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MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY,

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Received July., 1935
Accession No. 44419

Given by Nantuaket Maria Mitch

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NANTUGKET
WILD FLOWERS

ALICE O. ALBERTSON

CURATOR OF THE NANTUCKET MARIA MITCHELL
ASSOCIATION

ILLUSTRATED BY

ANNE HINGHMAN

" Great store of flowers — the honour of the field."

Edmund Spenser

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS

NEW YORK AND LONDON

Ifcnfcfeerbocfeer press
1921

BY
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS

Printed in the United States of America

To
MARY A. MITCHELL ALBERTSON

FIRST CURATOR OF

THE NANTUCKET
MARIA MITCHELL ASSOCIATION

' There is no property of any species, even the proper-
ties that constitute the specific definition, that is not a
matter of more or less." — H. G. WELLS.

"The actual and past distribution of plants must ob-
viously be controlled by the facts of physical geography."

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA.

FOREWORD

This book attempts to be a companion for any one who
desires to be more intimate with the wild flowers on
Nantucket.

Undeniably, the natural setting of the island's wild
flowers casts an abiding spell, most deeply felt on "the Com-
mons" (the heathland), where the majority of the wild
flowers grow. This allurement may be born of vast and
open spaces, where an air of elusive mystery, under the
magnifying influence of a salt atmosphere, hangs about
the low and rolling hills. Or it may be due to a vicarious
joy in the triumph of flowers that have to fight for exist-
ence. Yet the very elements that make the fight neces-
sary— salt winds and unhampered sunshine — are known to
be influences also in creating intensity of colour in flowers
and grasses. And beauty of colouring is, unquestionably,
one of the strongest bonds between the Commons and us.

Even in winter colour is by no means lacking. The
lustrous Mealy-plum Vine carpets all the dry ground, and
" Evergreen" bushes are abundant in the swamps. Later,
the Commons in certain places arc covered with May-
flowers or the eye rests on an endless carpet of the Barren
Heath (Hudsonia], dazzlingly yellow, or

"Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,"

are flaunted the most brilliant crimsons and yellows and
purples. A veiling haze and changing lights save this
profuseness of colour from barbaric crudity, softening
outlines and colours.

Still another factor in making Nantucket a happy hunt-
ing-ground for those interested in flowers is the geograph-
ical location. As Prof. Asa Gray once declared, nothing
is a surprise from Nantucket. It is an island, thirty miles

vii

FOREWORD

tit sea, where the means of introduction of new seeds are
limited and the wind and soil conditions unusual. More-
over, flowers grow here like the Scotch Heathers (Calluna
vulgar is and Ericas) that have been reported from few,
if any, other parts of the United States, and the Centaury
(Centaurium spicatwu), not found between Nantucket and
Portsmouth, Virginia, the presence of which on Nantuoket
suggests geological possibilities.

Local interests like these are not confined to the pro-
fessional botanist, therefore this book has been written
to describe, with all possible accuracy and few technicali-
ties, the representative trees and flowers. A full and in-
valuable technical list has already been published by Mr.
Eugene P. Bicknell of New York. To have described in
detail all the trees and plants listed by Mr. Bicknell,
would have resulted in the volume's being of such bulk
that one of the cardinal purposes, the unacademic, would
have been defeated. The book would also have increased
in size without gain in value for our purpose if we had
included such plant life as the club mosses and the grasses.
For these reasons we have chosen three hundred species,
and have started with the Pine Tree Family. We have in-
cluded the typical trees and maritime plants; also many
plants which are not peculiar to seashore environment, but
which on Nantucket grow very profusely; and some intro-
duced weeds, which, if precaution is not taken against their
spread, may, in time, prove to be a curse on Nantucket
as they have elsewhere. We have added a few plants of
unusual scientific interest.

The illustrations are from Nantucket flowers, showing,
whenever possible, the variability of these island forms,
as, for example, the bowed carriage of the Bush Clover
(Lespedeza) which holds itself erect elsewhere. The
flowers have been drawn their actual size. The scale,
representing in every case one inch, will show which have
been reduced in printing.

The illustrator has learned in this work that no in-
dividual flower is a final definition of the species, the

viii

FOREWORD

variations being so great that several examples need to
be studied before the recording of characteristic facts.
May we advise you, whenever possible, to examine sev-
eral specimens before giving up the identification of your
flower with the description or drawing ? Yet this advice
entails a warning, for, knowing the danger of extermina-
tion, the flower-lover's perennial care is one of respect, a
discrimination among the flowers, and a continual anxiety
for the rare ones.

The author acknowledges indebtedness to the following
books of reference: Manual of Botany, 7th edition, Gray;
Flora of tht. Eastern United States and of Canada, Britton
and Brown; The Ferns and Flowering Plants of Nantucket,
Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell; Plants Growing without Cultivation
on the Island of Nantucket, Mrs. Maria L. Owen; and The
Household Physician, Warren. She wishes to express her
gratitude to Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell; Dr. John Borne-
man; Mr. Stewardson Brown; Dr. Joseph Cushman; Miss
Grace Brown Gardner; Dr. John W. Harshberger; Mrs.
Charles S. Hinchman; Mr. F. Schuyler Mathews; Mrs.
Stokeley Morgan; Mr. S. N. F. Sanford; Mrs. Edw.
Sturdevant; and to many others, whose names it would
be a pleasure to record here, did space permit.

A. O. A.

KEY

This key is intended not only to help in the identification
of an unknown specimen, but also to show the main
characteristics of the Families.

TREES
Leaves in bundles.

1. leaves needle-like. Pinaceae (Pinus).

Leaves mostly or all opposite.

1. leaves extremely narrow, at least needle-pointed.

Pinacece (Juniperus).

2. leaves triangular in outline, the middle and end

division decidedly the largest. Aceracece.

Leaves alternate.

1. leaves oblong or nearly round, stipuled, with regular,

saw-like teeth; flowers in catkins. Salicacece.

2. leaves pinnately divided. J uglandacece .

3. leaves having rounded spaces between lobes.

FagacecE.

4. some leaves, at least, mitten-shaped. Lauracece.

5. leaves furnished with prickles.

Aquifoliacece (Ilexopaca}.

6. leaves more or less irregularly saw-toothed; flowers

white or tinted, fragrant, five-petalled, numerous
stamens. .Rosacece.

7. leaves mostly unnotched. Cornaceoe.

SHRUBS AND LOW BUSHES

Leaves opposite or in circles around the stem.

1. flowers circular, fluted on the back, crimson pink;
or urn-shaped, whitish-pink, and fruit black; or
white, in close, cylindrical clusters, very fragrant.

EricacecE,

' , ,

KEY

2. leaves stipuled; flowers in dense, round heads, whit-

ish, very fragrant. Rubiacefe (CephalanthuK).

3. leaves regularly saw-toothed or pinnately divided;

flowers in flat-topped clusters, cream-white, fruit
purple or blue-black. Caprifoluicca1.

Leaves alternate.

LEAVES ENTIRE.

1. leaves evergreen; flowers small, green or whitish;

fruit black. Aquifoliacew (Ilex).

2. leaves spine-like; flowers butterfly-shaped.

Leguminosce (Ulex)',

3. flowers more or less urn-shaped, white to coral-

red; fruit sometimes blue or black. Ericacea'.

4. vine-like shrub; flowers funnel-formed, greenish-

purple and brown. Solanacece (Lyciwn).

5. flowers minute, in dense globular heads which

are magenta. Composites (Arctimn).

LEAVES TOOTHED OR LOBED.

1. leaves and broken twigs fragrant; berries bluish-

grey. Myricace<i\

2. flowers minute; fruit a nut. Betulacerr.

3. flowers whitish, five petals, numeruos stamens; fruit

red or purplish or black. Rosacece.

4. flowers small, greenish-white; fruit red.

Aquifoliacen? (Ilex).

5. flowers urn-shaped, white or reddish; fruit blue.

Ericaceae ( V actinium) .

LEAVES PALMATELY DIVIDED.

1. leaves hairy; flowers greenish yellow; fruit reddish-

purple. Saxifragaeece.

2. flowers pink, numerous stamens. Rosacece.

3. flowers butterfly-shaped; fruit a pod.

/.ay u ininosce (Cytisus) .

xii

KEY

LEAVES PINNATELY DIVIDED.

1. Some, at least, having more than eleven divisions,

flowers whitish-green. Anacnnlinrnr.

2. flowers pink, numerous stamens: Rosaceoe (Rosa).

VINES

Leaves entire.

1. parallel- veined ; prickles on the stem.

Liliacece (Smilax).

2. leaves evergreen, with rough hairs or smooth;

flowers more or less urn-shaped, at least tubular
at the base; pink or white; fruit red, mealy or
juicy. Ericacece.

3. flowers trumpet-shaped, corolla undivided, white or

streaked with pink. Convolvulacece.

Leaves lobed and having short, broad teeth.

1. a tendril opposite each leaf; flowers greenish; fruit
purple. Vitaceop- (Vitis).

Leaves palmately divided.

1. abundant prickles on the stems: flowers white; fruit

black. Rosacece (Rubus).

2. leaves three-divided, shiny; flowers whitish-green;

fruit yellow-cream colour. Anacardiacece (Rhus) .

3. leaves five-divided, tendrils ending in disks; flowers

whitish or yellow-green. Vitacece (Psedera).

Leaves pinnately divided.

1. flowers brown-lilac. Leguminosce (Apios}.

AQUATIC PLANTS

1. Stems slender, one foot to three feet long, leaves

thread-like. Naiadacea;.

2. Masses of tiny, green plants, having rounded, blue-

green leaves. Lemnacece.

xiii

KEY

3. Leaves four inches to twelve inches wide; flowers large

white, fragrant. Nymphaacea

4. Leaves one inch broad or less; flowers small, white.

Gentianacece (Nymphoides)

PLANTS HAVING PARALLEL-VEINED LEAVES

All the leaves from the root or sheathing the base of thi
flower-stem.

1. flowers brown, in cylindrical spikes, which are tw<

inches or more long. Typhacea

2. flowers white, with yellow centers. Alismacea

3. leaves three-divided above; over the flower-spiki

curves a purple or greenish flap.

Aracece (Ariscema]

4. flowers greenish yellow in spikes or "graters."

Aracece, (Acorus)

5. leaves in tufts, having prominent central marking

and cross lines; flowers like pin-cushions, slate
colour. Eriocaulaceoe

6. leaves very narrow; flowers yellow. Xyridacea
1. flowers tubular, tawny-orange.

Liliacece (Hemerocallis)

8. plant and flowers mealy. Liliacece (Aletris)

9. flowers pink, having an inflated sack.

Orchidacece (Cypripedium)
10. flowers in twisted spirals, white.

Orchidacece (Spiranthes)

Some leaves basal, at least one leaf on the stem.

1. flowers in parts of 3's and 6's, blue, sometime!
variegated with white. Iridacece

Leaf or leaves on the flower-stem.

1 . flowers brown-white, in bur-like heads.

Sparganiacece

2. leaf lance-shaped, deeply cut at the base; flowen

blue. Pontederiacecp

xiv

KEY

3. parts in 6's, each stamen before one of the divisions

or lobes; sepals and petals similarly coloured,
flowers in varying shades of red and scarlet, green
or white. LiliacecB.

4. flowers having three sepals, similarly coloured to

two of the petals, the third petal more conspicu-
ously marked and often spurred; one stamen
united with the style, forming a column, which
faces the lip, flowers yellow, white or varying
shades of pink or purple. Orchidacece.

PLANTS HAVING NET-VEINED LEAVES AND SIM-
PLE FLOWERS

BASAL.

1. flowers irregularly-shaped, whitish with purple

markings. Violacece.

2. flowers in branched sprays, lavender.

Plumbaginacea '.

3. flowers dull-white, in dense thimble-shaped heads.

Plantaginaeece.

OPPOSITE.

1. leaves very fleshy, plants, growing in beach sand.

Caryophyllacece (Arenaria).

2. stems practically smooth and usually swollen at

the joints; calyx united, often inflated, five
petals, flowers white, pink, or magenta.

Caryophyllacece.

3. tiny plant; flowers greenish-white.

Crassulacece (Tilloea).

4. leaves pressed against the stiff stem; flowers

yellow. Linacece.

5. plant resembling a miniature cypress tree; or in

a rosette on the sand, reddish-green.

Euphorbiacece.

6. leaves usually glandular-dotted; flowers yellow,

five petals, numerous stamens, more or less
united. Hypericacece.

KEY

7. plants like tiny trees; flowers greenish.

Cistacece (Leched).

8. leaves glandular-dotted, flowers star-shaped,

yellow with darker centre, or scarlet.

Primulacea;.

9. plant pale-green; flowers small, pink.

Gentianacece (Centaurium).

10. stems having milky juice; flowers lilac-green or

dull crimson, lavender-brown or orange-red.

Asclepediacece.

11. leaves very narrow; flowers tubular, with flaring

lobes yellow or purple. Scrophulariaceoe.

12. flowers having longer or shorter pistil, whitish to

blue. Rubiacece (Houstonia).

ALTERNATE.

1. lower leaves smaller than the upper, flowers

greenish- white. Santalacece.

2. stems jointed, with papery sheaths at the joints,

or leaves swollen at jointure with stem.

Polygonaceae.

3. leaves fleshy; mid-vein continued into a prickle.

Chenopodiacece (Salsola).

4. leaves extremely narrow, flowers very small,

greenish; or stem bushily branched, flowers
yellow. Cistacece.

5. parts of flowers in 4's or multiples of 4's, flowers

magenta or yellow; fruit a capsule. Onagracecv.

6. leaves fat; flowers star-shaped, yellow.

Crassulacece (Sedum) .

7. flowers irregularly-shaped, magenta, white sta-

mens. Polygalacece.

8. flowers pink, green sepals, alternating with petals.

Gentianacece (Sabatia).

9. flowers funnel-formed, white to blue.

Boraginacece.

10. leaves very narrow; flowers lipped and spurred,

lavender or yellow. ScrophulariacecB (Linaria).

xvi

KEY

LEAVES CROWDED ON THE STEM.

1. dense, cushiony clumps of plants; flowers yellow.

CistaceoB (Hudsonia).

2. dense, cushiony clumps; flowers red-brown.

Empetracece.

3. plants in spreading patches.

Ericaceae (Calluna, Erica).

LEAVES IN CIRCLES AT THE TOP OF THE STEM OR IN
CIRCLES AROUND THE STEM (WHORLED),

1. flowers in heads, magenta pink.

Polygalaceae (Polygala).

2. flowers arranged in circles around the stem,

magenta. Lythracece.

3. flowers white or yellow. Primulaccce.

4. flowers small, white. Rubiacece (Galium}.

Leaves lobed or deeply cut.

BASAL.

1. leaves from the roots and at the joints of the

runners ; flowers in heads, yellow. Ranunculaceop .

2. leaves upright, nasturtium-shaped; flowers in a

head, white. Umbelliferce (Hydrocotyle).

OPPOSITE.

1. flowers magenta-pink. Geraniacece (Geranium}.

ALTERNATE.

1. flowers small, green or brown-red.

Polygonacece (Rum.ex).

2. plant sprawling on the ground; flowers white to

pale-magenta. Malvaceae, (Malva}.

3. flowers large, trumpet-shaped, blue; or much

smaller, purple, having a yellow cone at the
centre. Solanacece.

Leaves palmately-divided.
BASAL.

1. divisions themselves deeply-slashed; flowers yel-
low. Ranunculacece.

xvii

KEY

2. divisions cut; flowers irregular, purple;

Violacece (Viola}-,

OPPOSITE.

1. leaves sensitive; flowers yellow. Oxalidacece.

ALTERNATE.

1. three-five divided; flowers white or yellow, five

petals, numerous stamens. Rosaceoe.

2. flowers in loose sprays or dense heads, more or

less butterfly shaped, yellow, white, pink, vio-
let, purple, or magenta ; fruit a pod. Leguminosce.

Leaves pinnately-divided.

OPPOSITE.

1. flowers pink or purple. Geraniacece (Erodium) .

ALTERNATE.

1. leaves sweet-scented; petalless flowers in spikes.

MyricacecB.

2. plant when cut exuding orange-coloured juice.

PapaveraceoB.

3. leaves sensitive; flowers large, yellow.

Leguminosce (Cassia).

4. flowers in loose groups or in heads, more or less

butterfly-shaped, yellow, bluish, or purple,
white or pink; fruit a pod. Leguminosce.

5. divisions themselves very finely dissected; flowers

in flat-topped clusters, white. Umbelliferce.

Leaves "pitcher-shaped." SarraceniacecE.

Leaves red, sticky.

1. flowers white or pink. Droseracew.

Leaves like tiny scales.

1 . at the joints of the stems. Chenopodiacece (Salicornia) .

2. leaves early deciduous; stems extremely fleshy,

bristly. Cactacew.

• • •

xvm

KEY

3. pressed against the stem; flowers "pipe-shaped."

Ericacece (Monotropa).

Leaves toothed.

(at least some with saw-like or rounded teeth.)

BASAL.

1. flowers irregular, pale violet. Violaceas (Viola).

OPPOSITE.

1. flowers magenta, having prominent yellow

stamens. Melastomacece.

2. leaves variegated with white; flowers whitish.

Ericacece (Chimaphila).

3. flowers small, purple in "candelabra-like" clusters.

Verbenaceoe.

4. flowers somewhat tubular, or three-divided lower

lip, two-divided upper; usually fragrant foliage;
often square stem. Labiates.

ALTERNATE.

1. leaves having white wool beneath, flowers white

or green. Chenopodiacece.

2. flowers white, pinkish, or yellow, four petals

arranged somewhat in the shape of a cross.

Cruciferce.

3. flowers in loose or compact clusters, pink, five

petals, numerous stamens. Rosaceas (Spiraea}.

4. flowers yellow, spurred. Balsaminacece.

5. flowers very large, rose-pink. Malvacece (Hibiscus).

6. flowers white, five pointed petals; fruit green or

black; or flowers very large, trumpet-shaped,
white. Solanacece.

7. leaves and plant wooly; flowers in dense spikes,

yellow. Scrophulariacece ( Verbascum) .

8. flowers cardinal red. Lobeliacece.

Leaves clustered at the ends of the branches.

1. flowers white; fruit red. Ericacece (Gaultherid).

xix

KEY

PLANTS HAVING MINUTE FLOWERS CROWDED IN
HEADS, WITH OR WITHOUT RAY FLOWERS.

Plants having no ray flowers.

LEAVES OPPOSITE.

(at least the lower, or in clusters around the stem.)

1. flower-heads whitish or magenta-crimson.

Eupatorium.

2. flower-heads about one inch broad, yellow. Bidens.

3. flower-heads purple, foliage fragrant. Pluchea.

LEAVES ALTERNATE (at least the majority).

1. alternate and basal; flower-heads whitish.

Sericocarpus.

2. flower-heads purple. Liatris.

3. flower-heads short, slender, yellow or whitish.

Solidago.

4. flower-heads green-white. Erigeron (canadensis) .

5. stem and leaves having long, white wool; flower-

heads whitish. Anaphalis.

6. more succulent plant than preceding. Gnaphalium.

7. flower-heads green. Ambrosia.

8. leaves finely-divided, fragrant; flower-heads oys-

ter-white or pink. Achillea.

9. foliage fragrant; flower-heads button-like, yellow.

Tanacetum.

10. leaves finely cut and covered with white wool;

flowers greenish-yellow or yellow-white.

Artemisia.

11. plants having abundant juice, rank odour; flower-

heads white. Erechtites.

12. leaves spiny; flower-heads magenta or yellow.

Cirsium.

Plants having ray flowers.
LEAVES BASAL

1. flower-stem thickened below the flower-heads;
flower-heads yellow. Leontodon.

KEY

2. coarser plant than preceding; flower-heads bright
yellow. Taraxacum.

LEAVES OPPOSITE.

1. rays yellow, disks yellow. Helianthus.

LEAVES ALTERNATE.

1. flower-heads yellow; leaves entire. Chrysopsis.

2. rays lilac to violet and white. Aster.

3. leaves very narrow, entire, scattered; rays white,

disks yellow. Erigeron (ramosus).

4. rays yellow, disks brown-purple. Rudbeckia.

5. leaves finely divided, fragrant; rays white; disks

yellow. Anthemis.

6. leaves cut and toothed, narrow; rays white; disks

yellow. Chrysanthemum.

7. flower-heads blue. Cichorium.

8. leaves with spiny teeth; flower-heads yellow.

Sonchux

xxi

J LEAF 1 ARRANGEMENT ON

Common 2. PARTS OF
Milkweed LEAF

2 . ALTERNATE

.OPPOSH

Meadow Beauty
" LEAF

Joe - Pye Weed
3. WHORLED

Plantain

4. RADICAL

xxni

I. LEAF

3. FORM

SPATULATE

Arrow-
Leaved

1 railing

LANCEOLATE

Arbutus

Tear
Thumb

SAGITTATE
It

HASTATE
13.

Herb
Barbara

LYRATE
14

XXIV

1 LEAF

VEINJMG

False
kenard

Co.mmon

Mallow

1C.

PARALLEL
VEINING'

P1NNATELY PALMATELY

NETTED VEINING NETTED VEINING

MARGIN

6. APEX

Sweet

Pepper-
bush

17
SERRATE

Jbmart-
weed

Arrcw-Wood

Vetch

( leaflet

from

compound

leaf)

18 19 20

DENTATE ACUMINATE MUCRONATE

XXV

I. LEAF

5 COMPOUND LEAVES

Virginia

Creepej

Ground
nut

21.
PINNATELY COMPOUND PALMATELY COMPOUND

E FLOWER IMPARTS OF FLOWER

23. SIMPLE FLOWER
Rose

petal--

stamens}

pistil-

sepal—

ovary'"
receptacle'

24 COMPOUND FLOWER

ray-
disk..

(perianth ^
--calyx) bracts

Aster

involucre

,
peduncle

fanther-

stamen
b-

Evening Primrose

•.style

-.-ovary

pistil

ray
flower

Sdisk
flower

Daisy

xxvi

'II FLOWER INFLORESCENCE

Fire - M M^e e d blooms first here

blooms
first
here ••"r

/ oraer of bloom
\ascendmg or

25. RACEME

Meadow Beauty

( order of bloom-. \
(descendmg or.cfintr.ifugalj

16. CYWE

•PANICLE
2.7.

coryrabed N Tansy

heads

28. CORYMB

from a
cluster
of

Butterfly - Weed
Z9. UMBEL

XXVll

in FRUIT

30. CAPSULE

31. LEGUME
OR POD

3£. NUT

1. DRY FRUITS

33 ACHENE

Violet

Beach Pe a

Beaked
Hazelnut

Arrow- Head

Z SUCCULENT FRUITS

BERRY

35 DRUPE

3fc POME

Wild Cherry

Choke berry

37. AGGREGATE.
FRUIT

Blackberry

xxvin

GLOSSARY

ACHENE (from a Greek negative and a word to gape): a
small, hard fruit that does not open by valves to distribute
its seed. Achenes of the Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vir-
q inland) are the small, hard seeds in the soft pulp.

ACUMINATE (from Latin, signifying to sharpen) : tapering
to a point. Leaves of the Beaked Hazlenut (Carylus
rostrata) are acuminate.

ANTHER (from Greek for a flower) : that organ at the top
of the stamen which bears the pollen. Anthers of the Day
Lily (Hemerocallis fulva), if pinched, drop yellow pollen.

BERRY (from Anglo-Saxon with same meaning) : a succu-
lent fruit, in which the seeds are enveloped in pulp. Fruit
of the Gooseberry (Ribes oxyacanthoides) is a berry.

BRACT, BRACTLET (from Latin for a thin plate of metal).
Bract: any leaf that supports a flower or a group of flowers.
It may closely resemble the other leaves or may be more
or less modified in form or in colour. Bractlet : a secondary
bract. Bracts of the Evening Primrose ((Enothera murl-
cata) are green and closely resemble the leaves.

CALYX (from Greek and Latin with same meaning): the
outer circle of the showy part of the flower. Calyx of
the Hedge Bindweed (Convolvulus sepium) is green, but
of the Larger Blue Flag (Iris versicolor) is blue.

CAPSULE (from Latin for a small box or case) : a dry form
of fruit that contains more than one seed and opens by
valves or slits. Fruit of the Evening Primrose ((Enothera
biennis) is a capsule.

CATKIN (a diminutive, from Anglo Saxon with same mean-
ing) : a spike of unisexual flowers, sometimes the two kinds

xxix

GLOSSARY

on one tree and sometimes on separate trees. Pistillate
and staminate flowers grow on the same tree in the Chest-
nut Scrub Oak (Quercus prinoides}.

CORDATE (from Latin for heart-shaped): heart-shaped.
Leaves of the White Violet (Viola pattens) are cordate in
outline, those of the clasping-leaved Milkweed (Asdepias
amplexicaulis) are cordate at the base only.

COROLLA (Latin diminutive for a crown): the showiest
and most distinctive part of the flower, immediately sur-
rounding the stamens and pistil. Corolla of the Buttercup
(Ranunculus bulbosus] is bright yellow.

CORYMB (from Greek for a cluster of flowers): a flower-
arrangement in which the main stem is so shortened that,
although the flowers grow from different points on it,
the result is flat-topped or convex. Flowers of the Cock-
spur Thorn (Crataegus Crus-galli] are in a corymb).

CYME (from Greek for a sprout) : a flower-arrangement in
which the succession of bloom is from the topmost flower
downward or from the innermost outward. A cyme is
variable in shape, but is frequently flat-topped. Flowers
of the Common St. John's-wort (Hypericum perfwatum)
are in a cyme.

DENTATE (from Latin for toothed): bluntly-toothed.
Denticulate: diminutive form. Leaves of the Jewel-weed
(Impatiens biflora) are dentate.

DISK (from Latin and Greek for a round plate or quoit) :
applied to the tubular flowers of the central head of flowers
in the Composite Family to distinguish them from the
ray-flowers. Disk flowers of the Common Daisy (Chrys-
anthemum leucanthemum var. pinnatifidum) are yellow.

DRUPE (from Latin and Greek for an olive) : a pulpy fruit
with a hard or stony seed-case at the centre. Fruit of
the Beech Plum (Prunus maritima) is a drupe.

xxx

GLOSSARY

ENTIRE (from Latin, signifying entire) : unnotched. Leaves
of the Knotweed (Polygonum pennsylvanicum) are entire.

FILAMENT (from Latin for a thread) : that part of a stamen
which carries the anther. Filaments of the Day Lily
(Hemerocallis fulva) are yellow.

FOLLICLE (from Latin, signifying a small bag or pair of
bellows): a form of capsule. Fruit of the Common Milk-
weed (Asdepias syriaca) is a follicle.

HASTATE (from Latin for halberd-shaped) : having diver-
gent basal lobes. Basal leaves of the Orach (Atriplex
hastata) are hastate.

IMBRICATED (from Latin for tiled or shingled) : over-lapping.
Petals of the Wild Rose (Rosa virginiana) are imbricated
in the bud; bracts of the Canada Hawkweed (Hieracium
canadense) are imbricated in two or three series.

INFLORESCENCE (from Latin for the beginning of blossom-
ing): such an arrangement of flowers on the axis as
determines the manner of bloom, whether from the top
of the stem down or from the centre of the cluster out or
the reverse. Inflorescence of the Common St. John's
Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is from the top down.

INVOLUCRE (from Latin for a covering): a circle of small
leaves (bracts) that surround the base of a cluster of flow-
ers or a one-several ranked circle surrounding the flower-
heads of a compound flower. An Involucre is found in both
the Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) and the Thistle (Cirsium
lanceolatum) .

LANCEOLATE (from Latin for lance-shaped) : lance-shaped.
Leaves of the Salt Marsh Fleabane (Pluchea camphorata)
are lanceolate.

LEGUME (from Latin to gather, because they may be
picked without cutting); a pod-like kind of fruit, that,
when fully ripe, opens along the seams. Fruit of the
Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) is a legume.

xxxi

GLOSSARY

LINEAR (from Latin for flax): narrow. .Leaves of the
Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa) are linear.

LYRATE (from Greek and Latin, signifying a certain
stringed, musical instrument): applied to a lobed leaf,
when the terminal lobes are sufficiently large to give the
character of a lyre. Lower leaves of the Sow Thistle
(Sonchus oleraceus) are lyrate.

MUCRONATE, MUCRONULATE (from Latin meaning abrupt-
ly-tipped) : said of the mid- vein when it projects as a short,
abrupt tip beyond the end of the leaf. Mucronulate: a
diminutive. Leaves of the Dwarf Huckleberry (Gaylus-
sacia dumosa) are mucronate.

NUT (from Anglo Saxon with same meaning) : a member
of a cluster of fruits or a solitary fruit that has a bony
covering and does not open by valves. Fruit of the
Hickory (Hicoria alba) is a nut.

OB: a prefix, signifying the inverse. Oblanceolate means
having the narrower part at the base, the broader at the
apex.

OVARY (from Latin for an egg) : that part of the flower
which holds the immature seeds; the ovary may be one
to several-celled. Ovary of Common Mallow (Malva ro-
tundifolia) has a number of cells.

PALMATE, PALMATELY-DIVIDED (from Latin for a hand):
said of a compound division, in which all the parts start
at the same point or at very nearly the same point. Leaves
of the Red Clover (Trifolium pratense] are palmately
divided.

PANICLE (from a Latin diminutive for a swelling referring
to tufts on plants) : an arrangement of flowers in which
the flowering branches are rebranched. Flowers of the
Red Sorrel (Rumex acctosella] are in a panicle.

xxxii

GLOSSARY

PAPPUS (from Latin and Greek for an old man, in allusion
to the fact that many forms of pappus are white) : a tuft,
resembling bristles or down, that adheres to the seed of an
individual flower in the flower-head of a member of the
Composite Family. Heads of Pappus (the "clocks") of
the Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) when it has
gone to seed, are very conspicuous.

PEDUNCLE, PEDICEL (from a Latin diminutive for a foot) .
Peduncle: the main flower-stalk; pedicel, a secondary
flower-stalk. From the peduncles of the Hardback
(Spircea tomentosa) rise the pedicels.

PERIANTH (from Greek for a flower) : the flower-envelope,
consisting of the calyx and corolla or of calyx alone. It
may be all one colour or the corolla may be coloured and
the calyx green. Perianth of the Wood Lily (Lilium
philadelphicum) is of one general colour, red.

PETAL (from Greek for a leaf): one of the divisions of
the corolla. The petals of the Hairy Willow Herb (Epilo-
bium hirsutum) are magenta.

PETIOLE (diminutive from Latin for a foot) : a leaf-stalk.
A petiole bears the same relation to the leaf that a peduncle
does to the flower. Petioles of the Tall Buttercup (Ran-
unculus acris) are long.

PINNATE, PINNATIFID, PINNATELY-DIVIDED, PINNATELY-
VEINED (from Latin for a feather) : said of the arrangement
of parts on either side of a main axis as the parts of a
feather are arranged. Leaves of the Sweet Fern (Myrica
asplenifolia] are pinnatifid.

PISTIL, PISTILLATE (from Latin for a pestle, in allusion
to the shape of the organ) : the chief organ of the flower,
consisting of the ovary that bears the seeds, the style
that is the passage to the ovary, the stigma that receives
the pollen from the stamens. Pistil of the Marsh Pink
(Sabatia gracilis) is pure white, the stigma two-divided.

xxxiii

GLOSSARY

POD (from Greek for a foot) : for definition see Legume.

POME (from Latin for an apple) : a fruit, consisting of a
fleshy exterior and a core which contains the seeds. Fruit
of the Shad-bush (Amelanchier canadensis) is a pome.

RACEME (from Latin for a bunch of grapes) : a cluster of
flowers, in which the individual flowers are borne on stems
that branch from a central stem or axis. Racemose:
having the general structure of a raceme. Flowers of
Gerardia are in raceme.

RAY (from Latin for a beam or ray, in allusion to the
radiating arrangement) : in some members of the Composite
Family, surrounding the central disk or head is a circle
of what resembles petals. These are rays; each ray is
the corolla of a flower. Rays of the New York Aster
(Aster novi-belgii] are lilac.

RECEPTACLE (from Latin signifying to receive): the part
of the stem which bears the flower or flowers. The recep-
tacle of the "heads" of White Clover (Trifoliumrepens) are
round.

SAGITTATE (from Latin for an arrow) : arrow-shaped.
Leaves of the Arrowhead (Sagittaria Engelmanniana] are
sagittate.

SCAPE (from Latin for a stem) : a flower-stem that rises
unbranched from the surface of the ground; it may or
not bear bracts. Scape of the Moccasin Flower (Cypri-
pedium acaule) is bractless.

SEPAL (from Latin to separate): one of the divisions of
the calyx. Sepals of the Deadly Nightshade (Solarium
Dulcamara] are green ,of the Bladderwort (Silene latifolia)
the sepals are united to form an inflated sack.

SERRATE, SERRULATE (from Latin for a saw) : having sharp
teeth, the points of which are usually directed upward.
Serrulate: the diminutive form. Leaves of the Choke-
berry (Pyrus arbutifolia, var. atropurpurea) are beauti-
fully serrate.

xxxiv

GLOSSARY

SESSILE (from Latin diminutive for a seat): stemless.
Leaves of the Field Chickweed (Cerastium arvense) are
sessile.

SPATULATE (from Latin diminutive for a spade) : spade-
shaped. Basal leaves of the Bushy Aster (Aster dumosus)
are spatulate.

SPIKE (from Latin for an ear of corn) : an arrangement of
stemless or practically stemless flowers around a main stem.
Flowers of the Common Plantain (Plantago Major) are in
a spike.

STAMEN (from Latin for a thread or fibre) : the organ of
the flower that produces the pollen. It consists of an
anther and a filament. Stamens of the Turks-Cap (Lilium
superbum) have long, coloured filaments which are capped
with nodding anthers.

STIPULE (from Latin for a stalk) : one of a pair of small
leaves that occur on many plants, borne at the base of
the principal leaves, and usually deciduous. Stipules of
the Honey Balls (Cephalanthus occidentalis) fall early.

STYLE (from Greek for a pillar) : the slender stalk-like part
of the pistil, the passage-way for the pollen grains from
the stigma to the ovary. Style of the Bird's-foot Violet
(Viola pedata) is bright orange.

UMBEL, UMBELLATE (from Latin diminutive for a shade) :
a cluster of flowers, of which the stems come from the same
point at the end of the main stem. Flowers of the Water
Pennywort (Hydrocotyle umbellata) are in umbels.

VERTICILLATE (from Latin diminutive for a whirl) : ar-
ranged like the spokes of a wheel around a main axis.
Leaves of the Swamp Milkwort (Polygala cruciata) are
verticillate.

WHORL, WHORLED (from Greek to whirl): arranged in a
circle around the stem like the spokes of a wheel. Leaves
of the Common Bed-straw (Galium Claytoni] are whorled.

xxxv

CONTENTS

PAGE

FOREWORD ....... vii

J \ I . JL • • • * • « • * • -\ 1

GLOSSARY ........ xxix

FAMILIES

Pine (Pinaceaz) ...... 3

Cat-tail (Typhacece) ..... 6

Bur-reed (Sparganiacece) .... 9

Pondweed (Naiadacece) ..... 10

Water-Plantain (Alismaceai) . . . .11

Arum (Aracece) ...... 15

Duckweed (Lemnacece) ..... 18

Pipewort (Eriocaulacece) .... 19

Yellow-eyed Grass (Xyridacece') ... 20

Pickerel-weed (Pontederiacece) ... 21

Lily (Liliacece) ...... 23

Iris (Iridacece) ...... 34

Orchid (Orchidacece) ..... 39

Willow (Salicacece) ..... 52

Sweet Gale (Myricacece) .... 57

Walnut (Juglandacece) ..... 60

Birch (Betulacece) ...... 61

Beech (Fagacece) ...... 63

Sandalwood (Santalacece) .... 70

Buckwheat (Polygonacece) .... 72

Goosefoot (Chenopodiaceoe) . . . .80

Pink (Caryophyllacece') . . . . .84

Water Lily (N ymphoeacece) . . . ' .98

Crowfoot (Ranunculacece} .... 100

Laurel (Lauracece) . ..... 105

xxxvii

CONTENTS

PAGE

Poppy (Papaveracece) ..... 106

Mustard (Cruciferce) ..... 108

Pitcher-plant (Sarraceniacece) . . . .115

Sundew (Droseracece) . . . . . .117

Orpine (Crassulacece) ..... 122

Saxifrage (Saxifragacece) .... 125

Rose (Rosaceoe) ...... 127

Pulse (Leguminosos] ..... 144

Flax (Linacece) . . ' . . . .171

Oxalis (Oxalidacece) . . . . .172

Geranium (Geraniacea) ..... 173

Milk wort (Polygalacece) . . . . .180

Spurge (Euphorbiacece) . . . . .186

Broom Crowberry (Empetraceoe) . . . 189
Cashew (Anacardiacece) . . . . .190

Holly (Aquifoliacece) ..... 196

Maple (AceracecB) ..... 202

Balsam (Balsaminacece) ..... 204

Vine (Vitacece) ..... 206

Mallow (Malvacece) . . . . . 209

St. John's-wort (Hypericacece) . . . 214
Rockrose (Cistacece) ..... 224

Violet (Violacece) ...... 232

Cactus (CactacecB) ...... 240

Loosestrife (Lythracece) ..... 242

Meadow Beauty (Melastomacece) . . . 246
Evening Primrose (Onagracece) . . . 247
Parsley (Umbelliferoe) ..... 255

Dogwood (Cornaceoe) ..... 259

Heath (Ericacece) ..... 260

Leadwort (Plumbaginacece) .... 287

Primrose (Primulacece) ..... 293

Gentian (Gentianacece) ..... 300

Milkweed (Asclepiadacece) .... 308

Morning Glory (Convolvulacece) . . . 315
Borage (Boraginacece) . . . . .319

Vervain (Verbenacece) ..... 322

Mint (Labiatoe) 324

xxxviii

CONTENTS

PAGE

Nightshade (Solanacece)

Figwort (Scrophulariaceas) .... 345

Bladderwort (Lentibulariacece) . . . 353

Plantain (Plantaginaceoe) .... 354

Madder (Rubiacece) ..... 356

Honeysuckle (Caprifoliacece) .... 360

Lobelia (Lobeliacece) ..... 362

Composite (Composites) ..... 364

INDEX. ......•• 427

xxxix

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

ALETRIS FARINOSA ........ 25

AMELANCHIER CANADENSIS ...... 131

ANAGALLIS ARVENSIS ....... 297

ARCTOSTAPHYLOS UVA-URSI ...... 273

ARTEMISIA STELLERIANA ....... 411

ASCLEPIAS AMPLEXICAULIS ..... 309

ASCYRUM HYPERICOIDES ....... 215

ASTER LINARIIFOLIUS ...... 368

ASTER PATENS ........ 368

CALLUNA VULGARIS ........ 277

CALOPOGON PUCHELLUS ....... 41

CERASTIUM ARVENSE . . . . . . . .87

CHRYSOPSIS FALCATA ....... 368

CICHORIUM INTYBUS . . . . . . .411

CRAT^EGUS CRUS-GALLI ....... 131

CYTISSUS SCOPARIUS ........ 147

DECODON VERTICILLATUS ....... 243

DIANTHUS ARMERIA ....... 95

DROSERA LONGIFOLIA . . . . . . .119

EPILOBIUM HIRSUTUM ....... 249

ERODIUM CICUTARIUM ....... 177

GAYLUSSACIA BACCATA ....... 273

GERANIUM MACULATUM . . . . . . .175

GRATIOLA AUREA ........ 348

HABENARIA LACERA ........ 41

HIBISCUS MOSCHEUTOS . . . . . . .211

HUDSONIA ERICOIDES ....... 227

HYPERICVM PERFORATUM ....... 221

xli

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

HYPERICUM VIRGINICUM ....... 221

ILEX GLABRA 197

ILEX OPACA ......... 197

ILEX VERTICILLATA ........ 197

KALMIA ANGUSTIFOLIA ....... 265

LATHYRUS MARITIMA ....... 147

LESPEDEZA CAPITA TA.var.vELUTiNA . . . . . 163

LlLIUM PHILADELPHICUM ....... 25

LlMONIUM CAROLINIANUM ....... 289

LYCIUM HALMIFOLIUM ....... 338

LYCOPUS VIRGINICUS ....... 328

LYSIMACHIA QUADRIFOLIA ....... 291

LYSIMACHIA TERRESTRIS ....... 291

MYRICA ASPLENIFOLIA ....... 55

MYRICA CAROLINENSIS ....... 55

NEPETA HEDERACEA ........ 328

NYMPHOIDES LACUNOSUM ....... 301

POLYGALA CRUCIATA ........ 181

POLYGALA POLYGAMA ....... 183

PRUNELLA VULGARIS ....... 328

QUERCUS ILICIFOLIA ....... 65

RHODODENDRON VISCOSUM ...... 265

SABATIA GRACILIS ........ 301

SAGITTARIA LATIFOLIA, var. OBTUSA ..... 13

SOLANUM DULCAMARA ....... 338

SOLIDAGO NEMORALIS ....... 376

SOLIDAGO PUBERULA ....... 376

SOLIDAGO RUGOSA ........ 380

SOLIDAGO SEMPERVIRENS ....... 383

SPIRANTHES GRACILIS ....... 41

SlSYRINCHIUM ATLANTICUM ...... 37

TRIFOLIUM AGRARIUM ....... 151

xlii

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

VACCINIUM MACROCARPON
VICIA VILLOSA .

VlOLA LANCEOLATA .

VIOLA FALLENS.
VIOLA PEDATA .

PAGE

273
151
233
233
237

xliii

COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING PAGE

PRUNUS MARITIMA . . Frontispiece.

CYPRIPEDIUM ACAULE 39

SAPONARIA OFFICINALIS 93

TEPHROSIA VIRGIXIANA . .... 160

CENOTHERA MURICATA 253

GERARDIA PURPUREA 350

LIATRIS SCARIOSA 366'

ASTER XOVI-BELGII 391

xlv

Nantucket Wild Flowers

PINACE^E PINE FAMILY

Pinus rigida, Mill.

April-May Pitch Pr.ie,

Torch Pine,
Sap Pine,
Candlewood Pine.

Pinus: the classical Latin name.

Rigida: from Latin, to be stiff with cold.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE TREE: on an average three to five feet high, some as
high as seven feet, many branches; the old bark rough and
furrowed and "flaky in strips."

THE LEAVES: in the form of "needles" ; in bundles of threes
(very rarely some in fours); rather dark green; with two
sheaths.

THE FRUIT: a cone, ovoid, becoming globular when the
scales open, one and a half to three inches long, provided
with prickles.

There are no strictly native pine trees on Nantucket,
although several varieties have become naturalized and
their offspring are numerous. In speaking of the Pitch
Pine, Mrs. Owen says: "All the trees are from seed
planted by Josiah Sturgis and others in 1847 and following
years. They have spread extensively from seed, but are
infested now with insects of the family Tortricidae, which
have killed many of the trees and threaten the destruc-
tion of the rest. This destruction could have been
averted by measures taken in season, it is too late now to
apply the remedy. Prof. Scudder's prediction, in a report
on the subject has become history. 'Leave them alone,'
he says, 'and the pine woods of Nantucket are doomed to

PINACE.E

destruction; to plant new trees would be to add fuel to
flames.' But that is not all. 'There is no apparent rea-
son,' to quote Prof. Scudder again, 'why the destruction
should not extend to the Penobscot or as far as the pitch
pine flourishes.' To prevent this it is the plain duty of
the Nantucket people 'to cut down the entire forest, sell
the wood (for fuel) and burn the brush, leaving not even
a seedling anywhere; then to pasture the sheep upon the
spot for two years, and carefully destroy every seedling that
springs up outside of the fences, which confine the flock.' '

But, as Mr. Bicknell says,

"This prophecy remains unfulfilled. To-day although
the blight of insect damage presents a dismal spectacle
here and there, the pines in the main enjoy a clean and
vigorous growth, and have grouped themselves into close
or open formations, which are a very feature of parts of
the Nantucket landscape."

"Indeed," Mr. Bicknell adds, "it is now the most
abundant and conspicuous tree of Nantucket."

For the identifier the readiest mark of distinction of
this pine lies in the fact that the needles are in threes,
rarely fours.

PINACE^E PINE FAMILY

Juniper us virginiana, L.

Red Cedar Juniper Bush

Carolina Cedar, Juniper,

Red Savin, Pencil-wood.
Savin,

Juniper us: the classical name.
Virginiana: Latin for Virginian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons
or beach sand.

THE TREE: generally erect, but often so wind-blown as
to assume low and fantastic shapes, sometimes over twenty

PINE FAMILY

feet high; the outer bark light reddish-brown, scaly or
stringy, that of the branchlets, after the appearance of
the leaves, dark brown, tinged with red or grey.

THE FLOWERS: in terminal catkins on short, axillary
branches.

THE FRUIT: a globose "berry-like cone," blue when ripe,
with a bloom.

On Nantucket this is a low, straggling tree. Frequently,
as Mrs. Owen says in her catalogue, "The old trees have
grown into the strange forms often seen on wind-swept
points of land; the low, twisted trunks and branches, close
to the ground, make an impressive appearance.''

The "leaves" are scale-like, about one eighth of an inch
long, and very dark green; in fact this species is one of
the darkest coloured of the evergreen trees. In strong
contrast with this heavy green background is the blue
colour of the fruit. These "berries" are the parts that are
used medicinally. The wood is light, soft, fragrant, with
nearly white sap-wood and a central pith of brownish-red.

Two other members of the Pine Family have been
reported.

TYPHACE^: CAT-TAIL FAMILY

Typha angustifolia, L.

Yellow-brown Cat-o' -nine-tails,

Cat-tail Flag,

June-July Lesser Reed Mace,

Narrow-leaved Cat-tail.

Typha: Greek for fen or marsh.
Angustifolia: Latin for narrow-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: brackish marshes.

THE PLANT: erect, five feet to ten feet high; the stem
slender, hairless, often with a bluish tinge.
THE LEAVES: basal; very narrow; ribbon-like; obtusish at
the apex; grooved at the lower end; parallel- veined.

THE FLOWERS: in spikes; the staminate and pistillate
spikes slender, separated by an interval.

THE FRUIT: minute nutlets.

There are two varieties of Cat-o'nine-tails in this coun-
try, and, interestingly enough, the Typha latifolia (the
larger, stouter kind) is the more common species on the
mainland, while the angustifolia is the more prevalent
form on Nantucket. Of the latifolia, Mrs. Owen says:
"I had to hunt a long time before 1 could find any speci-
mens." Although still not very prolific, it has spread
since that time.

Slenderness and stoutness are comparative qualities
that at times are difficult to determine in young plants,
so one looks for more reliable marks of distinction. This
is found in the fact (open to occasional exception!) that
in the latifolia the spikes are contiguous, but an interval
separates the spikes of the angustifolia. When growing
in a marsh, the two look similar. Their stalks are very

CAT-TAIL FAMILY

tall, straight, and stiff, with brown cylindrical spikes at
the top and long, grass-like leaves, more or less withered.
The stalks sway slightly and the dry leaves rustle in the
wind.

