched, generally smooth, and grows from one to
three feet high. The long, smooth thin-textured,
narrow leaves taper gradually to a slender point, with
entire or slightly toothed margins.. The upper ones
partly clasp the stalk, and are somewhat heart-shaped.
The lowest ones have stems. The numerous flower
heads are an inch or so broad, and are loosely grouped
in a somewhat flat-topped arrangement. From fif-
teen to twenty-five light blue or violet, or rarely white,
rays surround the yellow centre. The New York
Aster is found in swamps, chiefly near the coast, from

382

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

Newfoundland to Maine and Georgia, during August,
September and October. There are a number of
varieties of this species several of which have been
described, but as they are still more or less confused,
they have been disregarded in this description.

RED-STALK. PURPLE-STEM, OR EARLY PURPLE
ASTER. SWANWEED. COCASH.
MEADOW SCABISH

Aster puniceus. Thistle Family.

A variable, tall, stout, rough-hairy and generally
purple-stemmed species, commonly found in low,
moist thickets and swampy places from July to Novem-
ber. It rises from three to eight feet, and branches
widely at the top. The long, oval or lance-shaped
leaves have a tapering point, and clasp the stalk with
a broad or narrow, heart-shaped base. The mar-
gins are regularly and coarsely toothed, or sparingly
so, in the middle. The upper surface is very rough,
and the under side of the midrib is hairy. The numer-
ous flower heads are from one-half to one and one-half
inches broad. From twenty to forty long, narrow,
showy lilac-blue or white rays surround the yellow,
tubular disc florets, which are prettily set in a loose,
spreading, green cup. They are profusely arranged
in terminal clusters on the tips of the branches,
and are very attractive. This is one of the very .
earliest-blooming of the Aster group, and is found
almost everywhere from Nova Scotia to Western

383

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

Ontario and Minnesota, south to North Carolina,
Ohio and Michigan.
ROBIN’S PLANTAIN. POOR ROBIN’S PLANTAIN,

ROSE PETTY. ROBERT’S PLANTAIN.
BLUE SPRING DAISY

Erigeron pulchéllus. Thistle Family.

The Blue Spring Daisy would seem to be a sort of
favourite name for this earliest of the Aster or Daisy-
like flowers. It is found in the grass in damp fields and
on hillsides or banks along woodland borders, where
the direct sunlight is broken into shaded spots. It
flourishes in scattered communities, and blooming as
it does, from April through June, it is not likely to be
confused with any of the later-flowering Asters, which
it strongly suggests. One can tell this species from an
Aster by its hairy surface, and also by the rosette of
basal leaves — noticeable characteristics which the
Asters do not possess. It is a perennial, and may be
found in the same locality year after year, where it
increases by stolens and offsets. The singular, hairy,
light green stalk is thick and juicy, and rises from ten to
twenty inches high, from a rosette of leaves. It is
hollow, grooved and sparingly leafy. The flowers
are rather large and pleasing, and several of them are
borne in a terminal flat-topped cluster. They are
Daisy-like in design, with a bright yellow centre of
many small disc florets, surrounded with a finely cut
fringe of ray flowers of a light bluish purple. The
latter colour varies greatly, and often it is faded white,

384

PURPLE STEM ASTER. Aster puniceus

CHICORY. BLUE SAILORS. Cichorium Intybus

WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

They are set in a green cup. The long, narrow and
partly clasping leaf is hairy, and tapers toward the
point. The midrib is prominent, and shows a lighter
shade than the leaf. The margin is entire, and spar-
ingly notched. They are arranged alternately, and so
infrequent as to give the stem a generally naked appear-
ance. The basal leaves are tufted and narrow into
short, margined ‘peticles or stems. Erigeron is Greek,
signifying old man in the spring, alluding to the
whitish hairs with which the plant is covered.
While the long stalk looks stiff, and is erect, the
flowers have a certain refinedness that is becoming and
graceful. The species is found from Nova Scotia to On-
tario and Minnesota, south to Florida and, Louisiana.

THE THISTLES

Many a happy-go-lucky barefoot lad has knit his
brows and bulged his cheek with his tongue, or whistled
while he danced on one foot and held the other, after
treading on a prickly tuft of Thistle leaves along the
way to or from his favourite swimming hole. That
is the way he learned to know the Thistle and to respect
it. Can this be the true story of how. the Scotch learned
to dance the Highland fling? One night, a long time
ago, a barefoot Dane experienced the same sensa-
tion and startled a Scotch sentinel, who saved his.
sleeping comrades from annihilation. This incident
caused the patriotic Scots to adopt the Thistle as their
national emblem. In Scotland itis truly “a thing of
beauty and a joy forever,” but the American farmer

385

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

never saw it that way. Because it threatened his hay
fields, laws have been enacted in some states for its
speedy extermination. Notwithstanding their con-
demnable qualities, they are really one of the hand-
somest ornamental plants that have come to our shores.
_ They are especially attractive and conspicuous in our
meadows and pastures, because cattle and horses
studiously avoid them and graze all around them,
and bees and butterflies are always hovering delight-
fully about them. Some of the species have been used
as a remedy for swelled veins. They were held at one
time to be a sure cure for the “blues,” and to dream
of Thistles was considered an omen of good luck.
Silly lassies of olden days, who desired to anticipate
their lover’s sincerity, did so by placing trimmed
Thistles under their pillows at night, and noting cer-
tain changes in them the following morning.

COMMON, BUR OR SPEAR THISTLE

Cirstum lanceolatum. Thistle Family.

A large, biennial species, with its round, branching
stalk growing from three to five feet high. It is very
leafy, and is covered with a fine whitish wool. The
long, dark green, lance-shaped leaves have a long,
tapering point, and their margins are deeply, irre-
gularly and fantastically cut, each projection being
tipped with a long, stiff, and exceedingly sharp, needle-
like point that terminates its midrib, and which easily
pierces the skin upon the slightest provocation. The
upper surface is rough and prickly, and the under side

386

‘WILD FLOWERS BLUE AND PURPLE

is felted with whitish, cobwebby hairs. The leaves
clasp the stalk alternately and hug it closely for a dis-
tance, then spring away with an upward flare. The
lobes are curling, and the texture is tough. The beau-
tiful flowering heads are usually solitary, and are borne
on the ends of the branches. Numerous small,
sweetly scented, tubular, purple florets are gathered
into a large, soft, spreading and rounding head above
the green, egg-shaped cup. The latter is covered with
many long, sharp, white, spreading prickles. The
flowers are succeeded by a fluffy, silky plume. This
Thistle is found in fields and along roadsides from
July to November, from Newfoundland to Georgia,
west to Minnesota, Nebraska and Missouri. Also in
Europe and Asia.

PASTURE THISTLE. FRAGRANT THISTLE

Cirsium pumilum. Thistle Family.

This is the largest-flowered Thistle we have. Com-
pared with the Common Thistle, it grows less tall, is
more fragrant, is not so leafy, the more numerous
spires are shorter, and its range is more restricted.
The leaves are narrowed and do not adhere so closely
to the stouter and less branching stalk. The latter
is more or less hairy, and grows from one to three feet
high from thick, branched, solid roots. The stem
leaves are green on both sides. They are long, lance-
shaped in outline, and clasp the stalk alternatingly.
They are cut into short, triangular, very prickery,
margined lobes, that are more or less fluted. The

387

ELUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

midrib is strong, and the texture is firm. The great,
fluffy flower head is more rounding and spreading than
the Common Thistle. The purple colouring is softer
and lighter in tone, and the large green cup is thickly
covered with short prickers. Several small leaflets
are set close to the base of the cup. One, two, or three
flowers are set on the end of the stalk and branches,
and as the seed ripens, the head becomes a lovely bal]
of silky fluff. This Thistle is found in dry pastures
and fields, from Maine to Pennsylvania, and Delaware,
from July to September.