TYPHACE^E CAT-TAIL FAMILY

Typha latifolia, L.

Yellow-brown Broad-leaved Cat-tail, Black-cap,

Great Reed-mace, Bulb-segg,

June-July Cat-o'- nine-tails, Water-torch,

Marsh Beetle, Bee bresh,

Marsh Pestle, Candlewick,

Cat-tail Flag, Blackamoor.
Flax-tail,

Typha: for derivation see angustifolia.
Latifolia: Latin for broad-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: brackish marshes.

THE PLANT: erect, four feet to eight feet high; the stem
stout, hairless.

THE LEAVES: basal, linear, varying in width from one
quarter of an inch to one inch; without hairs on both sides;
obtusish at the apex; entire; parallel- veined.

THE FLOWERS: in cylindrical spikes; the upper spike bear-
ing the staminate, the lower the pistillate flowers.

THE FRUIT: minute nutlets; the down very copious.

Neither this nor the Narrow-leaved Cat-tail is the
Bulrush of .the Bible as some have erroneously thought.
As Mr. Stepp, an English botanist, says: "Of late years
it has become the general error to call this plant Bulrush.
Every autumn the hawkers in London and other cities
offer cylindrical spikes of Typha for sale as an aesthetic
decoration and call them bulrushes. But they are not
the originators of the blunder. It is the artists who have

TYPHACE^:

done this thing, for in their pictures of "The finding of
Moses," they depict the future leader of his people rocking
in his ark amid a forest of Typha. What more was needed
to associate the word Bulrush of the Bible with this
plant?"

SPARGANIACEJE BUR-REED FAMILY

Sparganium americanum, Nutt.

Brown-white Bur-reed.

June-September

Sparganium: an ancient name, probably from Greek for a

band, in allusion to the ribbon-like leaves.
Americanum: Latin form for American.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: bogs and swamps.

THE PLANT: erect, one half foot high; the flower-stalks
unbranched.

THE LEAVES: alternate; linear and ribbon-like; thin and
soft; hairless on both surfaces; acute or bluntish at the
apex; sessile; parallel- veined.

THE FLOWERS: (fertile ones) in bur-like heads.

It would be easy to consider this plant of the wet places
a sedge or grass, but its sessile "burs" are really made up
of tiny flowers in parts of three that are differently con-
structed from those of a sedge or grass. The heads are
supported by bracts, and long, ribbon-like leaves cling to
the stem.

Three other members of the Bur-reed Family have been
reported.

NAIADACE^E PONDWEED FAMILY

Potamogeton pectinatus, L.

Green Pondweed,

July-August Fennel-leaved Pondweed.

Potamogeton: an ancient Greek derivative, meaning the
river's neighbour, in allusion to the habitat of the plants.

Pectinatus: from Latin for comb-like, referring here to the
thread-like segments of the leaves, like the teeth of a comb.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: slightly brackish water.

THE PLANT: floating, one foot to three feet long; the stems
slender, much branched, and repeatedly forking.

THE LEAVES: alternate; thread-like; one inch to six inches
long.

THE FLOWERS: tiny, in circles around the stem.
THE FRUIT: tiny drupelets.

Around the borders of a full pond, the surface of the
wrater is covered with dense growths of these forking
branches, that have long, green, and thread-like leaves.

Eleven other members of the Pondweed Family have
been reported.

ALISMACE.E WATER-PLANTAIN FAMILY

Sagittaria Engelmanniana, J. G. Sm.

White Arrow-head.

July-September

Sagittaria: from Latin for an arrow, in allusion to the

prevailing form of the leaves.
Engelmanniana: in honour of the botanist Engelmann.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: wet bogs.

THE PLANT: erect; the flower stem eight inches to twenty
inches high, without hairs.

THE LEAVES: sheathing the base of the flower stem; nar-
rowly sagittate, although varying greatly in size and form;
they may be from one and a half to eight inches long;
three quarters of an inch or less wide; without hairs on
either surface; the lobes at the base narrowly linear,
acuminate, one third to one half the length of the leaf;
the edge entire; parallel-veined.

•

THE FLOWERS: in threes, small, one inch broad, or less;
three petals, which fall early; six stamens.

THE FRUIT: achenes, narrowly wedge-shaped with long
and sometimes curved beaks; the sides usually one to
three crested.

In general this plant is to be distinguished from the
latifolia by its slighter build.

ALISMACE^

ALISMACE^ WATER-PLANTAIN FAMILY

Sagittarialatifolia, (Willd.) forma obtusa,(Muhl.) Robinson.
White Arrow-head.

August

Sagittaria: for derivation see Engelmanniana.
Latifolia: from Latin for broad-leaved.
Obtusa: from Latin for blunt.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: wet bogs.

THE PLANT: erect, four inches to four feet tall; the flower-
stalk simple or branched, stout or slender, with few or no
hairs, angled.

THE LEAVES: very variable in form and size, sometimes
four inches broad at the stem end and as much as five
inches long from stem to apex, sometimes broader than
long; generally linear-lanceolate, always arrow-shaped;
lacking hairs on either surface; acuminate or obtuse at
the apex; petioled; prominently and parallel-veined; the
bracts acute, acuminate or obtuse, the upper ones some-
times united.

THE FLOWERS: slightly over one inch wide, on slender and
hairless stems; three petals, which fall early; six stamens.

The Sagittarias are handsome plants in boggy ground.
Above the lustrous green leaves, beautifully arrow-shaped,
gleam the large pure white flowers with their yellow
centres.

One other member of the Water-Plantain Family has
been reported.

5 AG ITT ARIA
LATI FOLIA

Forma

OBTUSA

ARUM FAMILY

Ariscema triphyllum, (L.) Schott.

Purple-brown Jack-in-the-pulpit, Wake-robin,

and green Arum, Priests' Pintle,

Indian Turnip, Lords-and-Ladies,

April-July Meadow-turnip, Wild Pepper,

Pepper-turnip, Brown Dragon,

Marsh-turnip, Bog-onion,

Swamp-turnip, Starch-wort.

Ariscema: from Greek word for the kind of Arum, a plant
from which arrowroot is extracted, and from a Greek
word meaning blood, because of the spotted leaves of
some of the species.

Triphyllum: from Greek for three-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: low or wet, shaded thickets.
THE PLANT: one foot to two feet high.

THE LEAVES: dull green; rising from the fleshy bulb-like
base of the stem; ten inches high or more, usually taller
than the flower stalk; three divided; about two inches
wide or more; with entire or sometimes lobed margins.
The leaflets ovate.

THE FLOWERS: on a blunt and club-shaped spadix, two
inches to three inches long; over the top of the column
curves a lanceolate and tapering flap, green and purple
striped or wholly green.

THE FRUIT: berries, smooth and shining and bright red,
in a dense ovoid head.

A "foreigner" may be surprised to find this plant under
its Nantucket conditions, for one is inclined to think of

ARACE^

the Jack as preaching in the open spaces of a woodland,
to tall trees. While Nantucket has some tall trees, Jack
likes here to hide himself under shaded thickets. Jack,
the Preacher, or to be literal, the flower of the plant
is perhaps better known than the fruit, the bright red
berries, that mature in late August or early September.
Showy in its fall colouring, the plant is then often intro-
duced into gardens. If there is anything in the theory
that the dwellers of the woodland may be transplanted
more readily than those of drier ground, Jack-in-the-
pulpit may surely be cited as an illustration. For trans-
ferred even to the sandy soil of our usual garden, it will
persist for years.

Part of the plant is used as a cure for coughs.

ARACE^) ARUM FAMILY

Acorus Calamus, L.

Greenish-yellow Sweet-flag, Sedge-cane,

Calamus, Sedge-grass,

June- July Sweet Rush, Flag-root,

Sweet Grass, Sedge-rush,

Sweet Cane, Sea-sedge,

Sweet Sedge, Cinnamon-sedge,

Sweet Segg, Myrtle-sedge,

Sweet Myrtle, Myrtle-grass,

Sweet Root, Myrtle-flag.
Sedge-root,

Acorus: ancient name of an unknown meaning, from Pliny.
Calamus: from Greek meaning a reed.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: "wet meadows, pools and over-
flowed muddy places."

THE PLANT: one foot to four feet high.

THE LEAVES: light, yellow-green becoming still more
yellow in the fall; closely sheathing each other and the

ARUM FAMILY

flower stem below; linear-lanceolate; one inch wide or
less; on both surfaces, smooth; acute at the apex; sharp-
edged; parallel- veined, with a rigid mid- vein running
their whole length.

THE FLOWERS: minute, crowded on a spike two inches or
more long ("graters").

Probably most of us remember having been told some-
time or other that at the base of those grass-like ribbons
of yellow-green growing in a peat bog, was a "root" which
was good to eat, and having dug it up and wiped off the
black mire, we have enjoyed to the full the taste of Sweet
Flag. Liking it, we have taken home still more of the "root "
to boil and make candy from. In the former days, it
used to be quite an industry among the Nantucket boys
to peddle sticks of such candy from house to house at a
cent a piece.

A further use of the "root" (which is really an under-
ground stem) for years has been and still is in the way of
a drug. Under the name of Calamus, a tonic and stimu-
lant, it has played its rdle in the apothecary shop as well
as in the family medicine chest. It is also used to make a
spice.

LEMNACE-E DUCKWEED FAMILY

Lemnas

Duckweeds.

Floating in many ponds and ditches are often masses
of tiny green plants, with oblong or rounded blue green
leaves and no visible flowers. These are the Lemnas of
which two, the minor and the trisculca, are reported from
Nantucket.

ERIOCAULACE^E PIPEWORT FAMILY

Eriocauloti articulatum, (Huds.) Morong.

Slate colour or white Pipewort,

July-September Seven-angled Pipewort.

Eriocaulon: from Greek for wool and stalk in allusion to

the wool at the base of the stem in some species.
Articulatum: Latin for jointed.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: wet borders of ponds, or just
within the water's edge.

THE PLANT: erect; the bare flower stalks one to eight
inches high, unbranched, twisted and seven-angled, weak,
sometimes when submerged four feet and more long.

THE LEAVES: numerous; in a tuft at the base; awl-shaped;
sometimes three inches long; soft; hairless on both sur-
faces; tapering and acute at the apex; entire; with a prom-
inent central marking and cross-lines at regular intervals.

THE FLOWERS: minute, in dense heads at the top of the
stem; bracts of the involucre smooth, oblong, usually
shorter than the flowers.

THE FRUIT: capsules.

From the tufts of the basal leaves under the water, rise
naked, whitish grey stems, and these in turn are topped
with small curious heads, that look somewhat like tiny
pin cushions filled with white pins — such is the Pipewort
that grows on the clean borders of the fresh-water ponds.

XYRIDACEJE YELLOW-EYED GRASS FAMILY

X yris flexuosa, Muhl.

Yellow Yellow-eyed Grass.

August-September

Xyris: name, derived from Greek for a river, and applied

to some Greek plant with two-edged leaves.
Flexuosa: Latin, to bend.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy bogs and along pond
shores.

THE PLANT: erect, four to twelve inches high; the flower
stem without hairs.

THE LEAVES: erect, from a small bulb-like base; pale
green; narrowly linear, twisted; slightly compressed to-
ward the top; entire; parallel-veined.

THE FLOWERS: in small heads supported by closely over-
lapping, pale brown bracts; sepals and petals three.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A stranger to the majority of people who are in search
of beautiful flowers on the pond's border, and yet among
the first plants to arouse the curiosity of one who is begin-
ning to question everything he sees. The stem is stiff,
thick, and leafless. At the top a small, irregularly-shaped
yellow flower head is more than supported by a vase-
shaped envelope of yellow-brown scales. From the bul-
bous root rise the grass-like leaves. The flowers close
early, not to reopen.

One other member of the Yellow-eyed Gr s Family has
been reported.

PONTEDERIACE^E PICKEREL- WEED FAMILY

Pontederia cordata, L.
Varying shades of lilac-blue. Pickerel-weed.

Pontederia: plant dedicated to Pontedera, a professor at

Padua in the 18th century.
Cordata: Latin for heart-shaped.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: peaty borders of ponds.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to four feet high; the stem
rather stout, smooth, angled.

THE SOLITARY LEAF: ovate to lanceolate; without hairs
on either surface; obtuse at the apex; deeply cut at the
base (cordate-sagittate), the lobes obtuse; on a long, hair-
less, angled stem, which at its base sheaths the main stem.

THE FLOWERS: crowded in a short spike, borne on a glan-
dular, hairy, angled stem; the tube, calyx, stamens, and
pistil bright blue; the tube finally divided, the lips slightly
shorter than the tube; the middle lobe of the upper lip
with two yellow spots at the base within. When the flower
dies, the lobes and upper part of the tube wither above,
while the persistent base hardens around the fruit.

THE FRUIT: an utricle.

Tall plants of Pickerel-weed massed on the edges of
deep blue ponds or even filling small peat holes, afford a
beautiful sight! The flower stems are glossy and smooth,
bearing one blunt, arrowhead-shaped, thick, dark green,
leaf which contrasts in colour with dense spikes of violet
blue, irregularly-shaped flowers. These are marked with
a distinct yellow-green spot. Handsome as are the plants
when growing out-of-doors, they are difficult to handle

PONTEDERIACE^E

in the house, for both leaves and flowers are apt to wither
almost at once after the cutting of the stem. They may
be kept fresh, however, if put at once into a vasculum or
wet newspaper.

One other member of the Pickered-weed Family has
been reported.

LILIACE^E LILY FAMILY

Hemerocallis fidva, L.

Tawny-orange Day Lily,

Eve's Thread,
July-August Lemon-lily.

Hemerocallis: from Greek meaning beauty for a day, in

allusion to the fact that the flowers last but a day.
Fulva: Latin for tawny.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens and roadsides and old
fields.

THE PLANT: erect; two feet to five feet high; the flower
stem slightly flattened, hairless, bare of leaves.

THE LEAVES: numerous; basal; light green, turning yellow
when old ; linear ; hairless ; tapering to an acute tip ; entire ;
channelled; parallel- veined.

THE FLOWERS: eight to nine; large and showy, on short,
hairless stems; the tube is one inch or more long; the
flower divisions, usually six, three narrow and three wide
and blunt, with a veined texture; six showy stamens
placed on the throat.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, three angled, with several black
seeds in each cell.

The tawny Day Lily, with its large, one-tinted flowers,
rising on stout stems, from a tangled mass of yellow-
green, strap-like, ribbony leaves, is a familiar escape from
the gardens to the roadsides or sheltered fence-corners.
The flowers indeed last but a day, and at evening shrink
to a sticky tube, but the buds come out well in water on
successive days, and the flowers that thus open in the house
are none the less pretty, because paler and softer in tone.

LILIACE^

LILIACE.E LILY FAMILY

Lilium philadelphicum, L.

Orange-scarlet Red Lily, Wild Orange-red Lily,

Wood Lily, Flame Lily,

July-August Philadelphia Lily, Huckleberry Lily.

Lilium: classical Latin name, from Greek, for Lily.
Philadelphicum: Latin for Philadelphian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high; the stem
simple or branched at the summit, (the Nantucket form
differing from the typical form on the mainland, in being
sometimes unbranched), leafy, hairless.

THE LEAVES: dark green; chiefly in whorls of three to
eight; lanceolate; hairless on both surfaces; acute at both
ends or the lower sometimes obtuse; sessile; entire; parallel-
veined.

THE FLOWERS: usually one or two, variable in colour and
markings, bell-shaped, with six spreading divisions; the
parts one half to three quarters of an inch wide, abruptly
narrowed at the base into a slender stalk as it were,
usually purple-spotted below. There are six long stamens
with purple anthers, the filaments resembling the colour
of the flower. The flowers turn darker in fading.

THE FRUIT: a capsule; the seeds densely packed in two
rows.

A beautiful red lily, low-growing (in contrast to the
Tiger Lily), with many bright green leaves, that is seen
in open places among bay berry bushes, in the sandy
soil of the Commons, singly or in pairs, or even three
together. A yellow form without spots has been occasion-
ally found; of the typical forms, the flowers are dark red,
with purple spots,

Liuim

PH1LADELPHICUM

ONE INCH

LILY FAMILY

LILIACE^ LILY FAMILY

Lilium superbu?n, L.

Buff orange-yellow Turk's-cap Lily,

Turk's-head Lily,

August- September Nodding Lily,

Wild Tiger Lily.

Lilium: for derivation see philadelphicum.
Superbum: Latin for magnificent.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp thickets.

THE PLANT: from bulbs, one inch to two inches in diameter;
the stems three feet to eight feet tall, stout, leafy.

THE LEAVES: verticillate in threes or eights, or the upper
alternate; lanceolate; hairless on both surfaces; acuminate
at both ends; stemless or petioled; entire; prominently
and parallel-veined.

THE FLOWERS: one to twenty or more, rarely solitary, on
long stems; the six divisions sometimes four inches long,
lanceolate, acuminate, purple-spotted; six stamens.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Even when not in bloom, this tall lily, with its straight
stem and clustered leaves, is beautiful, but doubly showy,
•when the flowers, sometimes as many as twenty, rise like
a spreading candelabra above a tangled thicket of rose-
bushes and bay berry and grape-vines. The fresh flowers
are large and orange-yellow with purple spots, but become
much darker as they wither; the corolla segments curl
backwards at real maturity, but straighten out as the
flower dies, and the purple stamens hang loosely from out
the throat. As seen under the microscope the pollen is
white and beautifully shaped.

LILIACE^E

LILIACE^E LILY FAMILY

Smilacina race?nosa, (L.) Desf.

White False Spikenard,

False Solomon's Seal,
Wild Spikenard,

May Job's Tears,

Golden Seal,
Small Solomon's Seal,
Zigzag Solomon's SeaL

Smilacina: diminutive for smilax, which is an ancient

Greek name of obscure meaning.
Racemosa: Latin for clustered.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: open woods.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high; the stem
somewhat angled, slender or stout, sometimes zigzag,
with fine soft hairs above or nearly hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate or scattered; oblong-lanceolate or
oval; with fine soft hairs beneath and sometimes above;
acuminate at the apex; sessile or on short petioles; with
minute hairs on the margins; entire.

THE FLOWERS: on long stems in dense panicles; the stems
shorter than the flowers; perianth in six parts, withering,
persistent.

THE FRUIT: a berry, passing from greenish through yel-
lowish-white to dull ruby-red, at times speckled with
madder-brown.

A smooth and cool-feeling plant, with large parallel-
veined leaves and olive-green stem, at whose top are
"spiraea-like clusters of fine white flowers," that later give
place to ruby-red and translucent berries.

LILY FAMILY

LILIACE^) LILY FAMILY

Smiladna stellata, (L.) Desf.

White Star-flowered Solomon's Seal,

False Solomon's Seal.
May-early June

Smiladna: for derivation see racemose.
Stellate: Latin for starred.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: open woods.

THE PLANT: erect, eight inches to twenty inches tall; the
stem unbranched, leafy, hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate;
hairless on both surfaces, or with minute soft hairs be-
neath; acuminate at the apex; sessile and slightly clasping
at the base; entire.

THE FLOWERS: few, in racemes, sessile or on short pe-
duncles; perianth in six parts, withering, persistent.

THE FRUIT: a berry, black or green with six black stripes.

Smiladna stellata (False Solomon's Seal) is in every
way a smaller and more delicate plant, than the racemosa,
having narrower leaves and fewer flowers. Another and
more reliable mark of distinction is the fact that its leaves
are slightly clasping.

LILIACE^ LILY FAMILY

Maianthemum canadense, (Desf.) Greene.

White False Lihj-of-the-V alley,

Wild Lily-of-the-V alley,
May-early June Two-leaved Solomon's Seal,

Cowslip,

Bead-ruby,

One-leaf,

One-blade.

Maianthemum: Latin for May and Greek for flower.
Canadense: Latin for Canadian.

LILIACE^E

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: open woods.

THE PLANT: erect, two inches to seven inches high; the
stem often zigzag, unbranched; hairless or with short,
soft hairs, slender.

THE LEAVES: alternate; one to three; ovate or ovate-
lanceolate; acute, acuminate or blunt at the apex; heart-
shaped at the base; sessile or petioled; entire.

THE FLOWERS: in a rather dense, many-flowered raceme
which is one to two inches long; perianth four-parted;
stamens four.

THE FRUIT: a berry, pale red and speckled.

This two-leaved Solomon's Seal is a tall and delicately
constructed plant, whose slender stem is usually smooth
and provided with two or three rather long leaves. At
the summit of the stem are crowded in a cluster the small
lily-shaped white flowers, which later give place to pale
and speckled berries.

LILIACE^E LILY FAMILY

Polygonatum biflorum, (Walt) Ell.

Pale green to white Small Solomon's Seal

Ladder-to-Heaven,
Jacob's Ladder,

April-early June Hairy Solomon's Seal,

Dwarf Solomon's Seal,
Seaivort,
Conquer John.

Polygonatum: name from Greek meaning many-kneed in

allusion to the numerous joints of the rootstalk.
Biflorum: Latin for two-flowered.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: open woods.

THE PLANT: erect one foot to three feet high; the stem
often zigzag, slender, hairless.

LILY FAMILY

THE LEAVES: lance-oblong or lance-ovate; acute or taper-
ing to a point at the apex; nearly sessile; narrowed or
sometimes obtuse at the base; with short hairs and pale
beneath, hairless above.

THE FLOWERS: one to four, mostly two, on hairless stems,
drooping in the axils of the leaves; perianth tubular, six-
lobed at the top; six stamens set on the tube.

THE FRUIT: a globular berry, black or blue.

This plant is well described by its common names.
Because its long, knotted, creeping root stalks are scarred
with the stem marks of previous years, it is called Solo-
mon's Seal, and because its leaves are arranged up the
slender stem like the rungs of a ladder it is called Jacob's
Ladder or Ladder-to-Heaven. But the popular names do
not describe the pendulous white flowers that hang in
clusters under the leaves, nor the later-appearing blue-
black berries that, when mature, resemble Concord grapes.

LILIACE^E LILY FAMILY

Aletrisfarinosa, L.

Mealy-white tinged Colic-root, Star Grass,

with pink Unicorn-root, Blazing-star,

Ague-root, Spanish Bayonet,

May- July Star-root, (Local name).

Husk-root,

Aletris: Greek for a female slave who grinds corn, in allusion

to the apparent mealiness of the blossoms.
Farinosa: Latin name for coarse meal.

•- ^

- 1

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, one and one half feet tall, hairless; the
flower stem unbranched, with several small, inconspicu-
ous leaves.

THE LEAVES: mostly basal; in a tuft-like whorl; light
yellow-green turning pinkish-yellow; lanceolate; two
inches to six inches long; hairless on both surfaces;
acuminate at the apex; narrowed at the base; entire;
parallel-veined; awl-shaped bracts, sometimes two to
each flower.

THE FLOWERS: mealy, inconspicuous, on extremely short
stems; in a long raceme, which is four inches to ten
inches long; corolla tubular, six cleft at the top; six
stamens.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A tall, pale, mealy-white spike rising from a whorl of
basal leaves, and standing stiff and erect — here one,
and there close by, another — so that all told quite a
colony of them is found growing on the sandy soil of
the Commons. This is the Colic-root or Star Grass;
its common names indicating its appearance as well as
its medicinal properties, for it is a bitter and strong
stomach tonic.

LILIACE^E LILY FAMILY

Smilax rotundifolia, L.

Light green Green-brier, Nigger-head,

Blue-black berries Horse-brier, Bamboo-brier,

Cat-brier, Devil's Hop-vine,

Wait-a-bit Hungry Nine

May-June Biscuit-leaves, Bread-and-B utter.

Smilax: a Greek word of obscure meaning.
Rotundifolia: Latin for round-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thickets.

THE PLANT: a vine; the stem and branches slightly zigzag,
hairless and covered with scattered prickles; branches
more or less square, although not nearly so much so as

LILY FAMILY

in the variety quadrangular is, the branches and young
shoots often four angled.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate; acute or acuminate at the
apex; obtuse or heart-shaped at the base; with stalks
bent upward and the slender tendrils at their angles
carled over; entire; or the margins ragged as if eaten.

THE FLOWERS: small, in umbels, on axillary stems.
THE FRUIT: a small berry, blue-black, with a bloom.

Not a conspicuous vine, but a most exasperating trailer
over wild rose bushes and bayberry, around which it
twines affectionately. With its prickles it rends the
clothing and tears the skin, and with its tough and un-
breakable stem it embraces the waist or scrapes the knee
or trips the foot of the persistent one who is eagerly bent
on clutching a particularly delectable bunch of wild
grapes. And one of the popular names of this obstinate
vine is Wait-a-bit! "So far and no farther than I please,
shalt thou go," is its motto.

Four other members of the Lily Family have been
reported.

IRIDACE^E IRIS FAMILY

Iris prismatica, Pursh.

Violet-blue Slender Blue Flag,

Narrow Blue Flag,
May- June Poison Flag-root.

Iris: from Greek for rainbow.

Prismatica: from Greek for a prism because of the prismatic
shape of the seed-vessels.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: open, damp ground, or even
dry, sandy soil.

THE PLANT: erect, from a slender, tuberous and thickened
underground stem, one foot to three feet tall; the flower-
stem usually simple, without hairs.

THE LEAVES: two or three, basal, and scattered up the
stem ; grass-like ; mostly shorter than the stem ; hairless on
both sides; acute at the apex; entire; parallel-veined.

THE FLOWERS: large, solitary or two together, on slender
stems, blue- veined with yellow markings; the outer parts
of the flower sometimes two inches long, usually less,
hairless; the inner smaller.

THE FRUIT: a narrowly oblong capsule, acute at each end,
with three deep angles.

The prismatica and versicolor are similar, but the pris-
matica, once known, is easily distinguishable by its more
slender build, by its grass-like leaves, and, when in fruit,
by the slender and distinctly prismatic seed-vessel, which
is quite different from the cylindric and well-rounded
seed-vessel of the versicolor.

IRIS FAMILY

Iris versicolor, L.

Violet-blue Large Blue Flag, Flag Lily,

Fleur-de-lis, Snake Lily,

June Iris, Water Flag,

Liver Lily, Poison Flag.

Iris for derivation see prismatica.
Versicolor: Latin for vari-coloured.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: boggy grounds.

THE PLANT: erect, two to three feet high, often branched
above; the stem one-angled, without hairs.

THE LEAVES: erect; sword-like; seven to ten inches long;
without hairs, but with a slight greyish bloom; entire;
heavily parallel-veined.

THE FLOWERS: larger than those of the preceding species,
the outer parts longer and wider than the inner.

Cultivation has altered the colour and increased the
size of the flowers of the Iris, but has not materially
altered their shape. There remain the three more up-
right divisions, wrhich in the versicolor are violet-blue and
unmarked, and the three larger and more showy petals,
which, in this, are "beautifully veined with deep violet
over a whitish ground, tinted at the base with yellow."
Almost flat upon the petals, lie the three divisions of the
style and beneath them are the stamens. The fruit is a
long, cylindrical compact capsule.

"The name, Poison Flag, has been applied to it on ac-
count of the poisonous effect it has produced in children,
who, owing to the close resemblance of the plants before
reaching the flowering-stage, sometimes mistake it for
Sweet-Flag."

IRIDACE^

IRIDACE.E IRIS FAMILY

Sisyrinchium atlanticum, Bicknell

Violet-blue Blue-eyed Grass.

May-June

Sisyrinchium: name of Greek origin, of uncertain meaning.
Atlanticum: Latin form for Atlantic in allusion to the fact
that the plant grows mostly near the shore.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp soil.

THE PLANT: erect, about six inches tall or taller; the stem
without hairs, conspicuously kneed, wiry and slender,
much exceeding the narrow leaves.

THE LEAVES: linear; without hairs on either surface; acute
at the apex; sessile; parallel- veined. The bracteal leaf
usually shorter than the slender stem.

THE FLOWERS: with a yellow eye, clustered in an umbel,
usually two to four bracts somewhat purplish and papery.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, slightly higher than broad.

A delicate, grass-like plant that prefers to grow in IOWT
grounds, where the soil is somewhat sandy. Its wheel-
shaped blue flowers are pretty, but last for only a few hours.
Botanically, its most reliable distinction is the flexuous or
"kneed" stem

Two other members of the Iris Family have been
reported.

ONE INCH

5I5YRINCHIUM

ATLANTICUM

*\<

LIBRARY)

ONE INCH

CYPRIPEDIUM ACAULE

ORCHIDACE^E ORCHID FAMILY

Cypripedium acaule, Ait.

Crimson-pink Stemless Lady's Slipper, Nerve Root,

Pink Lady's Slipper, Camel's Foot,

May-June Purple Lady's Slipper, Squirrel-shoes,

Moccasin Flower, Two-lips,

Indian Moccasin, Old-goose.
Noah's Ark,

Cypripedium: name incorrectly Latinized from Greek
words for "veins" and a "shoe;" therefore by some
authors spelled Cypripedilum.

Acaule: Latin, meaning without a stem.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect; the flower stem six inches to fifteen
inches high, rough with crowded and flattened hairs.

THE LEAVES: practically basal, folded one around the
other; elliptical; rough on both surfaces with flattened,
white hairs; parallel veined; deeply grooved; entire; oc-
casionally a smaller leaf is borne on the flower stem.

THE FLOWERS: very large, solitary, with a lanceolate bract
which is acute tipped; the sepals three different widths,
sometimes one inch and more wide, striped, the hindmost
one green at the base; the corolla very irregular, consisting
of an inflated sack with deeper pink stripes on a white
and pinkish background; the throat greenish with pink
spots, bearded with short, white hairs; the mouth is closed
with a stiff, triangular projection. Albinos have been
found, but are rare.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

ORCHIDACEJE

A very handsome flower (for one thinks more of the
showy corolla than of the large, and basal leaves which
slightly resemble those of the Lily-of-t he- Valley) made so
conspicuous by its corolla being inflated and folded in
so that it resembles a pocket-roll.

ORCHIDACE^ ORCHID FAMILY

Habenaria blephariglottis, (Willd.) Torr.

White White Fringed Orchid,

Rein Orchid,
July-August , Feather-leaved Orchid.

Habenaria: name from Latin for a thong or rein, in allusion

to the shape of the lip or spur of some species.
Blephariglottis: Greek for an eyelid.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy bogs.

THE PLANT: erect, twelve to twenty-four inches high; the
stem unbranched, dark green, without hairs, grooved and
angled.

THE LEAVES: few; erect; alternate; lanceolate; without
hairs on either surface; four inches to eight inches long;
the upper decidedly smaller; acute at the apex; stemless,
in fact sheathing; parallel-veined; mid-rib prominent
below.

THE FLOWERS: rather small, in a raceme or spike, which
is three inches to six inches long and sometimes three
inches thick; the sepals round or elliptical, concave, acute;
the petals linear-oblong, somewhat pointed, toothed above;
the lip narrowly ovate-lanceolate, fringed.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

The Habenaria blephariglottis and the lacera associate
themselves in one's mind, partly because their flowers grow
similarly in loose racemes; but they are easy to distinguish

ORCHID FAMILY

the one from the other. The blephariglottis is the sweet-
scented, pure white one. When the flowers are fresh, no
purer white than theirs can be imagined. Unfortunately
when faded, they tun. a dingy brown.

ORCHIDACE^E ORCHID FAMILY

Habenaria ciliaris, (L.) R. Br.

Orange-yellow Yellow Fringed Orchid.

July-August

Habenaria: for derivation see blephariglottis.
Cilaris: Latin for eyelash.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: peat bogs.

THE PLANT: eight inches to two feet high; the stem un-
branched, without hairs, slightly grooved.

THE LEAVES: erect; alternate; lanceolate; the lower four
inches to six inches long; the upper decidedly smaller,
one inch to two inches long; without hairs on either
surface; acute at the apex; markedly clasping; entire;
parallel-veined.

THE FLOWERS: medium-sized, numerous in a raceme on
stems about as long as the flowers themselves, very much
fringed; the bracts linear to lanceolate.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

There are so many "False" plants, as False Solomon's
Seal or False Toadflax, that it is a real pleasure to meet
with the genuine Solomon's Seal or the genuine Toadflax,
so, when so many plants (and even once a mushroom
growth) have been mistaken for the Yellow Orchid, it is a
satisfaction to know what to expect in the real flower.
How much greater pleasure it would be actually to find
in the original this orchid, which is so elusive on Nantucket.

ORCHIDACE^:

This orchid is peculiarly well described by Mr. Mathews
as being "an exceedingly handsome, slender species, with
lance-shaped leaves and a large, many-flowered spike of
showy, golden and orange-yellow flowers with ovate
sepals, narrow-fringed petals, and a deeply fringed lip.
The spur long and slender." It is indeed a beautiful
flower !

In speaking of its presence on Nantucket, Mrs. Owen
says: "The only plant ever known on the Island was found
in bloom by Mrs. E. W. Perry in 1872." Since then Mr.
Lorin Dame found about twenty-five plants and recently
Mr. Walter Burdick claims to have found it

ORCHIDACE.E ORCHID FAMILY

Habenaria lacera, (Michx.) R. Br.

Greenish-white Ragged Fringed Orchid,

Ragged Orchid,
June-August Green Fringed Orchid.

Habenaria: for derivation see blephariglottis.
Lacera: Latin for torn.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: bogs, at times apparently in
dry gravel, but where a short search reveals a clay foun-
dation.

THE PLANT: erect; the stem one foot to twenty inches
high, unbranched, without hairs, grooved.

THE LEAVES: erect; light green; alternate; the lower four
to six inches long; the upper gradually smaller; without
hairs on either surface; acute at the apex; clasping;
parallel-veined.

THE FLOWERS: medium-sized; numerous, in a raceme (one
specimen found with a cluster six and a half inches long),
on smooth stems; the bracts lanceolate; the sepals ovate,
obtuse, the upper slightly broader; the petals linear, about
as long as the sepals, obtuse, entire: the lip three parted;

SPIRANTHES

GRACILIS

CALOPOGON , ,

PUCHELLUS ONE: INCH

HABENARIA
LACERA

ORCHID FAMILY

divisions narrow, deeply fringed; the fringe of a few threads
even about one half inch long; spur curved, claw-shaped
at the apex.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A species remarkable for the torn three-parted lip of
the delicately constructed white flowers, which tend some-
times to the greenish and sometimes to the yellowish.
It is well-named, the lacera, as its "lacerated flower-lip is
literally torn to divisions of thread-like fineness, and the
general effect is accordingly unique. No other orchid is
like it"; it is truly a thing of "shreds and tatters."

Structurally also it differs from others. After saying
that no botanist has mentioned its distinct peculiarity,
Mr. Wm. Hamilton Gibson goes on to describe thus the
structure of the flower; "The nectary, instead of being
freely open, is abruptly closed at the central portion by
a firm protuberance or palate which projects downward
from the base of the stigma, and closely meets the lip
below." Mr. Mathews adds: "The opening is thus
divided into two lateral ones, each lying directly beneath
a sticky, elongated pollen-disc. Thus the insect, generally
a butterfly, inserts its tongue exactly where the latter
will touch the disc which is sure to clasp it and be with-
drawn with the pollen."

ORCHIDACE^E ORCHID FAMILY

Pogonia ophioglossoides, (L.) Kerr.

Crimson-pink Rose Pogonia,

Adder's Mouth Pogonia,
June- August Snake-mouth.

Pogonia: Greek for bearded, from the hairy lip of some of

the original species.
Ophioglossoides: a Latin derivative from Greek meaning

"tongue-like."

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: bogs.

ORCHIDACEJE

THE PLANT: erect, from fibrous roots; the flower stalk
eight inches to eighteen inches high, without hairs, one to
three-leaved, not rarely with a long stemmed basal leaf.

THE STEM-LEAF or LEAVES: bright green; lanceolate, or
ovate; sometimes three inches long; without hairs on either
surface; bluntly acute at the apex; entire; parallel-veined.

THE FLOWERS: large, fragrant, solitary or occasionally in
pairs, slightly nodding, with a leaf-like bract; the sepals
and petals about equal or the petals broader, elliptic or
oval, streaked and curling around a beautifully fringed
lip; the lip spatulate, yellow to white, crested and fringed;
the column much shorter than the petals, thick and club-
shaped. Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A delicate and dainty orchid, that seems perched mo-
mentarily on the stem. Just below the flower is a tiny leaf,
while farther down the stem is a second and much larger
one. Among the sepals and petals which are of unequal
length, is a beautifully fringed lip, "curved like the hollow
of the hand."

ORCHIDACE^E ORCHID FAMILY

Calopogon pulchellus, (Sw.) R. Br.

Magenta-pink Grass Pink,

Calopogon,

June-July Bearded Pink)

Swamp Pink.

Calopogon: name derived from Greek for beautiful, and

beard in allusion to the hairs on the beautiful lip.
Pulchellus: Latin diminutive for beautiful.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: fresh water marshes.

THE PLANT erect; the flower stem ten inches to fourteen
inches high, coloured toward the base, hairless, slender.

ORCHID FAMILY

THE SINGLE LEAF: erect; linear-lanceolate; eight inches
to twelve inches long; hairless on both surfaces; acute at
the apex; sheathing the flower stem at the base; entire;
parallel-veined.

THE FLOWERS: sweet-scented, large, in a loose terminal
raceme, on short, angled peduncles, with a lanceolate
bract at the base; the sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute; the
petals lanceolate, obtuse, constricted near the middle;
the lip broadly triangular at the apex, linear-oblong at the
base, crested with yellow, orange or magenta-coloured
hairs; the column incurved; both sepals and petals glisten
as if wet with dew. Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

The truth of Mrs. Owen's warning remains, although
her prophecy has, fortunately, not been fulfilled. She
writes: "Profusely abundant now in wet places, but
picked for its beauty in such immense bunches that it is
likely to become rare before many years." A handsome
orchid, indeed, and an aristocratic one, too. As rarely
happens among the orchids, the ovary is untwisted, so
that the lip is on the upper instead of being on the lower
side of the blossom. "Not to offend by this omission, our
lovely flower has one of the coloured sepals brought for-
ward, which suits the undiscriminating taste of its visitors
(the bees) quite as well."

ORCHIDACE.E ORCHID FAMILY

Arethusa bulbosa, L.

Magenta-crimson to rose purple Wild Pink,

Dr agones-mouth.
May-June

Arethusa: named for the nymph Arethusa.
Bulbosa: Latin for full of bulbs.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: bogs.

ORCHIDACE^E

THE PLANT: from a bulb, erect; the scape from five inches
to ten inches high, hairless, with three brownish bracts
that sheath the lower part.

THE SOLITARY LEAF: light green; linear; four inches to
six inches long, with very few, scattered silky hairs; obtuse
at the apex; clasping three quarters up the stem; entire;
many nerved; parallel-veined.

THE FLOWERS: large, solitary; the sepals oblong, acute or
obtuse; the petals oblong; the obtuse lip, which is usually
drooping, also oblong, with a conspicuously broad apex,
narrowed toward the base, plain or spotted and streaked
with magenta-crimson, with three to five fringed yellow
crests, the margin minutely fringed; the petal-like column
attached to the lip is broadened above, toothed and
topped with a lid-like anther. As Mr. Mathews says,
"A large single-flowered and delicately-scented orchid, the
magenta-crimson petals and sepals of which point upward
like the fingers of a half -open hand viewed in profile."
Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Of certain plants the Nantucket people seem to feel
particularly that they are ' 'natives," and of this delicate
orchid they are deservedly proud, for it is one of the most
dainty and also one of the most beautiful of the Nantucket
orchids, possessing among its recommendations, a sweet
odour in addition to charm of colour and grace of form.

ORCHIDACE^E ORCHID FAMILY

Spiranthes Beckii, Lindl.
White Little Ladies' Tresses.

July-September

Spiranthes: composed of Greek words for "a coil" or "a

curl," and "a flower."
Beckii: in honour of Lewis C. Beck.

ORCHID FAMILY

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
often in pure sand.

THE PLANT: from a spindle-shaped, solitary root, eight
inches to eighteen inches high; the hairless stem having
scale-like bracts.

THE LEAVES: basal; lanceolate; smooth on both surfaces;
acute at the apex; entire; parallel- veined.

THE FLOWERS: small, in a small, slender spike; sepals and
petals (all white) more or less united; the margins waved.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

The Spiranthes — Beckii, cernua, and gracilis — are three
white orchids that, because of their general similarity in
appearance, group themselves together in one's mind.
All have twisted spirals of bell-shaped, white flowers, that,
some claim, look like miniature Lily-of-the-Valley, but it
requires a keen imagination to see a striking resemblance!
However, the Beckii is distinguished from the others by
its lips being pure white and its root — if one does acci-
dentally pull up the plant from the sandy soil — being
spindle-shaped and "solitary."

ORCHIDACE^E ORCHID FAMILY

Spiranthes cernua, (L.) Richard.

Yellowish- white Nodding Ladies' Tresses,

Drooping Ladies' Tresses,

August- September Wild Tube Rose,

Screw Augur.

Spiranthes: for derivation see Beckii.
Cernua: Latin for nodding.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swampy ground.

THE PLANT: six inches to two feet high, unbranched; the
flower-stem without hairs or with short, soft ones above,
usually with two to six bracts.

4 49

ORCHIDACE^E

THE LEAVES: nearly basal; oblong-lanceolate or linear;
three inches to fourteen inches long; narrow; sometimes
without stems and sometimes distinctly petioled; entire;
parallel- veined.

THE FLOWERS: small, in a spike in two or three spiral or
vertical rows; the lip ovate-oblong with its margin waved
or ragged as if eaten.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

The second of the Spiranthes group, the cernua, is
characterised, in the first place, by its habitat, which is
swamps and damp ground, and in the second, by its
decided robustness and sturdiness.

The flowers vary from yellowish white to cream white
and are odourless or fragrant, the whiter ones generally
the more fragrant.

ORCHIDACE^E ORCHID FAMILY

Spiranthes gracilis, (Rigel) Beck.

White Slender Ladies' Twisted Stalk,

Cork-screw Plant.
August-September

Spiranthes: for derivation see Beckii.
Gracilis: Latin for slender.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
sometimes in pure sand.

THE PLANT: from clustered roots, erect; the flower stem
eight inches to eighteen inches high, usually without hairs
or rarely with short, soft. hairs, above slender, bearing
small, deciduous bracts.

THE LEAVES: basal; obovate or tending to lanceolate; one
and one half inches to two inches long; blunt or acutish at
the apex; petioled; entire; parallel- veined.

ORCHID FAMILY

THE FLOWERS: small, in a loose spike, which is one to
three inches long, and usually much twisted; lip with a
wavy margin, usually thick and greenish in the middle.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This, the third of the Spiranthes group, is the most
closely allied with the Beckii; it also grows in the dry
soil of the Commons. It is a very slender plant, to be
identified by its lip being green above, with white margin,
and if one does pull it up — by the "clusters of thickened
roots."

Three other members of the Orchid Family have been
reported

SALICACEJE WILLOW FAMILY

Populus tremuloides, Michx.

March-May American Aspen,

Quaking Aspen,
Quiver-leaf.

Populus: Classical name of uncertain origin.
Tremuloides: Latin to signify tremulous in allusion to the
trembling of the leaves on their slender stems.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: edges of woods.

THE TREE : slender, with smooth, light, green-brown bark.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate or nearly round; when young
with no hairs above, shining, light green; when full grown
thin, dark green, and shining above, pale dull yellow-green
beneath; short-acuminate at the apex; sawed off or slightly
heart-shaped at the base; on very slender stems which are
flattened laterally on the margins; finely serrate and hairy
on the margins; net veined.

THE FLOWERS: minute, borne in drooping catkins which
are one and a half to two inches long.

THE FRUIT: capsule.

Trees on Nantucket are not so numerous but what, by
process of elimination, they can easily be identified. The
distinctive quality of a poplar tree is in the leaf, which is
generally triangular in shape, disproportionately broad at
the base, acute at the apex, and more or less deeply
toothed or waved all around the edge. What distinguishes
the tremuloides from the other members of the genus is
the trembling of the leaves. This peculiar trembling is
due to the shape of the long, slender stem, which is "pinched
sideways, not flattened, and this compression being ver-

SALICACE^E

tical to the plane of the leaf, counteracts the ordinary
waving motion, which a leaf has in the wind, and causes it
to quiver with the slightest breeze, whence the proverbial
comparison, 'trembling like an aspen leaf.'"

One is apt to think of the commercial value of trees as
being for cutting purposes. But out of the inner bark of
many trees and shrubs valuable solutions are distilled.
This bark is heavily charged with tannic acid. And a
drug is derived from this tree, which is used in the treat-
ment of rheumatism.

SALICACE^: WILLOW FAMILY

Salix discolor, Muhl.

March-April Pussy-willow,

Glaucous Willow,
Silver Willow.

Salix: Latin classical name.
Discolor: Latin for two-coloured.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp borders of thickets.

THE TREE OR SHRUB: sometimes twelve feet high, with
light greenish-brown bark, sometimes tinged with red;
the smaller branches at first dark reddish-purple, coated
with pale, short soft hairs, later dull green.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblong, tending to lanceolate;
when full grown, thick and firm; above without hairs and
bright green; below silvery white; gradually narrowed at
both ends; acute at the apex; wedge shaped or rounded at
the base; serrate; mid-ribs broad.

THE FLOWERS: minute; in catkins appearing before or
with the leaves; white and silky before the flowers open.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Unlike many shrubs and trees, the Pussy-willow is the
best known when in bud. Before the "pussies" appear,

WILLOW FAMILY

the shrub is to be recognized by its light greenish-brown
bark and its slender and ascending branchlets, which are
at first a dark reddish colour. The winter buds are purple.
Later come the catkins or " pussies," which soon put forth
the yellow stamens, and later appear the green leaves.
The Pussy-willow shoots develop roots and leaves in water;
an interesting experiment is to grow a willow-tree in your
own home.

In speaking of the Pussy-willow, Harriet Keeler says,
"The leaves and twigs of many willows are subject to
gall growths caused by the stings of insects. The great
cone-like buds an inch or more long and three-quarters of
an inch in diameter which are found at the top of the
branches of Salix discolor, especially, are an interesting
example of these. One often sees a Pussy-willow . . .
virtually covered with these monstrous buds. But open
one of them with a sharp knife and within will be found
the sleeping larva of a gall-fly. This bud is formed of
many overlapping scales which are crowded and modified
leaves, all diverted from their normal purpose and com-
pelled to serve as the covering of an enemy."

Nineteen other members of the Willow Family have
been reported.

MYRICA AS PLENJ FOLIA

M.CAROLIN-

ENSIS

MYRICACE^E SWEET GALE FAMILY

Myrica asplenifolia, L.

April-May Fern-gale, Spleenwort Bush,

Fern Bush, Sweet Bush,

Meadow Fern, Sweet Ferry,

Shrubbery Fern, Sweet Fern,

Canada Sweet Gale, Fernwort Bush.