CANADA THISTLE. CREEPING, CURSED,
WAY, CORN, OR HARD THISTLE

Cirsium drvense. Thistle Family.

The Canada Thistle has been severely condemned
by farmers in this country because of its rapid spread
and the extreme difficulty with which its creeping roots
are eradicated from the soil. It grows in extensive
colonies, and quickly monopolizes our fertile meadows
and pasture lauds. The slender, leafy stalk is grooved
and branching at the top, and grows from one to three
feet high, from a perennial creeping rootstalk. The
long, lance-shaped leaf is deeply cut into very prickly
lobed or coarsely toothed segments, which bristle with
many prickers, as they become curled or ruffled.
The colour is grayish green, and the midrib is whitish.
They slightly clasp the stalk, and the lower ones are
stemmed. The numerous small, purple or whitish
flower heads are loosely clustered on the tips of the

388

WILD FLOWERS ‘ BLUE AND PURPLE

branches. Many tubular florets with prominent pur-
ple stamens and white pistils compose the head.
The latter is set in an egg-shaped, grayish green
cup, which is covered with short, weak prickers. The
flowers are fragrant and pleasing, but after they mature
they become anything but sightly. This species is
very common in cultivated fields and pastures and
along roadsides from Newfoundland to Virginia,
Minnesota and Nebraska, from July to September.

CHICORY. SUCCORY. BLUE SAILORS
Cichorium Intybus. Chicory Family.

In grassy fields that slope to the sea, you may be
sure to find the beautiful, pale blue flowered Chicory
at its best. It fairly continues the colour scheme of
sky and water, and on bright, sunshiny mornings,
when everything is still sparkling with dew, it lends
a rare and irresistible fascination to the scene. And
like most lovely flowers, it seems to inspire the
beholder with a keen sense of gratitude and reverence
for the glorious privilege of living with it, which,
in this work-a-day world, is altogether too often
obscured by those who allow themselves to become
unnecessarily house bound. Chicory, however, is
probably better known as a substitute or an adulterant
for coffee, to which it is added to give colour and body.
The leaves, when young and tender, make an excel-
lent salad, which i is much in favour in France. They
are also used as a pot herb. The smaller roots are
occasionally boiled, and served like carrots and pars-

389

BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS

nips. Chicory was extensively used as a food by the
ancient Egyptians, and it was known to Virgil and
Horace nearly two thousand years ago. It is an erect,
branching, perennial herb, with a long, deep, fleshy
tap-root, and grows from one to three feet high. The
large, rigid, angular stalk is grooved, hairy, and rather
scrawly. The basal leaves slightly resemble those of the
Dandelion or Thistle, to which the plant is related.
They are sharply cut, and are narrowed into long stems
and spread along the ground. ‘The upper ones are very
much smaller, lance-shaped or oblong, lobed and en.-
tire, and clasp the stalk. The very exquisite, showy,
wheel-like blossoms are of a delicate, bright grayish
blue, rarely white, or sometimes tinged with purple,
and are scattered along the nearly naked stalk, at
short intervals, in twos or threes, for a considerable
portion of its length. They are set closely and ver-
tically against the stalk, amid several short, spreading
leaflets, or occasionally they terminate short, stout,
branch-like stems. The florets are strap-shaped rays
with noticeable square, ragged, five-toothed ends,
and are arranged in several spreading circles which
radiate from a flat, leafy green cup. The arrow-
shaped anthers are loosely clustered toward the centre
of the head. The flowers have a very faint odour, and
the green buds are tinted with purple. They open
only in the sunshine, and close at the noon hour.
They blossom from July to October, in fields and
along roadsides, from Nova Scotia to Minnesota,
North Carolina, Nebraska and Missouri.

399

GLOSSARY AND INDEXES

I
GLOSSARY OF BOTANICAL TERMS

II
JNDEX To LATIN NAMES

Til
InvDEx To Common NAMES

GLOSSARY OF BOTANICAL TERMS

Acute. — Sharp-pointed.

Alternate. — Not opposite or paired,
but arranged singly at different
heights on either side of the
stems.

Annual. — Of one year’s duration.

Anther.— That part of the stamen
which contains the pollen.

A petalous. — Without petals, like the
Anemone. Secondary flowers.

Apex. — The outer tip of a leaf or
petal.

Axil, — The angle formed by a leaf
or branch with the stem.

Basal. — Rosettes or tufts of leaves
clustered near the ground,
Bearded. — Bearing tufts of hairs.
Biennial. — Of two years’ duration.
Usually flowering and fruiting
the second year only, and then
perishing. |
Bract. — Asmall, modified leaf at the
base of, or upon 1 the flower stem.
Bractlet. a) secondary bract, usu-
ally upon the stem of a flower.
Bulb. — An underground leaf-bud
with fleshy scales.
Bulbous. — Having the character of
a bulb,

Calyx. — The outer lower set of
leaves at the base of the flower.
Usually green, and sometimes
brightly coloured. In some
instances acting in the place
of petals. 2

Carpel. — —A simple pistil or a sin-
gle part of a compound pistil.

Chlorophyll.— The green colour-
tog matter of plants.

Cleistogamous. — Small, _ inconspic-
uous flowers which never opea
but fertilize themselves in the
bud, and usually grow near
the ground.

Composite. — A floral head composed
of few or many florets gathered
in a dense head like the Daisy,
Clover, and Dandelion.

Compound. —- Composed of two or
more similar parts united into
a whole. Compound-leaf, is one
divided into separate leaflets.

Corm.—A solid, fleshy, bulb-like
enlargement at the base of the
stem.

Corolla. — The flower leaves stand-
ing next within and above the
calyx. :

Cross-fertili: —Is produced by
the pollen, which has been trans-
ferred from the anther of one
flower to the stigma of another,
by bees, moths, butterflies,
insects, and the wind.

Deciduous. — Not evergreen. Fall
ing away.

Deflexed.— Bent or turned sharply
or abruptly downward.

Disc Flowers. — The tubular florets
composing the central ‘button”
of an Aster or similar com-
posite flower, and usually sur-
rounded with a circle of ray
flowers.

Entire, — Without toothing or divi-

_ Sion.

Evergreen. — Bearing green leaves

throughout the year.

393

GLOSSARY

Fertile. — Fruit-producing flowers, as
one having a pistil, or anthers
with pollen. Bearing seeds.

Fibrous. — Threadlike.

Filament. — The threadlike part of
a stamen, which supperts the
anther,

Fertilization. A process whereby
the tiny pollen grains, which
come in contact with the stigma
penetrates the style and enters
the ovary, where it quickens
the seed formation into life.

Floret.— A small flower, usually
one of the ray or disc flowers
of the Composite family.

Head. — A dense cluster of stemless
or nearly stemless flowers like
a Daisy or Clover.

Hybrid. — A cross-breed of two
species.
Imperfect. — Flowers with either

stamens or pistils, not with
both.

Introduced. — Brought intentionally
from another region.

Irregular. — Showing inequality in
the size, form or union of its
similar parts.

Keeled. — Ridged like the keel of
a boat. Applied tothe two
united lower petals of the
peculiar corolla of the blos-
soms of the Pea family.