Myrica: ancient name of the Tamarisk or some other

shrub; perhaps from the Greek word to perfume.
Asplenifolia: Latin for leaves of Asplenium (a fern).

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: very slightly shrubby, one foot to two and
one half feet tall, much branched; the branches erect or
spreading; the stem reddish-brown.

THE LEAVES: alternate; linear-lanceolate; deeply pinnatifid
into numerous, rounded, entire or sparingly dentate lobes
which are three to six inches long; obtuse or slightly acute
at the apex; short-petioled.

THE FLOWERS: minute, in catkins, which are out before
the leaves, reddish-brown, at the ends of the branches.
In this formation lies one of the reasons for the classifica-
tion as a Myrica.

THE FRUIT: a bur-like green nut.

A welcome native of the Commons, where its fern-like
leaves add a still different shade of green to the many
neutral tints. The plant withers quickly after being
picked, but retains its fragrance a long time.

As an herb, it has tonic properties and was included in
the family medicine-chest.

MYRICACE.E

MYRICACE.E SWEET-GALE FAMILY

Myrica carolinensis, Mill.

April-May Bayberry,

Wax-berry,
Candle-berry,
Wax-myrtle.

Myrica: for derivation see asplenifolia.
Carolinensis: Latin for Carolinian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE SHRUB: a spreading shrub, two feet to eight feet high,
branched near the summit, with smooth, grey bark.

THE LEAVES: crowded at the summit; alternate; lanceolate
or ovate; without hairs above, often with a few short, soft
hairs beneath; with resinous dots on both sides; blunt at
the apex; narrowed at the base; with waved margins;
serrate or with a few low teeth above the middle.

THE FLOWERS: minute, in catkins; the sterile catkins
dark reddish-brown.

THE FRUIT: drupes, bluish white, small, globular, dry,
coated with resinous grains of wax, especially waxy when
mature.

A picture of the Commons that failed to include the
bayberry bushes would be as incomplete as one that
failed to include scrub-oak trees or mealy-plum vines.
One cannot think of the heathland, or the dunes, or the
thickets, and not remember the bayberry. In general,
the bushes most nearly resemble the beach-plum, but
their more ascending branches give them a tidier appear-
ance. Always the bayberry can be distinguished by
the pungent odor of stem and leaves. But the easiest
mark of distinction is the waxy, grey resinous berries
that cling to the stem below the dark green leaves clustered

SWEET-GALE FAMILY

at the ends of the branches. These berries are the part
that is used in making wax candles.

"A bayberry candle burned to the socket,
Brings luck to the house, and gold to the pocket."

Another application of them is as wax for smoothing
flatirons, while a former use to which they were put, was
a mouth-wash.

One other member of the Sweet-Gale Family has been
reported.

JUGLANDACEJE WALNUT FAMILY

Carya alba, (L.) K. Kock.

June White-heart Hickory,

Mocker-nut,
Fragrant Hickory.

Carya: ancient Greek name of the walnut.
Alba: Latin for white.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thickets.

THE TREE: erect, six feet to fifteen feet high; the trunk
stout; the bark rough, but close; the twigs hairy, fragrant
when crushed.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately compound, the leaflets
seven to nine, oblong-lanceolate, with short, more or less
matted hairs, acuminate at the apex; sessile; fragrant
when crushed.

THE FLOWERS: of two kinds, in catkins; the staminate
catkins covered with matted wool, peduncled.

THE FRUIT: a nut, enclosed in a thick shell, greyish-white,
angled, pointed at the top.

A noble and symmetrical tree, thickly clothed with
handsome and compound leaves — the father, so to speak,
of the thicket, that so densely surrounds it.

Two other members of the Walnut Family have been
'reported.

BETULACE^E BIRCH FAMILY

Corylus americana, Walt.

March-April Filbert,

Hazelnut.
Nuts ripe
July-September

Corylus: probably a Greek word meaning helmet, in allu-
sion to the shape of the involucre.
Americana: Latin for American.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy soil, thickets, and bor-
ders of thickets.

THE SHRUB: three feet to five feet tall, branched; the
young shoots a russet-brown, rough, with short, pinkish
hairs; the twigs becoming hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate or broadly oval; three
inches to six inches long; two inches to five inches wide;
above, hairless or nearly so ; beneath with a fine, soft, matted
wool; acute or acuminate at the apex; cordate or obtusish
at the base; with very fine sharp teeth on the margin.

THE FLOWERS: minute, in catkins which are three to four
inches long.

THE FRUIT: a nut, in clusters of four, enclosed in a fringed,
leaf -like envelope.

In thinking of the two Hazelnut bushes (Corylus ameri-
cana and Corylus rostrata), one remembers many leaves,
not all of which are green, but usually, some at least, a
madder-brown, that are shaped like those of the birch
and have deep, regular saw-teeth. Below the thicket, so
to speak, of upper leaves, are the nut cases. One kind
has a fluted edge to the saucer-like envelope which en-

BETULACE^E

closes the four nutlets. The other (Corylus rostrata} has a
beaked furry covering, holding one nut.

BETULACE^E BIRCH FAMILY

Corylus rostrata, Ait.
April-May Beaked Hazelnut.

Fruit ripe
August-September

Corylus: for derivation see americana.
Rostrata: Latin meaning beaked.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy soil.

THE SHRUB: three feet high or more, branched.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate or narrowly oval; sometimes
four inches long and two inches wide; thin; above without
hairs or with some scattered, matted ones; beneath with
few, short, soft hairs, at least on the veins; acuminate
at the apex; cordate or obtuse at the base; deeply serrate,
with incisions retoothed.

THE FLOWERS: minute, in catkins which are three to four
inches long.

THE FRUIT: a nut, enclosed in bristly, hairy bractlets,
prolonged into a tubular beak, fringed at the top, about
twice the length of the nut.

There are two chief distinctions between the Corylus
americana and the Corylus rostrata. One lies in the differ-
ence between the edges of the leaves, the other in the
covering of the nuts. In both, the leaves are toothed, but
of the rostrata, the teeth themselves are again toothed;
the nuts of the americana are in a flat and circular case,
while those of the rostrata are in a beaked case.

Three other members of the Birch Family have been
reported.

FAGACE1E BEECH FAMILY

Quercus alba, L.
May- June White Oak.

Acorns ripe
September-October

Quercus: classical Latin name of the oak.
Alba: Latin for white.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thickets and "low, swampy
woods."

THE TREE: usually six to ten feet high, "at least fifteen
feet high in low, swampy woods." "The stoutest native
tree of any kind met with on the island was a white oak
in a dense thicket which measured forty inches in circum-
ference a foot above the base." The bark is light grey
varying to dark grey, with shallow fissures, scaling off in
thin plates.

THE LEAVES: alternate; obovate; four inches to seven
inches long; green above; beneath pale and with few
hairs, more when young; thin; pinnatifid into three to
nine oblong, obtuse, toothed or entire lobes, without
bristles, the apex lobe rounded; with short, stout, grooved,
and flattened stems

THE FLOWERS; minute, in catkins; the staminate hairy,
two and a half to three inches long, calyx bright yellow,
anthers yellow; the pistillate on short stems, the scales
reddish, stigmas bright red.

THE FRUIT: a nut, called an "acorn"; the cup part ovoid
or oblong-round at the apex, enclosing about one-fourth
of the nut, covered with soft matted wool on the outside.

This is the tall oak, that grows in damp ground or
thickets, whose young leaves on the underneath surface
are covered with a white wool and, when mature, become
pale or bear a bloom. Their lobes are five to nine, being
narrow, obtuse and mostly entire.

From the inner bark may be derived an astringent and
antiseptic.

FAGACE^) BEECH FAMILY

Quercus ilicifolia, Wang.

May Black Scrub Oak,

Bear Scrub Oak,

Acorns ripe Dwarf Black Oak,

October-November Holly Oak,

Bitter-bush.

Quercus: for derivation see alba.

Ilicifolia: Latin for leaves of the Ilex (Holly), because of
the resemblance of these leaves to those of the Holly.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE TREE: a straggling shrub or rarely a small tree; sel-
dom more than four feet high; the bark dark brown,
nearly smooth, scaly; the branchlets slender, at first dark
green, tinged with red, later red brown and finally dark
brown.

THE LEAVES: alternate; greyish-white beneath; two
inches to five inches long; above dark green and hairless;
beneath greyish white, with soft, matted wool; wedge-
shaped at the base; three to seven lobed; the lobes tri-
angular, ovate, spreading, acute, bristle-tipped.

THE FLOWERS: minute, in catkins, staminate and pistil-
late; the staminate reddish, hairy, four inches to five
inches long, which often remain until mid-summer; pis-
tillate, on stout stems, covered with matted wool, the
scales red and also covered with matted wool.

QUERCUS 1LICIFOLIA

BEECH FAMILY

THE FRUIT: a nut. The cup of the "acorn" is saucer-
shaped with a somewhat round base; the kernel somewhat
ovoid, longer than the cup.

This is one of the dwarf oaks of the Commons, where,
with its spreading and twisted branches, it makes up
longitudinally for what it lacks in height. Like other
oaks, its leaves vary, having usually five lobes, but there
are chances for three or even seven; and, if the strong
winds have not worn away the bristles, every lobe is
bristle-tipped.

Later in the summer, the tree is filled with the abundant
acorns. In the fall the leaves turn maroon and do their
share in making the Commons actually blossom in reds
and yellows and crimsons.

FAGACE^) BEECH FAMILY

Quercus prinoides, Willd.

April-May Scrub Oak,

Scrub Chestnut Oak,
Dwarf Chestnut Oak,
Chinkapin or Chinquapin.

Quercus: for derivation see alba.

Prinoides: resembling Quercus prinus, the Chestnut Oak.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
where it often forms dense thickets.

THE TREE: from two feet to six feet or more in height,
profusely branched, the branches often spreading on the
ground; the bark light brown, charged with tannic acid.

THE LEAVES: alternate; obovate or oblong; densely covered
on the underneath side with short, soft hairs, which are
sometimes slightly tawny; acute or acuminate at the apex;
wedge-shaped at the base; the petioles stout, short,
flattened and grooved; coarsely wavy-toothed, with round-
ed or acute teeth; mid-rib and primary veins conspicuous.

FACACE^,

THE FLOWERS: appear when leaves are one third grown;
staminate catkins from one to two inches long or longer,
hairy; the pistillate on short peduncles; the scales covered
with silvery white matted wool.

THE FRUIT: "acorns." The nut, pale chestnut brown,
one half to three quarters of an inch long, oval, rounded
or obtuse at the apex which is covered with white down;
near the deep cup enveloping one half to one third of the
nut is light brown, downy on the inside and covered on
the outside with dense, white hairs. The scales loosely
over-lapping, red-tipped, acute, thickened toward the base
of the cup.

Another of the commonest Scrub Oaks on Nantucket,
of which the chief mark of individuality is the chestnut-
like leaf and the deep cup of the acorn densely covered on
the outside with white and matted wool.

FAGACE.E BEECH FAMILY

Quercus velutina, Lam.

May Quercitron,

Yellow-barked Oak,

Acorns ripe Black Oak,

August-September Dyer's Oak.

Quercus: for derivation see alba.
Velutina: Latin meaning shaggy hairs.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: woodlands.

THE TREE: sometimes twenty feet high; the outer bark
rough, in low ridges, very dark brown; the inner, bright
orange.

THE LEAVES: alternate; firm; oblong to lanceolate; above,
at first bright crimson and covered with white hairs; below,
at first covered with silvery-white, matted wool ; when full

BEECH FAMILY

grown, above dark shiny green, below yellow-green,
brownish or tawny, with some short, soft hairs; petioled;
the stems long, yellow, generally flattened on the upper
side. The leaves very variable in outline, usually seven
lobed and sometimes divided nearly to the middle by
wide rounded sinuses into narrow lobes with stout bristle-
pointed teeth, or sometimes the lobes are nearly entire,
each lobe tipped with a bristle; or the sinuses are shallow,
and the heavy part of the leaf is toward the apex, but the
lobes are always tipped with a bristle. The end lobe is
oblong, acute, with, large or small teeth.

THE FLOWERS: minute, in catkins, appearing when the
leaves are half-grown; the staminate hairy, four inches to
six inches long; the pistillate on short, hairy stems; stigmas
bright red.

THE FRUIT: a nut, stemless or on stalks, solitary or in
pairs; the "acorn" somewhat ovate or hemispherical,
broad and rounded at the base, rounded at the apex,
light reddish-brown, frequently covered with short, soft
hairs, from one half inch to one inch long, the cup embraces
one third to one half of the "acorn" and is covered with
brown scales which at the base are closely flattened, but
above are loose and at the rim form a fringe-like border.

Five other members of the Beech Family have been
reported.

SANTALACE^ SANDAL WOOD FAMILY

Comandra umbellata, (L.) Nutt.

Greenish-white Bastard Toadflax.

April-July

Comandra: Greek meaning a hairy man, in allusion to

the hairs on the calyx lobes.
Umbellata: Latin diminutive for shade.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to tweive inches high; the
stem usually branched, without hairs, brittle. The plant
forms parasitic attachments to the roots of other plants,
particularly those of the Heath Family, as, for example,
to the Mealy-plum Vine (Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi).

THE LEAVES: numerous, especially above; partially erect;
alternate; light green; oblong to oblong-lanceolate; one
half inch to one inch long; the lower smaller than the upper;
acute or acutish at both ends; stemless or nearly so;
entire; the pale mid-rib prominent beneath.

THE FLOWERS: small, on thread-like stems in corymbose
cymes which are terminal or axillary; the calyx greenish-
white or purplish; the five petals white; sometimes tinged
with purple.

THE FRUIT: drupe-like or nut-like, crowned by the per-
sistent calyx lobes.

Not an exciting plant ; on the contrary a rather sickly,
green and stiff one, with whitish flowers clustered at the
top of the leafy stem somewhat as Sweet Alyssum heads

SANDAL WOOD FAMILY

are clustered, and short, opposite leaves, that bear a faint
resemblance to the Sweet Alyssum leaves. It keeps well,
but being undecorative, that is not a great virtue. But
what real charm could be expected in a plant that forms
parasitic attachments to the roots of other plants?

POLYGONACE^) BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

Rumex Acetosella, L.

Green or brown-red Sheep Sorrel, Gentleman1 's-sorrel,

Field Sorrel, Red Weed,

May-September Sour Dock, Wood Sorrel,

Sharp Dock, Red Sorrel,
Mountain Sorrel, Redtop Sorrel,

Horse Sorrel, Sour Weed,

Cow Sorrel, Sour-grass.
Toad Sorrel,

Rumex: the ancient Latin name.
Acetosella: from Latin, signifying a little sour.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sterile soil everywhere.

THE PLANT: six inches to twelve inches high, very variable
in colour, growing darker with sterility of the soil; the
stem slender, simple or branched; the sheaths silvery,
early becoming ragged.

THE LEAVES: alternate; the uppermost lanceolate or linear,
usually widest above the middle, the lower halberd-form;
hairless; obtuse or acute at the apex; on stems; the lobes
at the base entire or one or two toothed.

THE FLOWERS: small, in erect, panicled racemes; six
sepals, the outer three herbaceous, the three inner larger
and somewhat colored.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

Both the ground leaves, light green and notched, and
the tiny flowers, dark red and numerous, on the top
branches of a tall red stem are familiarly known, but not
always thought of as belonging together. The young
leaves are good to eat and the deep red flowers colour the

BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

more barren parts of the Commons. Its presence is an
indication of sour soil. Mr. Bicknell says, "In early June
when in full flower, it is one of the conspicuous plants of
the season, reddening the fields and plains and damp sandy
levels along the shore."

POLYGONACE^E BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

Rumex crispus, L.

Dark green Yellow Dock,

Curled Dock.
June-August

Rumex: for derivation see Acetosella.

Crispus: from Anglo Saxon, with same meaning.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp ground.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three and one half feet tall;
the stem rather slender, simple or branched above, dark
green, grooved.

THE LEAVES: alternate; the lower oblong or oblong-lanceo-
late; six inches to twelve inches long, on long stems; the
upper narrowly oblong or lanceolate, about half as long,
on short stems; all heart-shaped or obtuse at the base;
wavy-margined.

THE FLOWERS: in a rather open panicle, the individual
ones rather loosely whorled, petalless, the calyx the dark
green part.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

A familiar but deadly uninteresting plant, whose large,
heavy lower leaves which are usually, in part at least,
brown and withered, irritate with their seemingly un-
necessary existence the one who is bent on swamp treasure
trove. The flowers are tiny balls, so to speak, although
they try by their numbers and by their loose-hanging to
appear more conspicuous.

From this plant is made a valuable drug.

POLYGONACEJE

POLYGONACE^E BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

Polygonum acre, HBK.

White or flesh-colour Water Smartweed.

August-September

Polygonum: name from Greek for many a knee, in allusion

to the numerous joints.
Acre: Latin for bitter.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swampy ground.

THE PLANT: usually erect or nearly so, seldom prostrate,
one foot high or higher; the stem simple or branched,
practically hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate;
one inch to eight inches long; acuminate at both ends;
petioled; conspicuously glandular; entire; hairs on the
margins and frequently on the mid-rib below; sheaths de-
ciduous, when present cylindric, fringed with long bristles.

THE FLOWERS: in slender racemes, at the top of the stem.
THE FRUIT: achenes, thick, smooth, and shining.

This is the Polygonum of damp places, with tiny greenish-
white flowers in long and slender, continuous clusters.
A fairly sure method of identification is to bite the leaves,
which have a pungent, puckery taste, that lasts for a few
minutes.

POLYGONACE^E BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

Polygonum dumetorum, L.

Green and white Copse Buckwheat,

False Buckwheat,
August-September Hedge Buckwheat.

Polygonum: for derivation see acre.
Dumetorum: Latin for a thicket.

BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thickets and over bushes in
waste ground.

THE PLANT: extensively twining, two feet to twelve feet
long; the stem much branched, horizontally grooved.

THE LEAVES: ovate, or somewhat hastate; sometimes
uneven; acuminate at the apex; heart-shaped at the base;
long-stemmed or nearly stemless; the sheaths smooth.

THE FLOWERS: small, in mostly axillary racemes which are
much interrupted; two inches to five inches long, with
leafy bracts.

THE FRUIT: black, smooth, and shining achenes.

One of those extensively twining vines that are found
resting on the tops of rose bushes and other low plants in
open thickets. It has large, but thin, ovate and untoothed
leaves and tiny white flowers in a long loose spray down
the stem.

POLYGONACE^E BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

Polygonum glaucum, Nutt.

White or pinkish Seaside Knotweed,

Coast Knot-grass.
August-September

Polygonum: for derivation see acre.
Glaucum: Latin for bluish.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sea beaches.

THE PLANT: prostrate or striving to be erect, eight inches
to twenty inches long; the stem branched, with a bloom
but without hairs, deeply grooved, often red or reddish,
jointed.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate or oblong; mostly small,
scarcely longer than the intermediate joints; fleshy; above,

POLYGONACE.E

somewhat rough and wrinkled; beneath, conspicuously
veined; blunt at the apex; entire; the sheaths large, silvery,
two-parted or at length of a ragged appearance, becoming
brown at the base.

THE FLOWERS: small, one to three together in the axils,
on slender stems.

This is one of the dwellers on the beach sand. It grows
in loose and flat rosettes, grey green and pink; its long,
slender, and spreading branches bear small, entire leaves,
and tiny pink flowers.

POLYGONACE^: BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

Polygonum pennsyluanicum, L.

Pink, in varying shades Pennsylvania Persicaria,

Glandular Persicary,
August-September Purple-lead.

Polygonum: for derivation see acre.
Pennsylvanicum: Latin for Pennsylvania.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE PLANT: somewhat erect, one foot to three feet tall,
simple or branched; the stem jointed, the lower part
hairless, the upper glandular.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate; two inches to eleven
inches long; the upper sometimes glandular beneath;
taper-pointed at the apex; petioled; the margins hairy;
the sheaths thin, naked, and hairless.

THE FLOWERS: small, in spikes or panicled racemes which
are erect, thick, oblong or cylindric, one inch to two
inches long.

THE FRUIT: achenes, round, at least one surface mostly
concave, pointed, smooth, and shining.

BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

A would-be tall but in reality a sprawling plant, with
narrow, very long entire leaves, and withered, papery
sheaths at the joints. The flowers usually pink, are
crowded in thick cylinders.

POLYGONACE^E BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

Polygonum Persicaria, L.

Crimson-pink Lady's Thumb,

or deep magenta Spotted Knotweed,

Hear tweed.
June-October

Polygonum: for derivation see acre.

Persicaria: literally, "like a peach," from the resemblance
of the leaves.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp ground.

THE PLANT: generally erect or nearly so, one and one half
feet to two feet high; the stem simple or much branched;
with no hairs or with very tiny ones, kneed; the sheaths
at the knees fringed with short bristles.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate or linear-lanceolate;
one inch to six inches long; roughish; tapering to a point
at both ends; on short stems; conspicuously dotted with
glands and usually having a dark blotch near the centre;
the margins entire or having the appearance of having
been eaten.

THE FLOWERS: tiny, in spikes or racemes which are one
half inch to two inches long, petalless, the coloured part
being the calyx.

THE FRUIT: achenes, smooth, shining.

This is very closely allied to the pennsylvanicum, but
the flowers are crimson-pink or deep magenta, instead of
"pink or white-green"; the leaves are rough and generally
marked with a darker green blotch near the centre.

POLYGONACE.E

POLYGONACE^E BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

Polygonum sagittatum, L.

Red-purple, pink Arrow-leaved Knotweed,

to nearly white Tear-thumb,

Arrow-leaved Tear-thumb,
August-September Scratch-grass.

Polygonum: for derivation see acre.
Sagittatum: Latin for arrow-shaped.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp ground.

THE PLANT: low-lying, or climbing over other plants,
sometimes two feet long; the stem light green or coloured
with red, slender, weak, four-angled with more or less
re-curved prickles on the angles.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate, sagittate, or oblong-
sagittate; one half inch to three inches long; the mid-ribs
or the lower surfaces prickly; obtuse or acute at the apex;
the lower petioled; the upper almost sessile; the petioles
also with prickles, slightly rough on the margins; the
sheaths fringed at the base by a few, bristle-like prickles.

THE FLOWERS: small, in rather dense terminal heads or
racemes.

THE FRUIT: achenes, smooth and shining.

Another weak-stemmed and trailing representative of
the Family, and another easy to identify. Its flowers
may vary from deep pink to a cream white, but its leaves
are always sagittate and its soft prickles always, as it
were, turned the wrong way. This may be a provision of
nature to spread the seeds, for the prickles, with their
tin hooks, catch on the fur and wool of animals and the
clothes of human intruders.

BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

POLYGONACE^E BUCKWHEAT FAMILY

Polygonella articulata, (L.) Meisn.

Deep rose colour to white Sand Knotweed,

Coast Jointweed,
July-October Sand-grass.

Polygonella: a diminutive for polygonum, Greek for many

joints.
Articulata: Latin for jointed.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: very sandy soil, or even beach
sand.

THE PLANT: erect, or sometimes diffusely spreading, six
inches to eighteen inches high, simple or branched; the
stem slender, wiry, grooved, and slightly angled, having
a bloom; the sheaths slightly expanded at the top.

THE LEAVES: fall early, when present alternate; linear;
stemless; the margins so rolled backwards that the leaves
appear thread-like.

THE FLOWERS: small, numerous, in very slender racemes,
on stems; petals lacking; the parts of the calyx with a
dark mid-rib.

THE FRUIT: achenes, brown, smooth, and shining.

A feathery plant, when in bloom, whose delicately
tinted whitish flowers are frequently mistaken for "white
heather." But the knees of the leafless stem and the ab-
sence of petals are marks by which one can place it in
the Buckwheat and not in the Heath Family.

Twenty-three other members of the Buckwheat Family
have been reported.

CHENOPODIACE^ GOOSEFOOT FAMILY

Chenopodium album, L.

White Lamb's Quarters, Meldweed,

Pigweed, Beaconweed,

June-September Smooth Pigweed, Fat-hen,

White Goosefoot, Muckweed,

Frost Bite, Wild Spinach,

Mealweed, Jerusalem Oak.

Chenopodium: from Greek meaning a goosefoot, in allusion

to the shape of the leaves.
Album: Latin for white.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and neglected fields.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to five feet high, with many
branches of equal length; the branches ascending; the
stem often dark-streaked, grooved at least when dry.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate or the upper lanceolate or
linear-lanceolate; one to four inches long; above light
green; beneath white; nearly acute or somewhat obtuse
at the apex; narrowed at the base; on petioles often as
long as the blade; dentate; irregularly lobed, or the upper
entire.

THE FLOWERS: very small, crowded in terminal and axil-
lary spikes.

THE FRUIT: small and bladder-shaped.

An almost repulsive weed. Its colour-tone is an ashy-
green, its "goose-foot" leaves are thick, the spikes of
inconspicuous flowers characterless. A swift grower, it
rapidly absorbs food and moisture needed by the crops,
and, further, it is a frequent host for mildews and rust.

GOOSEFOOT FAMILY

However, there are redeeming qualities. For instance, the
young plants make excellent greens and from the seeds
is extracted a unique oil that is valuable medicinally.

CHENOPODIACE^E GOOSEFOOT FAMILY

Atriplexpatula, L. var. hastata, (L.) Gray.

Green Halberd-leaved Orach.

August-September

Atriplex: from Greek for the Orach.
Patula: from Latin meaning spreading.
Hastata: from Latin for halberd-shaped.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: waste places and brackish
marshes.

THE PLANT: erect or nearly so, one foot high or taller; the
stem branched, pale green, scurfy.

THE LEAVES: mostly pale green; alternate or some of
them opposite; variable but at least the lower broadly
halberd-shaped, the basal lobes divergent; acuminate at
the apex; usually narrowed at the base; slender-petioled;
often coarsely and irregularly toothed.

THE FLOWERS: of two kinds, the staminate and pistillate
sometimes united and sometimes separate, but growing in
rather slender spikes.

THE FRUIT: called an utricle (that is one-seeded and
bladder-shaped).

An unalluring pale green plant of the shores and brack-
ish meadows. If it is noticed, it is easy to identify by
its short and slender spike of tiny green flowers and by its
halberd-shaped leaves.

6 81

CHENOPODIACE^

CHENOPODIACEJE GOOSEFOOT FAMILY

Salicornia europcea, L.

July-September Samphire,

Salt-marsh Samphire.

Salicornia: from Latin for salt and a horn.
Europcea: Latin for European.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: salt marshes.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to one foot high, simple or
branched; the branches slender, ascending; both stem
and branches fleshy and jointed, turning bright red in
the autumn.

THE LEAVES: tiny scales at the joints.

THE FLOWERS: sunken, three to seven together in narrow,
terminal spikes in the axils of the upper scales.

THE FRUIT: very small, bladder-shaped.

The chief glory of the salt marshes in the fall is the red
Samphire. For stretches on stretches, these stiff, much-
jointed, low spikes arise, flaming red.

CHENOPODIACEJE GOOSEFOOT FAMILY

Salsola Kali, L.

July-September Common Saltwort, Prickly-glasswort,

Kelpwort, Salt-grape,

Sea-grape, Tumbling Thistle,

Sea-thrift.

Salsola: derivative of a Latin word for salty, in allusion to

the saline marshes, the habitat of most of the species.
Kali: an Arabic name.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: beach sand.

GOOSEFOOT FAMILY

THE PLANT: stiff and prickly; dark green; somewhat erect
or spreading; ten inches to eighteen inches high; branched;
the branches freely divergent; the stem hairless or often
with short, stiff hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate; one inch long or less;
fleshy; the mid-vein at the apex continuing into a yellowish-
green prickle; the leaf swollen at the base; entire.

THE FLOWERS: very small, single, in the axils of the leaves.
THE FRUIT: small and bladder-shaped.

In the summer only a dark green, prickly plant of the
sea beaches, but in the fall, a glory of flaming red.

Thirteen other members of the Goosefoot Family have
been reported.

CARYOPHYLLACE.E PINK FAMILY

Spergularia rubra, Presl.
Crimson-pink Sand-spurry,

Purple Sandwort,
June-September Red Sandwort.

Spergularia: a derivative of Spergula, which see for

derivation.
Rubra: Latin for red.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy places.

THE PLANT: prostrate or partially erect, two inches to
six inches high; the stem slender, hairless or with soft,
short hairs.

THE LEAVES : opposite ; often clustered in the axils ; linear ; one
half inch long or less ; scarcely fleshy ; acute at the apex ; entire.

THE FLOWERS: very small, solitary in the axils, bright
pink to light purple.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A seemingly insignificant weed or weeds (for they grow
in such dense clumps), small-leaved and lying almost flat
on the ground, but having crimson-pink flowers that de-
mand attention.

CARYOPHYLLACE^E PINK FAMILY

Spergula arvensis, L.

White Corn-spurry, Poverty-weed,

Cow-quake, Sandweed,

Summer Pink-purse, Spurry,

Pine-cheat, Yarr.

Spergula: from Latin to scatter, because the plant turns
its capsules upside down to disperse the ripe seed.

Arvensis: Latin, belonging in a field.

PINK FAMILY

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and neglected fields.

THE PLANT: erect or partially so, six to eighteen inches
high, branching near the base, without hairs or with
scattered, short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: numerous; whorled; narrowly linear; without
hairs or with scattered, short, soft hairs on both surfaces;
acute at the apex; entire.

THE FLOWERS: very small, numerous, in loose cymes,
turning brown early.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A bright green weed of many stems (for it branches
profusely near the ground) with numerous fine leaves and
plenty of minute white flowers. In spite of its multi-
tudinous parts, the weed is insignificant looking, but it
may do much harm in a field for being so prolific, it easily
smothers the young growth of carrots or turnips, clover
or grasses.

CARYOPHYLLACE^: PINK FAMILY

Arenaria peploides, L.

White Sea Chickweed, Sea-purslane,

Sea Pimpernel, Sea-beach Sandwort.
June-August

Arenaria: derived from Latin for sand, in allusion to the

habitat.
Peploides: from Latin, in allusion to the arrangement of

the leaves, like a peplos.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: beach sand.

THE PLANT: low, three inches to ten inches high, simple
or branched or tufted at the base; the stems stiff", light
green, fleshy, hairless.

CARYOPHYLLACEvE

THE LEAVES: opposite; fat; ovate; shiny and without
hairs on either surface; acute or with a small, short, abrupt
tip at the apex; stemless and partly clasping at the base;
entire.

THE FLOWERS: (seldom found) generally grow in the axils
of the leaves, on short stems; the petals five, entire or
sometimes barely notched, rarely lacking.

THE FRUIT: a pod, globular, depressed, with a pointed
peak, distinctly grooved.

The Nantucket beach plants, few in number, are for-
tunately blessed with strong characteristics and are thus
easy to identify. This is that light green, fleshy plant
that grows in circular mats on the shore; its short, and
stout branches stand stiff and erect and hold the sand
blown among them until miniature dunes are formed.
The flowers are seldom seen, the plant is extremely unin-
teresting, but its yellow-greenness does give life to the
beaches.

CARYOPHYLLACE.E PINK FAMILY

Stellaria media, (L.) Cyrill.

White Common Chick weed,

Starwort,

April-October Starweed,

Winterweed,
Birdweed.

Stellaria: from the Latin for star, in allusion to the star-
shaped flowers.
Media: from Latin signifying intermediate.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE PLANT: weak, tufted, semi-prostrate, much branched,
without hairs except for a line along the stem and branches,
on the sepals, and sometimes on the margins of the petals.

CERASTIUM
ARVENSE

ONE INCH

PINK FAMILY

THE LEAVES: opposite; ovate or oval; one and one half
inches long or less; acute or rarely obtuse at the apex;
the lower petioled and often heart-shaped at the base; the
upper stemless; entire.

THE FLOWERS: very small, in terminal, leafy cymes, or,
solitary in the axils, on slender stems, close early and open
late or not at all in cloudy weather.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This is the common Chickweed, of slight and delicate
build, with a weak and low-lying stem and small, pointed,
light-green leaves. The minute flowers have five white
petals, so deeply cleft that they appear as ten. As some-
one has observed, "In spite of its frail appearance, this
plant is probably the hardiest and most persistent weed on
earth."

CARYOPHYLLACE^ PINK FAMILY

Cerastium arvense, L.

White Field Chickwe

Field Mouse-ear Chickweed,
April- July Meadow Chickweed.

Cerastium: Greek, meaning a thorn, in allusion to the shape

of the pod.
Arvense: Latin, belonging in a field.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE PLANT: densely tufted, four inches to ten inches
high; the flowering stem simple or sparingly branched,
with short, downy hairs or nearly hairless.

THE LEAVES: opposite; linear-oblong, linear, or narrowly
lanceolate; with few, short, soft hairs on both surfaces;
acute at the apex; narrowed at the base; entire; sessile.

THE FLOWERS: few, at the top of the stem in a cyme.
THE FRUIT: a pod

CARYOPHYLLACE^:

A dainty arrival of springtime. There is a tufted ap-
pearance to the numerous, fine leaves. The white flowers,
with broad, deeply cleft petals open in sunshiny weather.
Although pretty, it is a frequent garden weed. On the
Commons, it is so prolific that sheets of the starry flowers,
growing with Bird's Foot Violet (Viola pedata), cover the
ground.

CARYOPHYLLACE^) PINK FAMILY

Cerastium vulgatum, L.

White Large Mouse-ear Chickweed,

Common Chickweed.
May-September

Cerastium: for derivation see arvense.
Vulgatum: Latin for common.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: yards and lanes.

THE PLANT: erect or ascending, six inches to eighteen
inches high; the stem sticky, with short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: basal and stem opposite; oblong to spatu-
late; acute or obtuse; entire.

THE FLOWERS: small, loosely clustered; with leaf -like
bracts; petals two-cleft; sepals short.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, borne on fairly long pedicels.

A bothersome, low-growing weed, growing in dense
clumps in gardens and fields, that has clammy stems and
numerous oblong leaves. The small, starry white flowers
are somewhat wheel-shaped. They open only in the
brightest sunshine, a fact that has introduced the plant
to the ranks of Nature's weather-prophets.

PINK FAMILY

CARYOPHYLLACE^E PINK FAMILY

Agrostemma Githago, L.

Magenta Corn-campion, Corn-rose,

Corn-cockle, Crown-of-the-field,

July-September Corn-mullen, Mullen Pink,

Corn-pink, Old-Maid's-pink.

Agrostemma: Greek for a field and a crown in allusion to

the beauty of the flower.
Githago: classical Latin name for the Corn-cockle.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: cornfields and cultivated
ground.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high; the stem
simple or sparingly branched, clothed throughout with
soft, whitish, flattened hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; linear, tending to lanceolate;
clothed on both surfaces with soft hairs; tapering to an
acute apex; more or less narrowed at the base; stemless;
entire.

THE FLOWERS: on stems three inches to eight inches high;
the calyx ovoid ; its five sepals, with ten ribs, much exceed-
ing the petals; the five petals overlap, slightly notched
on the margin, paler toward the centre and spotted with
black.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, with numerous black poisonous
seeds.

A really beautiful weed, bearing large, wheel-shaped
flowers, encircled and out-distanced by the slender, green
sepals.

Although it is an attractive plant to the lay person, it
is much disliked by the farmer, for a very little cockle is
sufficient to cut the grade of the wheat and the seeds when
ground with the wheat are poisonous to poultry.

CARYOPHYLLACE^E

It has been proven that "a small quantity of bread that
contains these seeds if eaten regularly will produce a
peculiar and chronic disease." The plant also contains a
poisonous ingredient, which is easily soluble in water and
when inhaled produces violent sneezing.

CARYOPHYLLACE^: PINK FAMILY

Silene latifolia, (Mill.) Britton & Rendle.

Whitish Bladder Campion, Bubble Poppy,

Catchfly, Sprattling Poppy,

July-August Devil's Rattle-box, Spider's Flower,

Rattle-box, White-hen,

Bull-rattle, Sea-pink,

Snappers, Bird's-eggs,

Cow-bell, Behen,

Knap-bottle, Maiden1 s-tears.
White-bottle,
Frothy Poppy,

Silene: derived from the Greek for saliva, from the viscid
discharge on the stem and calyx of many species. The
popular English name, Catchfly, refers to the same
peculiarity.

Latifolia: Latin meaning side-leaves.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and waste places,
near dwellings.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to eighteen inches high,
branched from the base, with few leaves; the stem smooth,
with a bloom.

THE LEAVES: opposite; usually curving; lanceolate to
oblong; those at the top smaller; the lower larger and often
spatulate; hairless on both surfaces; acute at the apex;
entire; mid-rib somewhat prominent.

THE FLOWERS: in a loose compound corymb, on hairless
peduncles; the calyx inflated, cylindrical, with purple

SAPONARIA OFFICINALI5

ONE INCH

PINK FAMILY

markings on its whitish-green surface. The petals five,
veined; the pistil and stamens quite prominent; the
stamens dark, the pistil white.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This plant just escapes being inconspicuous and unin-
teresting, by virtue of its sac-like whitish-green calyx,
with purplish lines and its five pure white delicate petals.

Saponaria officinalis, L.
CARYOPHYLLACE^ PINK FAMILY

Pale magenta Bouncing-bet, Soapwort,

pink to white Bunch-of-keys, Soap-root,

(local for do uble Ladder-by-the-Gate,

June-October form) London-Pride,

Bruisewort, Mock-gilliflower,

Old Maid's Pink, Soap-gentian,

Boston Pink, Wild Sweet William

Chimney Pink, Woods Flax,

Hedge Pink, World' s-wonder.
Fuller's Herb,

Saponaria: from the Greek for soap, because the plant's
mucilaginous juice makes a lather with water.

Officinalis: A Latin form that means ''belonging in a work
shop" because the plant was known medicinally in the
workshop of the chemists.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and waste grounds.

THE PLANT: erect, one to two feet high, sparingly branched;
the stem leafy, stout, without hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; ovate or oval; two inches to three
inches long; about one inch wide; without hairs; acute at
the apex; narrowed at the base into a broad, short petiole;
entire; strongly three ribbed.

THE FLOWERS: variable in colour and in number of petals.
They are in densely terminal corymbs with numerous small

CARYOPHYLLACE^:

lanceolate bracts or floral leaves. The calyx tubular, about
three quarters of an inch long, faintly veined.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, shorter than the calyx.

A dweller by the roadsides or in neglected gardens,
it never strays far from people. Touched by the dew of
evening, the flowers emanate profusely their sweet, old-
fashioned odour. In the day-time, the chief charm lies in
the colour of these pretty, but variable flowers, that are
sometimes deep pink and sometimes actually white. A
further variation is that on some plants the petals are
five and on others six. There even occurs a form that
is fringed and double and this is particularly pretty.

The plant has its uses, some of which are more practical
than others. If the already slightly inflated calyx is blown
out still more, it will snap satisfactorily on the hand ! From
the mucilaginous stem, leaves, and young rootstocks, when
crushed in water, a sudsy solution can be made for washing
silks and woolens. Such a solution in pioneer days, was un-
doubtedly used as a soap substitute. The root had its place,
also, in the family medicine chest, and a valuable drug for the
treatment of rheumatism is still made from it. Another ap-
plication is the concoction of a puree, from the young leaves.

CARYOPHYLLACE^) PINK FAMILY

Dianthus Armeria, L.

Crimson-pink or magenta Deptf&rd Pink,

Grass Pink,
June-September Carnation.

Dianthus: Greek, meaning Jove's own flower.
Armeria: Latin name of the Thrift.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil, in fields and
along roadsides.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to eighteen inches high; the
stem simple or sparingly branched toward the summit,
covered with fine, soft hairs.

DIANTHUS
ARMERIA

ONE INCH

PINK FAMILY

THE LEAVES: opposite; linear; one to three inches long;
hairy on both surfaces; acute or the lower obtusish at
the apex; narrowed at the base; entire.

THE FLOWERS: at the top of the stem in ones and fours,
although only one is usually open at a time; petals with
whitish dots.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A low, attractive plant, whose stem, although branched
at the top, is stiff like an upright stick. The leaves are
few and narrow. Its charm lurks in the wide-open flowers.
Shadowed by a fence where the plants grow the highest,
these look very pretty and pink. On their spreading
petals glistens a white powder, like dew.

Unfortunately the flowers are apt to close towards the
end of the day, not to reopen, but the buds come out well
in water.

Eleven other members of the Pink Family have been
reported.

NYMPH;EACE>E WATER LILY FAMILY

Castalia odorata, (Ait.) Woodville and Wood.

White Water Lily, Water Cabbage,

Pond Lily, Toad Lily.

June-September Water Nymph,

Castalia: Greek meaning a mythical fountain on Parnassus,

sacred to Apollo and the muses.
Odorata: Latin for scented, in allusion to the sweet and

heavy fragrance of the flowers.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: muddy bottoms of ponds.

THE PLANT: from horizontal roots which are twined in the
mud, simple or with a few branches.

THE LEAVES: floating; four inches to twelve inches wide;
without hairs on the upper surface, beneath crimson-
purple, with few or many short, soft hairs; deeply heart-
cleft at the base; on long, hairless, dark-coloured stems;
margins entire.

THE FLOWERS: fragrant, opening early in the morning
and closing in the afternoon, large, cup-shaped; three inches
to six inches broad; single in the axils of the leaves; petals
numerous, in several series, passing gradually into the
stamens; anthers bright yellow, the outer stamens on
longer filaments, having broader anthers.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, covered with the bases of the petals,
ripening under water.

This is the large water lily, so familar to all, with
floating leaves supporting white cups that shield true-
golden stamens at their centre. "The flowers," Mrs. Owen
says, "reach a greater size than in the centre of the State;

WATER LILY FAMILY

remarkably large specimens are sometimes found in the
shallow ponds nearly dried up by the summer heat."

When gathering, it pays to take the buds, for floated
in water, they will reopen for two or three successive days.
The young leaves also keep fresher than the older ones.
A very artistic arrangement can be made in a deep and
wide plain glass dish, if the stems are so twined that the
leaves float and the pure white flowers open above them.

To discover what makes the leaves float, an interesting
experiment is to place under the microscope a shaving of
the skin from the underneath side of the leaf, when the
air cavities may be seen.

In short, the "atmosphere" of the flowers could not be
better suggested than by Emerson, "If eyes were made
for seeing, Beauty is its own excuse for being." But the
older Nantucketers found more than mere beauty. They
took a homely part, the root, and from it made a demul-
cent, to be used as a mouth-wash and gargle.

Two other members of the Water Lily Family have
been reported.

RANUNCULACE^E CROWFOOT FAMILY

Ranunculus acris, L.

Yellow Tall Buttercup, Butter-daisy,

Tall Crowfoot, Goldcup,

May-August Meadow Buttercup, Ringcup,

Meadow Crowfoot, Horse-gold,

Gold-knaps, Bachelor Buttons,

Butter-rose, Blister-plant,

Butter-cresses, Blister-flower.

Ranunculus: Latin diminutive for a little frog, applied by
Pliny to these plants, because the water forms grow
where frogs abound.

Acris: Latin for bitter, the juice being so acrid as to draw
blisters when applied to the skin.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp ground.

THE PLANT: from a fibrous root, erect, eighteen inches to
three feet high; the flowering stem erect, branched above,
hairy or sometimes practically hairless, dark green.

THE LEAVES: some, tufted at the base, three to seven
divided, the divisions cleft into numerous narrow lobes,
stemless, mainly acute; upper leaves merely three-parted,
short petioled.

THE FLOWERS : numerous, about one inch broad, the corolla
slightly cup-shaped; the five petals two or three times the
length of the five sepals; sepals acute; stamens clustered
and prominent.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

This Buttercup of the fields and meadows has three to
seven slashed, dark green leaves (the divisions being stem-
less), which are further cut and slashed very decoratively,
"only the upper ones showing the simple, three-parted

100

RANUNCULACE^:

figure," and open, deep yellow cup-shaped flowers, about
one inch broad, with five glossy, overlapping petals,
holding clusters of yellow stamens at the base. The fact
that the petals tend to whiten when fading is due to
oxidation.

RANUNCULACE^E CROWFOOT FAMILY

Ranunculus bulbosus, L.

Yellow Bulbous Crowfoot,

Bulbous Buttercup,

May- July English Kingcup,

Frogwort,
St. Anthony's Turnip.

Ranunculus: for derivation see acris.
Bulbosus: Greek for a bulbous root.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and fields.

THE PLANT: from a bulbous, thickened base, erect, six
inches to eighteen inches high; the stem hairy.

THE LEAVES: mostly basal; these variously lobed and
cleft, the lobes all wedge-shaped, usually three-divided,
with the terminal divisions on a long stem, the side
divisions stemless or nearly so; toothed.

THE FLOWERS: about one inch broad, on furrowed stems;
petals round, wedge-shaped at the base, much longer than
the sepals.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

Ranunculus bulbosus is also a characteristically formed
buttercup. It is a small plant, growing in dry places
(roadsides and fields), from a bulbous base or root. Its
leaves are "deep green, decoratively cut and slashed,
three-divided, each division three-lobed." The flowers
are large, golden or deep yellow and about one inch across.

From this plant is made a drug, valuable in the treat-
ment of neuralgia.

101

CROWFOOT FAMILY

RANUNCULACE^ CROWFOOT FAMILY

Ranunculus Cymbalaria, Pursh.

Yellow Seaside Crowfoot.

Summer

Ranunculus: for derivation see acris.
Cymbalaria: Greek for hollow of a vessel.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: salt marshes.

THE PLANT: from fibrous roots, low, spreading by root
runners; the stem without hairs.

THE LEAVES: mostly basal, clustered at the root and on
the joints of the runners; somewhat oval, tending to heart-
shaped; on slender stems; with very round teeth.

THE FLOWERS: one to seven, about one third of an inch
wide, borne in a dense corymb on stems, which are some-
times six inches long; petals five to eight.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

As you hold in your hand long runners of this creeping
species, you notice that the small round flower heads-
green, yellow, or light dirty-brown, in accordance with
the age of the tiny flowers — top the short and slender
stems, which are smooth and leafless. At the base of the
stems or at the joints of the runners, are the small, broad
leaves, round-toothed and heavily veined.

When brought into the house, this plant will actually
grow in water in a shallow dish.

RANUNCULACE^E CROWFOOT FAMILY

Ranunculus repens, L.

Yellow, rarely white Creeping Buttercup,

Gold-balls,

May-September Ram's-claws,

Sitfast,
Shotted-leaf Butter-cup.

102

RANUNCULACE^E

Ranunculus: for derivation see acris.
Repens: Latin for creeping.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp ground, by roadsides,
and in waste places.

THE PLANT: spreading by runners and forming large
patches; the stem generally hairy, but sometimes only
slightly so.

THE LEAVES: mostly basal; three-divided, all divisions or
the end ones only petioled; ovate; acute at the apex;
wedge-shaped at the base; often blotched or white-vari-
egated.