Lance-shaped. — Much longer than
wide, broadest above the base,
and narrowest to the apex.

Leaflet. — A separate or single divi-
sion of a compound leaf, or a
tiny leaf or bract.

Lip.— The prominent upper petal
of orchids (which by a pecu-
liar twist appears as the lower)
or the divisions of the two-
parted flowers of the Mints.

WILD FLOWERS

Lobe. — The rounded segments of
any part of flower or leaf.

Margin. — The edge or outline of
a leaf or petal.

Midrib. — The central or main rib
of « leaf.

Naturalized. — Plants not native to
the region but so firmly estab-
lished as to have become part
of the flora.

Nectar. — A sweetish fluid contained
in some parts of a flower.

Oblique. — Slanting.

Oblong. — Longer than broad, with
nearly parallel or somewhat
curving sides.

Ovary. — Lower part of a pistil,
which bears seeds.

Ovate. — Egg~shaped, with the
broadest end toward the stem.

Papilionaceous. — Having a winged
corolla somewhat resembling
a butterfly, and peculiar to the
flowers of the Pea family.
Palate.—A round projection of
the lower lip of a two-lipped
flower, closing the throat.
Parasitic.— Growing upon and deriv-
ing nourishment from another
plant.
Perennial. — Lasting year after year.
Perfect flower.— One having both
pistil and stamens.
Petal.— A division of the corolla,
Petiole. — The stalk of a leaf.
Pistil.—The central and seed-
bearing organ of a. flower, con-
sisting of the ovary, stigma
and style when present.
Pistillate. — Having pistils, but no
stamens. Female flowers.
Pollen.— The yellow _ fertilizing
powder contained in the anther.
Polygamous.~— Bearing both per-
fect and imperfect flowers.

394

WILD FLOWERS

Radiate.— Spreading from or ar-
ranged around a common cen-
tre. Bearing ray flowers.

Ray. — The outer florets of a Daisy-
like flower.

Recurved.——- Curved downward or
backward.

Reflexed. — Sharply bent or curved
downward.

Rib. — The prominent vein of a leaf.

Root.— The underground part of
a plant supplying nourishment.

Rootstock. — A creeping, horizontal,
underground stem rooting at
the joints, and becoming erect
at the apex.

Runner.— A very slender stolen.

Scape.-— A leafless, or nearly leaf-
less flower stalk rising from the
ground.

Saprophyte. — A plant which grows
on dead organic matter.

Seeund. — Borne along one side of a
stem.

Segment. — One of the parts of a
leaf or other like organ that is
cleft or divided.

Sepal. — A division of the Calyx.

Sheath. — A tubular covering, as the
lower part of the leaves in
grasses.

Spadix.— A fleshy spike enveloped
by a spathe as in the Cala Lily
and Jack-in-the-Pulpit.

Spathe.—A_ large, leaflike bract
or pair of bracts enclosing a
flower or spadix.

Spike. — An elongated, closely set
flower-cluster.

Spur. — A hollow, sac-like or tubu-
Jar extension of some part of a
blossom, usually nectar-bear-

ing.

Stalk. —Herein used to designate
the main ascending part of
a plant.

Stamen. — One of the pollen-bear-
ing organs of a flower.

GLOSSARY

Staminate. — Flowers which bear
stamens but no pistils. Male
flowers.

Stem.— Herein used to designate
the connecting parts between
the stalk and the leaves and
flowers.

Sterile. — Unproductive, as a flower
without a pistil, or stamen
without an anther.

Stigma. — The tip or side of a pistil
through which the pollen is
received, by means of tiny
tubes which penetrate the style
and convey the minute grains
to fertilize the seeds within
the ovary.

Stipule.— A tiny leaflet borne at
the base of a petiole.

Stolen. — A basal runner or root-
ing branch.

Style.-—'The usually slender part
of a pistil connecting the stigma
and the ovary.

Terminal. — Borne at the summit
of the stem.

Tuber. — A short and thick under-
ground branch having many
eyes like a potato.

Tufted. — Growing in clusters or
clumps.

Unmbel. — A terminal, floral arrange-
ment in which the stems of a
cluster spring from the same
point like the ribs of an um-
brella.

Veins. — The ffiner, threadlike
branching parts in the fibre or
tissue in a leaf or other organ.

Venation.— The arrangement of
the veins.

Whorl. — An arrangement of leaves
in a circle around the stem.

Winged. — Having a thin expan-
sion or extension on either side
of the stem.

395

I

INDEX TO LATIN NAMES

AcuitieaA MILLeFrorium, 319
Acorus Calamus, 95

Actaea alba, 241

Actaea rubra, 243

Aecidium, 124

Agrimonia gryposepala, 136
Agrostemma Githago, 35
Aletris farinosa, 212

Althaea officinalis, 62
Amphicarpa monoica, 336
Anagallis arvensis, 19
Anaphalis margaritacea, 308
Anemone quinquefolia, 233
Anemone virginiana, 235
Anemonella thalictroides, 231
Antennaria plantaginifolia, 309
Anthemis Cotula, 312

Apios tuberosa, 17
Apocynum androsaemifolium, 75
Apocynum cannabinum, 293
Aquilegia brevistyla, 14
Aquilegia canadensis, 10
Aralia nudicaulis, 277

Aralia racemosa, 276
Arctium Lappa, 91

Arctium minus, 90

Arethusa bulbosa, 34
Arisaema triphyllum, 3
Asarum canadense, 8
Asclepiadaceae, 76
Asclepias incarnata, 78
Asclepias phytolaccoides, 81
Asclepias purpurascens, 78
Asclepias quadrifolia, 82
Asclepias syriaca, 79
Asclepias tuberosa, 159

Asclepias verticillata, 293
Aster acuminatus, 306
Aster cordifolius, 381
Aster divaricatus, 303
Aster ericoides, 304
Aster laevis, 381
Aster macrophyllus, 376
Aster multiflorus, 305
Aster novae-angliae, 378
Aster novi-belgii, 382

. Aster patens, 379
Aster puniceus, 383
Aster spectabilis, 377
Aster undulatus, 380

Baprisia TINCTORIA, 138
Barbarea vulgaris, 132
Berberis canadensis, 126
Berberis vulgaris, 123
Betonica officinalis, 22
Bidens frondosa, 187
Brassica alba, 129
Brassica arvensis, 129
Brassica nigra, 130

CALTHA PALUSTRIS, 121
Calopogon pulchellus, 33
Campanula rotundifolia, 370
Capsella Bursa-pastoris, 250
Cassia marilandica, 137
Cassia nictitans, 138 ©
Castalia odorata, 224
Castilleja coccinea, 21
Ceanothus americanus, 270

. Cerastium arvense, 219
Chelidonium majus, 127

396

WILD FLOWERS

Chelone glabra, 86
Chimaphila maculata, 67
Chimaphila umbellata, 66
Chiogenes hispidula, 291
Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum, 313
Chrysopsis mariana, 169
Cichorium Intybus, 389
Cicuta maculata, 280
Cimicifuga racemosa, 240
Circaea alpina, 276

Circaea lutetiana, 275
Cirsium arvense, 388
Cirsium lanceolatum, 386
Cirsium pumilum, 387
Ciaytonia virginica, 222
Clematis crispa, 33%
Clematis Viorna, 331
Clematis virginiana, 236
Clematis verticillaris, 329
Clintenia borealis, 103
Collinsonia canadensis, 160
Commelina virginica, 319
Convolvulus sepium,82
Coptis trifolia, 238
Corallorrhiza maculata, 7
Corallorrhiza trifida,8
Cornus canadensis, 284
Corydalis aurea, 128
Corydalis sempervirens, 41
Cuscuta Gronovii, 294
Cypripedium acaule, 29
Cypripedium hirsutum, 213
Cypripedium pubescens, 107
Cypripedium parviflorum, 106