THE FLOWERS: nearly one inch broad; the five petals
obovate, much longer than the sepals.

THE FRUIT: achenes; the seed vessel tipped with a short,
stout spine.

This is that creeping or spreading Buttercup that grows
on long straight stems and has frequently white-variegated
or spotted leaves, and large deep-yellow flowers nearly an
inch across.

RANUNCULACEjE CROWFOOT FAMILY

Anemone quinquefolia, L.

White or tinted with Wood Anemone, Wood-flower,

pink Five-leaved Anemone, May-flower,

Wind-flower, Nimble Weed,

May- June Wild Cucumber, Herb Trinity.

Anemone: the ancient Greek and Latin name, a corrup-
tion from the Semitic name for Adonis, from whose
blood the crimson-flowered anemone of the Orient is
said to have sprung.

Quinquefolia: Latin for five-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thickets and open woods.

103

CROWFOOT FAMILY

THE PLANT: from underground stems; the flowering stem
four inches to nine inches high, simple, nearly hairless.

THE LEAVES: basal; five-parted, the divisions oblong or
wedge-shaped, long-petioled; the upper leaves three to
five-parted, the divisions variously cut and lobed, acute.

THE FLOWERS: solitary, one inch broad; sepals four to
seven, obovate or oval, tinged with purple outside, resem-
bling petals, which in reality are lacking.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

It hardly seems as if the delicate, white flowers and
slender stems of this dainty plant were sufficiently robust
to cope with the rigours o/ early spring. But, in truth,
such early-comers need no strong qualities of resistance,
for cold is easier to withstand than evaporation in strong
heat; there are but few plant enemies then about and in
the absence of many rivals, white is sufficiently strong to
attract the bees.

Eight other members of the Crowfoot Family have been
reported.

104

LAURACE^E LAUREL FAMILY

Sassafras variifolium, (Salisb.) Ktze.

Greenish-yellow Sassafras Tree,

Ague Tree,

April-May Cinnamon Wood,

Smelling Stick,
Saloop.

Sassafras: the popular Spanish name.

Variifolium: Latin to signify the variable form of the leaf.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: groves.

THE TREE: sometimes fifteen feet high, the bark rough
in irregular ridges, aromatic; the young twigs yellowish-
green becoming hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; persistent; oval or mitten shaped
or three-lobed to about the middle, and often as wide as
long; obtuse at the apex; narrowed at the base; petioled;
entire; pinnately veined. The twigs and foliage all very
mucilaginous.

THE FLOWERS: in corymbed racemes, appearing with the
leaves, staminate and pistillate; the sterile kind with nine
stamens, arranged in three rows; the fertile with six
stamens.

THE FRUIT: an oblong, blue drupe.

A large or small tree, as the environment may dictate,
with rough bark irregularly ridged, and yellowish-green
twigs. It has two easy marks of distinction — the one,
the "mitten" like leaves and the other, the aromatic taste,
particularly of the young twigs. This taste is due to the
presence of an oil, which is widely used as flavouring, and
is also valuable medicinally.

105

PAPAVERACE^) POPPY FAMILY

Chelidonium majus, L.

Deep yellow Great Celandine,

Swallow-wort,

May-September Devil's Milk,

Kill-wort,
Felon-wort.

Chelidonium: Greek for swallow. It is said that the
swallows come with the first opening flower and depart
as the last bloom fades.

Majus: Latin for larger.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry roadsides in town.

THE PLANT: one foot to two feet high, branched; the stems
with short, soft hairs, exuding orange-yellow juice, when
broken.

THE LEAVES: alternate; thin; one to two pinnately divided;
the parts ovate or obovate, toothed or lobed; with a bloom
beneath; on stems that are often swollen at the base.

THE FLOWERS: less than an inch broad; in small umbels,
in the axils of the leaves; the four petals rounded; sixteen
to twenty-four stamens.

THE FRUIT: a hairless capsule, tipped with the persistent
style and stigma (the tiny knob).

A common weed, found usually about town. The light
green, lustreless leaves are rather decoratively lobed.
The small, yellowish flowers, with frail petals, have a
prominent green style and many yellow stamens. Some
at least are still in bloom when the magenta-coloured
seed-vessels form thin lines, tipped with long and persist-

106

POPPY FAMILY

ent styles. When the stem is broken, there oozes forth a
strong, orange-yellow juice, bitter and acrid. Once it
was thought that from this juice could be made a drastic
purge, "which was a sure cure for warts, corns, pimples,
boils of every kind, even painful felon." From this plant
is still made a valuable drug.

107

CRUCIFER^: MUSTARD FAMILY

Draba verna, L.

White Whitlow Grass,

Shad-flower.
March-May

Draba: Greek name applied to some cress.
Verna: Latin signifying spring.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens and roadsides.

THE PLANT: erect, one inch to five inches high; the leaf-
less flowering stems numerous, with very few hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblong, spatulate, or oblanceolate;
one half inch long or more; with short, soft hairs or nearly
smooth; acutish at the apex; large at the base; round-
toothed or nearly entire.

THE FLOWERS: very small, on disproportionately long
stems, which are still longer in fruit; petals four; sepals
four, falling early; six stamens of irregular length.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

A tiny weed of gardens and roadsides, coming in the
early spring, its small, white flowers on bare stems from a
basal rosette of slender leaves. When the plant is in seed,
the brownish seed pod, rising from the dusty ground, is
an excellent example of color protection.

This is an interesting species since it is an aggregate
of many closely related forms which seldom come to ma-
turity because of their cleistogamous or closed flowers.

It is to be distinguished from the Lepidium (Pepper-
grass) and from the Capsella (Shepherd's Purse) by its
much smaller, almost entire leaves, of which all are basal.

1 08

MUSTARD FAMILY

CRUCIFER^E MUSTARD FAMILY

Lepidium virginicum, L.

White Wild Peppergrass,

Tongue Grass,
June-November Bird's Pepper.

Lepidium: from Greek, meaning a small scale, in allusion

to the resemblance of the seed-pod to a scale.
Virginicum: Latin for Virginian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens, neglected fields,
roadsides.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to fifteen inches high; the
stem branched, hairless.

THE LEAVES: basal or those of the stem alternate; obovate,
lanceolate and oblong-linear; without hairs or with a few,
short, soft hairs; obtusish or blunt at the apex; narrowed
at the base; with a very short stem or sessile; somewhat
pinnatifid (generally with a large lobe and numerous
small ones at the sides); dentate or round-toothed.

THE FLOWERS: very small, on very slender stems; four
petals; four sepals which fall early; six stamens of irregular
length.

THE FRUIT: a flat, orbicular pod.

Another unwelcome invader of the gardens or neglected
fields, from which it often escapes to the roadsides. In
general appearance, it is similar to the Capsella Bursa-
pastoris (Shepherd's Purse), but may be distinguished
from that in two ways: first by the leaves, which are
narrower and more nearly entire, and, secondly, by the
seed-vessels, which are round and unscalloped.

109

CRUCIFER^E

CRUCIFER^) MUSTARD FAMILY

Capsella Bursa-pastoris, (L.) Britton

White Shepherd's Purse, St. James -weed,

Shepherd's Bag, Pick-purse,

May-November Shepherd's Pouch, Ladies' -purse,

Pickpocket, Witch's Pouch,

Case-weed, Shovel-weed.
M other' s-hearts,

Capsella: Latin diminutive for a box.
Bursa-pastoris: Latin for a shepherd's wallet.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens, neglected fields,
roadsides.

THE PLANT: from a long, deep root, erect, six inches to
twenty inches high; the stem mainly without hairs above,
below with short soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: (stem) few, alternate; two inches to five
inches long, lanceolate, entire or round-toothed; (the
basal) forming a rosette, larger, more or less lobed or
pinnatifid, rarely entire.

THE FLOWERS: very small, on slender stems; four petals;
four sepals, which fall early; six stamens of unequal length.

THE FRUIT: a pod, heart-shaped.

For various reasons, one should be able to identify this
weed, which as Ada Georgia points out, is, next to chick-
weed, the most common in the world, because it is so
prolific and the seeds have a long vitality. Also it is
harmful, for it absorbs much fertility from the soil, and,
further, it often harbours a fungus disease, which is ruinous
to cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, and radishes, and will
infect the soil, where these might otherwise be cultivated.

From this plant is made a valuable drug.

MUSTARD FAMILY

CRUCIFER.® MUSTARD FAMILY

Cakile edentula, (Bigel) Hook.

Pale purple-pink Sea Rocket.

July-September

Cakile: an old Arabic name.

Edentula: Latin, meaning without teeth.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: beaches.

THE PLANT: spreading or erect; the stem bushily branched,
very fleshy and tough, the lower branches spreading, the
central ones erect.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblanceolate or obovate; three
inches to four inches long; without hairs on either surface;
rounded at the apex; narrowed at the base; wavy-toothed
or lobed.

THE FLOWERS: numerous, in a raceme, the uppermost
often yet unopened, when the flowers have gone to seed;
the corolla wheel-shaped; four petals, more than twice the
length of the sepals; the sepals short and inconspicuous,
falling early.

THE FRUIT: a silicle, the upper joint slightly longer than
the lower, narrowed into a beak above; or, when young,
the joints nearly even.

A clean and sturdy plant of the beaches, with a peculiarly
smooth appearance of the fleshy stems and thick leaves.
In spite of its stoutness and awkwardness, the plant, at
least when in bloom, is saved from being unattractive
by the colour of the pale purple-pink wide-open flowers,
that appear at the ends of the branches.

CRUCIFER.E

CRUCIFER.E MUSTARD FAMILY

Raphanus Raphanistrum , L

Pale yellow fading to white Wild Radish,

Jointed Charlock,

May-October Black Mustard,

Wild Mustard,
White Charlock.

Raphanus: Greek meaning "to appear quickly" in allusion

to the rapid germination of the plant.
Raphanistrum: from Greek signifying quick-appearing, in

allusion to its rapid germination.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: neglected fields, roadsides.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two and one half feet high,
freely branching; the stem with scattered short, soft hairs
on the lower part, or rarely hairless throughout.

THE LEAVES: basal or those of the stem alternate; the
basal and lower deeply lyrate or pinnatifid, with a large
lobe at the end, and four to six pairs of successively smaller
ones; four inches to eight inches long; the upper, few, small,
oblong; all thin and round-toothed.

THE FLOWERS: small, purplish veined, on stems which
become very long; four petals; four sepals, which fall early.

THE FRUIT: a pod, one inch long or more, nearly cylindric;
when fresh, constricted between the seeds, like a series of
beads.

The Wild Radish is a straggly plant that springs up
in neglected fields, by roadsides, or even, alas! on lawns,
and has small, but staring flowers with pale yellow petals
that soon fade to white.

112

MUSTARD FAMILY

CRUCIFER.E MUSTARD FAMILY

Brassica nigra, (L.) Koch.

Yellow Black Mustard, Charlock,

Brown Mustard, Cadlock,
June-October Red Mustard, Warlock,

Brassica: Latin name of the cabbage.
Nigra: Latin for black.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: waste ground, roadsides, an 1
neglected fields.

THE LEAVES: alternate; the uppermost lanceolate or ob-
long; entire; the upper pinnatifid or round-toothed; the
lower deeply pinnatifid, with one large lobe at the end and
two to four smaller ones at the sides, round-toothed.

THE FLOWERS: small, on slender stems; petals four; sepals
four, both f ailing early ; stamens usually six, of uneven length.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

A large and showy plant, that brightens old fields and
dumps and roadsides with its small light yellow flowers.
On the lower stems are numerous large leaves, but the
flowering branches are almost bare. It is not an ungraceful
plant and makes really decorative bouquets, only the
early dropping of the petals causes trouble.

Out of the black seeds the condiment is manufactured.
The plant is also used in medicine.

CRUCIFERjE MUSTARD FAMILY

Barbarea vulgaris, R. Br.

Bright yellow Common Winter Cress,

Yellow Rocket,
April-June Herb of St. Barbara.

Barbarea: anciently called Herb of St. Barbara.
Vulgaris: Latin for common.

CRUCIFER^E

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: low grounds and roadsides.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high; the stems
tufted.

THE LEAVES: scattered; at least the lower pinnatifid, the
end division much larger than the lateral, all oval or obo-
vate; upper leaves toothed or pinnatifid, sessile or nearly
so or sometimes clasping.

THE FLOWERS: four petals slightly in the form of a cross;
six stamens of which four are prominent.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

This, the prettiest and the daintiest of the mustards
described here, is characterized by the pleasing contrast
of colouring of the spikes of small yellow flowers with
the dark green and shining leaves. The flowers have the
four petals as is seemly in this Family and the leaves are
properly cut.

Twenty two other members of the Mustard Family
have been reported.

114

SARRACENIACE.E PITCHER-PLANT FAMILY

Sarracenia purpurea, L.

Dull dark red or green Pitcher-plant, Forefather's
with variations Side-saddle Pitcher,

Flower, Foxglove,

May-June Huntsman-cup, Small-pox-plant,

Eve's-cup, Adam's-cup,

Indian Pitcher, Forefather's-cup,

Indian-cup, Whippoorwill's-
Fly-trap, boots,

Meadow-cup, Whippoorwill's-
Fever-cup, shoes,

Adam's Pitcher Watches.

Sarracenia: named for Dr. Michel Sarrasin, a physician at
the Court of Quebec in the 18th Century, who sent
our northern species to Europe.

Purpurea: Latin for red or purple.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sphagnum bogs.

THE PLANT: the flower stem erect, one foot to two feet
high, practically without hairs throughout.

THE LEAVES: tufted; somewhat erect; "pitcher-shaped";
four inches to twelve inches long; purple veined or some-
times green, especially when the plant grows in more
open places; on the inner surface, densely clothed with
stiff hairs at the mouth, but smooth below; narrowed into
a petiole.

THE FLOWERS: single, drooping on slender stems; five
dull pink petals narrowed in the middle, not curved over
the yellowish style; five madder-purple sepals with three
coloured, persistent bractlets at the base; stamens numer-
ous; five-celled ovary, crowned with a short green style,

SARRACENIACE^

which is expanded at the top into a very broad and petal-
like five-angled umbrella-shaped body, with five parts, the
parts terminating under the angles in as many little,
hooked stigmas.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This is an interesting plant, and by its "pitchers" very
easy to identify. The hollow leaves or pitchers "keeled
on the inner side toward the flower-stem," as Mr. Mathews
so well describes them, "are usually partly filled with
water and the fragments of insects; the latter are apparent-
ly drowned and no doubt contribute to the physical sus-
tenance of the plant. The outer surface of the pitchers
is smooth, but the inner surface is covered with fine
bristles pointing downward which manifestly interfere with
the escape of the trapped insects."

A drug, made from this plant, was at one time used in
the treatment of small-pox.

116

DROSERACE^E SUNDEW FAMILY

Drosera filiformis, Raf.

Purple-magenta Thread-leaved Sundew,

Red-rot.
July-September

Drosera: Greek for dewy. "The Droseras are the famous
Rassolis (Dew of the Sun) of the old herbalists and were
sometimes known as Youthwort, from a belief in their
regenerating powers when administered medicinally." An
old English name was Red-rot, because as the soil where
they grow is poor, they were supposed to have caused it
to rot.

Filiformis: Latin for thread-shaped.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: open, boggy land, or wet sand.

THE PLANT: the flower stem erect, eight inches to twenty
inches high, hairless.

THE LEAVES: basal; erect; dark reddish brown; narrowly
linear or filiform; six inches to fifteen inches high, about
one-twelfth of an inch wide; covered throughout with
glandular hairs, so that they glisten as if washed with
dew; woolly with brown hairs at the very base; the hairs
capped by a red bead or dot; usually acutish at the apex;
with no distinction between the blade and the petiole at
the base.

THE FLOWERS: small; ten to thirty so arranged in a one-
sided raceme, that the fresh-blown flower is always the
highest, on short stems, opening only in sunshine; five
stamens.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

The most beautiful, perhaps, of the three Droseras. The
slender scapes, bearing pretty magenta-purple flowers, are

117

DROSERACE^E

•

even taller than the straight, thread-like, glistening red
leaves. Sometimes, in the marshy ground, the plants form
a carpet, yards in extent, or furnish a low border to a damp,
thickety entanglement. If imbedded in sphagnum moss
and thoroughly watered, the plants will keep well in the
house, the flowers opening for days, but when the season
is over, the whole withers and cannot be transplanted to
the garden.

DROSERACE^) SUNDEW FAMILY

Drosera longifolia, L.

White Oblong-leaved Sundew.

June-August

Drosera: for derivation seefiliformis.
Longifolia: Latin for long-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: open bogs, wet sand.

THE PLANT: flower stalk erect, six inches to eight inches
high.

THE LEAVES: basal; the leaf blade elongated; spatulate;
usually less than an inch long; with red hairs at the oblong
end; blunt at the apex; at the base narrowed into a hair-
less erect stem, which is sometimes four inches long.

THE FLOWERS: several (one to twenty), in a raceme, less
than an inch wide; five stamens.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

In the damp moss or wet gravel a rosette of red and
glistening leaves with oblong ends, and from this rosette
a few low, slender stems, with pure white, simple flowers
at their top — that is the oblong-leaved Sundew.

118

ONE INCH

DR05ERA LON&I FOLIA

119

SUNDEW FAMILY

DROSERACE^E SUNDEW FAMILY

Drosera rotundifolia, L.

White Round leaved Sundew, Moor-grass,

Dew Plant, Youthwort,

July-August Eyebright, Rosa-solis.

Drosera: for derivation see filiformis.

Rotundifolia: from Latin for wheel and leaves, hence
round-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: open bogs, usually in sphag-
num moss, or wet sandy places.

THE PLANT: the flower stalk erect, four inches to ten
inches high, slender, hairless.

THE LEAVES: basal; spreading on the ground; round or
even broader; one half inch to two inches long; the upper
surface covered with slender glandular hairs; round at
the apex; at the base abruptly narrowed into a flat stem
with short, soft hairs.

THE FLOWERS: small, four to twelve on stems, in a one
sided raceme, which is simple or sometimes once-forked.
Petals oblong, somewhat exceeding the sepals; five stamens.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This species forms flat rosettes of glistening red leaves
with round ends, from which rise slender flower stalks
bearing pure white flowers.

A drug, made from this plant, is used in the treatment
of whooping-cough.

121

CRASSULACE^E ORPINE FAMILY

Tillcea Vaillantii, Willd.

Greenish- white Pigmy Weed

July-September

Tillcea: named after Michel Angelo Tilli, an Italian

botanist.
Vaillantii: named for Sebastian Vaillant, a French botanist.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy shores of fresh water
ponds, or in the water.

THE PLANT: erect or nearly so; one half inch to three
inches high; the stem usually simple, hairless.

THE LEAVES: opposite, linear-oblong; very short; united
at the base; entire.

THE FLOWERS: very small, axillary; petals, stamens, and
pistils, three to four.

THE FRUIT: a follicle.

The Tillcea is a dainty and minute, aquatic plant, with
opposite, entire, thin leaves, and tiny, greenish-white
flowers, somewhat tubular in shape, with five sepals.
The flowers are on slender stems, which are about as
short as the leaves.

This plant, though so tiny, and evidently inconspicuous,
has caused considerable commotion among scientists and
many have sought it but few have found it. Its range
as given in Gray's Botany is "Prince Edward's Island,
Nantucket, Europe, and northern Africa." The interesting
question is whether the Nantucket plant is really the typical
species or an aquatic form. The somewhat doubtful evi-
dence for the theory of there being an aquatic form may

122

ORPINE FAMILY

be due to the fact that the Nantucket plant grows more or
less submerged, while the typical form elsewhere grows in
wet gravel. "In the herbarium of the Nantucket Maria
Mitchell Association and of the New York Botanical
Gardens are Nantucket specimens, which were collected
by Mrs. Mabel P. Robinson on the shores of Hummock
Pond, August 15, 1894 and July 1896."

CRASSULACE^E

Sedum acre, L.

Yellow
June-August

Stone Crop,
Mossy Stone Crop,
Pricket,
Mouse-tail
Wall-pepper,

Country-pepper,
Jack-of-the-Buttery,

Golden Chain,
Creeping Jack,
Bird's Bread,
Mountain Moss,
Pride-madam,
Biting Orpine,
Love-entangled,

Treasure-glove,
Tangle-tail

Rock-plant,

Welcome-home-hus-
band-though-ever-
so-drunk,

ORPINE FAMILY

Golden Moss,
Biting Stonecrop,
Creeping Charlie,
Wall-moss,
Pepper Crop,
Ginger,
Poor-man' s-pepper

Little House Leek.

Sedum: from Latin meaning to sit, because of the lowly

habit of these plants.
Acre: Latin for bitter.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry fields, roadsides in town.

THE STEMS : tufted or spreading, densely matted, one inch
to three inches high; the sterile branches prostrate; the
flowering erect or nearly so, warty.

THE LEAVES: alternate and arranged in serried ranks up
the stem; yellow-green; fat; ovate; one half inch long;
smooth on both surfaces; entire.

123

CRASSULACE^E

THE FLOWERS: stemless, about one third of an inch broad;
the five petals linear-lanceolate, acute; the calyx bell-
shaped; the sepals ovate, obtuse; the stamens yellow,
prominent, eight to ten.

THE FRUIT: a follicle.

Few plants are so suggestively described by their popular
names as the Mossy Stone-crop. Here one does not need
to query: "What's in a name?" The answer lies sprawl-
ing under the fence, on the ground amid the grass, in
every place where the plant has scattered en mass its
golden wealth of bright flowers — "Welcome-home-hus-
band-though-ever-so-drunk," as the old English name
styles it. The shrubby branches, never raised more than
a few inches above the ground bear short, fat leaves set
near together on stems crowned with the bright yellow,
star-shaped flowers which have pointed petals and promi-
nent stamens.

A drug, made from this plant, is valuable medicinally.

One other member of the Orpine Family has been re-
ported.

124

SAXIFRAGACE^: SAXIFRAGE FAMILY

Ribes oxyacanthoides, (L.) var. calcicola, Fernald.

Greenish-yellow Swamp Gooseberry,

Smooth Currant.
May-June

Ribes: the Arabic name.

Oxyacanthoides: a Greek combination for sharp and spine,
in allusion to the spines on the stems.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thickets, or open ground, dry
or moist soil, sometimes in open, boggy places.

THE SHRUB: erect, branched, very bushlike; the stem
with soft and scattered prickles or with none, but with
short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; palmately divided; sometimes
densely white-wooly below and above closely soft-hairy;
the lobes obtuse or acute; on petioles with soft hairs.

THE FLOWERS: one to three on short stems which have
sometimes silky hairs; calyx five lobed, often coloured;
five petals; five stamens.

THE FRUIT: a globose berry, without hairs or with fine,
soft ones, sometimes one half inch in diameter, reddish
purple when ripe.

A low, spiny-appearing, dark green bush, with loosely
hung branches and numerous small, dark green leaves, is
the gooseberry. Occasionally one finds it growing on the
Commons, but usually in a thicket border, where it is an
inconspicuous neighbour to rose bushes and bayberry.

125

SAXIFRAGACE.E

Neither its flowers nor its fruit make it the more noticeable,
the one small and greenish-yellow, the other dark purple.
But insignificance of appearance does not necessarily
indicate lack of utility. On the contrary, from the fruit
is made a tart but delicious jelly.

126

ROSACE^E ROSE FAMILY

Spircea latifolia, (Ait) Borkh.

Flesh-pink Meadowsweet.

August

Spircea: from Greek, to twist, in allusion to the twisting

of the pods in some species.
Latifolia: Latin for leaves on the side.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: borders of ponds.

THE PLANT: erect; the stem simple or branched above,
wiry, usually buff-coloured.

THE LEAVES: alternate; generally ovate; practically hair-
less; acute at the apex; narrowed at the base; coarsely
serrate.

THE FLOWERS: small; crowded in panicles, pyramidal,
blunt, and branched; the prominent stamens pink-red.

THE FRUIT: follicles.

This plant has delicately tinted flowers, "like miniature
apple-blossoms," crowded in feathery clusters at the top
of a buff stem, on which are freely set the light green leaves.

ROSACE^E ROSE FAMILY

Spircea tomentosa, L.

Pink Steeple-bush, Meadow-soap,

Hard-hack, Silver-leaf,

July-September Rosy-bush, Silver-weed.

Poor man' s-soap,

Spircea: for derivation see latifolia.

127

ROSACE^E

Tomentosa: from Latin, signifying a stuffing of wool or
hair, in allusion to the white, wooly pubescence on the
under side of the leaves.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp places.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet to three feet high, unbranched;
the stem with few short, soft hairs, woody.

THE LEAVES: numerous; erect; alternate; dark green;
hairless, or woolly above, with short, soft hairs; very light,
with white woolly short, soft hairs below; obtuse or acut-
ish at the apex; narrowed or rounded at the base; pinnately
net-veined.

THE FLOWERS: small, in dense racemes, crowded into a
panicle. Petals obovate, darker at the centre, clawed;
stamens numerous, long, persistent.

THE FRUIT: follicles.

A decorative plant when seen close to, as it grows among
the grasses and sedges and one well described by the popu-
lar name of Steeple-bush, for the many rose-pink flowers
are crowded in a pyramidal spirsea-like cluster at the
summit of straight stems, which are somewhat relieved
from their stiffness by numerous prettily-shaped toothed
leaves, which are a dark green above and a very light
white-brown below. Sometimes such a touch of colour
among the yellow-green grasses of the blue pond's border
is so conspicuous that the flowers are noticeable from the
carriage road at a considerable distance.

The plant is not without medicinal value, having been
used to make a tonic and an astringent.

ROSACE^E ROSE FAMILY

Pyrus arbutifolia, (L.) Ell.

White or tinged with red Choke-pear,

Red Choke-berry,
April-June Dog-berry.

128

ROSE FAMILY

Pyrus: classical name of the Pear-tree.
Arbulifolia: combination of Latin words to denote the
leaves of the wild strawberry tree.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp thicket borders.

THE SHRUB: erect, sometimes six feet high; the bark red-
dish-grey and smooth.

THE LEAVES: alternate; generally oval with a tendency
to be wider at the apex; lacking hairs and shining above;
with short, soft hairs beneath; with an abrupt but tapering
point at the apex; somewhat wedge-shaped at the base;
on short stems; saw-toothed with sharp, small, red teeth.

THE FLOWERS: appearing at the same time as the leaves,
in cymes which at first are terminal but at length are
outdistanced by the young, sterile shoots. They are on
hairy stems. The calyx which is also covered with short,
soft hairs, persists after the petals have fallen, turning
purplish. The petals five, concave, spreading; stamens
numerous, prominent.

THE FRUIT: a pome, usually nine to eighteen together,
bright red when mature, long persistent.

A spunky shrub that often blooms and produces fruit
when only a foot or so high. When at mature height,
six feet tall or less, it is a fine sight in the spring, its branches
filled with small open, white flowers, surmounted by fresh
young leaves The bush is scarcely less handsome later
in the season, when its shining green leaves contrast with
the numerous bright red berries.

Var. atropurpurea (Britton) Robinson is also abundant.
This has dark, purple fruit.

9 129

ROSE FAMILY

ROSACES ROSE FAMILY

Amelanchier canadensis, (L.) Medic.

White Shad-bush, Sugar-pear,

Service-berry, Indian-cherry,

April-May June-tree, Wild Indian-pear,

Service-tree, May-pear,

Fruit, rich purple Sugar-berry, June-plum,

ripens in June Sugar-plum, Boxwood.

Amelanchier: name said to be barbaric, but derivation not

satisfactorily explained.
Canadensis: Latinized form of Canadian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thicket borders and open
ground.

THE SHRUB OR TREE: low, "with a slender trunk and
spreading branches, which form a narrow, oblong head."
The bark a pale, red-brown; the branchlets bright green,
becoming dark brown or purplish brown, smooth.

THE LEAVES: alternate; simple; ovate or oval; one inch
to three inches long or sometimes larger on young shoots;
with few matted short, soft hairs when young, soon en-
tirely hairless; acute or acuminate at the apex; rounded
or cordate at the base; irregularly, sharply, finely, saw-
toothed; petioled; young leaves frequently tinged.

THE FLOWERS : appear when leaves are about one third
grown, borne on slender pedicles in drooping racemes from
three inches to five inches long; each flower has two
lanceolate, purplish, silky bractlets, which fall as the
flower opens ; five obovate petals ; stamens numerous ; calyx
five-cleft.

THE FRUIT: a sweet-tasting pome, with a slight bloom;
remnants of the calyx-lobes and filaments crown the open
top.

130

CRUS-

GALLI

, AMELANCHIER

CANADENSIS

131

ROSACES

The slender, pale red trunk and brown, spreading
branches of this symmetrical shrub or small tree, form a
conspicuous feature of the thicket borders in the spring,
when the pale green leaves, one third grown, are practi-
cally eclipsed by the loosely hung white blossoms, with
their numerous clustered stamens. Later, in June, when
the leaves are the more prominent feature, come the rich,
red-purple fruits, that are so much relished by the robins.

ROSACES ROSE FAMILY

Cratcegus Crus-Galli, L.

Flesh-colour Cocks pur Thorn.

May-June

Cratoegus: from Greek for strength, because of the hardness

and roughness of the wood-
Crus-Galli: from Latin, meaning the spur of a cock, in

allusion to the resemblance of the long thorns to a

cock's spur.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry soil.

THE SHRUB OR TREE: reaches a height of about twenty-five
feet branched, especially above, in the older trees; branches
spreading.

THE LEAVES: alternate; leathery; obovate or oblanceolate;
one inch to two inches long; above shining, dull beneath;
without hairs on either surface; obtuse or abruptly acu-
minate at the apex; decidedly wedge-shaped at the base;
sharply and somewhat irregularly saw-toothed. Thorns,
numerous, slender, two inches to four inches long.

THE FLOWERS: fragrant, numerous, in terminal corymbs,
on short branches, pedicles without hairs; five petals; calyx
lobes linear-lanceolate.

THE FRUIT: a pome, globose or slightly pear-shaped.

133

ROSE FAMILY

Few of the Nantucket trees or even plants, combine,
from so many viewpoints, as these Cockspur Thorns the
essence of Nantucket's struggle against heavy odds. Some
are trim bushes or low flat-topped trees that have sprung
up spontaneously here and there and are remarkable for
the symmetry of their spreading branches, that hide long
grey prickles by sharply toothed leaves, beautiful in their
shiningness. Handsome bushes, these, both in the spring
when the clustres of fragrant whitish flowers decorate the
almost leafless branches and later, when the flowers have
been replaced by bright red fruit, with the remains of
the withered calyx at their summit and the leaves have
turned to a beautiful dark red. But I am not thinking of
these, which are "natives," so much as of the introduced
Cockspur Thorn trees, whose trunks are draped with
long grey moss (Usnea barbata), and blotched with patches
of green or russet-yellow lichens. Their almost bare upper
branches, grey and gnarled and interlocked from beating
in the heavy winter winds, fan the air, as they alternately
rise and fall in the breeze. These have fought and been
more than conquerors. "Only God can make a tree."

The Cockspur Thorn offers at present one of the most
puzzling botanical studies on the Island.

A drug, made from this tree, is used in the treatment of
heart-trouble.

ROSACE^E ROSE FAMILY

Fragaria virginiqna, Duchesne

White Wild Strawberry,

Virginia Strawberry,
April- June Scarlet Strawberry.

Fragaria: Latin for fragrance, alluding to the fragrance of

the fruit.
Virginiana: Latin for Virginian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil, especially near,
the shore; usually in grassy places, sometimes in pure sand.

'34

ROSACES

THE PLANT: low, branching profusely near the base; the
stem rather stout, dark green, more or less silky-haired;
the hairs spreading or lying flattened against the stem.

THE LEAVES: alternate; palmately three-divided; the di-
vision ovate ; dark green above, lighter beneath ; with soft,
white bristles along the veins; on petioles bearing similar
soft hairs; regularly serrate; prominently but not heavily
veined beneath.

THE FLOWERS; large, in proportion to the length of the
plant, with five spreading separate petals; stamens nu-
merous; sepals spreading very flat under the wheel-shaped
corolla, united at the base; the stamens under each petal
and alternating with them. The petals fall early when
the calyx closes to make a cup-shaped receptacle.

THE FRUIT: achenes, imbedded in pits in soft, red, berry-
like pulp. The fruit not a true berry. (See glossary for
definition of achene and berry.)

This creeping plant has three-divided, coarsely toothed,
dark green leaves, and in their season, small, pure white
five-petaled flowers with numerous orange-yellow stamens.
The flowers are later succeeded by small, bright scarlet,
fragrant fruit, with a very "moreish" taste.

ROSACES ROSE FAMILY

Potentilla argentea, L.

Yellow Silvery Cinquefoil,

Silvery Five-finger,
May-September Hoary Cinquefoil.

Potentilla: a Latin diminutive for powerful, from the

plant's once reputed medicinal powers.
Argentea: Latinized form for silvery.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy fields, especially near
the town.

135

ROSE FAMILY

THE PLANT: nearly erect, four inches to twelve inches
long; the stems tufted, branched, slightly woody at the
base, with short, soft, white-woolly hairs, often tinged
with red at the base.

THE LEAVES: alternate; palmately divided into five, the
divisions lanceolate with five to six lobes; above dark
green and without hairs; below covered with short, soft,
.white hairs; obtuse at the apex; wedge-shaped at the base;
all but the uppermost petioled; the margins rolled back-
wards. The stipules lanceolate and tapering to a point
at the apex.

THE FLOWERS: small, on stems; the five lobes of the calyx
ovate, acutish, a little shorter than the petals; the five petals
obovate, with a shallow notch at the end. The stamens
very numerous slightly darker yellow than the petals.

THE FRUIT: follicle.

A low cinquefoil; at the ends of the branches are very
dense clusters of greenish buds, which, simultaneously
develop into small, round, yellow flowers; the petals,
wide-apart and square. The stem and underneath side of
the leaves are conspicuously white-silky; the upper surface
of the leaves very dark green.

ROSACEJE ROSE FAMILY

Potentilla canadensis, L.

Yellow Cinquefoil,

Five-finger,
April- August Wild Strawberry.

Potentilla: for derivation see argenta.
Canadensis: Latin for Canadian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: trailing and spreading by runners, three
inches to two feet long; the stem with slightly spreading
hairs.

136

ROSACES

THE LEAVES: alternate; five-fingered, the leaflets generally
oblong, obtuse at the apex, narrowed at the base, with
varying amount of silky hairs; deeply serrate; leaves
long-stalked.

THE FLOWERS: small; petals broadly oval; calyx lobes
acute; stamens numerous.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

This is the weak-stemmed Cinquefoil, that lies on the
ground and from the nodes rise pure yellow, five-petaled
flowers, about half an inch broad.

ROSACE^E ROSE FAMILY

Potentilla recta, L.

Light yellow

Rough-fruited Cinquefoil.
June-September

Potentilla: for derivation see argentea.
Recta: Latin for upright.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and waste places.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high; the stem
rather .stout, branched above, with silky hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; five-seven fingered; leaflets gen-
erally lanceolate, with few scattered hairs on the upper
surfaces, hairs more dense on the lower surface, obtuse at
the apex, narrowed at the base; all but the uppermost
petioled.

THE FLOWERS: numerous; about twenty stamens.
THE FRUIT: carpels.

A pretty Cinquefoil, of which the light yellow flowers
look somewhat like extremely small, old-fashioned, single

137

ROSE FAMILY

roses, but there are no prickles on the light green hairy stem,
and the pale green decorative leaves are unmistakably
five-fingered.

ROSACES ROSE FAMILY

Rubusfrondosus, Bigelow.

White

Wild Blackberry.
June

Fruit ripe August

Rubus: the Roman name, allied to ruber, red.
Frondosus: Latin, signifying to be full of leaves or fronds.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thickets, open ground.

THE VINE: prostrate, erect, or partially erect, when it
finally trails over tall bushes; the runners with short,
glandular hairs and stout prickles.

THE LEAVES: light or dark green; alternate; three to five
divided, the leaflets ovate or tending to oblong, acute or
acuminate at the apex, with short hairs beneath, coarsely
and unequally serrate to more or less round-toothed; bracts
very persistent.

THE FLOWERS: less than an inch wide; five deciduous
petals; numerous stamens.

THE FRUIT: a drupe; not quite round, white green to red
at first, becoming black at maturity, slightly sour but
good-tasting.

Everybody thinks he has had sufficient experience with
them, to know the Blackberry vines. But, botanically,
it is another story. Mr. Bicknell has minutely described
the variations of thirty-seven different Nantucket species,
including this, the frondosus, which is, perhaps, the easiest
one to identify.

138

ROSACE^E

ROSACES ROSE FAMILY

Rosa Carolina, L.
Rose-pink Wild Rose,

Swamp Rose,

June- August Carolina Rose,

Hip-tree.

Rosa: Latin for a rose.
Carolina: Latin for Carolinian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thicket borders of swamps.

THE BUSH: erect; one foot to seven feet high; much
branched; the stems armed with distinct, stout, usually
recurved spines; the branches with similar, not very
abundant prickles.

THE LEAVES: alternate; compoundly divided into five to
nine (usually seven) leaflets, which vary considerably from
oval to obovate, even with a lanceolate tendency; pale,
acute or acutish at each end; generally on short stems:
finely serrate; stipules narrow.

THE FLOWERS: in a corymb or rarely solitary; sepals
lanceolate, acuminate, hairy; petals early deciduous.

THE FRUIT: achenes, enclosed in a berry-like "haw."

The most striking illustration, perhaps, of the brilliancy
of colouring among Nantucket wild flowers, is the Wild
Roses. Masses of these deeply rose-coloured, sweet-
scented flowers, that have brilliantly yellow stamens
crowded at the petal's base, pass along the roadsides,
border the ponds or wander over the Commons. The
flowers are satisfying in the house, too, for while the full-
blown blossoms seldom reach home intact, the buds come
out exceptionally well in water.

This is the most common rose of damp places. Its few
prickles are like spines; they are stout and usually curved.

139

ROSE FAMILY

ROSACES ROSE FAMILY

Rosa virginiana, Mill.

Rose-pink Dwarf Wild Rose,

Low Wild Rose,

June-October Pasture Wild Rose,

Virginia Wild Rose.

Rosa: for derivation see Carolina.
Virginiana: Latin form for Virginian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
waste lands, or "moist soil about the borders of thickets,
and on banks passing down to pond holes or low grounds."

THE BUSH : erect, eighteen inches to three feet high, much
branched; the stems often very stout; the prickles at
length stout and usually more or less hooked.

THE LEAVES: alternate; compound, with usually seven
leaflets, which vary from oval to oblong; above dark green
and without hairs, often shining; acute or acutish at the
apex; serrate.

THE FLOWERS: solitary or in a corymb; the outer sepals
often with one or two small lobes; numerous stamens;
petals early deciduous.

THE FRUIT: bony achenes, "enclosed in the berry-like,
persistent calyx-tube."

This is the most prevalent Rose of the Commons and
dry ground. Its chief distinguishing feature is the prickles,
which are more or less hooked at the end.

ROSACEJE ROSE FAMILY

Prunus maritima, Wang.
White Beach Plum,

Sand Plum.
May-June
Fruit ripe
September-October

140

ROSACE^E

Prunus: ancient Latin name of the plum-tree.
Maritima: Latin for seaside.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE BUSH OR SHRUB: low, one foot to seven feet high,
much branched, not thorny; bark reddish-grey and smooth.

THE LEAVES: dark green; oval, ovate, or obovate; older
ones with short, soft hairs beneath; acutish or acute at
the apex; rounded at the base; finely and sharply saw-
toothed.

THE FLOWERS: medium-sized, appearing before the leaves
or at the same time as the very young leaves; borne without
stems in umbels; the five petals, falling early, allow the
prominent stamens to give a slightly pinkish cast; calyx
five-divided; stamens numerous.

THE FRUIT: a globose, purple drupe, sometimes an inch
in diameter, puckery when unripe, sweet, with a tang
when mature. Drupe covered with a bloom; stone a
little flattened, usually pointed at both ends.

A low and straggly shrub, that grows mostly in groups
on the Commons. When in bloom or in fruit, it is more
conspicuous; at other times the leaves are dark green and
the bush somewhat resembles the bayberry. But both
the flowers and the plums are beautiful; the one (coming
when the new leaves are only partially grown), of a deli-
cate flesh colour, with heavier-tinted stamens; the other
(when ripe) a large luscious-looking purple. From this fruit
is made the famous beach-plum jam and jelly — that claret
red jelly with a wild tang. The yellow or amber fruit,
that does occur on some bushes makes a lighter coloured
jelly. So far the plums have not been improved by culti-
vation, although various attempts have been made along
that line.

141

ROSE FAMILY

ROSACES ROSE FAMILY

Prunus serotina, Ehrh.

White Wild Cherry,

Wild Black Cherry,

May- June Wild Rum Cherry,

Cabinet Cherry,

Fruit ripe Whiskey Cherry.

August-September

Prunus: for derivation see maritima.

Serotina: Latin, meaning produced late in the season.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil, in the open or
among pine trees.

THE TREE: scraggly, sometimes twelve feet high, but
usually much lower; the bark rough and black-grey.

THE LEAVES: always narrow and seldom spread out flat;
alternate; oval, through lanceolate to ovate; with no hairs,
shining above; hairless or with short, soft hairs along the
veins beneath; acute at the apex; narrowed or rounded at
the base; the margins saw-toothed, the teeth turning
inward.

THE FLOWERS: small, in elongated racemes, which droop
more or less at the ends of leafy branches; five petals.

THE FRUIT: a globose drupe, less than one-half inch in
diameter, dark purple or black, "slightly bitter, but with
a pleasant vinous flavour."

This is a low and scraggly tree, with rough, black-
grey branches and narrow shining leaves, pointed at the
end, and usually badly eaten. It bears long, loose sprays
of white flowers in their season, that are later succeeded
by would-be sprays of small dark-purple or black fruit,
of which only a few usually are left in the drooping clusters.

142

ROSACES

From this fruit are made the famous Rum Cherry wine
and jam and also a concoction for summer complaint and
for coughs.

Thirty-seven other members of the Rose Family have
been reported.

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Cassia Chamcecrista, L.

Yellow Partridge Pea,

Prairie Senna,

July-September Large-flowered Sensitive Pea,

Wild Sensitive Plant.

Cassia: an ancient name of obscure derivation from Greek.
Chamcecrista: Greek and Latin for a crest on the ground.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: the sandiest part of the gravelly
roadside.

THE PLANT: erect or spreading on the ground, eight inches to
sixteen inches high; the stem widely branched, the branches
spreading, brown, with short, soft hairs or nearly hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately compound, with twenty
to thirty leaflets, which are linear-oblong, or the upper lance-
olate, obtuse and mucronate at the apex; pinnately veined.

THE FLOWERS: large, one inch wide; two to four in the
axils, on slender pedicels; some of the petals often purple-
blotched.

THE FRUIT: a pod, linear, two inches long or more; with
few or many short, soft hairs.

A cheery plant that has finely-divided, sensitive leaves
and large golden flowers, often purple-spotted, that deco-
rate the sandiest part of the gravelly roadsides.

At night the leaves go to sleep by folding blade to blade,
and drooping against the stalk.

Another interesting fact about the plant is that the pods
split when ripe, and by means of a twisting motion,
throw the seeds a short distance. In consequence, the
next year in place of one plant there will be a little patch
of plants.

144

PULSE FAMILY

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Baptisia tinctoria, (L.) R. Br.

Yellow Wild Indigo, Rattlebush,

Yellow Broom, Indigo-broom,

June- August Clover-broom, Indigo-weed,

Horsefly-weed, Horse-fleaweed.
Shoofly,

Baptisia: from Greek to dye, in allusion to the economical

use of some species which yield a poor indigo.
Tinctoria: Latin for coloured.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect and bushy, two feet to four feet high,
much branched; the stem slender, hairless, and with a
slight bloom.

THE LEAVES: alternate; three-divided, the leaflets re-
sembling those of the clover, hairless on both surfaces,
obtuse at the apex, at the base, wedge-shaped.

THE FLOWERS: in terminal racemes, on very short stems.

THE FRUIT: a pod, ovoid or nearly globose, black and
persistent.

A low, bushy plant with numerous dark blue-green
leaves and bright yellow pea-shaped flowers, or, in the
early fall, with blackened leaves and small, blackened
seed-pods.

So compact and symmetrical are these low "bushes"
that they are numbered among the well-known plants of
the Commons. They have long been familiar to the Nan-
tucketers, for the "old people" used to make from this
plant a wash to bathe sores and to pour into open wounds.

A drug is still made from it, of value in the treatment
of low fevers.

10 145

LEGUMINOSiE

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Cytisus scoparius, (L.) Link.

Yellow Scotch-broom,

Irish-broom,

May-October Green-broom,

Hogweed,
Bannal,
Besom ,
Broom ,

Cytisus: ancient Roman name of a plant, probably a

Medicago.
Scoparius: Latin for many twigs.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy soil.

THE SHRUB : three feet to five feet high, profusely branched,
the stems grey, olive-green; the branchlets dark green,
deeply grooved, smooth or nearly so, woody and tough.

THE LEAVES: alternate; compound, the leaflets oval or
obovate, hairy on both surfaces, mucronate at the apex,
narrowed at the base, entire.

THE FLOWERS : in racemes, on slender stems in the axils of
the leaves; solitary or in pairs; butterfly-shaped; the keel
darker than the upright petals, stamens light yellow.

THE FRUIT: a pod or legume, flat; when green very hairy
on the margins with long, sharp points, later becoming
black and hanging open long after the seeds have fallen,
when it rattles in the wind.

One of the showiest and, some claim, one of the hand-
somest of Nantucket's bushes. In the late spring, or early
summer, its golden yellow pea-shaped blossoms glow afar.
Sometimes even the atmosphere seems to be illumined by
their shine. Later in the summer the bushes arouse quite
as much curiosity if not so much admiration, when the

146

CYTLSU5 SCOPARIt/S

PULSE FAMILY

black pods hold the rattling seeds or, having split open,
they still hang in lonely emptiness on the branches.
Numerous, small, dark green leaves clothe the upright
branches, which look in their stiffness like the long bristles
of the brooms that the street-cleaners use in London.

While a showy plant, it is not a desirable one for culti-
vation, because in the bright sunlight the flowers emit a
very disagreeable odour.

With the presence of the Scotch or Irish Broom on Nan-
tucket, an interesting story is connected. Not far from
Hummock Pond lived, about 1860, an old Irishman by
the name of John O'Connell. A friend said to him one
day that he was going to visit the Old Country and asked
what he might bring to Mr. O'Connell. The Irishman
begged for a few seeds of Gorse and of Broom. The Gorse
has scarcely spread from the O'Connell farm, but the Broom
has spread practically into all parts of the Island. In this
it has been helped by an enthusiastic "off-islander" who
planted the seeds wherever she might happen to be driving.