Datura STRAMONIUM, 296
Daucus Carota, 283
Dentaria diphylla, 251
Dentaria laciniata, 253
Desmodium nudiflorum, 334
Dianthus Armeria, 40
Dicentra canadensis, 249
Dicentra Cucullaria, 247
Dicentra eximia, 249

INDEX TO LATIN NAMES

Dodecatheon Meadia, 4
Drosera rotundifolia, 253

EcHIUM VULGARE, 348
Epifagus virginiana, 24
Epigaea repens, 73
Epilobium angustifolium, 64
Epilobium coloratum, 65
Epipactis pubescens, 216
Erigeron annuus, 306
Erigeron pulchellus, 384
Erythronium albidum, 103
Erythronium americanum, 100
Eupatorium perfoliatum, 301
Eupatorium purpureum, 89
Eupatorium urticaefolium, 303

FRAGARIA VIRGINIANA, 259

Gatium APARINE, 297
Galium tinctorium, 298
Galium triflorum, 298
Galium verum, 168
Gaultheria procumbens, 296
Gentiana Andrewsii, 345
Gentiana crinita, 344
Gerardia flava, 166
Gerardia pedicularia, 165
Gerardia tenuifolia,87
Geranium maculatum, 55
Geranium Robertianum, $7
Geum canadense, 260
Gnaphalium polycephalum, 310

HABENARIA BLEPHARIGLOTTIS, 214
Habenaria ciliaris, 108

Habenaria fimbriata, 325
Habenaria flava, 108

Habenaria lacera, 110

Habenaria orbiculata, 214
Habenaria psycodes, 325

Hedeoma pulegioides, 356
Helenium autumnale, 188
Helianthemum canadense, 147

397

INDEX TO LATIN NAMES

Helianthus annuus, 184
Helianthus giganteus, 186
Helianthus tuberosus, 186
Hepatica triloba, 327
Heracleum lanatum, 281
Hibiscus Moscheutos, 61
Hieracium aurantiacum, 199
Hieracium Gronovii, 201
Hieracium venosum, 200
Houstonia caerulea, 368
Hypoxis hirsuta, 105

{MPATIENS PALLIDA, 145
Impatiens biflora, 143
Iaula Helenium, 182
Iris versicolor, 322

KALMIA ANGUSTIFOLIA, 72
Kalmia latifolia, 70
Krigia virginica, 193

Lacruca CANADENSIS 4197
Lactuca hirsuta, 198
Leonurus Cardiaca, 84
Lepidium virginicum, 250
Liatris squarrosa, 374
Lilium canadense, 99
Lilium philadelphicum, 6
Lilium superbum, 98
Limonium carolini an
Linaria canadensis, 361
Linaria vulgaris, 164
Linnaea borealis, 88
Lobelia cardinalis, 25
Lobelia inflata, 373

Lobelia Kalmii, 372
Lobelia spicata, 371
Lobelia siphilitica, 371
Lupinus perennis, 333
Lysimachia quadrifolia, 157
Lysimachia terrestris, 158

MALVA ROTUNDIFOLIA, 60
Maianthemum canadense, 208
Medbéola virginiana, 103

WILD FLOWERS

Medicago lupulina, 141
Medicago sativa, 334
Melampyrum lineare, 167
Melilotus alba, 267
Melilotus officinalis, 141
Mertensia virginica, 348
Mentha arvensis, 359
Mentha piperita, 358
Mentha spicata, 357
Mimulus ringens, 363
Mitchella repens, 299
Mitella diphylla, 256
Monarda didyma, 20
Monarda fistulosa, 85
Moneses uniflora, 285
Monotropa Hypopitys, 18
Monotropa uniflora, 288
Myosotis scorpioides, 346

NELUMBO LUTEA, 114
Nepeta Cataria, 352
Nepeta hederacea, 354
Nymphaea advena, 111

OAKESIA SESSILIFOLIA, 97
Oenothera biennis, 153
Oenothera fruticosa, 154
Orchis spectabilis, 30
Ornithogalum umbellatum, 207
Orontium aquaticum, 95
Osmorhiza longistylis, 279
Oxalis Acetosella, 53

Orxalis stricta, 142

Oxalis violacea, 55

PANAK QUINQUEFOLIUM, 278
Parnassia caroliniana, 257
Pastinaca sativa, 156
Pedicularis canadensis, 22
Pentstemon hirsutus, 362
Phlox subulata, 83
Phytolacca decandra, 217
Podophyllum peltatum, 246
Pogonia ophioglossoides, 32

398

WILD FLOWERS

Polygala paucifolia, 58
Polygala sanguinea, 59
Polygonatum biflorum, 209
Polygonum pennsylvanicum 35
Pontederia cordata, 320
Potentilla argentea, 133
Potentilla canadensis, 135
Potentilla fructicossa, 134
Preanthes alba, 314
Prunella vulgaris, 355
Psedera quinquefolia, 271
Pyrola americana, 287
Pyrola elliptica, 286
Pyrola secunda, 286

RANUNCULUS ACRIS, 120
Ranunculaceae, 115
Ranunculus abortivus, 116
Ranunculus bulbosus, 120
Ranunculus fascicularis, 107
Ranunculus hispidus, 118
Ranunculus pennsylvanicus, 119
Ranunculus recurvatus, 117
Ranunculus repens, 119
Ranunculus septentrionalis, 118
Rhezia virginica, 63
Rhododendron maximum, 69
Rhododendron nudiflorum, 67
Rhododendron viscosum, 289
Rhus Toxicodendron, 268
Rosa blanda, 47

Rosa canina, 47

Rosa carolina, 49

Rosa humilus, 49

Rosa rubiginosa, 48
Rosaceae, 259

Rubus allegheniensis, 261
Rubus hispidus, 262

Rubus occidentalis, 261
Rubus odoratus, 44

Rubus parviflorus, 45

Rubus villosus, 263
Rudbeckia hirta, 183

Rumer Acctosella, 111

INDEX TO LATIN NAMES

SABATIA ANGULARIS, 75
Sagittaria latifolia, 205
Sanguinaria canadensis, 245
Sanicula marilandica, 279
Saponaria officinalis, 38
Sarracenia purpurea, 14
Saxifraga virginiensis, 255
Scutellaria lateriflora, 352
Sedum purpureum, 322
Senecio aureus, 192
Silene latifolia, 221
Silene pennsylvanica, 37
Silene stellata, 220

Sisyrinchium angustifolium, 324

Smilacina racemosa, 207
Smilax herbacea, 104
Solanum Dulcamara, 360
Solanum nigrum, 295
Solidago bicolor, 173
Solidago caesia, 172
Solidago canadensis, 180
Solidago graminifolia, 181
Solidago juncea, 177
Solidago latifolia, 172
Solidago nemoralis, 180
Solidago odora, 178
Solidago rugosa, 179
Solidago sempervirens, 176
Solidago speciosa, 175
Solidago uliginosa, 174
Solidago ulmifolia, 178
Solidago, 170

Sonchus asper, 196
Sonchus oleraceus, 195
Specularia perfoliata, 369
Spergularia marina, 327
Spergularia rubra, 326
Spiraea salicifolia, 258
Spiraea tomentosa, 43
Spiranthes cernua, 215
Stellaria longifolia, 218
Stellaria media, 218
Symplocarpus foetidus, 4

399

INDEX TO LATIN NAMES

TANACETUM VULGARE, 189
Taraxacum officinale, 193
Thalictrum dioicum, 228
Thalictrum polygamum, 229
Thalictrum revolutum, 229
Tiarella cordifolia, 256
Trichostema dichotomum, 351
Trientalis americana, 292
Trifolium agragrium, 139
Trifolium arvense, 263
Trifolium hybridum, §2
Trifolium pratense, 50
Trifolium repens, 265
Trillium cernuum, 211
Trillium erectum, 32%
Trillium grandiflorum, 210
Trillium undulatum, 211
Tussilago Farfara, 190

Urrpo, 125
Uvularia perfoliata, 96

VERATRUM VIRIDE, 206
Verbascum Blattaria, 163

WILD FLOWERS

Verbascum Thapsus, 161
Verbena hastata, 349
Vernonia noveboracensis, 374
Veronica americana, 364
Veronica officinalis, 365
Veronica serpyllifolia, 367
Veronica virginica, 297
Vicia Cracca, 335
Victoria regia, 226

Viola blanda, 272

Viola canadensis, 274
Violaceae, 337

Viola conspersa, 342
Viola cucullata, 340
Viola lanceolata, 273
Viola palmata, 341

Viola pedata, 339

Viola primulifolia, 274
Viola pubescens, 151
Viola rotundifolia, 149
Viola scabriuscula, 152

ZAZIA AUREA, 155

Ii

INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Aaron’s Ron, 161, 332
Adder’s Tongue, White, 103
Adder’s Tongue, Yellow, 100
Agrimony, Tall Hairy, 146
Ague-weed, 301 «
Alexanders, Golden, 155
Alfalfa, 334

Alleluia, 53

All-heal, 355

Alsike, 52

Alum Root, 55
Amy-root, 293

Anemone, Rue, 231
Anemone, Star, 292
Anemone, Tall, 235
Anemone, Wood, 233
Arbutus, Trailing, 73
Arethusa, 34

Arrow-head, Brodd-leaved, 205
Artichoke, Jerusalem, 186
Asarabacca, 8 ©

Aster, Common Blut Wood, 381

Aster, Dense-flowered;'305
Aster, Early Purple, 383
Aster, Frost-weed, 304
Aster, Golden, 169

Aster, Large-leaved, 376
Aster, Late Purple, 379
Aster, Low Showy, 377
Aster, Mountain, 306
Aster, New England; 378
Aster, New York, 382"
Aster, Purple-stem, 383 —
Aster, Seaside Purple, 377,
Adter;‘Smooth, 481’
Asters, The,’ 375 '

Aster, Various-leaved, 380
Aster, Wavy-leaf, 380 | ,
Aster, White Heath, 304
Aster, White Wood, 303
Aster, White Wreath, 305:
Aster, Whorled, 306.
Asthma Weed, 373

Avens, White, 260 -
Azalea, Clammy, 289
Azalea, Pink, 67

Azalea, Purple, 67
Azalea, White, 289
Azalea, Wild, 67

1
or

Baru, Auzrican Bre; 30
Balm, Field, 354 -
Balm,'Fragrant, 20
Balmony, 86

Balsam, 143

Balsam, Sweet, 310
Balsam, White, 310
Balsam-weed, 310
Baneberry, Red, 243
Baneberry, White, 241
Barberry, American, 126
Barberry, Common, 123
Bean, Wild, 71
Beard-tongue, Hairy, 362
Beaver-poison, 280
Bedflower, 168

Bedstraw, Fragrant, 298
Bedstraw, Ladies’, 168
Bedstraw, Stiff Marsh, 298 -
Bedstraw, Sweet-scented, 298
Bedstraw, Yellow, 168
Beech Drops, 24

401

INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Beech Drops, False, 18
Beefsteak Plant, 22
Beggar’s Button, 90
Beggar-ticks, 187

Behen, 221

Bellflower, Clasping, 369
Bellwort. Perfoliate, 96
Bellwort, Sessile-leaved, 97
Bergamot, Wild, 85
Betony, Paul’s, 365
Betony, Wood, 22
Bindweed, Blue, 360
Bindweed, Great, 82

Bird’s Nest, 18, 283
Birtbroot, 321

Bishop’s Cap, Two-leaved, 356
Bitter Bloom, 75
Bitter-buttons, 189
Bitter-herb, 86

Bitter-root, 75

Bittersweet, 360
Bittersweet (Nightshade), 360
Bitter-weed, 179°
Blackberry, High Bush, 261
Blackberry, Low Running, 263
Blackberry, Running, 262
Blackberries, The, 259
Black Cap, 261

Black-eyed Susan, 183
Black-root, 297

Blazing Star, Blue, 374
Bleeding Heart, 249

Blister Flowers, 120
Bloodroot, 245

Blow-ball, 193

Blue Bells, 348

Blue Bells of Scotland, 370
Blue Curls, 351, 355

Blue Flag, Larger, 322
Blue Mountain Tea, 178
Blue Sailors, 389

Blue Thistle, 348

Bluets, 368

Blueweed, 348

WILD FLOWERS

Boneset, 301

Boneset, Deerwort, 303
Boneset, Purple, 89
Boneset, Tall, 89
Bouncing Bet, 38
Brandy-mint, 358
Bride-weed, 164
Brooklime, American, 364
Broom, Indian, 138
Broom, Yellow, 138.
Bruisewort, 38

Brunella, 355

Bugloss, Viper’s, 348
Bunchberry, 284
Burdock, go
Bur-marigold, Common, 187
Burnet Rose, 19
Butter-and-Eggs, 164
Buttercup, Bristly, 119
Buttercup, Bulbous, 120
Buttercup, Common Meadow, 120
Buttercup, Creeping, 119
Buttercup, Early, 117
Buttercup, Hispid, 118
Buttercup, Marsh, 118
Buttercup, Swamp, 118
Buttercup, Tall, 120
Buttercups, The, 115
Buttercup, Tufted, 117
Butter Flowers, 120
Butterfly-weed, 159

Caramus, 95
Calf-Kill, 72

Calico Bush, 70
Calopogon, 33
Camomile, Fetid, 313
Campion, Bladdor, 222
Campion, Corn, 35
Campion, Starry, 220
Cancer-root, 24
Canker-bloom, 47
Canker-root (Goldthread), 238, 343 ~
Cankerweed, White, 314

402

WILD FLOWERS INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Cankerwort, 193 Clover, Swedish, 52
Cardinal Flower, 25 Clover, Tree, 267
Carpenter’s Herb, 355 Clover. White, 265
Carrion Flower, 104 Clover, White Sweet, 267
Carrot, Wild, 283 Clover, Yellow, 139
Catchfly, 37 Clover, Yellow Sweet, 141
Catmint, 352 Cocash, 383

Catnip, 352 Cockle Bur, 90

Cat’s Foot, 354 Cockle, Corn, 35
Cat-whin, 47 . €od-head, 86

Celandine, Greater, 127 Cohosh, 241

Charlock, 129 Cohosh, Black, 240

Cheese Flower, 60 Colic-root, 212 r:
Cheese-rennet, 168 Coltsfoot, 190

Chickweed, Common, 218 Columbine, Blue, 14 !
Chickweed, Field, 219 Columbine, Small-flowered, 14
Chickweed, Red, 19 Columbine, Wild, 10,”
Chicory, 389 Coolwort, 256, -
Chinquapin, Water, 114 Coral-root, Early, 8
Cinquefoil, Hoary, 133 Coral-root, Large, 7
Cinquefeil, Shrubby, 134 Cornel, Dwarf, 284
Cinquefoil, Silvery, 133 Cornel, Low, 284
Citronella, 160 Cornflower, 183.