LEGUMINOS-E) PULSE FAMILY

Ulex europceus, L.
Yellow Gorse,

Furze,
Sometimes throughout whole year. Whin,

Prickly Broom.

Ulex: an ancient name used by Pliny for some not cer-
tainly identified plant.
Europceus: Latin for European.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE SHRUB: two feet to six feet high; much branched; the
branchlets very leafy, tipped with yellow-green spines;
the plant more or less covered with fine, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; usually in the form of prickles,
but sometimes the lowest leaf-like and lanceolate; tipped
with yellow spines and white hairs of variable length.

149

LEGUMINOS^)

THE FLOWERS: borne on the twigs of the preceding season,
the arrangement of the twigs appearing like racemes;
butterfly-shaped, solitary on the ends of very short stems;
bracted at the base; the calyx a little shorter than the
petals, with two minute bracts.

THE FRUIT: a compound pod, scarcely longer than the
calyx, two-seeded

There is little danger of confusing the Gorse with any
other shrub, nor is there likelihood of forgetting the sight
when one has seen the clumps of dark green, spiny bushes,
covered with delicate yellow flowers that look as if a flock
of tiny, golden butterflies had lighted there. When the
prickly bushes are not in bloom, the sombreness of their
dull greyish-green among the brighter greens and browns
of the pine woods are interestingly sober.

Nantucket is the northern limit.

LEGUMINOS^ PULSE FAMILY

Trifolium agrariuui, L.
Yellow Hop Clover,

Yellow Clover.
June-August

Trifolium: Latin for three-leaved.
Agrarium: Latin for a field.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons
and by roadsides.

THE PLANT: six to eighteen inches high; branched; the
stem hairless or with a few short hairs.

THE LEAVES: numerous; alternate; generally palmately
three-divided, the leaflets ovate or oblong; smooth on both
surfaces, rounded or cut off short at the apex, narrowed
at the base, with fine teeth.

THE FLOWERS: in large, oblong or* oval heads, the lower
opening first becoming shriveled and brown when old,
persistent.

150

TRIFOLIUM AGRARIUM

ONE INCH

VICIA

V1LLOSA

151

PULSE FAMILY

THE FRUIT: a pod.

This is the clover with the large, dense heads of golden
yellow flowers that in withering turn a dingy light brown
and rustle like tissue-paper. Because at that time the
heads turn downward and resemble hops, the plant is
called Hop Clover.

LEGUMINOS^: PULSE FAMILY

Trifolium arvense, L.

Green-white having a Pussy-foot Clover, Stone Crop,

grey-pink appearance Hare's-foot Clover, Hare's-foot,

Rabbit-foot Clover, Poverty-grass,

June-October Old Field Clover, Dogs and Cats,

Stone Clover, Pussies,

Pussy Clover, Pussy Cats.

Calf Clover,

Trifolium: for derivation see agrarium.
Arvense: Latin to signify belonging in a field.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the roadsides
or neglected fields.

THE PLANT: erect; six inches to eighteen inches high; the
stem freely branched, with short, silky hairs, weak.

THE LEAVES: numerous; alternate; three-compound, the
leaflets linear or oblanceolate, obtuse at the apex, narrowed
or wedge-shaped at the base.

THE FLOWERS; in dense heads, on stems clothed with
short, soft hairs; calyx very silky.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

A low, much branched clover, with three light green,
narrow leaflets, and oblong, fuzzy flower heads. The
corollas of the separate flowers being green-white and the
calyx green with pink tips, the effect is a rather soft
grey-pink.

153

LEGUMINOS.E

On Nantucket it is a harmless plant of the waste grounds,
but elsewhere it is often a pernicious weed, and especially
in pastures must be exterminated, for the excessive hairi-
ness sometimes collects into hair-balls, that cause a dis-
tressful form of death to horses and cattle.

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Trifolium hybridum, L.

White, pink-tinted Alsike Clover,

Alsatian Clover.
May-October

Trifolium: for derivation see agrarium.
Hybridum: Latin for a mongrel.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides, meadows, waste
places.

THE PLANT: generally erect, about one foot high; the stem
branched, stout, smooth or practically so, rather juicy.

THE LEAVES: alternate; on long petioles; palmately com-
pound, the three leaflets obovate, narrowed or wedge-
shaped at the base, stemmed, finely serrate.

THE FLOWERS: in heads; very sweet-scented, and rich in
honey; the withered blossoms brownish.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

This is a prettier "White Clover" than the Honey-
suckle Clover (the repens), because these flowers are
usually tinted with rose-pink. For identification, a reliable
characteristic is the fact that these stems do not root at
the joints, and, also, that the leaflets are round at the
end.

154

PULSE FAMILY

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Trifolium pratense, L.

Magenta and white Red Clover, Broad-leaved Clover,

Meadow Clover, Sugar-plums,
April-November Purple Clover, Cow-grass.

Trifolium: for derivation see agrarium.
Pratense: Latin, to denote belonging in a field.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: fields and waste places; often
cultivated for fodder.

THE PLANT: erect or generally upright, six inches to two
feet high, branched; the stem more or less covered with
short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; palmately divided; leaflets usually
three, sometimes four to eleven, oval, oblong or obovate,
sometimes nearly one inch long, often dark-spotted near
the middle, with a few short, soft hairs, obtuse and some-
times notched at the apex, narrowed at the base, finely
denticulate.

THE FLOWERS: usually sessile, rarely peduncled, in globose
or sometimes ovoid heads; heads about one inch long
and about three-quarters of an inch thick, brown when
withered.

THE FRUIT: a small pod.

This is the Common Red Clover, with soft head in
varying shades of magenta, and white, and usually three-
parted, long-stemmed, prettily marked leaves, so familiar
to us all. The plant makes good fodder, and the flowers
have decorative possibilities, and — as everyone knows — of
the leaflets there may be four, five, or even more!

155

LEGUMINOS^:

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Trifolium procumbens, L.

Yellow Low Hop Clover,

Smaller Hop Clover,

May-September Low Hop Trefoil,

Smaller Hop Trefoil.

Trifolium: for derivation see agrarium.
Procumbens: Latin for procumbent.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: principally roadsides.

THE PLANT: spreading or ascending, about five or six
inches high; the stems having short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; compound, the three leaflets
wedge-obovate, notched at the end, the lateral leaflets at
some distance from the end ones and sessile or nearly
so, the end ones on stalks, having short, soft hairs.

THE FLOWERS : in globose or short-oval heads, light brown
when withered.

THE FRUIT: a dry pod.

This Smaller Hop Clover is easily distinguishable from
the Large Hop Clover (Trifolium agrarium) by the small-
ness of its stature. More likely it is to be confused with
the Black Medic (Medicago lupulina). But the leaflets
of this are nearly sessile and the dried flower heads are
brownish- white and papery, not black.

LEGUMINOS^: PULSE FAMILY

Trifolium repens, L.

White or pinkish White Clover,

Dutch Clover,

May-December Shamrock,

White Trefoil,
Honeystalks,
Honeysuckle Clover.

156

PULSE FAMILY

Trifolium: for derivation see agrarium.
Repens: Latin for creeping.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: meadows and waste places,
often cultivated for fodder.

THE PLANT: branched; the branches creeping, often root-
ing at the nodes, four inches to twelve inches long; the
stem without hairs or with a few, scattered ones.

THE LEAVES: alternate; palmately three-divided, the leaf-
lets obovate or obcordate; three-quarters of an inch long
or less; without hairs or with few short, soft ones; often
notched at the apex; broadly wedge-shaped at the base;
long-stemmed.

THE FLOWERS: in globose heads, on long stems, the indi-
vidual flowers on long pedicels which hang down when old,
giving an untidy ragged appearance to the heads.

THE FRUIT: a small pod.

The lay person finds not infrequently when trying to
distinguish different species in the same genus, that he
can mate the flowers: So it is with the true clovers
(Trifolium). For the Alsation white (hybridum) and the
"white" (repens) pair off and the yellows, the Yellow Hop
(agrarium) and the Low Hop (procumbens) are similar.
Of the two white clovers this, repens, is the one whose
branches root at the nodes

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

•

Melilotus alba, Desr.

White Sweet Clover,

White Melilot,

June-October Honey-lotus,

Honey Clover,
Tree Clover.

Melilotus: from Greek for honey and some leguminous plant.
Alba: Latin for white.

157

LEGUMINOS^

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of roadsides,
along the wharves, near dwellings, in dump-heaps.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to five feet high, much
branched; the branches fairly erect; the stem hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; compound, the leaflets oblong,
tending to oblanceolate, cut off, notched or rounded at the
apex, narrowed at the base, serrate; the whole leaf petioled.

THE FLOWERS: in slender, one-sided racemes, which are
sometimes four inches long.

THE FRUIT: an ovoid, hairless pod.

A rank-growing plant, or a tall, stiffly branched bush
with small, dark green clover-like leaves. When in bloom
it proclaims its presence by the delicate fragrance of the
many tiny white flowers that pass down the stem in a one-
sided raceme, which is sometimes four inches long.

It is a wholesome adventive for the garden patch. "As
a soil renovator," when the deep roots break up the ground,
aerating and draining it, it is useful as well as when,
decayed, it furnishes the soil with humus. On its roots
it bears "many tubercles which contain beneficent nitro-
gen-gathering bacteria. It is often used to prepare the
ground for alfalfa." Also, from it is made a valuable drug.

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Medicago lupulina, L.

Yellow Nonesuch, Melilot-trefoil,

Beach Medick, Horned Clover,
July-September Black Trefoil, Hop Clover.

Medicago: the Greek name for the alfalfa, which came to

the Greeks from Media.
Lupulina: Latin diminutive for wolf.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil, frequently
about the wharves.

158

PULSE FAMILY

THE PLANT: low-lying, often one foot or two feet long,
branched at the base; the branches spreading; the stems
with short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; palmately compound, the leaflets
oval or tending to wedge-shaped, variable in size; obtuse
or notched at the apex; narrowed or rounded at the base;
more or less shallow-toothed.

THE FLOWERS: in oblong or cylindrical, dense heads.

THE FRUIT: a kidney-shaped pod, practically without hairs,
black when ripe, curved into a partial spiral, strongly veined.

This low and insignificant plant has three-divided leaves
and tiny, thimble-shaped heads of yellow flowers. At
first glance, one might confuse it with the Low Hop Clover
(Trifolium procumbens], but it is to be distinguished from
that by the black heads, for the persistent fruit is a shiny,
jet black when ripe.

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Medicago saliva, L.

Bluish-purple Alfalfa,

Purple Medic,

Summer Lucern,

Burgundy Clover,
Chilian Clover,
Brazilian Clover.

Medicago: Greek name for alfalfa, because the plant came

to the Greeks from Media.
Saliva: Latin to denote "sown in a field."

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry fields, often roadsides near
fields.

THE PLANT: semi-erect, one foot to one and a half feet
high, much branched; stem without hairs or sometimes
with a few, short, soft ones.

159

LEGUMINOS^E

THE LEAVES: opposite; palmately divided; the three leaf-
lets oblanceolate tending to obovate, at the apex obtuse
or cut off short (truncate) or notched, often capped with
an abrupt tip, at the base narrowed or wedge-shaped;
the leaf petioled.

THE FLOWERS: in short, dense racemes.

THE FRUIT: a pod, twisted in two or three spirals, having
short, soft hairs.

This low, bushily-branched plant, which from its zigzag
stem gives the impression that it has never decided
whether to stand erect or to grow sideways, has three-
divided leaves with a tiny, sharp bristle at the tip, and
clover-like heads of whitish-purple flowers, that vary in
tone with the age and possibly with the situation of the
plant.

It has been much cultivated for fodder and often per-
sists as a weed in neglected fields or spreads to near-by
roadsides.

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Tephrosia virginiana, (L.) Pers.

Straw-yellow with Hoary Pea, Goat's Rue,

crimson-red keel Wild Pea, Catgut,

Turkey Pea Devil's Shoe-
July-August Indian Bean, strings.

Tephrosia: from Greek for ash-coloured or hoary.
Virginiana: Latin for Virginian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: from long and tough roots; erect or nearly so,
one foot to two feet high; the stem clothed with short,
silky, whitish hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately compound, the seven
to twenty-five leaflets oblong, mucronate or notched at

1 60

TEPHR051A

VIRGINIANA

OHE INCH

PULSE FAMILY

the apex, narrowed or wedge-shaped at the base; the leaves
short-petioled.

THE FLOWERS: nearly sessile, crowded in a raceme.

THE FRUIT: a narrow pod, one inch to two inches long,
densely covered with short, soft hairs.

The Hoary Pea, growing in extensive clumps on the
Commons presents a grey-green appearance of its finely
divided leaves and a bright touch of colour in the blossom
shaped like that of a pea, and having straw-yellow wings,
and crimson-red keel.

LEGUMINOS^: PULSE FAMILY

Desmodium sessilifolium, (Torr.) T. and G.

Magenta-blue Sessile-leaved Tick Trefoil.

July-September

Desmodium: from Greek for a band or chain, in allusion to

the connected joints of the pods.
Sessilifolium: Latin for a stemless leaf.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: spreading, much branched; the stem one foot,
to two feet long and slender, with short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately three-compound, the
leaflets linear or linear-oblong, blunt at the apex, rough
above, downy beneath; the stems much shorter than the
leaflets.

THE FLOWERS: very small, in panicles at the ends of the
branches.

THE FRUIT: a jointed pod.

The Tick Trefoils are sometimes difficult to discover
for they spread their long and slender branches in rosettes
among the other green things on the ground. The sprays
ii 161

LEGUMINOS.E

of tiny, magenta-blue flowers seem inadequate to the
sturdiness of the plants. When picked, the branches are
found to be delicate and rather graceful, but unfortu-
nately, neither leaves nor flowers keep well after the stem
has been cut. Botanically, the Tick Trefoils are difficult
to separate. The distinguishing feature of this one is the
almost stemless leaves and the narrow leaflets.

LEGUMINOS^: PULSE FAMILY

Lespedeza capitata, Michx.
var. velutina, (Bicknell) Fernald.

Yellowish-white Bush Clover,

Dusty Clover.
August-September

Lespedeza: dedicated to Lespedez, the Spanish governor of

Florida in the time of Michaux.
Capitata: Latin denoting in a head, in allusion to the

heads of flowers.
Velutina: from Latin for shaggy hairs.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: wand-like, somewhat erect or prostrate, two
feet to three feet high; the stem simple, with silky and
silvery hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately three-compound; the
leaflets oblong tending to oval with short and matted,
ashy wool on both surfaces, acute or obtusish at each end,
entire.

THE FLOWERS: in dense, oblong heads, in the upper axils
of the leaves, sessile, or on short peduncles; the petals
spotted with purple.

THE FRUIT: a very small, pubescent pod.

162

LESPEDEZA
CAPITATA

Variety

VELUTINA

ONE INCH

163

PULSE FAMILY

A wand-like, light grey-green plant that is another
example of the effect of the strong winds over the Com-
mons, for elsewhere the plant is erect; here the green
branches often are almost prostrate, forming a rosette on
the ground. All through the winter and even during the
summer, the dead flower stalks with brown withered heads,
stand erect.

LEGUMINOSJE PULSE FAMILY

Lespedeza procumbens, Michx.

Purple-magenta or magenta-pink

Trailing Bush Clover.
August-September

Lespedeza: for derivation see capitata.
Procumbens: Latin for low-lying.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: trailing; stems twelve inches to twenty-four
inches long, with soft, short hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; palmately three-compound, leaf-
lets oval or elliptic, obtuse at the apex, rounded at the
base; petioles shorter than the leaves.

THE FLOWERS: in clusters in the axils of the leaves, pea-
shaped.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

The showiest and the prettiest of the Bush Clover group.
The tiny, purple-magenta flowers are scattered toward the
ends of the long branches, that spread in fosettes on the
ground and the small leaves are clover-like.

165

LEGUMINOS^E

LEGUMINOS^ PULSE FAMILY

Vicia Cracca, L.

Light-violet Cow Vetch,

Tufted Vetch,

June- August Blue Vetch,

Bird Vetch,
Time Grass,
Cat Pea.

Vicia: classical Latin name of Vetch.

Cracca: classical name for some leguminous plant.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE PLANT: climbing or trailing, two feet to four feet
long; the stems slender and weak, having fine, soft hairs
or being sometimes nearly smooth.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately-compound, with eight-
een to twenty-four leaflets, which are linear or linear-
oblong, thin, obtuse or obtusish at the apex, capped with
an abrupt tip, sessile; the whole leaf on an axillary stem,
which equals the leaves or is shorter than they.

THE FLOWERS: in dense, spike-like racemes, which are
one inch to four inches long.

THE FRUIT: a short-stalked, hairless pod, five to eight
seeded.

A graceful plant that climbs by tendrils and is charac-
terized by a fine, downy hairiness on the grey stems, and
by olive-green compound leaves, which have twenty or
more lance-shaped leaflets, ending abruptly in a bristle-
like point. In their axils grow one-sided clusters of light
violet, slightly tubular flowers, of which the upper petal
is streaked with a deep violet.

1 66

PULSE FAMILY

LEGUMINOS.E PULSE FAMILY

Vicia sativa, L.

Purple to magenta pink Common Vetch,

Spring Vetch,

May- August Pebble Vetch,

Tarr.

Vicia: for derivation see Cracca.
Sativa: Latin for "sown."

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: wheat fields and waste places.
In Europe extensively cultivated for fodder.

THE PLANT: spreading, slightly erect or climbing, one foot
to three feet high; the stem with short, soft hairs or no
hairs; the stipules broad, generally sharp-toothed.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately divided, the leaflets two
to fourteen, obovate, oblong or oblanceolate, obtuse, cut
off suddenly or mucronate at the apex, narrowed at the
base.

THE FLOWERS : one or two in the axils of the leaves, sessile
or on short peduncles.

THE FRUIT: a linear-oblong, hairless pod, five to ten seeded.

The most important botanical question about the Vicia
sativa is, how it differs from the other Vicias. An easy
distinction is to remember that the flowers of Vicia sativa
are chiefly in twos, in the upper axils of the leaves and
are purple, but those of the cracca and of the villosa are
violet and white, and crowded in one-sided racemes. A
still further distinction is that older plants of Vicia sativa
become practically hairless.

167

LEGUMINOS^E

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Vicia villosa, Roth.

Violet and white Hairy Vetch,

Winter Vetch.
June-September

Vicia: for derivation see Cracca.
Villosa: Latin, full of hairs.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: waste fields.

THE PLANT: trailing, one and one-half feet to two and one-
half feet long; the stem branched, angled, covered with
velvety hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately compound, the leaflets
on short petioles, long, taper-pointed at the apex, covered
with silky hairs, margins entire; the tendrils short, forked.

THE FLOWERS: arranged in a spike, fifteen to forty, all
growing on long, hairy stems on one side of the main stem;
the corolla tube is deep magenta; the petals are violet,
veined with dark, or white tinged with purple.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

A very pretty, trailing plant, that has finely and regu-
larly divided silky-haired leaves and long stems, from one
side of which hang the tubular deep violet flowers with
white markings.

LEGUMINOS^E PULSE FAMILY

Lathyrus maritimus (L.), Bigel.

Ruddy purple Beach Pea,

Sea-side Pea,

May- August Everlasting Pea,

Vetchling.

Lathyrus: Greek for a leguminous plant.
Maritimus: Latin for seaside.

1 68

PULSE FAMILY

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: beach sand.

THE PLANT: semi-prostrate, one foot to two feet long; the
stem branched, sharply angled, without hairs, fleshy.

THE LEAVES: numerous; alternate; pinnately compound
in three to six parts, the leaflets oval or oblong, above
hairless, below with short hairs, mucronate at the apex,
narrowed at the base, beautifully veined. At the base of
the leaves are a pair of conspicuous arrow-shaped stipules,
nearly as large as the leaflets.

THE FLOWERS: seldom solitary, usually six to ten in a
raceme on hairy peduncles, the individual flowers on short,
magenta-coloured hairy pedicels; the calyx tinged with
magenta, notched; the keel petals are very light, edged
with darker.

THE FRUIT: a pod, linear-oblong, hairless and veined,
sometimes three inches long.

A semi-prostrate plant, that spreads over the sand, its
stiff and rather heavy appearing branches. On one side of
the branches grow the "ruddy-purple" bean-shaped blos-
soms, that make the Beach Pea one of the few brightly
colored flowers of the shore line. Under the hot sun-
shine, the thick, oval leaflets tend to fold together, to avoid
evaporation.

•

LEGUMINOS^: PULSE FAMILY

Apios tuberosa, Moench.

Maroon and pale Ground-nut, Pig-potato,

brown-lilac Wild-bean, Indian-potato,

Ground-pea, White-apple,

August-September Trailing-pea, Travelers'-

Potato-pea, delight.

Apios: from Greek for a pear, from the shape of the tubers.
Tuberosa: Latin for a swelling or tuber.

169

LEGUMINOS^:

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swamps.

THE PLANT: climbing from a tuberous, underground stem;
two to three feet long, slender, without hairs or with short,
soft ones.

THE LEAVES: alternate; divided into five to seven (rarely
three) leaflets; leaflets ovate, or ovate-lanceolate; one inch
to three inches long; hairless on both surfaces; acute or
acutish at the apex; rounded at the base; petioled.

THE FLOWER-HEADS: in racemes in the axils of the leaves
on short peduncles, violet centered.

THE FRUIT: a linear pod, straight or slightly curved, some-
times four inches long, many seeded.

A beautiful climber, with five to seven leaflets, arranged
along the axis, like the pinions of a feather. The vine
is not in the least fastidious but will spread luxuriantly
over bayberry or sweet-pepper-bush or goldenrod, twining
itself around the branches.

Twenty-one other members of the Pulse Family have
been reported.

170

LINAGES FLAX FAMILY

Linum medium, (Planch) Britton.

Yellow Yellow Flax.

June-August

Linum: classical name of the flax, from Latin for a thread.
Medium: Latin to denote intermediate size.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, ten inches high or higher, branched
above; the branches stiff, erect, smooth.

THE LEAVES: the lowest, opposite; all lanceolate to linear-
lanceolate; pressed against the stem; acute at the apex;
sessile; entire.

THE FLOWERS: in a panicle, wide open; five petals.
THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This flax has a rather low stem, light green and thin
very erect, yet not stiff. Toward the top are irregularly
clustered, small, pale-yellow flowers. An inconspicuous
plant, to be sure, but one extremely interesting from the
botanical point of view, for it does not conform to type.

Three other members of the Flax Family have been
reported.

171

OXALIDACE^E OXALIS FAMILY

Oxalis stricta, L.

Yellow Sheep Sorrel,

Upright Yellow Wood Sorrel,
May-August Poison Sheep Sorrel,

Toad Sorrel,

Ladies' Sour-grass,

Sheep-poison,

Sour-grass.

Oxalis: from Greek for sour.
Stricta: Latin for constricted.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens and neglected ground.

THE PLANT: erect, five inches to six inches high; usually
branched at the base; the branches spreading; the stem
set with sharp, stiff, flattened hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; pale green; compound, leaflets
three, with short, soft hairs on both surfaces, petioled
closing when the stem is cut.

THE FLOWERS: in umbel-like cymes on long, stout stems.
The pedicels at length bent down. Petals pale yellow,
often with a reddish spot near the base.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, sharp pointed, breaking open at a
touch.

A pretty weed, with dainty, compound clover-like
leaves and small yellow flowers that often have a red spot
near the base. A pretty plant, but not a satisfactory one
to pick. When the stem has been cut and when night
comes, the sensitive leaves droop.

The distinction between this species and others is that in
this the seed-vessel finally stands at an angle with the stem.

One other member of the Oxalis Family has been re-
ported.

172

GERANIACE^: GERANIUM FAMILY

Geranium maculatum, L.

Magenta-Pink Wild Geranium,

Spotted Geranium,

May- June Wild Cranesbill,

Spotted Cranesbill,
Stork's-bill,
Crowfoot,
Dovefoot,
Sailor' s-knot,
Shameface,
Old Maid's-nightcap.

Geranium: an old Greek name for a crane, the long beak

of this fruit thought to resemble the bill of that bird.
Maculatum: Latin for spotted.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp ground, in the shade of
other plants.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high; the stem
unbranched or branching above, covered with short, soft
hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; orbicular or heart-shaped; deeply
three to five parted, the divisions obcordate, wedge-
shaped, variously toothed and cleft; three inches to six
inches wide; petioled, the two stem leaves on shorter peti-
oles than the basal leaves.

THE FLOWERS: in an umbel, rising on long stems from the
junction of the pair of leaves. The petals veined, whitish
at the centre, bearded.

THE FRUIT: a carpel, the axis elongated into a beak.

173

GERANIACE.E

A tall, delicate, branching plant of the damp and shady
places, remarkable from a distance for its magenta-pink
flowers that rise on long stems above the dark green
leaves of the thicket. On closer view, one discovers
basal leaves, a very light green stem, which bears toward
the top, or at least belo^w the flower-cluster, two additional
deeply-cut, five-lobed and rough-hairy leaves, which being
very sensitive, curl up when the plant is held in the hand.
They are spotted with white or brown, a fact that has
given rise to the specific title of maculatum.

From this plant is made a valuable drug.

GERANIACE^E GERANIUM FAMILY

Erodium cicutarium, (L.), L'Her.

Magenta-purple Stork's-bill,

Heron's bill,

May- June Wild Musk,

Pin-clover,
Pin Grass,
Pin Weed.

Erodium: Greek for a heron, in allusion "to the long fruit-
bearing beak, thought to resemble the bill of that bird."

Cicutarium: a Latin form, to denote a resemblance to
the poison hemlock (Cicuta).

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and gardens in town,
sandy soil.

THE PLANT: erect or somewhat so, six inches to eight
inches high; the stem branched, reddish, with flattened
loosely-spreading white hairs, rather weak.

THE LEAVES: dark; alternate; from jointed nodes; pin-
nately divided; two inches to four inches long; with long,
white hairs on both surfaces; the loWer petioled, the upper
sessile.

174

ONE

GERANIUM
MACULATUM

i75

ONE INCH

ERODIUM CICUTARIUM

177

GERANIUM FAMILY

THE FLOWERS : two to twelve, in umbels, on reddish stems
longer than the leaves; petals five; five anther-bearing
stamens. The calyx with five very light green sepals,
which are striped with dark green, bristle tipped, having
silky hairs.

THE FRUIT: a beaked carpel, the divisions of which are
spirally coiled when the fruit is ripe.

A low, half erect plant, that comes and leaves early in
the season. The colouring of its reddish stems and ma-
genta-purple flowers is rather vigorous but the fine di-
visions of the dark green leaves is dainty. It has received
the name of Stork's bill from the shape of the fruit which
is beaked and when ripe, spirally coiled.

Four other members of the Geranium Family have been
reported.

179

POLYGALACE.E MILKWORT FAMILY

Polygala cruciata, Walt.

Dull magenta-pink Bitter Milkwort,

Polygala,

June-September Pink Milkwort,

Century (local name).

Polygala: old Greek name applied to some low shrub,
reputed to increase lactation because of a "notion that
cows eating this plant were able to give a greatly in-
creased supply of milk."

Cruciata: from Latin for a cross.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: moist ground.

THE PLANT: erect, four inches to ten inches high; the stem
freely branched above, square or angled, without hairs.

THE LEAVES: verticillate in fours or a few of them scat-
tered; linear or oblanceolate; usually less than one inch
long; obtuse and capped with an abrupt tip at the apex;
stemless or nearly so.

THE FLOWERS: crowded in oval heads, really in racemes.
THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This low, pretty milkwort with its clover-like heads
of dull magenta-pink flowers, keeps company in the swamps
with hedge hyssop and the sundews. The stem is square
and widely branched and the narrow leaves prevailingly
in clusters of fours, are thin and smooth.

1 80

// POLYGALA
CRUCIATA

181

POLYGALA

POLYGAMA

183

MILKWORT FAMILY

POLYGALACE^E MILKWORT FAMILY

Poly gala polygama, Walt.

Dull magenta Century (local name),

Bitter Milkwort,
July- September Pink Milkwort.

Polijgala: for derivation see cruciata.
Polygama: Greek for many marriages.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: in low and spreading tufts; the stems four
inches to twenty inches high, unbranched, angled, without
hairs.

THE LEAVES: numerous; alternate; light dull green or
dark magenta; oblong or lanceolate; without hairs; thick;
obtuse or capped with an abrupt tip at the apex; entire.

THE FLOWERS: in a loose raceme, at the ends of the leafy
stems. Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A very satisfactory plant, for it keeps a week or more in
the house and is quite decorative. On the Commons,
where it grows in great abundance, there are flattened
rosettes of small, dull crimson, irregularly shaped flowers
(with a touch of white from the stamens), that grow in
delicate, loose clusters on the tinted, leafy stem. In the
colour of the flowers only does it suggest the Scotch
heather and in that way only remotely. Still, it is fre-
quently mistaken for heather.

An interesting feature of the plant is the cleistogamous
or closed flowers on the underground branches.

Two other members of the Milkwort Family have been
reported.

185

EUPHORBIACE^E SPURGE FAMILY

Euphorbia Cyparissias, L.

Greenish and tan Spurge Cypress,

Napoleon's Plume (local),

May- June Bonaparte's Crown,

Quack Salver's Grass,
Tree Moss,
Balsam,
Garden Spurge,
Kiss-me-Dick,
Welcome-to-our-House,
Graveyard Weed.

Euphorbia: Euphorbus, physician to King Jubal.
Cyparissias: Latin for cypress; in allusion to the fact that
it was often planted in cemeteries.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: an escape, originally from cem-
eteries, to roadsides and gardens.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to twelve inches high; the
stem branched and scaly below, leafy above, hairless, with
a milky acid juice.

THE LEAVES: opposite; those upholding the flower heads,
whorled; linear or almost threadlike; the floral leaves
heart-shaped; stemless; the margins entire, slightly rolled
backwards.

THE FLOWERS: small, of two kinds, sterile and fertile, in
umbels, which have a tufted appearance, surrounded by a
cup-shaped involucre, which resembles a calyx or corolla.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A tufted plant, in appearance somewhat like a miniature
cypress tree. The leaves are dark green, and with them

1 86

SPURGE FAMILY

blend (as the petals are early deciduous) the dark-yellow
sepals of the flowers, borne at the ends of the branches.

There is an interesting touch of local story in the Nan-
tucket name of Napoleon's Plume: Mrs. Stokeley Morgan
once wrote me, "Mrs. Owen had mentioned to me that
she had never heard that name for Cypress Spurge except
in Nantucket, it seemed local. In 1901 I spent the month
of August in Touraine. The Cypress Spurge was every-
where and called 'La plume de Napoleon!' When I came
home I told Mrs. Owen. She immediately said, 'Then the
name here must be a relic of the visit of the French bot-
anist, Marsillac. If you have here 'A catalogue of plants
growing without cultivation on the island of Nantucket,'
you will find in the preface, under date of July, 1888, it
(Nantucket) was once a garden of flowers. Such it was
called by the Frenchman, Marsillac, who, nearly a hun-
dred years ago, regardless of his silk stockings, plunged
into the swamps for their floral treasures."

EUPHORBIACE^: SPURGE FAMILY

Euphorbia polygonifolia, L.

Whitish-green Seaside Spurge,

Knotweed Spurge.
July-September

Euphorbia: for derivation see Cyparissias.

Polygonifolia: from Greek and Latin, signifying leaves and

many knees, in allusion to the many joints of the leafy

branches.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: beach sand.

THE PLANT: from a long, straight root, flat on the sand;
the stem branched at the base, without hairs; the branches
radiating, forked, three inches to eight inches long, wiry.

THE LEAVES: opposite; oblong to linear-lanceolate; fleshy;
obtuse, often mucronate at the apex; obtuse or slightly

187

EUPHORBIACEJE

heart-shaped at the base; short petioled; entire; stipules
an inconspicuous fringe of short bristles.

THE FLOWERS: solitary in the axils, minute.
THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A wheel-shaped rosette of bright green, forked stems,
tinged with red, lying flat on the beach sand, that is
Seaside Spurge. To the brightness of the leaves and stems
is due the cheer of the plant, and not, certainly, to the
insignificant whitish-green flowers, which are less than one-
tenth of an inch long.

Two other members of the Spurge Family have been
reported.

1 88

EMPETRACE^E BROOM CROWBERRY FAMILY

Corema Conradii, Torr.

Red-brown Broom Crowberry.

March

Corema: from Greek for a broom, in allusion to the bushy

aspect of the clumps.
Conradii: in honour of a Philadelphia botanist, S. W.

Conrad.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
even in beach sand.

THE PLANT: shrubby, evergreen, six inches to two feet
high, profusely branched; the young twigs with very short
hairs.

THE LEAVES: densely crowded; very small; linear-oblong;
when mature, bright green; without hairs; obtuse at the
apex; entire.

THE FLOWERS: of two kinds; numerous, in heads at the
ends of the branches, sessile; the staminate the more
noticeable on account of the long purple stamens.

THE FRUIT: a drupe.

This plant is included, not because it has aesthetic charm,
but, rather, because it is interesting botanically. Its
presence on Nantucket, Dr. Harshberger claims, is one
of the proofs that, ecologically, Nantucket and the plains
and pine-barrens of New Jersey are related.

As for its identification, the dense leaves are fine but
rigid, and the red-brown flowers inconspicuous. In general,
as the Crowberry grows from one root, its cushiony clumps
are high in the centre and lower on the sides.

189

ANACARDIACE.E CASHEW FAMILY

Rhus copallina, L.

Green- white Common Sumach, Smooth Sumach,

Dwarf Black Sumach, Upland Sumach.
June-September Mountain Sumach,

Rhus: from the old Greek and Latin names of this plant.
Copallina: from a Spanish-Mexican word meaning resinous.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: borders of thickets.

THE SHRUB: four to six feet high, freely branched; the
branches dark brown and woody.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately divided into nine to
twenty-one broadly lanceolate leaflets, which are dark
green and without hairs above, beneath paler and often
with short, soft hairs; turning dull red in fall, acute or
obtusish at the apex; on more or less hairy petioles;
entire or few-toothed toward the apex; the stem between
the leaflets widened.

THE FLOWERS: very small, in dense panicles, at the top
of the stems.

THE FRUIT: very small drupes, maroon-red, covered with
fine, soft hairs.

The two non-poisonous members of the Cashew Family
described here, are usually low bushes (similar in general
appearance), that make part of the copse of Nantucket.
Both have regularly divided leaves, and bear in season
large conical heads of tiny, densely crowded, greenish-
white flowers, which later turn into maroon-red fruits,

190

ANACARDIACE^E

covered with sticky looking hairs. After the leaves have
fallen, the fruits persist and the stiff branches then resemble
hot pokers.

ANACARDIACE^ CASHEW FAMILY

Rhus glabra, L.

Green-white Smooth Sumach, Scarlet Sumach,

Sleek Sumach, Shoemaker Sumach,

June- August Pennsylvania Sumach, Vinegar Tree,
White Sumach,

Rhus: for derivation see copallina.
Glabra: Latin for smooth.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: borders of thickets.

THE SHRUB: two feet to six feet high, branched; the
branches lacking hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately divided into eleven to
thirty-one lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate leaflets which are
dark green above, beneath whitish; sharply saw-toothed;
the stem between the leaflets not widened.

THE FLOWERS: very small, similar to those of the copallina,
although the clusters are usually more dense. Sometimes
a part of the flower cluster is changed into small leaves.

THE FRUIT: similar to that of the copallina.

A shrub or rarely a small tree that grows with the copal-
lina and from a distance seems to resemble it, but on closer
view one finds that the stem between the leaflets is not
widened.

From the berries a valuable gargle used to be made
that was effective also as a mouth wash. The bark, as well
as the berries, is astringent.

191

CASHEW FAMILY

ANACARDIACE^) CASHEW FAMILY

Rhus Toxicodendron, L.

Whitish-green Poison Ivy, Poison Oak,

Poison Creeper, Black Mercury,

May- June Poison Vine, Climbing Ivy,

Climath, Mark-weed,

Markry, Pickry,

Mercury Vine, Three-leaved Ivy
Poison Ash,

Rhui: for derivation see copallina.
Toxicondendron: from Greek for arrow-poison.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: along fences, through thickets,
over the Commons, and in pure beach sand.

THE VINE: sometimes climbs by numerous aerial rootlets
and then waves freely in the wind, sometimes it is half
erect or even fully erect and shrub-like; the stem, occasion-
ally two inches to three inches in diameter, very much
branched, woody, and hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; palmately three-divided; variable,
but typically acute or tapering quickly to a point at the
apex; narrow or wedge-shaped at the base; above shiny,
with short, soft hairs or smooth; beneath more or less
covered with short, soft rusty hairs; entire or coarsely
round-toothed, or sometimes essentially entire.

THE FLOWERS: very small, in loose axillary panicles, which
are from one to three inches in length.

THE FRUIT: whitish or cream-coloured, usually globose
and covered with short, soft hairs; like all the other parts
of this plant, the fruit is very poisonous.

A beautiful vine growing profusely along fences, clamber-
ing over bushes, or spreading in the dry beach sand —

192

ANACARDIACE.E

everywhere its three-divided leaf may be seen shining
brightly in the summer sun or flaunting its baleful red
among the innocent crimsons and golds of the fall. Even
the greenish or yellowish white berries looking as though
good to eat, are pretty and attractive.

Poison Ivy and Virginia Creeper (Psedera quinquefolia
of the Vitacece or Grape Family) are often confused. The
chief distinction between them is the fact that the leaf of
the Poison Ivy has three divisions while that of the Vir-
ginia Creeper, as the name quinquefolia signifies, has five
divisions.

Leaflets three, quickly flee.
Leaflets five, save alive.

Berries white, dread the sight,
Berries red, have no dread.

Or, in the words of an old saying, "The vine is safe to
pick, if there are as many divisions to the leaf as there are
fingers on your hand."

This plant works its mischief in various ways. In the
spring, the hairs, and in the summer, the pollen, blown by
the wind often over great distances, cause the passerby
to be poisoned even when he has not gone near the vines.
If you have touched the Poison Ivy, the best thing to do
when you reach home is to rub freely with some pure
alcohol, for it alone cuts the semivolatile oil that is the
poisonous part of the plant. Water or a small quantity of
alcohol will only spread the oil. If alcohol is difficult to
obtain, white lead is good, but being such a severe poison
in itself, care must be taken in its use. Other efficient
remedies are photographers' hypo, ammonia, and Pond's
Extract. If one is conscious of having touched Poison
Ivy, while in the field, rubbing the hands with gritty sand
or gravel will often prevent trouble later.

If the vine is discovered growing near frequented spots,
it may be destroyed by the application every few days of

13 193

CASHEW FAMILY

a few drops of sulphuric acid (handled with care) to the
woody stem near the roots.

From the oil is distilled a drug, valuable in the treatment
of rheumatism.

ANACARDIACE^; CASHEW FAMILY

Rhus Vernix, L.

Whitish-green Poison Sumach,

Poison Elder,

June Poison Ash,

Poison Dogwood.

Rhus: for derivation see copallina.
Vernix: from Latin for green.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: low grounds.

THE SHRUB: six feet to fifteen feet high; the bark smooth
or nearly so; the inner wood soft and light-coloured.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately-compound, seven to
thirteen leaflets, thin, obovate, green on both surfaces,
acute or acuminate at the apex, on very short stems, entire.

THE FLOWERS: in loose panicles at the angles of the leaves.
THE FRUIT: a berry, in slender clusters, green-grey.

Fortunately this harmful shrub is not very common on
Nantucket. But as it carries a volatile oil, which is even
more irritating than that of Poison Ivy (Rhus Toxicodendron)
it should be so well known that it will always be avoided.
If one has been unlucky enough to have touched it, the
same remedies will be found efficacious that have been
recommended for Poison Ivy. This oil is used in the
treatment of rheumatism.

The Poison Elder or Poison Dogwood is a low shrub,
almost tree-like. Its branches spread at right angles to
the trunk, so that its general appearance is flat-topped.

194

ANACARDIACE^:

The smooth bark of the trunk and branches is ashy grey
in the summer months, but, as winter advances, they tend
to a lighter and more lurid tone. The leaves are pinnately-
divided; the small whitish-green flowers and the grey-
green berries, in slender clusters, resemble those of the
Poison Ivy.

"Beyond the fern," Mr. Scoville writes in his picturesque
way, "I met that pale-grey vitriol thrower, the Poison
Sumac, with its corpse-colored berries, growing out from
the side of the twigs instead of from the end as do the berries
of the harmless varieties."

One other member of the Cashew Family has been re-
ported.

195

AQUIFOLIACE^E HOLLY FAMILY

Ilex fastigiata, Bicknell

Ilex: ancient Latin name of the Holly Oak rather than of

the Holly.
Fastigiata: A Latin derivation, alluding to the erect and

close habit of the branches.

< i

' A derivative of Ilex verticellata, the Nantucket winter-
berry, having smaller and narrower leaves and crowded,
erect branches. It is abundant on Nantucket and is
almost insular in its habitat, occurring elsewhere, as far as
known, only locally in New Jersey."

AQUIFOLIACE.E HOLLY FAMILY

Ilex glabra, (L.) Gray

Green and Inkberry, Dye-leaves,

cream-white Evergreen Winterberry, Gall-berry.

Appalachian Tea,
June-July

Ilex: for derivation see fastigiata.
Glabra: Latin for smooth.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy soil of thickets and bor-
ders of thickets.

THE SHRUB: two feet to six feet high, branched; young
twigs and petioles with fine, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: evergreen; alternate; oblanceolate or ellip-
tic; thick and leathery; one inch or more long; one-half
inch or more wide; above dark green and shining; without
hairs on either surface; obtusish at the apex; generally
wedge-shaped at the base; sparingly toothed or entire.

196

ILEX VERTICILLATA

I. GLABRA

I. OPACA

197

HOLLY FAMILY

THE FLOWERS: of two kinds, the fertile generally solitary,
sometimes two or three together. The sterile flowers
several, in a cyme. Calyx four-six toothed; petals four-six,
separate or united only at the base; stamens four-six.

THE FRUIT: a black drupe.

A large, symmetrical bush that has spreading branches
and shiny, leathery, evergreen leaves (more or less brown in
the winter). The small, greenish-white flowers cuddle
under the leaves at the ends of the branches. Later they
are replaced by the black fruit.

AQUIFOLIACE^E HOLLY FAMILY

Ilex opaca, Ait.

American Holly,

Greenish- white Christmas Holly.

Berries, red

April-June

Ilex: for derivation see fastigiata.
Opaca: Latin for opaque.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: groves.

THE TREE : thirty feet high or taller the trunk slender with
light grey bark, "roughened by excresences " ; the branch-
lets stout, green at first and covered with rusty down,
later smooth and brown.

THE LEAVES: alternate; evergreen; elliptical to oblong;
acute at the apex, more or less wedge-shaped at the base;
stems short, stout, grooved, thickened at the base; with
minute stipules; the margin wavy-toothed with a few
spiny teeth; feather- veined, the primary veins conspicuous.
"They remain on the branches for three years, finally
falling in the spring when pushed off by the growing buds."

199

AQUIFOLIACE^

THE FLOWERS: small, both sterile and fertile borne in
short cymes from the axils of young leaves, or scattered
along the base of young branches; sterile clusters, three
to nine flowered; fertile clusters, one to three flowered.

THE FRUIT: a berry-like drupe, one quarter inch across,
red, persisting all winter.

This is the Christmas Holly, mentioned here because it
is an interesting fact that the tree is very rare on Nan-
tucket. There are many Holiday substitutes for it, among
which the chief is Black Alder (Ilex verticillata) with simi-
larly shaped, but scarlet, instead of red, berries, and at
Christmas time, bare branches.

From this tree is distilled a drug,- valuable in the treat-
ment of eye conditions.

AQUIFOLIACE^: HOLLY FAMILY

Ilex verticillata, (L.) Gray.

Greenish- white Black Alder, Fern Bush,

False Alder, Virginia

June-August Striped Alder, Winterberry,

White Alder, Winter green.

Ilex: for derivation see fastigiata.

Verticillata: the diminutive form in Latin, meaning the
little whirl of a spindle.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dampish ground of thickets.

THE SHRUB: six feet high or less, branched; the twigs
without hairs or with few short ones.

THE LEAVES : alternate ; oval, obovate or oblong-lanceolate ;
two to three inches long, about one inch wide; rather
thick and leathery; above nearly hairless; beneath, es-
pecially on the veins, with short, soft hairs; acute or
acuminate at the apex; acute or obtusish at the base;
sharply serrate; in the fall a maroon-red.

200

HOLLY FAMILY

THE FERTILE FLOWERS: one to three; the staminate, two
to ten; calyx with silky hairs on the margins; all flowers on
very short peduncles.

THE FRUIT: a very small, bright red drupe.

A tall, reserved shrub, with smooth, olive-green bark
and many ascending twigs. Its bright berries usually
still cling to the bare branches after the leaves have dis-
appeared, and sometimes persist throughout the whole
winter, making the bushes a conspicuous feature of the
swamps. These are the sprays of scarlet berries that have
long been popular with the Nantucket people for bright-
ening their winter bouquets and Christmas wreaths.

This species should be distinguished from the loevigata
(Pursh) Gray, which, also, is frequent on Nantucket.
The Icevigata has lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate leaves;
that are shining above and mostly glabrous beneath, with
appressed and very fine, saw-teeth. Its sterile flowers are
on long peduncles, the calyx lobes without silky hairs.

201

ACERACE^E MAPLE FAMILY

Acer rubrum, L.

March-April Red Maple,

Swamp Maple,
Scarlet Maple,
Water Maple.

Acer: from Celtic for hard.
Rubrum: Latin for red.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swamps and woodlands.

THE TREE : usually low, but sometimes thirty or thirty-five
feet high; with smoothish or flaky bark, and reddish twigs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; very variable in shape, ranging
from ovate to orbicular; above, when young, covered with
matted wool, but soon becoming green and hairless; below,
whitish along the veins; at the apex acute or acuminate;
at the base cut off squarely or heart-shaped; on smooth,
reddish-green stems; three to five lobed, the middle lobe
longer than the others, the lobes irregularly toothed.

THE FLOWERS: minute; borne on the branches of the
previous year, appearing much before the leaves; the
petals linear-oblong, on very short stems.

THE WINGED FRUIT: with which we are all so familiar, is
called a samara and is borne on a long stem.

In Nantucket swamps, this prettily-leaved tree is usually
of no greater stature than a shrub, but in sheltered
woodlands, it does attain a height of not less than thirty
or thirty-five feet. Its twigs are reddish, its leaves lobed
similarly to those of the cultivated maples and in the early

202

MAPLE FAMILY

fall they turn a brilliant crimson. The trees are then con-
spicuous features of the swamps.

Four other members of the Maple Family have been
reported.

203

BALSAMINACE^ BALSAM FAMILY

Impatiens biflora, Walt.