Clamoun, 70 Corpse-plant, 288
Claytonia, 222 Corydalis, Golden, 128
Cleavers, 297 Corydalis, Pink, 4x
Clematis, Marsh, 331 Cotton-weed, 308

Clematis, Purple, 329 Coughwort, 190
Cleverwort, 297 Cowbane, Spotted, 280
Ciintonia, Yellow, 103 Cow-bell, 221

Clover, Alsatian, 52 Cowelip, American, 74
Clover, Blackseed Hop, 141 Cowslip (Marsh Marigold), 121
Clover, Brazilian, 334 Cowslip, Virginia, 348
Clover, Chilian, 334 Cowthwort, 84

Clover, Dutch, 265 Cow-wheat, Narrow-leaved, 36
Clover, Honeysuckle, 265 Crane’s-bill, Spotted, 55
Clover, Hop, 139 Creeping Charlie, 354 af
Clover, Meadow, 50 Cress, Bitter, 132 }
Clover, Old-field, 263 Cress, Rocket, 132

Clover, Purple, 50 Cress, Winter,.132

Clover, Pussy, 263 Cress, Yellow, 1

Clover, Rabbit-foot, 263 Crinkle-rget, 251

Clover, Red, 50 Crosswart, 304

Clover, Stone, 263 Crowfoot, 151

403 \

INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Crowfoot, Hooked, 117
Crowfoot, Kidney-leaved, 116
Crowfoot, Small-flowered, 116
Crown-of-the-Field, 35
Cuckoo Button, go
Cucumber-root, Indian, 103
Culver’s Physic, 297
Culver’s-root, 297

Daisy, 312

Daisy, Blue Spring, 384
Daisy, Irish, 193

Daisy, Michaelmas, 204
Daisy, Ox-eye, 312
Daisy, Purple, 379
Daisy, White-weed, 313
Daisy, Yellow, 183
Dandelion, 193
Dandelion, Dwarf, 193
Dayflower, Virginia, 319
Deergrass, 63 sy
Devil’s Paint Brush, 199
Devil’s Trumpet, 296
Dewberry, 263, 29”
Dew-plant, 253

Dock, Mullen, 161
Dock, Velvet, 161 i
Dodder, Common, 294
Dogbane, Spreading, 75
Dog-fennell, 304, 312
Dutchman’s Breeches, 247
Dyer’s-weed, 180

ata Arrre, 186

Everlasting, Lar,
Everlasting, Life, 3
Everlasting, Mouse-eai
Everlasting, Pearly, 308

Everlasting, Plantain-leaf, 309

flowered, 308

WILD FLOWERS

Everlasting, Spring, 309
Everlasting, Sweet Life, 310

Fat Frower, 305

Farewell Summer, 304
Fellonwort, 360

Fireweed, 64, 197
Five-finger, 135

Flag, Sweet, 95
Flannel-leaf, 161

Flat-top, 374

Flaxweed, 164

Fleabane, Daisy, 306
Fleabane, Small, 380
Fleawort, 168

Fleur-de-lis, 322

Fluellin, 365

Foam-flower, 256
Forget-me-not, 346
Foxglove, Downy False, 166
Foxglove, Fern-leaved False, 165
Frostweed, 304

Frostweed, Long-branched, 147
Frostwort, 147

Fuller’s Herb, 38

Gac-roor, 373

Garden Mint, 357

Gay Feather, 374

Gay Wings, 58

Gentian, Bottle, 345
Gentian, Closed, 345
Gentian, Fringed, 344
Gerardia, Slender, 87
Geranium, Wild, 55
Ghost-flower, 288
Gill-over-the-Ground, 354
Ginger-plant, 189

Ginger, Wild, 8

Ginseng, 278

Gold-cup, 120

Golden Club, 95

Golden Jerusalem, 183
Golden-rod, Anise-scented, 178

404

WILD FLOWERS

Golden-rod, Blue-stemmed, 172
Golden-rod, Bog, 174
Golden-rod, Broad-leaved, 172
Golden-rod, Bushy, 181
Golden-rod, Canada, 180
Golden-rod, Early, 177
Golden-rod, Elm-leaved, 178
Golden-rod, Field, 180
Golden-rod, Fragrant, 181
Golden-rod, Gray, 180
Golden-rod, Noble, 175
Golden-rod, Plumed, 177
Golden-rod, Salt Marsh, 176
Golden-rod, Seaside, 176
Golden-rod, Sharp-toothed, 177
Golden-rod, Showy, 175
Golden-rod, Sweet, 178
Golden-rod, Tall Hairy, 179
Golden-rods, The, 170
Golden-rod, White, 173
Golden-rod, Woodland, 172
Golden-rod, Wreathed, 172
Goldea-rod, Wrinkle-leaved, 179
Golden-rod, Zigzag, 172
Goldthread, 238

Goose Grass, 297

Grass of Parnassus, 257
Grass, Pointed Blue-eyed, 324
Gravel Root, 89

Grim the Collier, 199
Ground-berry, 290
Ground-ivy, 354

Ground-nut, 17

Ground-vine, 88 —

Hairsx11, 370 }

Hardhack, 43

Harebell, 370

Hare’s-foot, 263

Hawkbit, 200

BHawkweed, 200

Hawkweed, Golden Moure-ear, 199
Hawkweed, Hairy, 301

INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Hawkweed, Orange, 199
Hawkweed, Tawny, 199
Haymaids, 354

Heal-all, 355

Heal-all, High, 22
Heart-of-the-Earth, 355
Hellebore, American White, 206
Hemlock, Water, 280
Hepatica, 327

Herb Christopher, 241
Herb Robert, 57

Herb of St. Barbara, 133
Hind-heal, 189

Hog Apple, 243
Honey-bloom, 75
Honey-lotus, 267
Honeysuckle, Swamp, 289
Honeysuckle, Wild, 67
Hoodwort, 352
Horse-balm, 160
Horseheal, 182
Horsefly-weed, 138
Huntsman’s Cup, 14
Hyssop, Wild, 349

Icr-piant, 288
Indian Cup, 14
Indian Hemp, 293
Indian Lettuce, 287
Indian Paint, 245
Indian Paint-brush, 28
Indian Pipe, 288
Indian Plume, 20
Indian Poke, 206
Indian Posy, 310
Tndian-root, 276
Indian Sage, 301
Indian Turnip, 3
Indigo, Wild, 138
Ink-berry, 217. +
Ink-root, 343 ,
Innocence, 368
Ironweed, 374
Itch-weed. 206

}

405

INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Ivy-bush, 70
Ivy, American, 272
Ivy, Poison, 268

Jacx-1n-tTHE-Putrrr, 3
Jamestown Weed, 296
Jewel-weed, 143
Jimson-weed, 296

Joe Pye Weed, 89

Kania, 70

Kale, Field, 129
Kidney-leaf, 327
Kidney Root, 89
King Cup, 120
Knotweed, Pink, 35

Lapizs’ Tresszrs, NoppiNne, 215
Lady’s Slipper, Large Yellow, 107
Lady’s Slipper, Pink, 29

Lady’s Slipper, Showy, 213
Lady’s Slipper, Small Yellow, 106
Lady’s Slipper, Stemless, 29
Lady’s Thimble, 370
Lamb Kill, 72
Lamb-mint, 358

Larabell, 184

Laurel, American, 70
Laurel, Great, 69

Laurel, Ground, 73
Laurel, Mountain, 70
Laurel, Sheep, 72
Lavender, Sea, 343
Leather Flower, 331
Lemon, Wild, 243
Lettuce, Canker, 287
Lettuce, Hairy, 198
Lettuce, Hare’s, 195
Lettuce, Indian, 287
Lettuce, Red Wood, 298
Lettuce, Tall, 197
Lettuce, White, 314 ~
Lettuce, Wild, 197
Life-root, 192

WILD FLOWERS

Lily, Cow, 111

Lily, Fawn, 100

Lily, Field, 99

Lily, Flame, 6

Lily, Large Yellow Pond, 113
Lily, Meadow, 99

Lily, Philadelphia, 6

Lily, Pond, 224

Lily, Red, 6

Lily, Trout, 100

Lily, Turk’s Cap, 98

Lily, Wild, 99

Lily, Wood, 6

Lily, Yellow, 99

Lily of the Valley, False, 208
Lion’s Foot, 314
Lion’s-tooth, 193
Live-forever, 332

Live-long, 332

Liverleaf, 327

Liverwort, Noble, 327
Lobelia, Bladder-pod, 373
Lobelia, Blue, 371

Lobelia, Brook, 372
Lobelia, Great, 371

Lobelia, Pale Spiked, 371
Lobelia, Red, 25

Loosestrife, Bulb-bearing, 158
Loosestrife, Four-leaved, 157
Loosestrife, Whorled, 157
Lotus, American, 114
Lousewort, 22

Love-me, 346

Love-vine, 294

Lucerne, 334

Lungwort Tree, 348

Lupine, Wild, 333

Mapprr, Witp, 298
Mad-dog, 352
Madnep, 156
Madweed, 352
Mallow, Dwarf, 60
Mallow, Low, 60

406

WILD FLOWERS

Mallow, Marsh, 62
Mallow, Running, 60
Mallow, Swamp Rose, 61
Mandrake, 243

Mare’s Tail, 304
Marigold, Marsh, 121
Marigold, Rayless, 187
Master-wort, 281

May Apple, 243
Mayflower, 73
May-weed, 312

Meadow Beauty, 63
Meadow Gowan, 121
Meadow Rue, Early, 228
Meadow Rue, Purplish, 229
Meadow Rue, Tall, 229
Meadow Scabish, 383
Meadow-sweet, American, 258
Meadow-sweet, Willow-leaved, 258
Medic, Black, 141
Medic, Purple, 334
Melilot, White, 267
Melilot, Yellow, 141
Mercury, 268
Midsummer-men, 332
Milfoil, 310

Milkweed, Common, 79
Milkweed, Four-leaved, 82
Milkweed, Hairy, 79
Milkweed, Poke, 81
Milkweed, Purple, 78
Milkweed, Swamp, 78
Milkweed, Tall, 81
Milkweeds, The, 76
Milkweed, Trumpet, 197
Milkweed, Whorled, 293
Milkwort,-Field, 59 .
Milkwort, Fringed, 58
Milkwort, Purple, 59
Mint, American Wild, 359
Mint, Brandy, 358

Mint, Garden, 357

Mint, Lamb, 358

Mint, Mountain, 20

INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Mitrewort, False, 256
Mitrewort, 256
Moccasin Flower, 29
Monkey Flower, 363
Moonshine, 308
Morning-glory, Wild, 82
Motherwort, 84
Mountain Tea, 290
Mouse-ear, 346
Moxie Plum, 291
Mullein, Great, 161
Mullein, Moth, 161
Musquash Root, 280
Mustard, Black, 130
Mustard, White, 129
Mustard, Wild, 129

NELuMBO, 114

Nep, 352

New Jersey Tea, 270
Nigger-head, 183 ,
Nightshade, 360
Nightshade, Black, 295
Nightshade, Common, 295
Nightshade, Enchanter’s, 275
None-so-Pretty, 308
Nose-bleed, 310

Oax, Porson, 268

Oat, Wild, 79

Old Maid’s Bonnets, 333

Old Man’s Beard, 236

Old Man’s Pepper, 310

Opium, Wild, 197

Orange-root, 159 .
Orchis, Large Purple Fringed, 325
Orchis, Large Round-leaved, 214
Orchis, Ragged, 110

Orchis, Showy, 30

Orchis, Smali Pale Green, 108
Orchis, Smaller Purple Fringed, 32g
Orchis, Tubercled, 108

Orchis, White Fringed, 214

Orchis, Yellow Fringed,ro8

407

INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Orpine, 332
Os-eye, 188

ParntTED-cup, SCARLET, 21
Parsnip, Cow, 281
Parsnip, Early, 155 .
Parsnip, Golden Meadow, 155
Parsnip, Wild, 156
Partridge-berrry, 290, 299
Pea, Partridge, 138

Pea, Wild, 333

Peanut Hog, 336

Peanut Wild, 336
Pennyroyal, American, 356
Pennyroyal, Bastard, 351
Pennyroyal, Mock, 356 .
Pepper-grass, 250
Pepperidge Bush, 123
Peppermint, 358

Pepper, Old Man’s 310
Pepper-root, 253
Persicaria, 35
Pickerel-weed, 320
Pigeon-berry, 217
Pimpernel, Red, 19
Pimpernel, Scarlet, 19
Pinesap, 18

Pink, Deptford, 40

Pink, Grass, 33

Pink, Ground, 83

Pink, Hedge, 38

Pink, Moss, 83

Pink, Old Maid’s, 38
Pink, Swamp, 289

Pink, Wild, 37

Pinxter Flower, 67
Pipsissewa, 66
Pitch-forks, 187
Pitcher-plant, 14
Plantain, Downy Rattlesnake, 216
Plantain, Poor Robin’s, 200, 384
Plantain, Robert’s, 384
Plantain, Robin’s, 384
Plantain, White, 309

WILD, FLOWERS

Pleurisy-root, 159
Pogonia, Rose, 32
Poison-berry, 360. :
Poison-flower, 360
Poke, 217

Poor Man’s Weather-glass, 19
Poppy, Frothy, 221
Poppy, Spattering, 22%
Potato, Canada, 186
Poverty, 310

Prairie Weed, 134
Pride of Ohio, 74
Primrose, Evening, 153
Prince’s Pine, 66
Puccoon, Red, 245
Pussy-toes, 309

Quaxer Bonners, 368
Quaker Ladies, 368:.