Yellow Impatience, Kicking-horses,

Jewel-weed, Speckled Jewels,

July-September Touch-me-not, Ear-jewel,

Sling-fruit, Ear-drop,

Snap-weed, Silver-leaf,

Snap-dragon, Balsam,

Kicking-colt, Ladies' Slipper.

Impatiens: Latin for impatient, in allusion to the sudden

bursting of the pod when touched.
Biflora: Latin form for two-flowered.

•

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp ground, often borders of
thickets.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet to four feet high; the stem
branched, hairless, usually ruddy.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate; above hairless; below with
a bloom; margins coarsely toothed.

THE FLOWERS: large, loosely hanging, irregular; sepals and
petals not easily distinguishable, together forming a deep
sack, longer than broad, and terminated by an incurved
spur nearly one half or fully one third the length of the
sack; mottled with reddish-brown or paler and without
spots, or with whitish spots.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

The Touch-me-not is a tall, somewhat unsubstantial
and weak-looking plant with many yellow flowers that
attract by their grace of form and beauty of colour. Its
botanical name, Impatiens, and many of the common

204

BALSAM FAMILY

names are equally significant because the seed vessel is
so constructed that at its sudden bursting, (an achievement
often aided by children) the seed is thrown to a great
distance, sometimes as far as nine feet.

The crushed foliage is a good antidote for Poison Ivy.

205

VITACE^) VINE FAMILY

Psedera quinquefolia, (L.) Greene.

Whitish or yellow-green Virginia Creeper, American Ivy,

Woodbine, Five-fingered Ivy,

July- August False Grape, Five-leaf Ivy.

Psedera: name probably a contraction of the Greek de-
noting "false ivy."
Quinquefolia: Latin for five leaves.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: bushes in damp, open thickets.

THE VINE : often several feet in length, branched ; the stems
more or less woody, hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; palmately compound, with five
to seven (generally five) lanceolate leaflets, the leaflets
dull green, decidedly paler beenath, hairless, acute or
tapering to a point at the apex, with unmistakable though
short, reddish petioles, hairless, rather coarsely saw-
toothed, conspicuously veined and grooved; the five to ten
slightly leaf-like tendrils branched and ending in adhering
disks.

THE FLOWERS: very small in compound panicles; the main
branches unequal.

THE FRUIT: a "cadet blue" berry.

A familiar trailing vine that is frequently cultivated.
It climbs by means of aerial rootlets and tendrils tipped
with a flat disc. A really decorative vine with tiny, whitish
or yellowish green flowers, coloured stems and petioles, and
five to seven lance-shaped, sharply toothed, deep green
leaflets, which in the fall turn a brilliant deep red. Fre-

206

VINE FAMILY

quently it is confused with Poison Ivy (Rhus toxicoden-
drori) but, as has been already cited:

"Leaflets three, quickly flee,
Leaflets five, save alive."

VITACE^E VINE FAMILY

Vitis Labrusca, L.

Greenish Northern Fox-grape.

May-June

Vitis: the classical Latin name.
Labrusca: a classical name.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: low thickets, open places, bare,
sandy fields.

THE VINE: climbing by forked tendrils, very much
branched; the young branches woody; the bark shredded.

THE LEAVES: scattered, opposite a tendril or flower-cluster;
above light green; with tawny hairs below; heart-shaped;
abruptly acute at the apex; cut at the base; petioled;
variably lobed; with short, broad teeth.

THE FLOWERS: some perfect, some staminate, the fertile
in a compact panicle.

THE FRUIT: a pulpy berry; deep purple or amber purple
in colour or sometimes greenish or greenish-purple, with a
sweet musky flavor.

"Improved by cultivation it has given rise to the Isa-
bella, Catawba, Concord, and other varieties."

This is the more prevalent wild grape of the Island.
"It thrives in low thickets, draping the shrubbery, and
strays into open places, trailing among the grass and her-
baceous plants, or even sprawling in bare, sandy fields."
It is, indeed, a decorative vine, with large light green leav^ s,

207

VITACE.E

slightly toothed or entire or deeply lobed and rusty-woolly
beneath. The flowers are insignificant, but not so the
usually large and always luscious fruit. From it the Nan-
tucket people make excellent jam and jelly. "The fruit
may be of the largest size and deep purple or amber pur-
ple in colour or much smaller, more numerous and crowded
in the cluster, and greenish or greenish-purple when fully
ripe."

"A very old vine near Abram's Point measured twenty-
one inches around close to the base, and seventeen inches
a foot above."

One other member of the Vine Family has been reported.

208

MALVACEAE MALLOW FAMILY

Malva rotundifolia, L.

White, pale pinkish- Common Mallow, Doll-cheeses,

magenta, magenta- Low Mallow, Fairy-cheeses,

veined Dwarf Mallow, Cheeses,

Running Mallow, Maud,

June-October Blue Mallow, Malice,

Country Mallow, Round Dock,

Dutch-cheeses, Shirt-button Plant.

Malva: Greek, referring to the emollient leaves.
Rotundifolia: Latin for round-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens and roadsides.

THE PLANT: spreading, or low-lying; the stem four inches
to twelve inches long, branched at the base, with rough
hairs; root very extensive.

THE LEAVES: alternate; round heart-shaped; one inch to
three inches wide; with short, soft hairs on both surfaces;
lobed; on very long stems; palmately net-veined.

THE FLOWERS: clustered in the axils of the leaves; notched
or fringed petals about twice the length of the calyx lobe.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A creeping and rather untidy weed that spreads its
round, grey-green, scalloped leaves by means of long stems
in the dust of the roadsides of the town. The whitish
flowers, veined with magenta, clustered in the axils of the
leaves, are like miniature hollyhocks, the notched petals
surrounding the united white stamens. More familiar,
perhaps, than the flowers, are the round, flat seed-vessels,
the "cheeses" as they are called, which are not disagreeable
to the taste.

14 209

MALVACEAE

MALVACEAE MALLOW FAMILY

Hibiscus moscheutos, L.

Rose Swamp Rose Mallow,

Swamp Mallow,

August-September Mallow Rose,

Water Mallow,
Sea Hollyhock.

Hibiscus: an old Greek and Latin name of unknown

meaning.
Moscheutos: Latin for musk.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: salt bogs.

THE PLANT: erect, four to five feet high; the stem cane-
like, woody below, with short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: olive-green; alternate; ovate or ovate-lan-
ceolate; three to seven inches long; above, green and hair-
less or with few short soft hairs; below densely coated with
soft, white hairs; acute or acuminate at the apex; on long
petioles; conspicuously dentate or serrate, and the lowest
three-lobed; palmately veined.

THE FLOWERS: four to six inches broad, clustered on stout
pedicels at the top of the stem, only one opening at a time;
the five petals imbricated in the bud; petals broad, con-
spicuously veined, with or without a crimson base; sta-
mens numerous united in a column, conspicuously white.
Albinos have been found.

When in bloom, one of the most showy plants of the
Island, for a mass of the magnificent, large flowers on the
edge of a blue pond causes one's heart to thrill at the wealth
of deep pink colour, so well supported by the olive-green
background of the large leaves.

It is not only a plant of the big out-of-doors, for it can
also be domesticated, so to speak. In the house it is deco-

210

ONE INCH

HIBISCUS MOSCHEUTOS

211

MALLOW FAMILY

rative, although the open flowers wilt very soon after
being picked. But the buds will unroll in water by the
following morning. Moreover, it is easily transplanted
into a garden. But this really is a misfortune, for the
Swamp Mallow is on the list of plants in danger of exter-
mination.

Three other members of the Mallow Family have been
reported.

213

HYPERICACE^E ST. JOHN'S WORT FAMILY

Ascyrum hypcricoides, L.

Pale yellow St. Andrew's Cross.

July-August

Ascyrum: ancient Greek name of some plant probably of

this family.
Hypericoides: (Greek) resembling the Hypericum.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy roadsides of the
Commons.

THE PLANT: somewhat spreading, five inches to ten
inches high; the stem much branched from the base; the
branches low-spreading or slightly erect; both stem and
branches somewhat woody, flattened and two-edged.

THE LEAVES: opposite; pale yellow green, often tinged with
red; narrowly oblong or obovate; thin; sometimes over
an inch long, but usually shorter; obtuse at the apex;
narrowed at the base; sessile; entire.

THE FLOWERS: terminal or axillary on short pedicels, with
two bracts just below and supporting the flowers; the
petals are arranged but slightly in the form of a cross-
two below for the lower limb and two above for the
upper limb and side-arms.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A low, branching plant, which often spreads out into
patches of considerable size, that is almost as noticeable
for the small, light green oblong leaves, as for the lemon
yellow flowers, whose four petals, are arranged in the shape
of a St. Andrew's cross.

It is an interesting fact, from the point of view of dis-
tribution, that Nantucket is both the northern and the
eastern limit of its range.

214

ONE INCH

ASCYRUM HYPERIQOIDES

215

ST. JOHN'S WORT FAMILY

HYPERICACE^E ST. JOHN'S- WORT FAMILY

Hypericum boreale, (Britton) Bicknell.

Yellow

Northern St. Johris-wort.
July-September

Hypericum: Ancient Greek name of obscure meaning.
Boreale: from Greek and Latin, to signify northern.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: low grounds, damp, or wet,
sandy places, and pond shores.

THE PLANT: from creeping underground stems or erect;
one inch to eighteen inches high; the stem slightly four-
angled, simple or branched.

THE LEAVES: opposite; elliptic, oval, oblong, or linear-
oblong; the lower commonly much smaller and closer
together; obtuse at the apex; sessile and sometimes slightly
clasping at the base; mostly three-nerved.

THE FLOWERS: small, few or several in cymes with leafy
bracts, wheel-shaped, closing early.

THE FRUIT: capsules, purple, crossed, and lined.

Mr. Bicknell has an interesting account of this, the
commonest Hypericum of the Island. He says: "It is
sometimes aquatic, inhabiting deep water with the habit
of a Callitriche (Water Star-wort), the elongated leafy
stems either wholly submerged or their tips emersed. In
wet sand it may become strongly stoloniferous, putting
forth prostrate basal offshoots which reach a length of
several inches and root at intervals, sending up small
flowering stems and terminating in a cluster of stems from
the rooted tip."

217

HYPERICACE^:

HYPERICACE^E ST. JOHN'S-WORT FAMILY

Hypericum canadense, L.

Yellow

Canadian St. John's-wort.
July-August

Hypericum: for derivation see boreale.
Canadense: Latin for Canadian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: brackish swamps.

THE PLANT: erect, eight inches to one foot high; the stem
hairless, branched; the branches decidedly flattened against
the stem.

THE LEAVES: opposite; linear tending to lanceolate; some-
times almost threadlike; acutish at the apex; sessile;
entire; the mid- vein below somewhat prominent.

THE FLOWERS: small, numerous, closing early; petals five;
sepals linear-lanceolate.

THE FRUIT: a purplish-red capsule, much longer than the
sepals.

A low, rather weak-stemmed, dull green plant, with
many fine and spreading branches and tiny, deep yellow
flowers, which are wide open early in the day, but close
tightly later or very soon after the plant has been picked.

HYPERICACE^E ST. JOHN'S-WORT FAMILY

Hypericum gentianoides, (L.) BSP.

Deep golden yellow Orange-grass,

Pine-weed.
June-September

Hypericum: for derivation see boreale.

Gentianoides: Greek, to denote resemblance to a gentian

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

218

ST. JOHN'S WORT FAMILY

THE PLANT: erect, four inches high or taller; the stem
branched, the branches erect and near together, thread-like.

THE LEAVES: opposite; reduced to mere scales; minute;
awl-shaped.

THE FLOWERS: minute, nearly sessile, opening in sunshine.
THE FRUIT: capsules.

This is usually a small, but always a wiry plant, with
such tiny scales instead of leaves that the upright branches
appear leafless. It is made noticeable in the dry sand
where it grows, by the deep yellow, almost orange flowers.

"The plant may be actually minute," Mr. Bicknell
says, "its simple stem bearing only a single flower, or
densely branched to form a firm, convex mass."

HYPERICACEJE ST. JOHN'S- WORT FAMILY

Hypericum mutilum, L.

Yellow Dwarf St. John's-wort,

Small-flowered St. John's-wort,
August-September Slender St. John's-wort.

Hypericum: for derivation see boreale.
Mutilum: Greek meaning curtailed.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swamps.

THE PLANT: generally erect, eight inches to eighteen
inches high; the stem generally branched above, weak,
often coloured.

THE LEAVES: often coloured, especially when young;

opposite; small; ovate to narrowly oblong; obtuse at the

apex; sessile and partly clasping at the base; entire;
five-nerved.

THE FLOWERS: very small, in a cyme with leaf -like bracts,
closing early, seldom to re-open.

219

HYPERICACE^:

THE FRUIT: tiny pods.

This is the weak-stemmed St. John's-wort of the swamps,
that has generally ovate leaves and tiny, orange-yellow
flowers, that close early.

HYPERICACE^E ST. JOHN'S-WORT FAMILY

Hypericum perforatmn, L.

Yellow Common St. Herb John,

John's-wort, Speckled John,

July-September Amber John, Rosin Rose,

Penny-John, Touch-and-Heal.

Hypericum: for derivation see boreale.
Perforatum: Latin, meaning to bore through.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, twelve to twenty-four inches high,
densely branched; the stem hairless, more or less two-edged.

THE LEAVES: numerous; oblong or linear; without hairs
on either surface; obtuse at the apex; sessile; thin; entire;
with black dots.

THE FLOWERS: in a cyme at the ends of the branches, on
short, smooth peduncles. The sepals lance-shaped, acute
at the apex; the petals broad, somewhat spreading; the
stamens numerous and prominent.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This Hypericum has a tall, wand-like stem, which bears
numerous vivid deep-yellow, open flowers with many fine,
yellow stamens. Conspicuous also is the fruit, reddish-
brown seed-vessels, that stay long on the almost leafless
stems.

From this plant is made a drug valuable in the treatment
of neuritis and of rheumatism.

220

HYPERICUM

PERFORATUM

ONE INCH

H.VIRGINICUM

221

ST. JOHN'S WORT FAMILY

HYPERICACEJE ST. JOHN'S- WORT FAMILY

Hypericum virginicum, L.

Pinkish-flesh colour Marsh St. John's-wort.

July-August

Hypericum: for derivation see boreale.
Virginicum: Latin for Virginian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swamps.

THE PLANT: erect; one foot to two feet high; the stem
branched or simple.

THE LEAVES: opposite; ovate, tending to oblong; with
slight bloom on the under surface; rounded at the apex;
slightly heart-shaped at the base; stemless or clasping by
broad base; entire; sepia-dotted.

THE FLOWERS: in small terminal clusters with orange
glands separating the three groups of golden-yellow sta-
mens; five petals; five sepals.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, more or less magenta-coloured.

The flowers and leaves and stems of this St. John's-wort
form a harmonious whole. Gracefulness of form and
beautiful variations of colour from pale flesh tints of
flowers, and light green to deep red tones of stems and
leaves characterize. Seldom are the stem and all the leaves
green and in the fall low masses cf red colour the swamps.

Unfortunately, like so many swamp flowers, the plants
droop almost immediately after being picked and seldom
revive even in warm water.

Four other members of the St. John's-wort Family have
been reported.

223

CISTACEJE ROCKROSE FAMILY

Helianthemum majus, BSP.

Yellow Rockrose, Frostweed,

Ice Plant, Frostwort,

July-September Canadian Rockrose, Scrofula Plant.

Helianthemum: from Greek for sun and flower, in allusion
to the fact that the flowers open mostly in the sunlight.
Majus: Latin for larger.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, eight to fourteen inches high; the stem
of young plants simple, later having numerous stout
branches, clothed with hoary short hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate, or the lower opposite; generally
lanceolate; with hoary hairs beneath, darker above; acute
or obtuse at the apex; short-petioled.

THE FLOWERS: the first blossoms clustered on peduncles
at the top of the stem, sometimes nearly an inch broad,
but generally smaller; the sepals with hoary hairs; the
later blossoms clustered along slender branches in the axils
of the leaves, very tiny; all flowers open only in sunshine.

THE FRUIT: capsules; the second fruiting minute.

A low and much branched, but delicately built plant
that when out of bloom seems inconspicuous. But when
the open "yellow roses" are hanging under the numerous
narrow leaves, it is very attractive. In mid-summer it is
recognizable by its pinkish seed-vessels. Still later, comes
the second bloom of much smaller blossoms and tiny
seed-vessels, the size of pin-heads. Late in autumn

224

ROCKROSE FAMILY

crystals of ice shoot from the cracked bark at the base of
the stem, hence the popular name, Frost- weed.

It also had its place in the medicine chest as a gargle for
ulcerations, and as a tonic.

CISTACE.E ROCKROSE FAMILY

Hudsonia ericoides, L.

Lemon-yellow Hudsonia,

Barren-heath,

May- June American Heath,

Poverty-grass,
Field-pine.

Hudsonia: in honour of William Hudson, an early English

botanist.
Ericoides: the suffix oides means resembling, therefore

resembling Erica or heather.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
and beach sand.

THE PLANT: erect, four to nine inches high, bushily
branched from the base; the stems tufted, dark brown and
woody, covered with short, very soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: persistent; alternate; awl-shaped or scale-
like; very small, less than one half inch long; downy;
stemless; entire.

THE FLOWERS: numerous and showy, crowded on the
upper part of the branches, on slender, naked stems; per-
sistent calyx a fawn-pink.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

One of the most common plants of Nantucket, and yet,
there is no plant that so frequently sails under false colours,
for, when not in bloom, it closely resembles the heather,
as is indicated by the name, ericoides. Again, it is easily

is 225

CISTACE^E

confused with the Broom Crowberry (Corema Conradii).
Moreover, it is difficult always to distinguish at a glance,
between this and the other barren heath, the Hudsonia
tomentosa.

The ericoides, like the real heathers, grows in cushiony
clumps in the dry, sandy soil of the Commons or under the
pine-trees, but, while the ericoides is practically everywhere,
so that when it is in bloom, the Commons are yellow with
its bright flowers, the Calluna and the Ericas are very rare.
Further, these flowers are yellow, the others, pink or
purplish. The Hudsonia is to be distinguished from the
Corema, first, by the manner of growth; with the Hudsonia
there being a number of roots in a clump, with the Corema
only one root, hence the effect of the Corema clump being
crowded from the centre outward and downward. Again,
if the plant is in bloom, the bright yellow flowers, different
from the purple-brown ones, are a distinguishing feature.
As for the two Hudsonias, when not in bloom, the easiest
distinction is made on the basis of the colour of the leaves —
the ericoides are a dark, healthy green, those of tomentosa
are a bluer, greyer green, and the plants usually bear more
signs of having been winter-killed. No better picture
could be made of this plant than Mr. Bicknell has painted:
"Few plants of Nantucket spread over the island more
widely or in greater abundance than this little heath-like
species, and not one is more conspicuous in the landscape
when in full bloom. Nor is there any other that at flower-
ing time, puts its scene in colour with quicker transforma-
tion, for there come seasons when it bursts into bloom on
all sides in the hours of a single hot morning.

. . . After full bloom, it remains for one or two
weeks the season's most conspicuous flower, spreading its
sheets of gold along the roadways and over acres of plain
and hillside; a radiant sight. A few days later the flowers
are withered and the wide tracts that had glowed with
their color become brown and rusty as if seared by fire."

226

HUDSONIA ERICOIDES

ONE INCH

227

ROCKROSE FAMILY

CISTACE^E ROCKROSE FAMILY

Hudsonia tomentosa, Nutt.

Yellow Barren Heath, Heath,

Poverty-grass, False Heather,

May-July Poverty-plant, Beach Heather,

Ground-cedar, Bear-grass,

Woolly Hudsonia, Dog's Dinner.
Ground-moss,

Hudsonia: for derivation see ericoides.
Tomentosa: Latin meaning stuffing for cushions.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
and beach sand.

THE PLANT: erect, densely tufted, four inches to eight
inches high, intricately branched and matted; stems "pale
with hoary pubescence."

THE LEAVES: alternate; densely crowded and pressed
close to the stem; oval or oblong; less than one twelfth of an
inch long.

THE FLOWERS: numerous; slightly smaller than those of
the ericoides, sessile or nearly so, like those of the ericoides
falling early.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

Mr. Godfrey, in his "Island of Nantucket", says:
"When sheep were allowed to roam at large on our Com-
mons, one feeble specimen of the blossom of the Hudsonia
tomentosa could be found in perfection, where now, freed
from the sheep, the whole surface of the island is covered
with this heath-like plant in its season." In fact, the
Commons and sand dunes are yellow, when the Barren
Heath is in bloom, as the mountain sides of Scotland are
coloured by the gorse. The Nantucket people appreciate
that the plant may now be had for the taking and great
quantities are gathered and dried to be used for fuel.

229

CISTACE^E

CISTACEJE ROCKROSE FAMILY

Lechea maritima, Leggett.

Greenish or magenta-tinted

Beach Pinweed.
July-September

Lechea: in honour of Johan Leche, a Swedish botanist.
Maritima: Latin for seaside.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
and sometimes pure sand.

THE PLANT: stout, rigid, six inches to ten inches high, the
stems densely tufted; covered \vith whitish and matted
hairs; some branches spreading or somewhat erect; flower-
ing branches slender, stiff and spreading; all numerous.

THE LEAVES: alternate; linear or linear-oblong; less than
one inch long; those of the basal shoots, oblong or ovate-
oblong; densely hoary on both surfaces; mostly acute at
the apex; stemless or nearly so.

THE FLOWERS: very small, numerous, clustered in an open
panicle.

THE FRUIT: a pod, like a pin-head.

A densely tufted plant, evenly branched, with many
short leaves and tiny inconspicuous flowers.

A characterless growth and yet a frequent one on the
Commons. Even after a long look, one finds difficulty
in revisualizing this low plant, with spreading branches
that bear in great profusion the tiniest of pinkish-green
flowers. In fact magenta-green is the keynote of the colour
scheme, and thus arises a protective colouring that blends
with the general scheme of the Commons and makes this
plant such as one "might see, but notice not."

"In the autumn, sometimes as early as September, the
basal shoots may be found beneath the surface of the sand
so densely invested with white pubescence as to appear as
if coated with hoar frost."

230

ROCKROSE FAMILY

CISTACE.E ROCKROSE FAMILY

Lechea minor, L.

Greenish or magenta-tinted

Thyme-leaved Pinweed.
July-September

Lechea: for derivation see maritima.
Minor: Latin for smaller.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
and occasionally beach sand.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to two feet high, freely
branching above; the branches slender, erect, or somewhat
so; the stem more or less hairy.

THE LEAVES: opposite, or whorled; oval or oblong, at least
the upper; one half inch long; the lower decidedly smaller;
with silky hairs; acutish or obtuse at the apex; petioled;
entire.

THE FLOWERS: very small, numerous, in rather crowded
panicles; the petals persistent within the sepals after
fading.

THE FRUIT: a pod, appearing like a pin-head.

This compact pin-weed usually grows singly, or, as one
might say, individually, and is like a tiny toy Christmas
tree. Its numerous leaves are narrow and stand out
stiffly from the man • short and somewhat erect branches.
Its flowers are tiny and have a magenta tinge. There is
little difficulty in distinguishing this tidy plant from its
larger and more openly branched sisters.

Five oth?r members of the Rockrose Family have been
reported.

231

VIOLET FAMILY

Viola lanceolata, L.

White

Lance-leaved Violet.
April- June

Viola: ancient Latin name.

Lanceolata: Latin, denoting lance-shaped.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swampy ground.

THE PLANT: erect; bearing numerous runners especially
late in the season, these runners rooting at the nodes; all
the flower-stems about two inches to six inches high, red-
dish, often without hairs.

THE LEAVES: basal; erect; lanceolate or elliptical, some-
times three inches to six inches long; sometimes acute but
tending to obtuse at the apex; at the base gradually taper-
ing into the long petiole, which is often reddish with
obscure, red-tipped teeth.

THE FLOWERS: small, solitary on long stems, which equal
or outdistance the leaves; of the five petals, two are upright,
the lower three spreading, the three, especially the middle
one, veined with purple; the calyx blotched with red; the
sepals lanceolate, tapering to a point at the apex.

THE FRUIT: a capsule. Those of the cleistogamous flow-
ers (complete flowers that never fully open) nodding on
short peduncles.

A dainty white violet, poised on a leafless and slender
stem and almost outdistanced by a cluster of lance-shaped
leaves, that rise directly from the root. It is not so well
known, though, when the green seed vessel has appeared
or, burst open, still hangs in mid-air.

232

VIOLA
LANCEOLATA

VIOLA

FALLENS

233

VIOLET FAMILY

VIOLACE.E VIOLET FAMILY

Viola pattens, (Banks) Brainerd.

Whitish

Sweet White Violet.

May-August

Viola: for derivation, see lanceolata.
Pattens: Latin for pale.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sphagnum bogs.

THE PLANT: erect, four to six inches high; the flower stem
often with scattered hairs, sometimes dotted with red.

THE LEAVES: basal; heart-shaped; obtuse at the apex, or
rarely acute; petioled, the stems often with scattered hairs
and sometimes dotted with red.

THE FLOWERS : small ; some of the petals usually bearing a
small tuft of hairs.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Mr. Bicknell says, in speaking of the plant, "a form of
distinct appearance was found in several wet sphagnum
bogs, especially in one near Shawkemmo Spring. It is
strictly glabrous throughout. The scapes and petioles
delicately streaked "with pink. The leaf blades unusually
thick and veiny, becoming as large as 5 cm. in breadth,
(almost 2 in.) and varying in shape from long-ovate and
deeply cordate to broadly cordate-reniform (heart-kidney-
shaped). The petioles sometimes 9 cm. (about 6 in.)
long, longer peduncles 1 to 5 dm. (9 in.) capsules green,
seeds 1 mm. long or more (^ in.), dark grey to nearly
black when mature. Dr. Brainerd who has examined
specimens regards it as a form of Viola pattens.

Viola blanda (Willd) which proves to be common on
Martha's Vineyard is to be looked for on Nantucket."

235

VIOLACE^:

Probably the majority of people enjoy at least a bow-
ing acquaintance with this dainty, violet-shaped flower on
slender, leafless stem braving the wet of the sphagnum
moss. The petals are whitish, and some at least bear the
tufts of purple hairs at their base.

VIOLACE^; VIOLET FAMILY

Viola papilionacea, Pursh.

Light purple-pale violet

Common Violet.
May-June

Viola: for derivation see lanceolata
Papilonacea: from Latin for a butterfly.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: boggy meadows.

THE PLANT: from numerous underground root stalks;
three to seven inches high; stems tufted, smooth or with
very fine hairs.

THE LEAVES: basal; deep green; cordate; smooth, or on the
upper surface with few, short hairs; obtuse at the apex;
deeply cut and somewhat coiled at the base; wavingly
saw-toothed.

THE FLOWERS: irregularly shaped; five petals, two of which
are beautifully fringed at the throat of the flower; sepals
narrowly lanceolate. Other petalless flowers on shorter
stems come later; they are fertilized in the bud and are
much more fruitful.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Delicate, irregularly shaped flowers, violet or light
purple, poised at the top of smooth stems, that are sur-
rounded by a clump of dark green, heart-shaped leaves.

236

VIOLA PEDATA

ONE IMCK

237

VIOLET FAMILY

VIOLACE^E VIOLET FAMILY

Viola pedata, L.

Lilac-purple Bird's Foot Violet,

Crowfoot Violet,

May-June Velvets,

Sand Violet,
Wood-violet.

Viola: for derivation see lanceolata.
Pedata: Latin denoting footed.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
frequently in gravelly roadways.

THE PLANT: erect, or spreading, three inches to ten inches
high.

THE LEAVES: basal; dull pale green; three to five divided,
three of which divisions are again cut and toothed, so that
the average leaf has nine or more distinct divisions; the
divisions linear to spatulate.

THE FLOWERS: large in proportion to the size of the
plant; the five petals often an inch long, the lower spurred
petal grooved and partly white, veined with violet; the
throat of the flower filled with the anthers and the style,
which are conspicuously orange. Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Without question, the most beautiful violet on Nan-
tucket! In the spring, whole sheets of white chickweed
cover the Commons, together with the Bird's Foot Violet,
(so called from the shape of the pale green compound
leaves). The flowers are light blue or lilac and have a
striking splash of deep orange at the throat.

Five other members of the Violet Family have been re-
ported.

239

CACTACE^E CACTUS FAMILY

Opuntia vulgar is, Mill.

Yellow Cactus, Barberry,

Prickly Pear, Devil' s-tongue.
June- August Indian Fig.

Opuntia: a name given by Theophrastus, but originally

belonging to some different plant.
Vulgaris: Latin for frequent or common.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: beach sand.

THE PLANT: prostrate or slightly erect; the stem much
branched, light green, copiously armed with very short
bristles, and very fleshy.

THE LEAVES: minute; deciduous; when present generally
ovate.

THE FLOWERS : large, showy, solitary, usually with a reddish
centre, yellow and tending to white when faded, lasting but
little more than a day.

THE FRUIT: a berry.

The presence on Nantucket beaches of this "queer"
plant is very interesting from the point of view of its dis-
tribution, which is given in Gray's Botany (7th edition) as
Nantucket to South Carolina, near the Coast; Falls of the
Potomac. But the plant is not dependent on its distribu-
tion to make it interesting; it is that "per se" also. For
one reason, no better example than this can be found of
water storage by beach plants. One plant, which had
been neglected in the house for over a year, without even
being watered, at the end of that time actually put out new
leaves! To enable them to store up their water supply,
extreme fleshiness has been given to the stems. Through

240

CACTUS FAMILY

the mention of this fact we come to another interesting
point about the plant. That stout, prickly pear-shaped
arrangement that spreads over the sand is stem ; the leaves
are comparatively inconspicuous and early deciduous.
Out of the stems grow the large handsome yellow flowers,
that by their beauty lead many to transfer the plant to
their gardens, undeterred by the multitude of irritating
prickles that cling to the hands. So readily indeed, does
the cactus transplant, that it is well that it has this natural
protection, else it might be exterminated.

From this plant is obtained a drug, valuable in the treat-
ment of heart trouble.

16 241

LYTHRACE^ LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY

Decodon verticillatus, (L.), Ell.

Magenta Swamp Loosestrife,

Swamp Willow-herb.
July-September

Decodon: from Greek for ten and a tooth.
Verticillatus: from Latin for the whirl of a spindle.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swampy ground.

THE PLANT: erect, three feet high or more; the submerged
parts of the stem often spongy-thickened; the upper stem
four to six sided, smooth or downy.

THE LEAVES: opposite or whorled; lanceolate; with densely
matted hairs below; acute at both ends; on short petioles;
entire.

THE FLOWERS: several, in cymes; five petals; ten stamens,
half of which are long.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

"No aquatic plant of Nantucket," Mr. Bicknell says,
"grows in a greater number of ponds and bog-holes than
the Swamp Loosestrife and where it gets a footing it slowly
pushes into undisputed possession of the places it chooses
to occupy. It is the only shrubby aquatic of the island's
ponds, where it makes the outermost fringe of vegetation
along many a bushy shore, its wand-like arching and re-
curving stems forming an airy embankment above the
water. In the autumn its foliage becomes as brilliant as
it is possible for leaves to be and enriches some of the
smaller ponds with a zone of variegated scarlet."

242

DECODON

VERTICILLATUS

243

LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY

LYTHRACE^: LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY

Ly thrum Salicaria, L.

Purple-magenta Purple Loosestrife, Soldiers,

Spiked Loosestrife, Long Purples,

June-August Spiked Willow-herb, Washington's Plume

(Local name).

Lythrum: from Greek for blood, possibly in allusion to the

plant's property of stopping bleeding.
Salicaria: Latin for willow-like.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: wet meadows.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet high or higher, much branched
above; the stem without hair or with short, soft ones.

THE LEAVES: opposite or sometimes in three's; lanceolate;
practically smooth; acute at the apex; heart-shaped at the
base; sessile; entire.

THE FLOWERS: in circles around the stem, with green
bracts interrupting the spike; petals long; calyx greenish,
with few, short, soft hairs; stamen and style of three differ-
ent lengths.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This is a member of a family, which for the sake of its
handsome flowers, deserves attention. It bears heavy
sprays of deep magenta flowers that grow on only one side
of the long stem. Possibly these are the Long Purples
which Ophelia wove into garlands.

16 245

MELASTOMACE^E MEADOW-BEAUTY FAMILY

Rhexia virginica, L.

Magenta Meadow Beauty.

Deer grass.
July-September

Rhexia: name used by Pliny for some unknown plant.
Virginica: Latin for Virginian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: boggy land.

THE PLANT : erect, six inches to more than a foot high ; stem
simple or branched above, rather stout, square, prominent-
ly angled, with short, soft hairs.

•

THE LEAVES: opposite; ovate; with a few hairs on both
surfaces; acute or acutish at the apex; rounded at the base;
mostly five-nerved; serrulate.

THE FLOWERS: large and showy, somewhat bell-shaped;
in cymes, petals four, overlapping in bud; sepals acute;
stamens eight, yellow, united in a column.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A low plant of the damp, slightly brackish soil, which
is conspicuous when in bloom. The showy magenta
flowers have broad petals, prominent yellow stamens with
large golden anthers and a long, white pistil. The flowers
fade quickly or the petals fall so that it is not a satisfac-
tory plant for home decoration.

The seed-vessels Thoreau called cream-pitchers.

246

ONAGRACEJE EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY

Epilobium angustifolium, L.

Bright magenta Fireweed,

Burnt Weed,

July-August Fire-top,

Purple Rocket,
Blooming Sally,
Spiked Willoivherb,
French Willow.

Epilobium: Greek for a little pod, in allusion to the shape

of the seed vessel.
Angustifolium: Latin for narrow-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
particularly in burnt-over areas.

THE PLANT: erect, two to eight feet high; the stem usually
branched, leafy, without hairs or with fine soft ones above.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate; two inches to six inches
long; without hairs on either surface; beneath paler green;
acute at the apex; narrowed at the base; entire or with
shallow teeth; pinnately veined, the mid-rib prominent,
the veins uniting in the margins.

THE FLOWERS : large, in a showy spike, with four broad and
conspicuous petals; coloured stamens; and prominent white
pistil.

THE FRUIT: a slender pod, "velvety and purple tinged;
with the seeds attached to silky down as in the milkweed.

A tall plant, growing in clumps in burnt-over districts
on the Commons. A handsome species, almost equally
conspicuous when it bears magenta flowers, rather feathery
in their outline, with coloured stamens, as when it bears the

247

ONAGRACE.E

long seed-pods, pale magenta and thread-like. An albino
form has been found, but is not at all frequent. However,
being softer in tone, it is prettier, although not so striking.
A patch of these bright magenta flowers, partially
hidden by the trunks of burned pine-trees, furnishes indeed
a wealth of gorgeous colouring.

ONAGRACE^E EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY

Epilobium hirsutum, L.

Magenta Great Hairy Willow Herb,

Codlins-and-Cream,

September Fiddle-grass,

Apple-pie,
Gooseberry-pie,
Cherry-pie,

Epilobium: for derivation see angustifolium.
Hirsutum: Latin, for stiff, coarse hairs.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: fields and roadsides, around
wharves, and in damp ground.

THE PLANT: erect, three to five feet high, branched; the
stem with dense, soft hairs, varying in woodiness, accord-
ing to habitat.

THE LEAVES: opposite; oblong-lanceolate; acute at the
apex; sessile and clasping; entire.

THE FLOWERS: large, in long, terminal spike-like racemes;
the white stamens prominent.

THE FRUIT: a narrow capsule suggesting the fruit of the
milkweed, but much more slender, the seeds attached to
long, silky hairs.

A tall plant, with long, willow-like leaves, that grows in
masses in somewhat damp ground near dwellings. The
small, cup-shaped flowers are pink, with pure white sta-

248

EPILOB1UM

HIRSUTUM

ONE INCH

249

EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY

mens and a four-cleft pure white pistil. When the sun-
shine slants through the long, grey hairs of the stems and
leaves and the pink flowers give the needed touch of colour,
the sight is indeed a fine one.

Mrs. Owen says that the plant was raised "in or about
1855 in a garden in Union St. from which it gradually
spread by seed."

ONAGRACE^E EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY

(Enothera biennis, L.

Yellow

Evening Primrose.
July-October

(Enothera: an old name of unknown origin for a species of

Epilobium (willow-herb).
Biennis: Latin for biennial.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of fields, the
Commons, even beach sand.

THE PLANT: erect, generally stout, one foot to six feet high;
the stem simple and wand-like or branched, with many or
few short, slightly stiff hairs, rarely without any.

THE LEAVES: opposite; lanceolate, tending to oblong; one
inch to six inches long; acute to acuminate at the apex;
narrowed at the base; sessile or the lowest petioled; slightly
toothed or toothless; the bracts leaf -like, lanceolate, usu-
ally shorter than the flower-stems.

THE FLOWERS: large, in terminal spikes, leafy-bracted ;
eight prominent stamens. The flowers usually open just
before sundown and fade in the strong sunshine of the
following day. Lemon-scented

THE FRUIT: an oblong capsule, narrowed above, abruptly
cut off at the tip, having short, soft hairs.

251

ONAGRACEjE

A puzzlingly variable Primrose that grows in almost any
kind of soil, from beach sand to the richer ground of
thickets and woodlands. In general appearance it is very
similar to the muricata, but the type form of this species
usually differs from the muricata in that the bases of the
hairs on the stem are not red, and secondly, that the upper
bracts are shorter than the capsule or scarcely longer.
They are deciduous.

From this plant is obtained a drug, valuable in the treat-
ment of whooping-cough.

ONAGRACE^E EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY

(Enothera Lamarckiana, DeVries.

Bright yellow

Evening Primrose.
August-September

(Enothera: for derivation see biennis.

Lamarckiana: Latin form, in honor of the botanist, La-
marck.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens, where it spreads read-
ily by natural means and from which it escapes.

THE PLANT: about three feet tall; the stem branched.

THE LEAVES: alternate; large; with a generally lanceolate
outline.

THE FLOWERS: "remarkably showy; the petals bright
golden yellow; the sepals in marked contrast a deep pur-
plish-red." "On bright days the flowers open late in the
afternoon, closing in the forenoon of the following day."

THE FRUIT: capsules, glandular, hairy with minute hairs.

An intensely interesting species because this is the one
which the Dutch botanist, DeVries, employed in working
out his Mutation theory. The original plant on Nan-
tucket was raised from seed, but has spread by natural
means.

252

ONE INCH

CENOTHERA MURICATA

EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY

ONAGRACE.E EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY

(Enothera muricata, L.

Yellow Evening Primrose,

Night Willow Herb.
June-October

(Enothera: for derivation see biennis.

Muricata: Latin, meaning roughened by short, stiff
processes.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons,
often in pure sand and gravelly spots.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet tall or higher; the
stem simple or nearly so, usually having long, spreading
hairs on enlarged reddish bases.

THE LEAVES: alternate or scattered; ascending; lanceolate;
acute at the apex; entire, or sparingly and very shallowly
denticulate; passing without marked transition into the
leaf-like bracts.

THE FLOWERS: lemon-scented, in the axils of the leaves,
much exceeded by the bracts; the petals obovate.

THE FRUIT: a more or less hairy capsule, somewhat cy-
lindric.

They seem like garden flowers, growing in the "inevit-
able" spot where a remarkable colour-picture will result,
these tall, straight plants that lift their large, pure-yellow
flowers above the surrounding green of the open Commons.

Botanically, the flowers are difficult to identify on ac-
count of their variability. In the type form, the stem has
spreading hairs on enlarged reddish bases and the bracts
are much longer than the flowers or capsules.

Mr. Bicknell says, "Professor DeVries who, on his first
visit to America looked over some of my Nantucket and
Long Island specimens of this (Enothera, pronounced them

253

ONAGRACE^E

to be essentially the same as the introduced American
plant growing in Holland known to him as (Enothera muri-
cata, L. Miss Vail has recorded (Carnegie Institute,
Wash. publ. No. 81, 74), that '(Enothera muricato, L.
raised from seed received from Professor DeVries from the
Holland sand dunes resembled these American plants, but
were not absolutely identical.'

"As compared with the (Enothera biennis, this is a lower
and more leafy bracted plant, with more numerous and
ascending leaves of narrower form and thicker texture and
less definitely denticulate. The lower with oblanceolate
tendency. The general pubescence is softer, denser and
more oppressed. The longer hairs tending to form a villous
or even pilose investiture, especially on the capsules. In
(Enothera biennis the sparcer pubescence is harsher and
more or less hirsute, the smaller hairs mostly erect and in-
curved. The seeds are considerably smaller, than these of
(Enothera muricata."

Twelve other members of the Evening Primpose Family
have been reported.

254

UMBELLIFERjE PARSLEY FAMILY

Hydrocotyle umbellata, L.

White Water Pennywort, Sheep Rot,

Marsh Pennywort, Water-navelwort,
June- July White Rot, Water-grass.

Hydrocotyle: Greek denoting water and a flat cup, because

the leaves of some of the species are cup-shaped.
Umbellata: Latin diminutive for a shade.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: marshes.

THE PLANT: creeping; the stems several inches long; the
underground branches with tubers, the above-ground
hairless.

THE LEAVES: erect or nearly so; shield-shaped; more or less
heart-shaped at the base; without hairs on either side;
seven to eleven lobed; on petioles.

THE FLOWERS: small, in umbels, on slender stems.
THE FRUIT: called a mericarp; strongly notched.

A very low plant of the damp, peaty ground, that tries
to hide its flat-topped, feathery clusters of small, whitish
flowers under its small, nasturtium-like leaves.

UMBELLIFERjE PARSLEY FAMILY

Ptilimnium capillaceum, (Mich.) Raf.

White

Mock Bishop-Weed.
June-September

Ptilimnium: probably from Greek for a feather, alluding

to the fine division of the leaves.
Capillaceum: Latin for hair-like.

255

UMBELLIFER.E

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: brackish marshes.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high, much branched,
the branches somewhat erect, or sometimes widely spread-
ing; the stems tufted, slender.

THE LEAVES: alternate; finely dissected into thread-like
divisions; the upper stemless, the lower petioled.

THE FLOWERS: tiny, in umbels which are two to four inches
wide.

THE FRUIT: called a mericarp, ovate, very small.

Around the borders of brackish ponds one sees, as if they
had been planted, in delightful abundance among the
grasses, the blue skullcap, the pinkish germander, the
yellow St. John's-wort, and, softening the whole with
their featheriness, tiny white flowers on delicate stems
which are all but concealed by fine, thread-like leaves.
This is the Mock Bishop-weed a plant of persistent in-
dividuality, that blooms just as eagerly when only a few
inches high as when more than a foot.

UMBELLIFEILE PARSLEY FAMILY

Slum cicutcefolium, Schrank.

White

Hemlock Water Parsnip.
July-September

Sium: Greek name for some marsh plant.
Cicutcefolium: Latin for the leaf of the hemlock.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swamps.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet to four feet high; the stem with-
out hairs, hollow.

THE LEAVES: alternate; compound, the divisions linear to
lanceolate, without hairs on either surface, mostly acu-

256

PARSLEY FAMILY

minate at the apex; the lower leaves at least long petioled,
the petioles sheathing at the base; sharply serrate or the
lowermost, especially if they are submerged, finely dis-
sected.

THE FLOWERS: on peduncles, in broad umbels, which are
two to three inches across.

THE FRUIT: ovate, ribbed, bearing oil tubes.

Laciness of white flowers in a flat-topped cluster and
fine-cutting of leaves characterize this smooth and hollow-
stemmed plant of the wet places.

UMBELLIFER^) PARLSEY FAMILY

Daucus carota, L.

Dull white to roseate Queen Anne's Lace.

or straw colour Wild Carrot,

Bird's Nest Plant,

July-October Crow's Nest,

Lace-flower,
Parsnip,
Devil' s-plague.

Daucus: the ancient Greek name.
Carota: name for the common carrot.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: waste ground everywhere.

THE PLANT: from a fleshy, cone-shaped root, one foot to
three feet high; the stem furnished with rough hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; compound, particularly the lower;
the divisions linear or lanceolate; with rough hairs on both
surfaces; round-toothed.

THE FLOWERS: crowded in umbels which are sometimes
four inches across. The inner flower stems shorter than
the outer.

17 257

UMBELLIFER.E

THE FRUIT: oblong and convex, each carpel ridged and
some armed with distinct spines and pierced with oil tubes.
The vitality of the seed is estimated at fifteen years !

Mrs. Owen has a pointed comment on the Wild Carrot!
She says, with unconscious humour, " Too common, a great
pest overrunning entire fields." Granted, from the farm-
ers' point of view. But from the side view of the lay
person not "a great pest" at all, but a very decorative
plant.

The stem is light whitish-green, the finely divided carrot-
like leaves yellowish-green and the umbrella-like clusters
of dainty and tiny flowers very lacy. Rosy forms, in vary-
ing degree of colour, occur mostly in the younger plants
and frequently a dark spot occurs in the center, but neither
of these variations indicates a different species.

Thirteen other members of the Parsley Family hav«»
been reported.

258

CORNACE^: DOGWOOD FAMILY

Nyssa sylvatica, Marsh.

Yellowish-green Black Gum, Yellow Gumtree,

Sour Gum, Snag-tree,

May Tupelo Gum, Butte-bung,

Pepperidge, Horn-beam,

Swamp Hornbeam, Horn-pipe,
Horn-pine.

Nyssa: Greek name of nymph, because the original species

grows in the water.
Sylvatica: Latin meaning in the woods.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp thickets and groves.

THE TREE: seven feet to thirty-five feet high; the branches
horizontal, especially when the tree is young; the bark
rough.

THE LEAVES: alternate; obovate or oval; two inches to four
inches long; hairless and shining above, beneath having
few to many short, soft hairs; acute or acuminate at the
apex, or even obtuse; usually narrowed at the base; on very
short stems; entire or toothed.

THE FLOWERS: are of two kinds; the staminate in com-
pound clusters, the pistillate two to four together.

THE FRUIT: a drupe.

One of our most beautiful shrubs or trees, with shiny
dark green leaves, slightly oval and generally untoothed.
Early in the fall, the leaves gradually turn crimson, but
seldom, for some reason, make the brilliant blaze of colour
on the edge of a thicket that "Off-islanders" associate
with this tree.

Three other members of the Dogwood Family have been
reported.

259

ERICACEJE HEATH FALMIY

Clethra alnifolia, L.

Creamy yellow- white Sweet Pepperbush,

White Alder,
July-September Spiked Alder.

Clethra: Greek name of the alder, which this genus some-
what resembles.
Alnifolia: Latin for leaves of the alder.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swamps.

THE SHRUB: erect, three feet to ten feet high, very much
branched, densely leafy to the summit; the stems smooth,
except for minute hoary hairs on the twigs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; obovate; one inch to three inches
long; hairless, or very nearly so, and green on both surfaces;
blunt or acute at the apex; narrowed or wedge-shaped at
the base; with short saw-teeth at least beyond the middle,
entire toward the base; rather prominently veined.