Quaker Lady, 258

Queen Anne’s Lace, 283

Queen of the Meadow, 89, 258

Raseit-root, 277

Ragwort, Golden, 192
Raspberry, Black, 261
Raspberry, Purple Flowering, 4@
Raspberry, Virginia, 44
Raspberry, White Flowering, 45
Rattlesnake Herb, 241
Rattlesnake Plantain, Downy, 216
Rattlesnake Root, 314
Rattlesnake-weed, 200

Red Robin, 57

Red-root, 270

Red Shanks, 57

Red-stalks, 383

Rhododendron, American, 69
Rhododendron, Great, 69
Rock-Rose, Canadian, 147
Rocket, Yellow, 132

Rosa-Solis, 253

Rose Bay, 69

Rose, Canker, 47

408

WILD FLOWERS

Rose, Corn, 35

Rose, Dog, 47

Rose, Low, 49

Rose Mallow, 61
Rose, Meadow, 47
Rose, Pasture, 49
Rose Petty, 384
Rose Pink, 75

Rose, Smooth, 47
Rose, St. Mary’s, 45
Rose, Swamp, 49
Rose Tree, 69

Roses, Wild, 45

Rose of Jericho, 45
Rosemary, Marsh, 343
Rosemary, White, 304
Rue Anemone, 231

SABBATIA, SQUARE-STEMMED, 75
Sage, Indian, 301

Sage, Wild, 301

Sage of Bethlehem, 357
Saint John’s-wort, 145
Sand Spurry; 326
Sandwort, Purple, 326
Sanguinary, 310

Sanicle, 279

Sanicle, Indian, 303
Sanicle, White, 303
Sarsaparilla, Virginian, 277
Sarsaparilla, Wild, 277
Saxifrage, Early, 255
Scabious, Sweet, 306
Scoke, 217

Scorpion Grass, 346
Scrub-brush, 304

Sea Thrift, 343

Senna, American, 137
Senna, Wild, 137
Sensitive Plant, Wild, 138
Shamrock, 53
Sheep-poison, 72
Sheep-weed, 38
Shell-flower, 86

INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Shepherd’s Clock, 19
Shepherd’s Purse, 250
Shepherd’s Weather-glasa, 19
Shin-leaf, 287

Shooting Star, 74

Silkweed, 79

Silver-leaf, 143, 308
Silver-rod, 173

Silverweed, 76

Skullcap, 352

Skunk Cabbage, ¢
Smartweed, 35

Snake Berry, 360

Snake Flower, 348
Snake-grass, 346
Snake-head, 86
Snake-mouth, 32

Snakeroot, Black, 240, 279
Snakeroot, Canada, 8
Snakeroot, Large Button, 374
Snakeroot, White, 303
Snapweed, 143

Snowball, Wild, 270
Snowberry, Creeping, 291
Soapwort, 38

Soldier’s Caps, 247
Solomon’s Seal, Hairy, 209
Solomon’s Seal, True, 209 ,

Solomon’s Seal, Twin-flowered, 269.

Solomon’s Seal, Two-leaved, 208
Sorrel, Field, 111

Sorrel, Lady’s, 142

Sorrel, Sheep, 112

Sour Grass, 111

Sow-thistle, Common, 195
Sow-thistle, Sharp-fringed, 196
Sow-thistle, Spring, 196
Spatterdock, 111

Spearmint, 357

Speedwell, Common, 365
Speedwell, Thyme-leaved, 367
Speedwell, Upland, 365
Spoon-wood, 70

Spikenard, American, 276

409

INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Spikenard, Small, 277
Spikenard, Wild, 277
Spignet, 276

Spring Beauty, 222
Squaw-mint, 356
Squaw-weed, Swamp, 192
Squirrel Corn, 249

Star Anemone, 292
Star-flower, 292
Star-grass, 212

Star-grass, Yellow, 105
Star of Bethlehem, 207
Starwort, Yellow, 182
Steeple Bush, 43
Stickweed, 187
Stitchwort, Long-leaved, 218
Stick-tight, 187
Stone-root, 160
Stramonium, 296
Strangleweed, 294

Straw Bell, 96
Strawberry, Scarlet, 259
Strawberry, Virginia, 259
Strawberry, Wild, 135, 259
Succory, 389

Sundew, Round-leaved, 253
Sundrops, Common, 154
Sunflower, Common, 184
Sunflower, Giant, 186
Sunflower, Swamp, 188
Sunflower, Tall, 186
Swallow-wort, 76, 127
Swanweed, 188, 383
Sweetbrier, 48

Sweet Cicely, 279

Sweet Clover, White, 267
Sweet Clover, Yellow, 141

Tanx, 156
Tansy, 189
Tare, 335
Tea-berry, 290
Tea, Oswego, 20
Ten-o’Clock, 207

WILD FLOWERS

Tetter-wort, 127
Thimble-flower, 355
Thimble-weed, 235
Thistle, Bur, 386
Thistle, Canada, 388
Thistle, Common, 386
Thistle, Corn, 388
Thistle, Cursed, 388
Thistle, Fragrant, 387
Thistle, Hard, 388
Thistle, Milk, 195
Thistle, Pasture, 387
Thistle, Spear, 386
Thistles, The, 385
Thistle, Way, 388
Tickweed, 334, 356
Tinegrass, 335
Toad-flax, Blue, 361
Toad-flax, Wild, 361
Toad-flax, Yellow, 164
Tobacco, Indian, 373
Tobacco, Ladies’, 309
Tobacco, Wild, 373
Toothwort, Cut-leaved, 253
Toothwort, Two-leaved, 251
Touch-me-not, Pale, 145
Touch-me-not, Spotted, 143
Traveller’s Joy, 236
Trefoil, Black, 141
Trefoil, Sour, 53

Trefoil, Tick, 334
Trillium, Painted, 213
Trillium, Purple, 321
Trumpet Weed, 89, 197
‘Turtle-head, 86
Twin-berry, 299
Twin-flower, 88

VALERIAN, Fatse, 192
Vein-leaf, 200

Venus’s Looking-glass, 369
Venus’s Pride, 368
Vervain, Blue, 349

Vetch, Blue, 335

410

WILD FLOWERS

Vetch, Cow, 335

Vetch, Tufted, 335

_ Violet, American Dog, 342
Violet, Bird’s-foot, 339
Violet, Canada, 274
Violet, Common Blue, 340
Violet, Dog’s Tooth, 100
Violet, Downy Yellow, 151
Violet, Early Blue, 341
Violet, Early Yellow, 149
Violet, Hooded Blue, 340
Violet, Lance-leaved, 273
Violet, Meadow, 340
Violet, Round-leaved, 149
Violet, Smooth Yellow, 152
Violet, Sweet White, 272
Violets, The, 337

Vipers’s Bugloss, 348
Virgin’s Bower, 236
Virgin’s Bower, Purple, 329
Virginia Creeper, 271

Waxe-Rosin, ILt-scENTED, 321
Wake-Robin, Large-flowered, 210
Wake-Robin, Nodding, 211
Wake-Robin, Painted, 211
‘Wankapin, 114

Water Lily, Royal, 226

Water Lily, Sweet-scented White, 224
Water Nymph, 224

White-weed, 313

INDEX TO COMMON NAMES

Wicky, 72

Wild Brier, 47

Willow-herb, Great, 64
Willow-herb, Night, 153
Willow-herb, Purple-leaved, 65
Willow-herb, Spiked, 64

Wind Flower, 233

Wind-root, 159

Wintergreen, Chickweed, 292
Wintergreen, Creeping, 290
Wintergreen, False, 287
Wintergreen, Flowering, 58
Wintergreen, One-flowered, 285
Wintergreen, One-sided, 286
Wintergreen, Pear-leaved, 287
Wintergreen, Round-leaved, 287
Wintergreen, Spotted, 67
Wintergreen, Spring, 290

Wood Sorrel, True, 53

Wood Sorrel, Violet, 55

Wood Sorrel, White, 53

Wood Sorrel, Yellow, 142
Woodbine (Virginia Creeper), 278
Woundwort, Soldier's, 310

Yarrow, 310
Yellow Star, 188
Yellow-top, 177
Yellow-weed, 180

Youthwort, 253

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