THE FLOWERS: in a close spike, small, somewhat urn-
shaped; pedicels and calyx with hoary hairs; calyx-lobes
oblong, obtuse.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, about the length of the calyx.

This bush grows on the damp thicket-borders of swamps.
If recognition does not come through the small cream-
coloured flowers crowded in cylinders at the tip of the
numerous stiff and leafy branches, it is bound to come
through the sweet odour. So prolific are these bushes in

260

HEATH FAMILY

places that one standing by them cannot see beyond the
mass of cream colour, and, at such times, the air is flooded
by a heavy fragrance that may carry a long distance.
From the flowers and from the leaves a soapy lather can
be made with water.

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Chimaphila maculata, (L.) Pursh.

Flesh or Spotted Wintergreen, Dragon's Tongue,

cream-coloured Spotted Pipsissewa, Wild Arsenic,

Rheumatism Root, Rat's-bane.
June-August

Chimaphila: Greek meaning to love the whiter, in allusion

to the popular name, Wintergreen.
Maculata: Latin for spotted.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: under pine trees, or on dry,
sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: stem extensively trailing or creeping below the
surface, sending up both sterile and flowering branches,
which are three inches to ten inches high and woody at the
base.

THE LEAVES: opposite; lanceolate; one inch to three inches
long, or the lower much shorter and obovate; hairless on
both surfaces; dark green and mottled with white along the
veins; acute or acuminate at the apex; rounded or narrowed
at the base.

THE FLOWERS: umbellate or somewhat corymbose, less
than one inch broad; peduncles covered with tiny, soft
hairs; the petals five, wide open; stamens white, distinct,
with a ring of green at their base.

261

ERICACEAE

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

The two cream-coloured flowers, borne on long stems
above the shining leaves, are slightly inconspicuous, but
the deep green leaves, white-spotted and armed at intervals
with sharp teeth, are noticeable indeed. A decided fra-
grance adds its charm to this deservedly popular flower.

From this plant is obtained a valuable drug.

ERICACE^ HEATH FAMILY

Pyrola americana, Sweet.

White, tinged with pink Shin-leaf,

False Winter green.
June-August

Pyrola: from a diminutive for Pyrus, the pear-tree, in al-
lusion to some fancied resemblance in the foliage.
Americana: Latin for American.

THE PREFERED HABITAT: under pine trees.

THE PLANT: erect, the flower-stalk six inches to twelve
inches tall.

THE LEAVES: basal; orbicular to broadly elliptic; thick;
without hairs and shining; usually as short as the stems;
entire; pinnately veined; evergreen.

THE FLOWERS: many, nodding in a raceme on a bracted
scape; five petals rather spreading, roundish, thick; calyx-
lobes persistent, one-third the length of the petals, lanceo-
late to oblong, acutish with somewhat spreading tips.

THE FRUIT: capsules, seeds minute, innumerable, re-
sembling sawdust.

It is a pleasure to find in a clear space under the pine
trees a cluster of these waxy- white, sweet-scented flowers,

262

HEATH FAMILY

with their round and spreading petals, hanging freely on a
leafless stem, at whose base is a rosette of nearly round,
shining, deep green leaves.

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Monotropa uniflora, L.

White or pink Indian Pipe,

Dutchman's Pipe,

August-September Fairy Smoke,

American Ice Plant,
Convulsion Weed,
Corpse Plant,
Ghost Flower,
Eyebright,
Bird's Nest.

Monotropa: from Greek meaning one turn, because the

stem at the summit is turned to one side.
Uniflora: Latin for one-flowered.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: leaf-mould around pine trees,
sometimes on the open -Commons; possibly a parasite on
the Heath Family.

THE PLANT: erect, white or whitish throughout, four inches
to ten inches high; flower stems usually clustered from a
mass of brittle roots, thick, nairless.

THE LEAVES: reduced to scales alternate above; crowded
at the base ; more or less pressed against the stem ; lanceo-
late; acutish at the apex; sessile.

THE FLOWERS: single, or rarely in twos, sometimes an inch
long; oblong bell-shaped, with five and sometimes four,
rarely six, oblong petals, having tiny soft hairs within;
stamens ten to twelve, paler than the petals.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, erect.

263

ERICACEAE

A cluster of whitish and uncanny plants, growing stiffly
from out a bed of brown pine needles, — that is the Indian
Pipe. Its pinkish stems are stout, and at their top droop
large flowers, that faintly resemble, in shape, the bowl of a
pipe. Closely pressed against the soiled stems are thin
scales, that take the place of leaves. In short the plant is
well described by the popular names of Indian Pipe and
Ghost Flower. The name, Ice Plant, is due to the fact
that "it resembles frozen jelly and is juicy and tender and
dissolves in the hands, like ice."

The root is the medicinal part, from it is obtained a
valuable eye-wash. A powder from it has sometimes been
used in the place of opium.

The plants keep much better out of water, for in water
they turn inky black. The change is due to oxidation.

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Rhododendron viscosum, (L.) Torr.

White, with pinkish cast Swamp Pink,

White Swamp Honeysuckle,

June- August Clammy Honeysuckle,

Clammy Azalea,
White Azalea,

Rhododendron: the ancient Greek name for a rose tree.
Viscosum: Latin for viscid.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: borders of swamps.

THIS SHRUB : four feet to eight feet high, much branched ;
the stem light russet-brown, very woody; the twigs hairy.
THE LEAVES: numerous; alternate; tending from obovate to
oblanceolate; two inches to four inches long; hairless on
either surface or with a few more or less bristly hairs on
the veins beneath, a few scattered hairs above; obtuse and
capped with an abrupt tip or acute at the apex; narrowed
at the base; on very short stems; entire, the margins rolled
under.

264

RHODODENDRON
VISCOSUM

ONE INCH

KALMIA ANGUST1FOLIA

265

HEATH FAMILY

THE FLOWERS: in umbel like' clusters, with a long tube,
covered with sticky hairs, to which small insects adhere.
The five prominent stamens protrude beyond the throat
of the corolla; the long style with knob-like stigma.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Early in the season, you are often attracted, while still at
a distance from the swamp, by a very sweet odour, even
before you have caught sight of the large pure white flowers
against the dark background of the thicket. On closer
view the flowers are found to be funnel-shaped, like those
of the cultivated honeysuckle, with prominent stamens.
They are very clammy or viscid. In drying they become
quite brown and unattractive, and finally the corolla drops
and leaves the pistil hanging, but the buds come out well
in water so that, with a little doctoring, it is possible to
keep a bunch fresh for some time.

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Kalmia angustifolia, L.

Crimson pink Sheep Laurel,

Narrow-leaved Laurel,

June-August Wicky,

LambkilL
Calfkill,
Sheep Poison.

Kalmia: dedicated to Peter Kalm, a pupil of Linnaeus, who

traveled in America.
Angustifolia: Latin for narrow-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swampy ground.

THE PLANT: shrublike, erect, six inches to three feet high,
with few, nearly erect branches.

THE LEAVES: mostly opposite or verticillate in threes;
oblong to oblong-lanceolate; sometimes more than two

267

ERICACEAE

inches long; above dark green, beneath light green; obtuse
or sometimes acute at the apex, narrowed at the base;
petioled.

THE FLOWERS: numerous in lateral, compound or simple
corymbs; sepals ovate, acute, hoary with whitish hairs,
persistent.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, globose, depressed, five-lobed, hoary
with whitish hairs.

The Sheep Laurel is stiff and small and unattractive com-
pared with the handsome and popular Mountain Laurel
(Kalmia latifolia). The principal resemblance is in the
shape of the small crimson pink flower, which is also bowl-
shaped with sharp ridges at the back. The leaves of the
Sheep Laurel are evergreen, dull olive and drooping.

The plant is perennial. One often finds two or even
three clusters of winter-dried calyx below the season's
bloom, representing fruit of former years.

It is poisonous to cattle. This has given rise to the
popular names of Lambkill, Sheep-poison, and Calfkill.

From the plant is obtained a valuable drug.

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Lyonia ligustrina, (L.) DC.

White Male Berry,

Privet Andromeda,

May- July White Alder,

Pepper Bush,
White-wood,
Seedy Buckberry.

Lyonia: named for John Lyon, an early American botanist

and explorer of the southern Alleghenies.
Ligustrina: Latin for privet.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thickets, on the border of ponds.

268

HEATH FAMILY

THE SHRUB : three feet to twelve feet high, much branched;
the twigs having tiny, fine, soft hairs, or hairless.

THE LEAVES: obovate or oblong to oval; falling early;
above somewhat hairless; below with some short, soft
hairs, at least on the veins, or with none; acute at the apex;
acute at the base; entire.

THE FLOWERS: numerous in racemes, which are mostly
leafless; or, in terminal, many-flowered panicles or clusters;
bracts small, calyx lobes triangular, acute.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

One of the bushes among the dense growth of the thick-
et's border, with oval and leathery leaves that somewhat
resemble those of Privet. Both the small, urn-shaped,
white flowers, and the greenish berries are inconspicuous,
but in the late fall, the shrub comes to its own, when every
one of its leaves has turned a translucent yellow.

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Epigcea repens, L.

White to pink Mayflower, Mountain Pink,

Trailing Arbutus, Winter Pink,

April-May Ground Laurel, Gravel-plant,

Shad-flower, Crocus.

Epigcea: Greek, meaning upon the earth.
Repens: Latin for creeping.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sand soil of the Commons
and pine barrens.

THE PLANT: creeping; the branches six inches to fifteen
inches long; the twigs with rough hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; oval; one inch to three inches long,
thick and leathery; mostly hairless above, with few to

269

HEATH FAMILY

many rough hairs beneath; green on both sides but early
becoming brown and wrinkled; acute, obtuse or capped
with a thin abrupt tip, at the apex; heart-shaped or rounded
at the base; white hairy margins; pinnately net-veined.

THE FLOWERS: few to several in clusters, very fragrant;
corolla tubes somewhat longer than the sepals.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, seldom found.

The most confirmed romanticist cannot exaggerate the
beauty of the May flowers in Nantucket, for as a "never-
ending line" of deep white or even rose pink, "they flash
upon that inward eye, which is the bliss of solitude," and
then one's "heart with rapture thrills." In very few
other places grow in so great a profusion, such large May-
flowers, so deep coloured or so sweet-scented!

One can let one's joy run riot over the beauty and odour
of these waxy flower-cups, growing on long, woody
branches in the midst of hairy, withered brown or dull
green leaves, for parts of the Commons in the spring are
covered with sheets of such flowers.

From this plant is obtained an oil, valuable medicinally.

HEATH FAMILY

Gaultheria procumbens, L.

White Spicy Wintergreen, Tea-berry,

Partridge Berry, Green-berry,

June- July Grouse Berry, Ivy-plum,

Spiceberry, Ivory-plum,

Checkerberry, One-berry, Chinks,

Aromatic Winter- Chicken-berry, Drunkards,

green, Deer-berry, Red Pollen,

Tea Berry, Ground Berry, Rapper Dandies,

Mountain Tea, Hill-berry, Wax Cluster,

Spring Winter- Ivy-berry, Redberry Tea,

green, Box-berry, Canadian Tea,
Creeping Winter-

green,

270

ERICACEAE

Gaultheria: dedicated to Dr. Gaultier, naturalist and
court physician at Quebec, in the middle of the 18th
century .

Procumbens: Latin for lying prostrate.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Com-
mons.

THE PLANT: has creeping or underground branches; the
stems slender; the flowering branches ascending, some-
what erect, without hairs.

THE LEAVES: mostly clustered at the ends of the branches;
oval to obovate; one inch to two inches long; green and
shining above, pale beneath; obtuse or acute at the apex;
narrowed at the base; short stemmed; the margins slightly
rolled backwards, and obscurely serrate, with low, bristle-
tipped teeth.

THE FLOWERS: usually solitary or few on recurved stems;
corolla ovoid, five-toothed.

THE FRUIT: a globose capsule, slightly five-lobed, bright
red.

A low evergreen that one greets with enthusiasm, for
the oval leaves, shiny and dark green or russet when
young, have a deliciously spicy flavour (one often en-
countered in commercial products — toothpaste, for in-
stance). The white flowers are not very conspicuous, but
are prettily vase-shaped. They are followed by the pure
red berries. Both flowers and berries are to be found
snugly tucked under the leaves.

From the plant is obtained a volatile oil, valuable
medicinally.

271

HEATH FAMILY

Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi, (L.) Spreng.

White to deep Mealy-plum Vine. Upland Cranberry,

pink Mealy-berry, Mountain Cran-

Red Bearberry, berry,

May-October Bear's Grape, Mountain Box,

Bear's Bilberry, Barren Myrtle,

Bear's Whortle- Universe Vine,

berry, CreashatS,

Foxberry, Brawlins,

Rockberry, Sagachomi,

Crowberry, Kinnikinnick.
Hog Cranberry,

Arctostaphylos: name composed of Greek words meaning

bear and bunch of grapes.
Uva-ursi: Latin for a bear's grape.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE VINE: shrubby, profusely branched; the branches
sometimes more than two feet long; the stems woody,
reddish-brown.

THE LEAVES: numerous; alternate; spatulate; leathery;
above without hairs; hairless or with very soft hairs below;
obtuse at the apex; petioled; entire; finely veined.

THE FLOWERS: few, in short racemes; corolla ovoid, in-
flated at the base, suddenly narrowed at the throat; the
stems dark.

THE FRUIT: a drupe, red, smooth, globose, insipid and
rather dry, containing five united nutlets, each one heavily
veined on the back.

272

VACC INIUM MACROCARPON

GAYLUS-
SACIA

BACCATA

ARCTOSTAPHYLOS UVA- URSA

273

ERICACEAE

If the word ubiquitous could be applied to any plant
on Nantucket, it could be applied to the Mealy-plum vine.
Over all the Commons is spread a veritable carpet of these
leathery, shining, evergreen leaves, with small pretty pink-
tipped, urn-shaped flowers successfully concealed, and
later, small bright red "plums" partially hidden beneath
the elliptical leaves. Practically everywhere one can pull
up yards of this woody-stemmed vine, which trails over
the ground and spreads its long fingers over the bare
gravel of the rutted road.

The Nantucket people have used this plant in various
ways, from employing it as a tonic to making wreaths and
garlands of it for winter bouquets and wedding decorations.

It is also interesting that the vine is one of those natives
which prove the glacial origin of Nantucket.

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Calluna vulgaris, (L.) Hull.

Purple-pink, sometimes Ling,

tending to white

Scotch Heather.
July-August

Calluna: name from Greek, to brush or sweep, brooms being

made of the twigs.
Vulgaris: Latin for common.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE PLANT: erect, five inches to fifteen inches high,
shrubby, densely branched; the twigs more or less woody,
with very short hairs or hairless.

THE LEAVES: evergreen; densely packed; overlapping
each other in four rows along the branches; very minute;
triangular; sessile.

275

HEATH FAMILY

THE FLOWERS: in the axils or at the ends of the branches,
crowded in spikes or spike-like racemes. "The corolla is
concealed by the longer calyx" (equally coloured or tend-
ing to white) "and below these are four bracts which re-
semble a calyx." "The corolla has not merely four short
lobes at the mouth of the bell, but is deeply split into four
parts. The anthers are short and contained within the
corolla, but the style is long, and protrudes."

THE FRUIT: capsules.

These Scotch heathers may be said to be established,
however slightly, on Nantucket. For the Calluna or Ling,
Nantucket must share the glory, according to Gray's
Manual, 7th edition, with "low grounds in the coastal
region, very locally, from Rhode Island to Newfoundland."
But for the other two, the Cross-leaved (Erica Teiralix] and
the Bell (Erica cinerea), Nantucket is the only locality in
the United States so far recorded.

How the three heathers became even "slightly estab-
lished" on Nantucket is a question frequently put. A
single plant of Calluna or Ling was first discovered on
Nantucket in 1880 on the open Commons where "its
production by human agency seems highly improbable"
(Mrs. Owen). This plant subsequently disappeared. In
1886 a patch was discovered among Larch and Pine trees,
which had been imported probably from Scotland. The
discovery in such an environment suggests an easy solu-
tion to the problem of its introduction. But on Nan-
tucket, as Mr. Bicknell notes, there are two forms of the
Calluna or Ling, one without hairs in any part and the
other with soft hairs (variety pubescens). Therefore, Mr.
Bicknell claims that the Ling came "not alone from its
chance introduction with trees imported from Europe, but
also through some other channel, which remains quite
unknown."

276

CALL UNA
VULGAR IS

277

ERICACEAE

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Erica cinerea, L.

Reddish-purple, almost Scotch Heather,

white on the under side Purple Heath.

July-August

Erica: Greek for heath.
Cinerea: Latin for ashy.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE PLANT:, erect, ten inches high or higher; the stems
more or less woody, without hairs.

THE LEAVES: arranged around the stems in whorls of
three, with clusters of minute leaves in their axils; hairless
on either surface; exceedingly narrow; their edges curled
under.

THE FLOWERS: "Also in whorls and either horizontal or
drooping; sepals four in number, green; corolla in one,
egg-shaped, with four short lobes around the mouth."

THE FRUIT: capsules.

"Found at one spot on Nantucket Island" (Britton and
Brown); "found slightly established in small patches on
Nantucket Island, Mass. (Gray's Manual).

This is "to be distinguished from the foregoing species
(Erica Tetralix) by its more slender reddish-purple flowers,
and its smooth skin and leaves."

The history of the Cross-leaved (Erica Tetralix) and of
the Bell (Erica cinerea} can be more briefly related. The
Cross-leaved was first discovered in 1844 among the same
imported Pines in which the Calluna was found. The Bell
was discovered in 1871 among Pine trees, where there is
some likelihood of its having been planted. From there
it has been transplanted for the sake of protection to
private grounds, where, at last accounts, it seemed to be
taking hold.

279

HEATH FAMILY

All three Heaths have increased partly by self-sown seed,
but largely through propagation by interested and loyal
people, to whose success various "secret" patches in differ-
ent parts of the island bear testimony. Gratitude is due
to those who have thus aided in the spread of this inter-
esting plant, but to no one probably is due a larger share
than to Mr. John Appleton, who, with tireless energy,
propagated plants and with unremitting vigilance guarded
the treasures from the ruthless.

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Erica Tetralix, L.

Pale rose-colour Cross-leaved Heather,

Scotch Heather.
July-August

Erica: for derivation see cinerea.

Tetralix: Greek, in allusion to the arrangement of the
leaves in fours.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE PLANT: erect, five inches to eighteen inches high; the
stems downy.

THE LEAVES: arranged around the stem in whorls of four;
very small; linear; entire; the margins rolled under and
fringed with fine hairs.

THE FLOWERS: clustered in a dense head at the summit of
the stem, all drooping. "Each flower is egg-shaped, the
corolla all in one piece, with four small lobes to its mouth."

THE FRUIT: capsules.

The range is the same as that given for the Erica cinerea.

"The cross-leaved species may be known at a glance by
its larger, pale-rose coloured, drooping flowers" (the com-
parison is with the Erica cinerea} "which pale almost to

280

ERICACEAE

white on their undersides. The plant is downy and the
turned-under margins of the leaves are fringed with fine
hairs. It is important to note as a further mark of iden-
tification that the leaves are arranged around the stem in
whorls of four." The flowers are all drooping and clus-
tered in a dense head at the summit of the stem.

HEATH FAMILY

Gaylussacia baccata, (Wang) C. Koch.

Coral-red

High-Bush Huckleberry.
May-June

Fruit ripe, July

Gaylussacia: named for the chemist, Gay-Lussac.
Baccata: Latin, meaning berry-like.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE SHRUB: low, one foot to two feet high, much branched;
the stem having few, short hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate or oblong, shining and
thickly covered with resinous globules; obtuse at the apex;
narrowed at the base.

THE FLOWERS: small, on one side of the stem, in racemes;
corolla cylindrical, with five short spreading lobes.

THE FRUIT: a drupe, black, sweet-tasting.

"Although a low and inconspicuous shrub, this huckle-
berry has much to do with giving character to the Nan-
tucket landscape. Outspread along the hills in distant
view, its foliage blends into heaths of brassy or golden
green in effective contrast with the more sombre tones of
colour spread in broad patchwork about it."

281

HEATH FAMILY

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Gaylussacia dumosa, (Andr.) T. & G.

Whitish-pink or coral-red

Dwarf Huckleberry,

May- June Bush Huckleberry.

Fruit ripe : July-August

Gaylussacia: for derivation see baccata.
Dumosa: Latin for clustered.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE SHRUB: one foot to two feet high, from horizontal or
almost erect base, usually leafless below; the branches
nearly erect; the young twigs having short, soft hairs, or
longer and stiffer ones.

THE LEAVES: opposite; oblong, obovate, or oblanceolate;
one inch to one and one half inches long; green on both
sides; shining when old; sparingly clothed with short hairs
or practically hairless; firm or even leathery; obtuse and
mucronate at the apex; narrowed at the base; sessile or
nearly so; entire.

THE FLOWERS: in rather loose racemes, bell-shaped.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, black without bloom, pleasant to
the taste.

This is the low and often loosely growing huckleberry
bush of the Commons. The High-bush Huckleberry (Gay-
lussacia baccata} is a member of the thicket growth about
a damp "kettle hole."

These Low-bush Huckleberries are inconspicuous in the
summer, although by their lustrous green leaves, they add
a livelier tone to the sober reds, browns, and yellow-greens
of the Commons, but in the fall, their crimson leaves make
the hills a rolling contour of flaming scarlet, even to the
horizon.

282

ERICACEAE

ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY

Vaccinium corymbosum, L.

White or faintly pink High-bush Blueberry,

Swamp Blueberry.
May- June

Fruit ripe : July- August

Vaccinium: Latin for a blueberry.
Corymbosum: Latin for the uppermost point.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp swamp-borders.

THE SHRUB: six feet to eight feet high, branched; the
branches stiff; the twigs minutely warty, greenish-brown,
with short, soft hairs or with none.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oval or oblong; one inch to three
inches long; above green and hairless; below paler and
often with short, soft hairs, at least on the veins; mostly
acute at each end; short petioled; usually entire, some-
times with hairs on the margins.

THE FLOWERS: in short racemes, appearing with the
leaves, as long as, or longer than the flower-stems; bracts
oblong or oval, falling early; corolla five-toothed.

THE FRUIT: a berry, blue, with a bloom.

This is the tall Blueberry of the swamps. Its branches
are long and ascending; its leaves, when full-grown, are
ovate, tending toward being lanceolate, and generally
smooth. Its flowers, which come when the leaves are only
half-grown, are small, pinkish-white, and urn-shaped. The
berry is blue, with a bloom, and has a very sweet taste.

283

HEATH FAMILY

V actinium macrocarpon, Ait.

White or reddish Large American Cranberry,

Marsh Cranberry.
June-August

Fruit ripe: August-October

V actinium: for derivation see corymbosum.
Macrocarpon: Greek name meaning long-fruit.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swamps.

THE VINE: spreading, six inches to one foot long; the stem
usually simple, reddish, weak.

THE LEAVES: numerous; alternate; erect; oblong; hairless
on both surfaces; thin; obtuse at both ends; somewhat
hairy on the entire margins; pinnately net-veined.

THE FLOWERS: in a loose cluster, on slender, reddish,
slightly hairy stems; the five petals lanceolate, curled
backwards; the prominent stamens united below into a
purplish-brown base.

THE FRUIT: a red berry.

Within recent years, growing cranberries has become
such a business enterprise on Nantucket, that the area
now covered by the vines under cultivation comprises the
largest bogs in the world. This fact is comparatively
little known, because, unfortunately, the Nantucket ber-
ries are shipped to the markets with the Cape Cod berries
and sold under that name.

Besides these larger bogs, there are many small ones,
some under cultivation, but quite a sufficient number in
the wild state to allow the Nantucket people to get all
the fruit they want for cranberry jelly.

The most frequent Cranberry on Nantucket is the
American (V actinium macrocarpon), which is readily dis-

284

ERICACEAE

tinguished by its long stems, red-brown and woody (in
reality the axis of the leaves), bare for some distance, but
finally filled with numerous, oblong leaves, that are
slightly paler beneath and end in two flat bracts, small
and leaf-like.

ERICACE^: HEATH FAMILY

Vaccinium pennsylvanicum , Lam.

White or reddish Low Sweet Blueberry,

Dwarf Blueberry,
May- June Early Sweet Blueberry,

Sugar Blueberry.
Fruit ripe : June- July

Vaccinium: for derivation see macrocarpon.
Pennsylvanicum: Latin for Pennsylvanian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE SHRUB: six inches to two feet high, branched; the
branches bearing green warts and being nearly or quite
hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblong, tending to lanceolate;
from less than an inch to over an inch long; green and
hairless on both sides or with few, short, soft hairs on the
veins beneath; acute at both ends; with very fine, sharp
teeth.

THE FLOWERS: few, on very short stems, clustered; the
corolla long bell-shaped, slightly contracted at the throat.

THE FRUIT: a blue berry, with a bloom, small.

Variable in size, and in the shape of the leaves, and,
therefore, difficult to identify botanically, but ever a con-
spicuous feature of the Commons, where it grows over
large tracts. In general, the typical plant is low and bushy,
with numerous, oblong leaves. In late May or early June,

285

HEATH FAMILY

these bushes are laden with small, white or reddish, urn-
shaped flowers, that last for only a short season. In late
summer come the small, lustrous blueberries, that fill all,
even the tiniest of bushes, while in the fall, the leaves,
by turning a brilliant crimson, like the Low-bush Huckle-
berry, become one of the principal factors in making the
Commons a blaze of colour, from hillside to hillside, and
through the intervening valleys, as far as the eye can reach.

Seventeen other members of the Heath Family have
been reported.

286

PLUMBAGINACEJE LEADWORT FAMILY

Limonium: carolinianum, (Walt.) Britton.

Lavender Sea Lavender,

Marsh Rosemary,

August-October Lavender-thrift,

A merican-thrift,
Canker-root.

Limonium: ancient name of the wild beet.
Carolinianum: Latin for Carolinian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: salt marshes.

THE PLANT: from thick, underground rooting stems.

THE LEAVES: basal; oblanceolate; three inches to ten
inches long; obtuse or acutish and crowned with an abrupt
tip at the apex; narrowed into petioles; entire or slightly
wavy-margined; the mid-vein prominent, the lateral veins
very obscure.

THE FLOWERS: usually solitary but clustered in spikes
wThich grow practically on only one side of the branches;
corolla of five nearly or quite distinct petals with a tooth
or claw between each of the lobes ; the calyx funnel-form,
dry membranous, persistent.

THE FRUIT: is called an utricle; it is enclosed by the calyx.

One of the few plants that grow only in the salt marshes.
In the fall its feathery clusters of tiny lavender flowers on
the numerous spreading branches add a low-toned soft
touch of the colour to the marsh, already red with the
stiff spikes of samphire. The only leaves, basal, are large
and usually withered.

287

PLUMBAGINACEJE

Although this plant is sold every year on the streets of
Nantucket for Scotch Heather, it bears a resemblance to
the heather only in the general pink of the small flowers.
And yet there is another point in common. Both flowers
closing only slightly when withered, retain their colour
and general appearance in drying. Both make excellent
winter bouquets, although of course the Rosemary as it is
so very prevalent is far the more frequently used. A more
practical value once lay in the use as a cure for canker-sores.

288

fc.

LIMONIUM
CAROLINIANUM

ONE INCH

289

LYS1MACHIA
TERRESTRIS

LYS1MACHIA
QUADR1 FOLIA

291

PRIMULACE.E PRIMROSE FAMILY

Lysimachia quadrifolia, L.

Yellow Whorled Loosestrife,

Four-leaved Loosestrife,

June-August Five Sisters,

Yellow Balm,
Cross-wort,
Liberty-tea.

Lysimachia: in honour of King Lysimachus, a name which

is derived from the Greek, a release from strife.
Quadrifolia: a Latin form for four leaves.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: moist soil.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high, simple or
rarely branched; the stem slender, with few short, soft
hairs or practically none.

THE LEAVES: very rarely opposite or partly alternate,
usually whorled in fours or fives, sometimes in twos or
threes, sixes or even sevens; lanceolate to ovate; without
hairs on either surface; acute or tapering to a point at
the apex; short petioled or stemless; usually with black,
glandular dots; entire.

THE FLOWERS: in the axils of the leaves, on stems which
are sometimes loosely hairy or smooth. "The star shaped
light golden yellow flowers are prettily dotted around the
centre with terra cotta red which sometimes extends in
faint streaks all over the corolla lobes."

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This is very similar to the terrestris but the leaves
usually are in whorls of fours, as the name quadrifolia
signifies, and the red spots at the centre are single.

293

PRIMULACE.E

PRIMULACEJE PRIMROSE FAMILY

Lysimachia terrestris, (L.) BSP.

Yellow Upright Loosestrife,

Bulb-bearing Loosestrife,
June-August Swamp Candles.

Lysimachia: for derivation see quadrifolia.
Terrestris: Latin for the land form.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swamps.

THE PLANT: erect, eight inches to two feet high, simple or
branched, with somewhat erect branches; after flowering
often bearing bulblets in the axils; stem light yellow-green,
smooth.

THE LEAVES: opposite, rarely alternate; lanceolate or
oblong-lanceolate; one to three inches long; hairless on
both surfaces; acute or tapering to a point at both ends;
on short stems or sessile; the margins rolled backward;
usually with black, translucent glandular dots; entire; the
mid-rib particularly prominent below.

THE FLOWERS: on slender stems in a terminal bracted
raceme or some of them solitary or two or three together
in the upper axils; stems slender or thread-like; five sepals
ovate or lanceolate, acute; the corolla star-shaped, deeply
five-parted, the lobes alternating with the sepals, later
bending backward, with red-purple streaks or dots at the
centre, wavy; the five stamens prominent, standing in
front of the petals.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A tall, delicate plant of the damp ground, that has a
smooth, clean green stem, numerous lance-shaped and
slightly drooping leaves and striking yellow flowers. These
have sharply pointed petals that have a dark ring of double
red spots at the centre. The stamens and pistil project

294

PRIMROSE FAMILY

in a "cone-shaped cluster." Usually the middle flowers
of the spike are in full bloom while the lower are withered,
the petals fallen, but the calyx persisting and the upper
ones still in bud. This is not a long-stemmed plant but
an optimistic one, for often a stem is found, bent and
curved, but full of bloom. En masse in a damp spot, the
"misty" yellow of the flowers is in fine contrast with the
deep green of the meadow grass.

PRIMULACE.E PRIMROSE FAMILY

Trientalis americana, (Pers.) Pursh.

White Star-flowers,

Winter green.
June

Trientalis: Latin, meaning the third part of a foot, in allu-
sion to the height of the plant.
Americana: Latin for American.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thickets and damp woods.

THE PLANT: from horizontal or creeping root-stocks which
send up simple and stem-like branches, three inches to
nine inches high, naked or scaly below.

THE LEAVES: in a whorl at the top; five to ten, lanceolate
or oblong-lanceolate; one and one-half inches to four
inches long; without hairs on either surface; tapering to a
point at both ends; sessile or stout-petioled: entire; with
minute hairs on the margins.

THE FLOWERS: solitary or few on very slender stems, star-
shaped, daintily formed.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This is one of those beautiful, earlier flowers that are
not well known on Nantucket because their flowering-
season is so short. Mr. Bicknell says that in 1909 he found
the first flowers June 1st but after June 9th few flowers

295

PRIMULACE^E

were remaining, and in no year did he find any flowers
after the middle of June. June is also the month given in
the herbarium of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Associa-
tion.

Mr. Mathews is so very happy in his description of this
dainty dweller of the shaded thickets that I cannot refrain
from quoting him: "A delicate and interesting little wood-
land plant, with a long, horizontal creeping root, which
sends upward an almost bare or few scaled thin stem,
terminating in a circle of sharp-pointed, lance-leaved,
light green leaves, thin, shiny, and tapering to both ends.
There are five to nine leaves in the circle, from the centre
of which proceed two thread-like stalks, each bearing a
fragile, white, star-shaped flower writh six to seven pointed
divisions. The stamens are long and delicate, with tiny
golden anthers."

PRIMULACE^E

Scarlet or white
June-August

PRIMROSE FAMILY
Anagallis arvensis, L.

Bird's-tongue,
Inn Flower,
Eycbright,
Shepherd's
Delight,

Poorman's

Weatherglass,
Shepherd's

Weatherglass,
Shepherd's Clock,
Poison Chickweed, Wink-a-peek,
Scarlet Pimpernel, Shepherd's
Red Chickweed, Warning,

Burnet Rose, Shepherd's

Red Pimpernel, Sundial.

Bird's-eye,

Anagallis: ancient Greek name, probably signifying to

delight once more.
Arvensis: Latin to signify belonging in a field.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens and waste ground
everywhere.

296

ONE INCH

ANAGALLIS ARVENSIS

297

PRIMROSE FAMILY

THE PLANT: weak and spreading, four inches to twelve
inches long, usually much branched; the stem four-sided.

THE LEAVES: opposite, or rarely in threes; ovate or oval;
membranous; black dotted beneath; obtuse or acutish at
the apex; somewhat clasping at the base; entire.

THE FLOWERS: star-shaped, usually with a darker centre.
Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Even when it intrudes in the garden or lawn, this is
almost a welcome visitor, for the cheerful scarlet flowers
and ovate leaves are decorative. The corolla is wheel-
shaped, with a touch of purple at the centre surrounding
the upright stamens.

The popular names, referring to the plant's apparently
being a weather-prophet, have arisen from its habit of
opening its flowers only in bright sunshine.

From the plant is derived a drug, used in the treatment
of rheumatism.

Four other members of the Primrose Family have been
reported.

299

GENTIANACE.E GENTIAN FAMILY

Sabatia gracilis, (Michx.) Salisb.

Pink

Marsh Pink.
July-August

Sabatia: Dedicated, it is said, to W. L. Sabbati, an early

Italian botanist.
Gracilis: Latin for slender.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: shores of ponds "and in wet
places also under fresh water conditions."

THE PLANT: erect; ten inches high, more or less, the stem
rather slender; without hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; linear, oval or ovate; without
hairs on either surface; usually obtuse at the apex; sessile
and slightly clasping at the base; entire; mid-rib prominent
below.

THE FLOWERS: solitary, at the ends of the branches and
peduncles; mostly five-parted. Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

These beautiful, star-like flowers, with their spreading
pointed, pink petals, yellow centre, and white, two-cleft
style, deserve their reputation, of being one of Nantucket's
most popular wild flowers. Their very pinkness as the
flowers shine among the taller grasses, near a pond's border,
gives an alluring touch of colour.

300

NYMPH01DES
LACUNOSUM

SABATIA

GRACILIS

ONE INCH

301

GENTIAN FAMILY

In fact the Sabatia is so dear to the heart of Nantucketers
that they feel the flower to be peculiarly their own property.
But it is also interesting to scientists; for in "the cut of
the jib" of leaves and flowers there is so much variation
that botanists have argued long over its specific name.
Mr. Bicknell has solved the problem very skillfully. He
says :

"The Nantucket plant, while in many examples quite
typical, is mostly reduced in size and little branched, with
the leaves in many cases relatively short and broad, fre-
quently, indeed, exactly oval throughout or the long ones
ovate.

"The specific distinction of Sabatia gracilis (Salisb.)
(Sabatia campanulata (L.) Torr) from Sabatia stellaris
(Pursh.) seems to be not well supported by the characters
that have been mainly relied upon for its separation. As
points of difference that are not at all constant are to be
found in the more or less divided style, the longer or shorter
calyx lobes, the broader or the narrower leaves. Actually
all of these differences are unstable to a very marked
degree. Much less so are two other characters which,
indeed, seem to be almost always sharply distinctive al-
though they have been little emphasized in descriptions.
In Sabatia stellaris the main stem leaves, broadest at or
above the middle, are distinctly narrowed to the base and
the usually acute apex and the entire plant, unless care-
fully pressed, readily turns black in drying. Sabatia
gracilis, on the contrary, shows little or no discoloration
on the herbarium sheet, and the commonly obtuse leaves
linear oblong, oval or low on the stem, usually ovate, are
broadly sessile or sub-clasping. It is also worthy of
remark that the leaves of the Sabatia stellaris, although
the more fleshy in life, become more membranous in the
dried specimens and more distinctly reticulate-veined."

303

GENTIANACE.E

GENTIANACE^E GENTIAN FAMILY

Centaurium spicatum (L.), Fernald.

Spiked Centaury.
Magenta-Pink

August-September

Centaurium: an old name from Latin, centum, a hundred,
and aurum, gold or a gold piece, variously applied by
the herbalists, but always in allusion, it is said, to the
priceless medicinal value.

Spicatum: Latin, meaning furnished with spikes.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: salt marshes.

THE PLANT: six inches to eighteen inches high; the stem
branched, hairless, slender.

THE LEAVES: opposite; oblong to lanceolate; short in
proportion to the height of the stem; hairless on both
surfaces; obtusish at the apex; clasping at the base; entire.

THE FLOWERS: less than one inch wide, in spike-like ra-
cemes on the mostly simple and leafless branches, wide
open; the tube of the corolla somewhat longer than the
calyx.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A charming little flower that grows in sufficient quantity,
where it does condescend to grow, to give a deeper note
of pink to the already pinkish-purple-brown tints of the
salt marsh. The beautiful pink of the wide open Centaury
blends with the pale purple of the Seaside Gerardia and
the red-brown of the grasses, and makes the salt meadow
a spot of beauty.

304

GENTIAN FAMILY

This is the plant, spoken of in the Preface, which has
not been found between Nantucket and Portsmouth,
Virginia.

GENTIANACE^E GENTIAN FAMILY

Menyanthes trifoliate, L.

White or slightly Buckbean, Water Shamrock,

reddish Bogbean, Moonflower,

Marsh Trefoil, Bog Myrtle,

May- July Bean Trefoil, Brook Bean,

Water Trefoil,

Menyanthes: the Greek name for a flower and a month,
some say because its flowering period is about that
length of time.

Trifoliata: Latin for three-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: wet bogs.

THE PLANT: from thick, scaly, underground stems, which
are sometimes one foot long, marked by the scars of bases
of former leaf-stems.

THE LEAVES : alternate (this plant is one of the two excep-
tions to the rule that the leaves of this family are opposite) ;
palmately three-parted, the leaflets oblong or obovate;
obtuse at the apex; sometimes three inches long, usually
less; narrowed at the base; stemless; entire; pinnately-
veined; the (whole leaf) on long petioles (two inches to
ten inches long) ; sheathing at the base.

THE FLOWERS : ten to twenty in a raceme on a long leaf-
less stem; the pedicels short, with small bracts at the base.
The calyx shorter than the corolla, which is bearded
within with white hairs.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

20 305

GENTIANACE^

The bluish-green, three-parted leaves of this tall, aquatic
plant form dark stretches in the edge-nooks of wet bogs.
The numerous white flowers, bearded within and sometimes
tinged with red are borne on long, leafless stems. The
plant has spread considerably since 1853 when, Mrs. Owen
records, it was first discovered by "Eben W. Tallant, a
school-boy at that time."

GENTIANACE^E GENTIAN FAMILY

Nymphoides lacunosum, (Vent.) Fernald.

White

Floating Heart.
July-September

Nymphoides: Greek ''resembling a nymph."
Lacunosum: Latin derivation for a basin.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: fresh-water ponds.

THE PLANT: from underground stems buried in the mud;
the roots long and fibrous; stem sometimes ten feet long.

THE LEAVES: floating; opposite; very broadly ovate; one
inch long or more; hairless on both surfaces; green above,
purple-red beneath; obtuse at the apex; heart-shaped at
the base; petioled; entire; hairy-veined beneath. The
tubers are linear-conic, about one inch long.

THE FLOWERS: in an umbel; smooth stems; the five petals
more or less erect.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A beautiful growth over the surface of fresh-water ponds,
where it floats in large masses, its small white flowers
glistening in the sun and its somewhat round leaves turn-
ing up their edges to show the dark purple-red beneath.
The flowers, unfortunately, close early in the day. Of

306

GENTIAN FAMILY

the young plants, Mrs. Owen says: "The seedlings in the
fall spring up along the edge of the pond so closely as to
look like a border of grassy turf."

Three other members of the Gentian Family have been
reported.

307

ASCLEPIADACE^E MILKWEED FAMILY

Asclepias amplexicaulis, Sm.

Lilac-green Blunt-leaved Milkweed,

Milkweed,
June-August Silkweed.

Asclepias: from the Greek name of ^Esculapius, to whom

the genus is dedicated.
Amplexicaulis: from Latin signifying that the leaves clasp

the stem.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect; the stem two feet high or more, not
branched and very smooth. The milky juice is quite
abundant.

THE LEAVES: a beautiful, dark green; opposite; oblong;
about four inches long or more; obtuse at the apex and
furnished with a short abrupt tip; heart-shaped and clasp-
ing at the base; with very wavy and entire margins.

THE FLOWERS : as Mr. Mathews has so well described them,
are, "pale magenta, purple-stained green," in a loose and
nodding cluster at the top of the stem. Five of the petals,
sepal-like, turned backward at time of blooming.

THE FRUIT: a follicle, growing singly or in pairs.

The most beautiful milkweed on Nantucket, standing
erect but not stiffly in ones and twos, with bright green,
wavy leaves and delicately coloured flowers that hang in
loose clusters.

308

ASCLEPIAS

AMPLEXICAULIS

309

MILKWEED FAMILY

ASCLEPIADACE^E MILKWEED FAMILY

Asclepias incarnata, (L.) var. pulchra, (Ehrh.) Pers.

Dull or light crimson Swamp Milkweed, Swamp Silkweed,

Hairy Milkweed, Flesh-coloured

July-September Rose-coloured Swallow-wort,

Silkweed, Water Nerve-root.

Asclepias: for derivation see amplexicaulis.
Incarnata: from Latin signifying into flesh, i.e. flesh-
coloured.
Pulchra: Latin for beautiful.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swamps.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet high or higher, usually
branched, stout, leafy to the top; the stem covered with
matted wool and with short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; broadly lanceolate; three to five
inches long, sometimes as much as two inches wide; above
having short, soft hairs or without hairs; beneath, soft
hairy, at least on the veins; acute and acuminate at the
apex; narrowed or rounded at the base; with entire mar-
gins and prominent net-veining.

THE FLOWERS: a dull crimson or pink or even a pinkish
white, in clusters of somewhat stifTer character than the
nodding clusters of the syriaca; their stems covered with
matted wool.

THE FRUIT: a follicle, densely clothed with soft, short hairs.

A showy member of the Milkweed Family, sturdy and
handsome, which, with its crimson-pink flowers and vivid
green leaves, is well called the pulchra or the beautiful,
for in swamps its flat topped flower-clusters are spots of
bright colour. The root is used in medicine.

ASCLEPIADACE^E

ASCLEPIADACE^E MILKWEED FAMILY

Asclepias syriaca, L.

Pale lavender-brown Common Milkweed, Virginia Silk,

Cotton-weed, Virginia Swal-

June-August Silkweed, low-wort,

Rubber-tree, Wild Cotton.
Silky Swallow-wort,

Asclepias: for derivation see amplexicaulis.
Syriaca: Latin for Syria in which country Linnaeus erro-
neously thought the species was native.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: fields and waste ground, banks
and roadsides.

THE PLANT: erect, from three to five feet tall; its stems
usually unbranched and covered with fine, short, soft
hairs, at least above.

THE LEAVES: scattered; light yellow-green; oblong to
broadly ovate; four inches to nine inches long, two inches
or more wide; acute or acutish at the apex; narrowed or
obtuse or somewhat heart-shaped at the base; petioled;
with entire margins; the principal veins stout and wide-
spreading, but often turning to join one another toward
the edge of the leaf.

THE FLOWERS: several or many, in loose umbels at the
joining of leaf stem and plant stem; the colour of the
stems varying in intensity. Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: a rough pod, packed with very silky white
down, to which are attached flat, dark brown seeds over-
lapping each other, "like the scales of a fish."

A plant that one associates with neglected garden patches
and dump heaps; a large-leaved plant with pale lavender-
brown flowers nodding in loose, flat-topped clusters at the
top of stout and leafy stems. It might be developed for

312

MILKWEED FAMILY

commercial purposes, for from it, the milkiest of the milk-
weeds, by the addition of vinegar, a kind of rubber can be
made. The young stalks, if pared, can be used as a sub-
stitute for asparagus, the leaves for spinach. From the
root is derived a drug, valuable in the treatment of pleurisy.

ASCLEPIADACE^) MILKWEED FAMILY

Asclepias tuberosa, L.

Orange-red Butterfly Weed, Canada-root,

Butterfly Flower, Colic-root,

June-September Yellow or Orange Flux-root,

Milkweed, Pleurisy-root,

Orange-root, Tuber-root,

Orange Apocynum White-root,

Swallow-wort, Indian-posy
Orange Swallow-
wort,

Asclepias: for derivation see amplexicaulis,

Tuberosa: Latin in allusion to the thickened tuber-like root.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry ground.

THE PLANT: erect or nearly so, one foot to two feet high,
unbranched; the stem stout, very leafy, with short, stiff
hairs; the milky sap scanty.

THE LEAVES: usually all alternate; linear, lanceolate, or
oblong; two inches to six inches long; with short, stiff
hairs on both surfaces; acute or sometimes obtuse at the
apex; narrowed, rounded or heart-shape at the base; ses-
sile or short-petioled.

THE FLOWERS: numerous, on umbels at the ends of the
branches; stemmed, the stems hairy; the petals oblong,
obtuse.

THE FRUIT: a follicle, four to five inches long, covered
with fine hairs.

313

ASCLEPIADACE^E

A clump of Orange Milkweed, found unexpectedly on
the open Commons, is a delightful surprise, for here is a
plant of which the graceful build and handsome flower-
clusters make one think of an old-fashioned garden. To
add to the picture, several Milkweed butterflies are usually
alighting or pausing on the showy flowers.

From a part of this plant is obtained a valuable drug.

Two other members of the Milkweed Family have been
reported.

CONVOLVULACE^E MORNING GLORY FAMILY

Convolvulus arvensis, L.

White, or tinged Field Bindweed, Bell-bind,

with pink Small Bindweed, Corn-bind,

Hedge-bells, Cow-bind,

May-September Bear-bind, European Bindweed,

Cow-lily, Corn-lily,

Lap-love, Small-flowered
Sheep-bind, Morning Glory.

Convolvulus: Latin, to entwine.
Arvensis: Latin, belonging in a field.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: open thickets.

THE PLANT: trailing, one foot to two and one half feet
long; stems simple or branched, very slender, hairless or
nearly so.

THE LEAVES: alternate; one inch to two inches long; ovate
or oblong; hairless or nearly so; obtusish, mucronulate,
acutish at the apex; sagittate or somewhat hastate at the
base; petioled; the basal lobes spreading; slender, acute;
entire.

THE FLOWERS : one to four, on peduncles shorter than the
leaves, which are bracted at the summit ; usually another
bract is on one of the pedicels; corolla sometimes nearly
one inch across; sepals oblong-obtuse.

THE FRUIT: a globose capsule.

The Bindweed of the dry soil, frequently seen in the
streets of the town. It has funnel-shaped, usually dead-
white flowers. Not unattractive when crawling along the
ground, it fades almost immediately after being picked.

315

CONVOLVULACE^:

"It closes in wet weather and at night, that its honey may
not be reduced in quality."

From the plant is obtained a valuable oil.

CONVOLVULACE^E MORNING GLORY FAMILY

Convolvulus sepium, L.

White, streaked Wild Morning Glory, Lily-bind,

with pink Hedge Bindweed, Bell-bind,

Great Bindweed, Wood-bind,

June- August Hooded Bindweed, Lady's Nightcap,

Bracted Bindweed, Hedge-lily,

Rutland Beauty, Devil's Vine.

Convolvulus: for derivation see arvensis.
Sepium: Latin for a hedge.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: open thickets.

THE PLANT: trailing, three feet to ten feet long; the stem
branched, without hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; hastate; two inches to five inches
long; smooth on both surfaces; acute at the apex; lobed
at the base, the lobes spreading; usually acute or acumin-
ate; entire.

THE FLOWERS: solitary, on stems longer than the leaves,
pink or rose-coloured with white stripes, or white through-
out, about two inches long; bracts at the base of the corolla
acute or obtuse, ovate or heart-shaped.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A surprise awaits the one who pushes his way through
a dense thicket and, coming to an open space, is greeted by
the pretty, pink-tinted flowers of the Bindweed, which
strays for yards and yards over the bushes. Immediately
one suspects the Wild Morning Glory, but it is interesting
to find its characteristics.

316

MORNING GLORY FAMILY

CONVOLVULACE^E MORNING GLORY FAMILY

Cuscuta Gronovii, Willd.

Dull white Wild Dodder, Love-vine,

Onion Dodder, Scald Weed,

July- August Gronovius' Dodder, Devil* s-gut.

Cuscuta: name supposed to be of Arabic derivation.
Gronovii: name in honour of Gronovius.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: other plants.

THE PLANT: high, climbing; the stems yellow to orange,
slender but coarse.

THE LEAVES : none; the stem " bearing a few, minute scales
in place of leaves."

THE FLOWERS: numerous, in dense cymes. The corolla
bell-shaped, very small.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A pernicious parasite that attaches itself to plants
and grows by inserting its aerial roots into their stems
and branches. It has inconspicuous tiny flowers, but
fortunately bright-coloured stems, which loudly proclaim
the presence of the criminal.

One writer when speaking of Dodder says:
"Owing to the serious nature of the attack upon our
flax crops Professor Buckman was induced to experiment
years ago with the object of elucidating its mode of growth.
He found that the seeds of Dodder, sown strictly apart
from any host-plants, germinated in four days and on the
sixth a thread-like plant was seeking a foster parent, but
by the eighth, not having succeeded in its object, it died.
Others were sown in company with flax-seed, and in a few
days the young Dodders attached themselves to the
young Flax plants, made one or two tight coils around the
victims, whose growth soon lifted the Dodders right out

317

CONVOLVULACE.E

of the soil, and thereupon the parasites sent aerial roots
right into the flax and their natural roots dwindled and
perished. Thereafter their true parasitical growth was
most rapid to the detriment of the foster plant."
Ada Georgia has a pointed account of the plant:
"This species is probably the most widely known of its
tribe. Like the Field Dodder, it seems indifferent as to its
hosts and

"Like a living skein, enlacing,
Coiling, climbing, turning, chasing,

will embrace anything, from a tall New England Aster to
an onion or even some shrubby plant, such as the willows,
and it is a high climber." "Wherever it attacks cultivated
plants, both it and they should be treated with scythe
and fire before any seed ripens."

One other member of the Convolvulus Family has been
reported.

318

BORAGINACE^E BORAGE FAMILY

Mertensia maritima, (L.) S. F. Gray.

White to blue

Sea Lungwort.

June-September

Mertensia: in honour of a German botanist.
Maritima: Latin for sea-side.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: beach sand.

THE PLANT: low-lying, spreading or partially erect, with
branches three inches to eight inches long; stem smooth and
covered with a bloom.

THE LEAVES: alternate; obovate to ovate; one to four
inches long; fleshy; becoming roughened above; acute or
obtuse at the apex; narrowed at the base; the lower and
basal contracted into petioles.

THE FLOWERS: very small, bell-funnel form, twice the
length of the calyx.

THE FRUIT: a nutlet.

Unfortunately, few people have been sufficiently lucky
to have seen this plant, so rare on Nantucket. Without
question, it is the handsomest of the beach plants. If one
has ever caught sight of the large, blue flowers amid their
bright green foliage, against the brownish background of
the sand, and with the blue, white-capped ocean near by,
one can never forget the vision.

Its presence on Nantucket is interesting, because the
island is the southern limit of its range. In speaking of
the plant, Mr. Bicknell says:

319

BORAGINACE^E

'It seems to have always remained one of the island's
rarer plants and never to have established any permanent
colony. Nor is it known that more than a few plants have
ever been found together on the island. It seems to appear
sporadically .and to disappear at widely separated points
along those miles of seashore that, it might be thought,
would offer good encouragement to its continued growth.
These circumstances of its occurrence suggest that its
seeds may come to the island from time to time by some
natural agency of dispersion, but that the plant is unable
to overcome some condition in the environment not quite
favourable to its particular need."

BORAGINACE.E BORAGE FAMILY

Echium vulgar e, L.

Blue to pink and violet Blue-devil, Viper's-stem,

Viper1 s-bugloss, Viper's-herb,

June-October Blue-weed, Snake Flower,

Blue-thistle, Adder's-wort,

Viper's Grass, Cat's Tail.

Echium: a plant name used by the Greeks, from a word
meaning viper, because it was claimed that a concoction
of the plant was a protection from a viper's bite.

Vulgar e: Latin form for common.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of gardens and
roadsides.

THE PLANT: erect; the stem one foot to two feet high,
beset with stiff hairs growing from swollen red bases; the
straight root sometimes at least three feet long.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblong to linear-lanceolate; two
inches or more long; hairy on both surfaces and on the
margin; the lower and basal narrowed into petioles, the
upper stemless; acute or obtuse at the apex.

320

BORAGE FAMILY

THE FLOWERS: in a dense, one-sided spike, which at first
is closely coiled, but finally only slightly curved; the
corolla tube funnel-formed ; the lobes fringed ; pink stamens
prominent, protruding from the corolla.

THE FRUIT: a nutlet.

The common name, Blue-devil, holds various possi-
bilities of evil character. But this greyish-green, furzy
plant with its blue and pinkish flowers, from which hang
the prominent stamens, makes rather decorative bouquets
and keeps well in water. Besides, there are interesting
facts associated with it, as, for example, that it is one of
the few really blue flowers, and that the change from
blue to pink is due to the change from an alkaline to
an acid condition, as occurs with blue litmus paper.
Why, then, is this interesting and pretty plant dubbed
Blue-devil? Because its deep root, being tough and wide,
is difficult to eradicate, and because the plant, as it spreads
freely, soon becomes a pest in grain-fields. Moreover, it
is apt to make horses and cattle ill. In Australia, where
it is called Patterson's Curse, after the unfortunate man
who introduced it, it has been exterminated by a govern-
ment order.

The popular name, Bugloss, derived from the Greek for
ox-tongue, is in allusion to the fact that the leaves are
rough, like the tongue of an ox.

Seven other members of the Borage Family have been
reported.

21 321

VERBENACEA VERVAIN FAMILY

Verbena hastata, L.

Deep purple and violet Blue Vervain,

False Vervain,
June-September Simpler' 's Joy,

Purvain,

Wild Hyssop,

American Vervain,

Iron-weed,

Juno's-tears,

Pigeon's Grass ("because pi-
geons are delighted to be
amongst it, as also to eat
thereof.")

Verbena: Latin word of obscure derivation.
Hastata: Latin for spear-shaped.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: borders of wet thickets.

THE PLANT: erect, three feet to seven feet high, usually
branched above: the stem rough with very short hairs,
four-sided.

THE LEAVES: opposite; often tinged with purple; oblong^
lanceolate or lanceolate; acute or tapering to a point at
the apex; narrowed at the base; toothed; the lower some-
times with three hastate lobes at the base.

THE FLOWERS: usually on peduncles, in slender panicles,
long persistent.

THE FRUIT: a drupe.

This is one of the handsomest and most decorative
plants for bouquets that we have. Mr. Mathews describes
it very well when he says, "The flower-spikes are numerous

322

VERVIAN FAMILY

and branch upward like the arms of a candelabra; the
flowers bloom from the foot of the cluster upward a few
at a time, leaving behind a long line of purple-tinged
calyx; the tiny blossoms are deep purple or violet — either
one hue or the other. The flowers never approach blue
or any hue allied to it, so the common name is misleading."
Whatever one calls the colour, the plant is easily recognized
as it rises gracefully from a tangled mass of green rose
bushes, dingy white Thoroughwort and Yarrow, where
there is, perhaps, an extra dash of violet purple from the
Nightshade.

From the plant is obtained a valuable drug.

One other member of the Vervian Family has been re-
ported.

323

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Teucrium canadense, L. var. littorale, (Bicknell) Fernald.

Pinkish-white tinged Germander,

with magenta or purple Wood Sage.

July- September

Teucrium: named for the Trojan king, Teucer.

Canadense: Latin for Canadian.

Littorale: Latin, belonging to the sea-shore.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: slightly brackish marshes.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet tall; the stem
generally unbranched, stiff, rather slender, with short
soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; generally lanceolate; with short?
soft, appressed whitish hairs, especially above; thick and
somewhat wrinkled; acuminate at the apex; mostly nar-
rowed at the base; short-petioled ; irregularly dentate.

THE FLOWERS: in dense spikes; the lower lip broad and
prominent.

THE FRUIT: nutlets.

Sometimes a plant, like a person, is successfully the
average — neither very stupid, nor very interesting. So,
the Germander, of which the purplish spikes and downy
pale green leaves tint and soften the general colour tone
of salt-marsh grass and blend prettily with the blue of
the Skull-cap.

324

MINT FAMILY

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Trichostema dichotomum, L.

Deep violet or magenta-blue Blue-curls,

Bastard Pennyroyal.
July-October

Trichostema: from Greek for a hair and a stamen from

the capillary filaments.
Dichotomum: from Latin and Greek meaning cut in two.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE PLANT: generally erect; three inches to two feet high,
much branched; the branches spreading or somewhat erect;
the stem slender, rather stiff, covered with minute, sticky
hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; lance-oblong to oblong; one inch to
three inches long, the upper gradually smaller, with minute,
sticky hairs ; entire ; with an aromatic pennyroyal-like odour.

THE FLOWERS: one to three together on stems; the calyx
very unequally lobed.

THE FRUIT: nutlets.

An optimistic plant, blooming as profusely when only
three inches high as when two feet high. The stem is
much branched and bears deep violet or magenta-blue
flowers. These are remarkable for the extraordinarily
long violet stamens, which, curved, extend far beyond the
petals, a fact that has given rise to the popular name of
Blue-curls. Another popular name, Bastard Pennyroyal,
is due to the plant's possessing an odor like pennyroyal.
After the petals have fallen, the nutlets can plainly be
seen within the calyx.

325

LABIATE

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Scutellaria galericulata, L.

Blue-violet Marsh Skull-cap,

European Skull-cap,
July- August Hooded Willow-herb.

Scutellaria: from Latin for a dish, in allusion to the shape

of the fruiting calyx.
Galericulata: from Latin for helmet because of the shape

of the flower.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: borders of ponds.

THE PLANT: erect, branched; stem one foot to two feet
high; without hairs or slightly downy, four-angled.

THE LEAVES: opposite; ovate-lanceolate to oblong;
slightly downy above, decidedly so beneath; acute at the
apex; rounded and slightly heart-shaped at the base;
short-petioled or the upper sessile; serrate.

THE FLOWERS: solitary, in the axils of the upper leaves,
about one inch long, with a long tube.

THE FRUIT: nutlets, resembling a skull-cap.

The delicate blue of these flowers, en masse, among the
soft, feathery grasses of a pond's edge, with the deep blue
water just visible beyond, presents a characteristic Nan-
tucket picture. This is one of the largest flowered of the
Mint Family that has been described here, and is interest-
ing in that the solitary flower is borne at the junction of
the leaf and flower stem.

Not an official drug remedy, but considered by many
people an antidote for the bite of a mad dog.

326

MINT FAMILY

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Nepeta cataria, L.

Purple-pink, lilac-white Catnip,

Catmint,

July-November Cat's Wort,

Field Mint.

Nepeta: Latin name, thought to be derived from the name

of an Etruscan city where the plant was common.
Cataria: from Latin for a cat.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens, roadsides.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet to three feet high; the stem
sage green, with dense white down, branched; the branches
ascending.

THE LEAVES: opposite; heart-shaped to oblong; one inch
to three inches long; above with few, short, soft hairs; below
covered with white down and therefore paler; acute at the
apex; mostly heart-shaped at the base; deeply dentate.

THE FLOWERS: small, in terminal clusters, which are
rarely four inches long and are downy; the tube a little
longer than the calyx; the broad middle lobe of the lower
lip with shallow scallops; the teeth somewhat awl-shaped.

THE FRUIT: nutlets.

A mint of the barnyard or waste ground with a densely
downy stem, downy round-toothed leaves, and pale lilac
flowers. This exceedingly common weed has a great
allurement for cats. Mr. Mathews says, "A favourite
Manx cat of mine would walk a mile every other day or so
from my Campton studio to a spot where it [the Catnip]
grew in plenty, notwithstanding the way was through the
woods and over a hill of no small difficulty!"

Whatever effect it may have on a cat's nerves, the plant
was formerly considered an excellent nervine for people,
and for that purpose was extensively gathered. A drug
obtained from it is still considered valuable.

327

LABIATE

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Nepeta hederacea, (L.) Trevisan.

Light purple Ground-ivy, Cat's-foot,

Gill-over-the-ground, Field-balm,

May- July Creeping Charlie, Hayhoof,

Robin-runaway, Haymaids,

Alehoof, Hedge-
Gill-ale, maids.

Nepeta: for derivation see Cataria.

Hederacea: common botanical n^rne for ivy, in allusion to
the ivy-shaped leaf.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: fields and roadsides.

THE PLANT: low, creeping, with more or less upright
branches, six to eighteen inches long; the stem four-angled,
with short, soft hairs, weak.

THE LEAVES: opposite; kidney-shaped; hairy on both
surfaces; obtuse at the apex; petioled, the lower petioles
particularly long; the veining prominent.

THE FLOWERS: clustered on short stems in the axils of
the leaves; corolla-tube decidedly longer than the calyx,
fringed with hairs and spotted; calyx hairy, with five
widely separated sepals, often magenta tinted; upper pair
of stamens much longer than the lower.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

A small, creeping plant with dark green, kidney-shaped
leaves and pale purple tubular flowers, spotted darker
near the throat. Its low-lying habit is well suggested by the
popular names of Gill-over-the-ground and Creeping
Charlie, although the plant must share the latter name
with quite different flowers. But the names of Alehoof
and Gill-ale are not easily understood until one realizes
that in the old days, prior to the use of hops, the plant
was used for flavouring and clarifying the home-brewed ale.

328

LYCOPUS
VIRG1NICUS

NEPETA

HEDERACEA

INCH

PRUNELLA VULGAR1S

329

MINT FAMILY

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Prunella vulgar is, L.

Light or deep purple Heal-all, Brownwort,

Self-heal, Thimble-flower,

June-November Carpenter-weed, Heart-of-the-earth,

Sicklewort, Blue-curls.

Prunella: name said to have been derived from the German
word for a disease of the throat, for which this plant
was supposed to be a remedy.

Vulgaris: Latin signifying common.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry roadsides, lawns.

THE PLANT: generally erect, but sometimes procumbent,
two inches to two feet high; the stem usually simple, but
sometimes considerably branched, slender, with short soft
hairs or nearly hairless.

THE LEAVES: opposite; ovate through oblong to oblong-
lanceolate; with short, soft hairs or none; obtuse or acutish
at the apex; usually narrowed at the base; petioled;
entire or wavy-margined.

THE FLOWERS: in a spike, sessile or on short peduncles,
with many bract-like leaves supporting them.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

A very common weed with tubular purple flowers in a
head, liberally beset with rusty-coloured green flower-like
bracts. "The bracts and calyx turn brown and make the
spike look like a little pine cone with its tip broken off."

The variation in the name, Brunella or Prunella, is said
to have been due to a mistake in copying by an early
printer. However that may be, the name is a corruption
from the German word for quinsy, for which this plant
was considered a certain cure. The plant was also used in

LABIATE

England as an application to the wounds received by
rustic labourers as its popular names bear testimony-
Carpenter's-weed, Heal-all, and Sicklewort.

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Leonurus cardiaca, L.

Pale lilac Motherwart,

Lioris-tail,

June-September Lion's-ear,

Throwwort.

Leonurus: from Greek for a lion's tail.
Cardiaca: from Greek for a heart.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens and around dwellings.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet to five feet tall; the stem
rather stout, with very fine hairs, square, usually branched;
the branches somewhat erect.

THE LEAVES: opposite; ear-shaped or wedge-shaped or
tending to lanceolate; membraneous; acuminate at the
apex; with stems of varying length, at least slender; the
margins variable, the lower leaves palmately three- to
five-divided, the lobes cut or toothed, the upper three
divided or merely three-toothed.

THE FLOWERS: numerous, clustered, tube-shaped, with a
ring of hairs within, densely white- woolly without; the
lower lip mottled.

THE FRUIT: nutlets.

An upright and rather decorative plant, without any
particular mint odour. It grows in waste places and about
dwellings and is easily recognized by its deeply cut leaves
and tiny pale lilac flowers encircling the plant stem at the
point of junction with the leaves.

332

MINT FAMILY

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Pycnanthemum virginianum, (L.) Durand & Jackson.

White, purple dotted Virginia Mountain Mint,

Virginia Thyme,

July-September Mountain Thyme,

Prairie-hyssop,
Pennyroyal,
Basil.

Pycnanthemum: Greek for a dense blossom, because of the

compact arrangement of the flowers.
Virginianum: Latin for Virginian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons
and in low thickets.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high; the stem
rather stout, not strikingly square, hairless or having
scattered, short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite; lanceolate or linear-lanceolate;
firm; without hairs, or beneath with very short, soft ones,
or the upper densely covered with hoary hairs; acuminate
at the apex; rounded or narrowed at the base; entire;
often with short, leafy branches in the axils.

THE FLOWERS: in terminal cymose arrangement, with
flattened, stiff, acute or acutish bracts; the teeth of the
calyx about one fourth as long as the tube; the corolla
with short, soft hairs on the outer surface.

THE FRUIT: nutlets.

A high, straight plant of the thickets where it grows
under the branches of the taller shrubs. It has a slight
fragrance of mint. The lance-shaped, stemless leaves are
in reality opposite, although they have the appearance
of being in tufts. The tiny, whitish flowers, purple-
dotted, grow in dense globular heads, the outer flowers

333

LABIATE

in full bloom or even withered, while the inner are still
merely green buds, with the result that the flower heads
suggest those of mignonette.

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Lycopus americanus, Muhl.

White

Bugle-weed,
July-September

Lycopus: for derivation see virginicus.
Americanus: Latin for American.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: low grounds and along pond
shores.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot high or higher; with very short
hairs or none.

THE LEAVES: opposite, generally lanceolate in outline;
acuminate at the apex; petioled; very deeply cut, especially
the lower, the upper serrate.

THE FLOWERS: in whorls around the stem; corolla tubular,
slightly longer than the calyx.

THE FRUIT: nutlets.

Very similar in every way to the other Bugle-weed, L.
virginicus.

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

•

Lycopus virginicus, L.

White Bugle-weed, Gypsy weed,

Virginia Horehound, Gypsy Herb,

July- August Paul's Betony, Archangel (local) .

Carpenter's Herb,

Lycopus: from Greek for a wolf's foot, from some fancied

resemblance in the leaves.
Virginicus: Latin for Virginian.

334

MINT FAMILY

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swamps.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to two feet tall or sometimes
taller; the stem slender, four-angled, and generally smooth.

THE LEAVES: opposite; light green; ovate-lanceolate;
rather abruptly acuminate at both ends; sharply toothed.

THE FLOWERS: small, in whorls around the stem at the
base of the leaves; the corolla tubular; the stamens mostly
shorter than the petals.

THE FRUIT: nutlets.

A very variable plant, and, consequently, one interest-
ing to the botanist. It used to be highly prized by the
Nantucket herbalists, too, who used it for a cold remedy.
The sharply toothed leaves grow opposite to each other
and the small, bugle-shaped flowers are in a whorl around
the stem.

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Mentha arvensis, var. canadensis (L)., Briquet.

White or lilac-white Field Mint,

Corn Mint,

July-September Lamb's Tongue,

Wild Pennyroyal.

Mentha: Greek name of a nymph who is fabled to have

been changed into mint by Proserpine.
Arvensis: Latin, meaning growing in a field

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: low grounds.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to two feet high; the stem
freely branched, especially below, slender, somewhat col-
oured at the base.

THE LEAVES: opposite; oblong-lanceolate, tending to
ovate; all about the same size, sometimes two inches long;

335

LABIATE

light green, with dense, short hairs; acute or the lower
obtuse at the apex; wedge-shaped at the base; conspicu-
ously veined.

THE FLOWERS: in whorls in the axils of the leaves; the
calyx with short, soft hairs, bell-shaped, about one third as
long as the corolla tube.

THE FRUIT: nutlets.

This mint grows in low, wet places and has a decidedly
mint odour. The small bell-shaped flowers, with sharply-
toothed edges, are crowded around the stem in whorls
in the axils of the leaves; the whorls becoming gradually
smaller, the farther they are up the stem.

LABIATE MINT FAMILY

Mentha piper ita, L.

Pale purple Peppermint,

American Mint,

July- September Brandy Mint,

Lamb Mint.

Mentha: for derivation see arvensis.
Piper ita: Latin for peppery.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: marshes.

THE PLANT: mostly erect, one foot to three feet high,
branched; the stem without hairs, square, purplish.

THE LEAVES: opposite; dark green; ovate tending to lan-
ceolate; without hairs on either surface or with very fine,
soft hairs on the veins beneath, at least rough; acute at
the apex; rounded or narrowed at the base; sharply saw-
toothed; veins prominent beneath.

THE FLOWERS: in dense whorls forming spikes at the tips
of the stem; these spikes thick and in fruit sometimes three
inches long. The bracts lanceolate, tapering to a point at

336

MINT FAMILY

the apex, usually not longer than the flowers, leaf-like;
the calyx generally bell-shaped, without hairs, but its
teeth hairy.

THE FRUIT: nutlets.

Colour and odour make this a noticeable plant of the
low grounds. In the axils of the regularly-toothed leaves
grow the flowers in whorls at intervals up the stem and,
at the top, in spikes. The taste and odour of the leaves
are very pungent, and a spray of peppermint gives a
delicious flavour to a glass of iced tea, as some Nantuck-
eters have proven.

Menthol is derived from this plant.

Twenty-two other members of the Mint Family have
been reported.

22 337

SOLANACE^E NIGHTSHADE FAMILY

Solanum Dulcamara, L.

Violet-purple Bitter Nightshade, Violet-bloom,

Climbing Nightshade, Scarlet-berry,

Berries red Dulcamara, Dogwood,

Poison-flower, Bittersweet.

May-September

Solanum: name of unknown derivation.
Dulcamara: Latin form for bittersweet.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: along ditches in town, or in
damp, waste places.

THE PLANT: climbing or straggling, two feet to eight feet
long; the stems woody below, with short, soft hairs or
practically without any.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate or hastate; with short, soft
hairs; acute or tapering to a point at the apex; usually
somewhat heart-shaped at the base; petioled; rather vari-
able, some having a lobe on one side near the base, others
having three deep lobes or divisions, with much the
largest part at the end.

THE FLOWERS: in compound cymes on one side of the stem,
drooping on slender pedicels; the corolla deeply five-cleft;
the lobes at first spreading, soon curved backwards,
triangular-laceolate, acuminate. The projecting yellow
cone at the base of which is a ring of black, encloses the
stamens.

THE FRUIT: a berry, oval or globose, hanging or drooping
in small clusters, translucent, ruby-red when ripe.

A really very decorative plant, with dark green, leaves,
which are usually lobed at the base, and dainty purple

338

LYCIUM
HAL1MIFOLIUM

SOLANUM
DULCAMARA

ONE INCH

339

NIGHTSHADE FAMILY

flowers from which project the stamens and pistil united
in a brilliantly yellow cone. Later appear oval green
berries, of undesirable reputation that finally turn a bril-
liant ruby red. For, they it is, which, because of their
likeness to currants, lure children to eat them. They are
seriously, but not necessarily, fatally, poisonous. From
the plant is derived a valuable drug.

On account of the overlapping of popular names, this
is not to be confused with another Bittersweet (Celastrus
scandens) which is a twining shrub and bears very small
green flowers.

SOLANACE^E NIGHTSHADE FAMILY

Solanum nigrum, L.

White Deadly Nightshade,

Black Nightshade,

Berries Black Garden Nightshade,

Poison Berry.

July-October

Solanum: for derivation see Dulcamara.
Nigrum: Latin for black.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides in town, waste
ground, barnyards.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two and a half feet high;
the stem without hairs or with few, short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate; more or less equilateral;
acute or tapering to a point at the apex; narrowed or
rounded at the base; petioled; entire or toothed; wavy-
margined.

THE FLOWERS: small, three to ten in umbels; calyx-lobes
persistent at the base of the berry.

THE FRUIT: berries, green at first, black \vhen ripe, globose
and hairless, with a faint odour and a sweet, nauseous taste.

SOLANACE^E

A low, weedy-looking plant with a faint odour, that has
irregularly lobed leaves and insignificant white flowers,
which are not to be compared to the handsome flowers of
the Dulcamara.

The name, nigrum, (the flowers being white) is given
because the berry is black v\rhen fully ripe. The berry has
a sweet, nauseous taste and while poisonous, is not so
virulent as the red berry of the Dulcamara.

From this plant, also, is made a valuable drug.

SOLANACE^) NIGHTSHADE FAMILY

Nicandra Physalodcs, (L.) Pers.

Blue

Apple of Peru.
July- September

Nicandra: named for the Grecian poet, Nicander.
Physalodes: Greek for resembling a bladder, in allusion to
the inflated calyx.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: waste grounds, barnyards, and
old gardens.

THE PLANT: somewhat erect, two feet to three feet high;
the stem angled.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate or oblong; tapering; acu-
minate but blunt pointed at the apex; narrowed at the
base; petioled; lobed.

THE FLOWERS: trumpet-shaped, one inch long or more,
with shallow lobes.

THE FRUIT: a berry, about one half inch in diameter,
loosely surrounded by the inflated and angled calyx.

To few weeds is granted the grace of being as attractive
in appearance as the Apple of Peru. The large, trumpet-
shaped flowers are a beautiful, light China blue, and their
margins are neatly lobed. The leaves, although rather

342

NIGHTSHADE FAMILY

heavy, are sufficiently broad to support the flowers. The
shape of the inflated calyx explains the popular name,
Apple of Peru.

SOLANACE^: NIGHTSHADE FAMILY

Lycium halimifolium, Mill.

Greenish-purple Matrimony Vine,

and greenish-brown Box-thorn,

Bastard Jassamine,
Slimmer Jassamine,

Jackson-vine.

Lycium: name from the country Lycia.
Halimifolium: Latin, having leaves like the Orach (Atriplex
halimus] of Europe.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil, frequently an
escape.

THE SHRUB : vine-like, six feet high and often much higher,
branched; the branches somewhat angled; the stems with
few or no spines, slender and drooping; if the spines are
present, they are slender, about one half an inch long.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate, tending to spatulate;
acute or obtuse at the apex; narrowed into short stems;
firm.

THE FLOWERS : two to five together in the axils of the
leaves, or solitary. The corolla somewhat funnel-formed.

THE FRUIT: orange red oval berry.

A decorative vine with lance-shaped leaves, that is fre-
quently trained around doorways and even, when neg-
lected, continues to flourish. Often it spreads to nearby
fences. Occasionally it is found in a tangled, bushy mass.
The flowers are small and funnel-shaped, with five petals.
At first purplish, they later turn to a green-brown — an
interesting example of change due to oxidation.

343

SOLANACE^:

SOLANACE^E NIGHTSHADE FAMILY

Datura Stramonium, L.

White, striped with purple or blue Thorn-apple,

Jamestown Weed,

July-September Jimson Weed,

Peru Apple,
Devil's Apple,
Devil's Trumpet,
Stinkweed,
Fireweed.

Datura: altered from the Arabic name.
Stramonium: old name for the plant.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: waste grounds, door yards,
roadsides in town.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot high or higher; the stem with-
out hairs or the young part with few, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; thin; ovate; acute or tapering to
a point at the apex; mostly narrowed at the base; angu-
larly coarse toothed; on slender stems.

THE FLOWERS: trumpet-shaped, about four inches long,
much longer than the light green calyx.

THE FRUIT: a capsule, covered with stout prickles of
which the longest are at the tip.

A malodorous, sprawling weed, that has a heavy stem
and thin leaves, ovate and coarsely toothed. The large,
white flowers are trumpet-shaped, the corolla deep cut and
waved around the edge. Later the flowers give place to
large, ovoid, green fruit, with stout prickles of varying
length.

From this plant is obtained a valuable drug

Five other members of the Nightshade Family have been
reported.

344

SCROPHULARIACE^: FIGWORT FAMILY

Verbascum Thapsus, L.

Yellow, rarely white Common Mullein, Velvet-plant,

Great Mullein, Candle Wick,

'June-September Velvet Mullein, Feltwort,

Mullein Dock, Flannel Leaf,

Aaron's Rod, Old-man's Flannel,

Aaron's Flannel, Hare's Beard,

Adam's Flannel, Hedge Taper,

Blanket Leaf, Ice Leaf,

Bullock's Jacob's Staff,

Lungwort, Peter's Staff,

Cow's Lungwort, Torches,

Jupiter's Staff, Lady's Foxglove,

Shepherd's Club, Torchwort.

Verbascum: ancient Latin name.

Thapsus: Latin for Thapsus, in the Island of Sicily, where
the plant is native.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet to seven feet high; the stem
stout, simple, rarely with erect branches, densely woolly
all over, the hairs branched.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblong; thick; woolly on both
surfaces; acute at the apex; narrowed at the base; the
upper running down the stem, the basal on petioles; round-
toothed.

THE FLOWERS: numerous, in dense cylindrical spikes,
sometimes one inch broad; the stamens unequal.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

There are occasions when the Mullein might be called
effective in the landscape. As, for instance, when a colony

345

SCROPHULARIACE.E

of these tall sentinels, bearing their large, blanket-like
leaves, that become gradually smaller toward the top of
the stem, and their steeple-like spike of yellow flowers,
are thrown into contrasting colour with the red-grey back-
ground of a group of burned and twisted pine-tree trunks.
The flowers could aid in making the plant more beautiful,
if the buds would only hurry in opening. The large full-
blown flowers with numerous golden-yellow stamens are
really pretty. But the buds develop so sluggishly that
on the same spike are usually mature flowers, buds and
green fruit forming.

However, "Handsome is as handsome does." This was
once one of the most useful herbs of the home medicine
chest. The leaves, boiled in milk and sweetened, could
be used internally for digestive troubles. Or "the leaves
dipped in hot vinegar and water are very useful, applied
as a fomentation for colds or in malignant sore throat. A
handful of them may also be placed in an old teapot, with
hot water, and the steam inhaled through the spout in
the same complaints." (Warren.) An oil made from the
flowers is still considered valuable in the treatment of
earache.

SCROPHULARIACEJE FIGWORT FAMILY

Linaria canadensis, (L.) Dumont.

Lavender Wild Toad Flax,

Blue Toad Flax.
June-September

Linaria: Derivative from Latin for flax, which some

species resemble in their leaves.
Canadensis: Latin for Canadian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy roadsides.

THE PLANT: the flowering stem erect, from four inches to
two feet high, simple or branched, hairless, brittle, the
sterile shoots spreading or low-lying, very leafy.

346

FIGWORT FAMILY

THE LEAVES: alternate, those on the flowering stem scat-
tered; erect; linear or somewhat oblong; smooth on both
surfaces; acutish at the apex; stemless; entire; the leaves
on the sterile shoots opposite.

THE FLOWERS: in slender, long and loose racemes, spurred;
the lower lip large and three-lobed with a white, convex
two-ridged throat; the upper lip with two acute divisions;
the spur curving and thread-like, rarely pink, frequently
white.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

A low and very straight plant, which has thin branches
(if it is branched at all) and very few leaves on the slender
flowering stem. It stands stiffly erect in the sandy ground
or often in pure gravel. It is the small lavender flowers
that make the plant attractive. They grow in a long and
loose cluster down the stem; they are two-lipped and
spurred and carry a dainty touch of white at the throat.

SCROPHULARIACE^: FIGWORT FAMILY

Linaria vulgaris, Hill.

Yellow and orange Butter and eggs, Devil's Flower,

Yellow Toad Flax, Brideweed,

July- September Wild Flax, Ramsted,

Devil's Flax, Ramcid,

Flaxweed, Deadmen's-bones,

Eggs and Bacon, Jacob's Ladder,

Bread and Butter, Impudent Lawyer.
Wild Snap-dragon,

Linaria: for derivation see canadensis.
Vulgaris: Latin for common.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry ground, dumps.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two and a half feet high;
the stem slender, pale green, very leafy with a slight
bloom, hairless or with a few short, soft hairs.

347

SCROPHULARIACE^E

THE LEAVES: mostly alternate; linear; one half inch to
one and a half inches long; acute at both ends; sessile;
entire.

THE FLOWERS: in dense racemes, upright on short stems,
one inch long or more; the spur somewhat darker, nearly
as long as the body of the corolla; the middle lobe of the
lower lip shorter than the other two; the throat orange-
coloured.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Handsome, irregularly-shaped flowers, that have the
spur and the two lobes to the petals, which are character-
istic of the family. In close array they run up the stem
that is thickly draped with slightly drooping, light green,
narrow leaves. Yellow and yellow-orange in their coloring,
they suggest scrambled eggs as much as Butter and Eggs.

From this plant is obtained a valuable drug.

SCROPHULARIACE^: FIGWORT FAMILY

Gratiola aurea, Muhl.

Yellow Golden Hedge Hyssop,

Golden Pest.
July-August

Gratiola: named from Latin for favour from supposed
medicinal properties.
Aurea: Latin derivative for golden.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: wet, sandy borders of ponds.

THE PLANT: low-lying, creeping or erect, four inches to
twelve inches high; the stems simple or branched, with very
fine, short hairs or hairless above, somewhat four-sided.

THE LEAVES: opposite; lanceolate; without hairs; obtus-
ish at the apex; narrowed at the base; sessile and some-
what clasping; with few very fine round teeth or entire.

348

ONE INCH

GRATIOLA AUREA

349

GERARDIA

PURPUREA

FIGWORT FAMILY

THE FLOWERS: on thread-like stems, somewhat cup-
shaped, with flaring lobes.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

The sandy border of one of Nantucket's deep blue
ponds is often glorified by these low, light green plants
with their yellow, vase-shaped flowers.

SCROPHULARIACE^E FIGWORT FAMILY

Gerardia pur p area, L.

Magenta-purple

Large Purple Gerardia.

August-October

Gerardia: dedicated to the celebrated herbalist, John

Gerarde, who lived in 1673.
Purpurea: Latin for purple or red.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil but generally
more moist ground.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two and one half feet high;
the stem slender, without hairs, roughish, somewhat
angled.

THE LEAVES : usually widely spreading, opposite ; narrowly
linear, sometimes with smaller ones in their axils; without
hairs on either surface; acute at the apex; with rough
margins.

THE FLOWERS: in racemes, cup-shaped, with five wide
flaring lobes; pedicled; the calyx teeth somewhat lanceo-
late, one third to one half as long as the tube; the stamens
persistent. Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Among the shorter plants of the Common or open damp
ground, there are few more alluring in form and colour

SCROPHULARIACE^E

than the Gerardia purpurea, which is equally decorative
when growing in the mass — a sheet of magenta-purple,
mingled with bright green, or when single plants are scat-
tered in the gravelly wheel-rut — here one and farther
along another, miniature bushes laden with large vase-
shaped flowers.

The flowers are generally larger in size and deeper in
colour than those on the mainland. They have five deep,
flaring lobes, slightly curled backwards, hairy and white-
spotted within, the pure white stamens in contrast with
them.

The Gerardia is also a satisfactory plant for bouquets,
for, although the mature flowers fall very soon, the buds
come out in water successively for days, and if the flowers
are paler, they are still a pretty shade.

Nineteen other members of the Figwort Family have
been reported.

352

LENTIBULARIACEJE BLADDERWORT FAMILY

Utricularia subulata, L

Yellow Bladderwort,

Tiny Bladderwort,
June-August Zigzag Bladderwort.

Utricularia: Latin for a little bladder.
Subulata: Latin to signify "borne underground."

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: sandy swamps.

THE PLANT: aquatic and immersed, with thread-like, dis-
sected leaves, borne underground on little bladders to float
it; sometimes both leaves and bladders are missing; the
flower stem thread-like and hairless, stiff.

THE FLOWERS: borne in zigzag raceme; the corolla one
half inch long or less, deeply two-lipped; the lower lip
larger, three-lobed and with a prominent palate, which is
usually bearded; the calyx two-lipped.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This beautiful little flower has been mistaken for the
famous "Yellow Orchid" (Habenaria ciliaris), but those
hunting for the Yellow Orchid are wrong if they stop their
search here. These irregularly shaped flowers do certainly
suggest the characteristics of an orchid. For they have two
lips, the lower with three lobes, much larger than the upper,
and a spur that lies almost flat on the lower lip, which it
nearly equals in length. But these flowers cannot be
orchids, because among other more technical reasons, in
an orchid both the calyx and the corolla must be attached
to the ovary. In this flower the calyx is free.

As the range is given in Gray's Botany (7th edition),
Nantucket is the northern limit.

Four other members of the Bladderwort Family have
been reported.

23 353

PLANTAGINACE^E

PLANTAIN FAMILY

Plantago lanceolata, L.

Dull white
May-November

Thimble Grass,
Ribwort Plantain,
Rib Grass,
Ripple Grass,
English Plantain,
Black-jacks,
Jack-straws,

Dog's-ribs,
Ribwort,
Buck Plantain,
Buckthorn

Plantain,
Cocks,
Kemps,
Leechwort,
Ram's-tongue,
Rat-tail,
Windles,

Long Plantain,
Snake Plantain,
Lance-leaved
Plantain,
Ripple Plantain,
Kempseed,
Headsman,
Hen-plant,
Clock,

Chimney-sweeps,
Cat's Cradles,
Nigger Heads.

Plantago: The Latin name.

Lanceolate: from Latin diminutive for a lance.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE LEAVES: basal; narrowly oblong-lanceolate; generally
erect; mostly hairy; tapering to a point at the apex; gradu-
ally narrowed into petioles; three- to five-ribbed; entire.

THE FLOWERS: in very dense spikes which are at first
short and ovoid, and later become cylindrical and blunt.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

THE PLANT: from underground rooting-stems ; the flower
stalks slender, channeled, at length much higher than the
leaves.

This is recognizable as a Plantain by its naked flower-
stalk, topped with a hairy head of tiny fly-away flowers.
But it differs from the Common Plantain in that its nearly
erect leaves are long and lance-shaped.

354

PLANTIAN FAMILY

PLANTAGINACE^E PLANTAIN FAMILY

Plantago major, L.

Dull white Rib Grass, Bird-seed,

Greater Plantain, Broad-leaf,

May-September Way Bread, Hen-plant,

Dooryard Lamb's-foot,

Plantain, Healing-blade.

Plantago: for derivation see lanceolata.
Major: Latin for greater.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry soil everywhere.

THE PLANT: leaves and flower stems from an underground
stem; a root stock; flower stems four inches to fourteen
inches high.

THE LEAVES: in a rosette on the ground; broad elliptic to
heart-shaped or ovate; two inches to ten inches long;
thick and leathery; hairless or sometimes with short, soft
hairs; acutish at the apex; the broad stem channeled;
the margin waved, or more or less toothed.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

One would blush to have to be introduced to this homely
weed, which has almost the persistence of a dandelion,
springing up cheerfully, no matter how close it has been
cut by the lawn mower. However — the plant had its com-
pensations. Out of the thimble-shaped flower-spikes, the
herbalists made a concoction "highly spoken of for skin
diseases." The thick, leathery leaves, if bruised, were
considered "most useful when applied to wounds, ulcers,
and bites of poisonous insects," and a drug is still obtained,
valuable in the cure of toothache.

Four other members of the Plantain Family have been
reported.

355

RUBIACEJE MADDER FAMILY

Galium Claytoni, Michx.

White

Clayton's Bed-straw.
July-September

Galium: from Greek for milk, which some species are used

to curdle
Claytoni: name in honour of the botanist, John Clayton.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp ground.

THE PLANT: erect, or, when older, low-lying, six to twelve
inches high, branched; the branches in twos; the stems
slender, sharply four-angled, more or less rough.

THE LEAVES: in fives or sixes; linear-spatulate or spatu-
late-oblong; dull, dark green above, discoloured in drying;
obtuse at the apex; wedge-shaped at the base; petioled;
rough on the margins and midrib; bracts minute.

THE FLOWERS: in clusters of twos and threes, on straight,
hairless, pedicels, which branch out as the fruit ripens;
petal-lobes oval, obtuse.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This is a very delicate and insignificant plant of damp
ground, where it spreads among the general tangle of
"green things" a mat of its rough, thread-like branches
with narrow, slightly spade-shaped leaves, that grow in
groups of fours and sixes around the stem. The tiny,
white flowers are wheel-shaped. It is a delicate plant and
not undecorative, but it requires considerable patience to
pick a sufficient amount to use in a bouquet. It is easier
just to grasp a handful of stems and pull up a whole
colony at once — easier, but also more destructive.

This is the Family to which the Coffee and Peruvian-
bark trees belong.

356

MADDER FAMILY

RUBIACE^E MADDER FAMILY

Cephalanthus ocddentalis, L.

White Button-bush, Boxwood,

Buttonwood Shrub, Honey-balls,

June-September Button-tree, Pin-ball,

Button Willow, Little Snowball,

River-bush, Globe-flower,

Swamp-wood, Crane-willow.

Cephalanthus: Greek, signifying head-flower.
Ocddentalis: Latin for western.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp places near ditches.

THE SHRUB: erect, three feet to eight feet high, much
branched; the branches hairless or with few, short, soft
hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite or verticillate in threes; ovate or
oval or tending to lanceolate; essentially hairless; tapering
to a point or acute at the apex; rounded or narrowed at
the base; petioled; entire; with short stipules.

THE FLOWERS: very fragrant, sessile, in globose heads
which are about an inch in diameter; the style almost
twice the length of the corolla.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

Reading through the list of popular names for this
rather inconspicuous bush of the damp ground, gives one
a fairly clear mental picture of the symmetrical shrub,
with ovate and toothless leaves and yellow- white "balls"
of a heavy, honey-sweet odour, that is perceptible even
from quite a distance.

It is not a shrub that can be used for decoration, for
the short-lived, white flowers quickly become a dingy
brown, and the leaves frequently wilt and are not easily
refreshed in water.

357

RUBIACE^) MADDER FAMILY

Houstonia ccerulea, L.

Sometimes blue, Quaker-ladies,

generally whitish Quaker-bonnets,

Bluets,

May-October Innocence (said to be the only

common name they do not share
with any other flower),
Eyebright,
Venus' Pride,
Angel-eyes,
Blue-eyed Babies,
Bright-eyes,
Star of Bethlehem.

Houstonia: in honour of Dr. William Houston, an English

botanist, who collected in tropical America.
Ccerulea: Latin for sky-blue.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, three inches to seven inches high,
sometimes so branched at the base as to form dense tufts;
stem slender, smooth or nearly so.

THE LEAVES: opposite; the lower and root-leaves broader
than the upper; oblong-lanceolate to spatulate; hairy
above; obtusish at the apex; sessile or sometimes nar-
rowed into a petiole; entire; hairy on the margins.

THE FLOWERS: solitary, on slender stems, terminal or in
the axils, the tube of the flower yellowish; petals white or
tinged with purple, yellow, or light-blue; two forms of
flowers occur on different plants, one form with projecting
style, the other with the style shorter than the corolla-tube.

THE FRUIT: a capsule.

This is the delicate and ingenuous, yet noticeable, and
open-eyed, little, white flower just tinged with blue, that

358

MADDER FAMILY

grows on a very low stem, from a tuft of oblong-lanceolate
leaves. No better mental picture of it can be made than is
suggested by the popular names of Quaker Lady, and
Innocence or Angel-eyes. That is, in Nantucket. For,
contrary to the usual custom of flowers in Nantucket,
which are usually deeper in colour here than elsewhere,
the petals in this instance are paler than on the mainland
where they are generally a delicate but decided blue; and
there the flowers may well be described as Bluets and
Blue-eyed Babies.

Seven other members of the Madder Family have been
reported.

359

CAPRIFOLIACE^: HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY

Viburnum ^e/iQ6'uw,vBrjtton7) >/ (^ ,

Whitish tfOJL*.

Arrow-wood.
June- July

Viburnum: the classical Latin name of unknown meaning.
Venosum: Latin for vein.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: border of thickets.

THE SHRUB: three to six feet high or more, branched; the
young branches ashy with soft hairs; the bark grey-brown.

THE LEAVES: opposite; elliptic-ovate to orbicular; about
two inches long and nearly as wide ; above dark green and
hairless; beneath pale, with rusty brown hairs; sharply
saw-toothed; the veining prominent beneath.

THE FLOWERS: small, in cymes.
THE FRUIT: a sub-globose drupe.

A shapely bush, which at times reaches the height, if
not the stature of a young tree. The oval leaves are the
most distinctive part of the shrub. Clusters of yellowish-
white flowers suggesting those of the Elder (Sambucus
canadensis), but slightly stiffer than these, in their season
soften the outlines of ths bush; later, blue-black "berries"
that seem to avoid notice, add a touch of mysteriousness
to the dark green foliage.

CAPRIFOLIACE^: HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY

Sambucus canadensis, L.

Cream-white Common Elder, Elder-blow

Elderberry, Sweet Elder,

June- July American Elder,

360

HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY

Sambucus: Latin name perhaps from the Greek for an

ancient musical instrument.
Canadensis: Latin for Canadian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp thickets.

THE SHRUB: erect, four to eight feet high, branched; the
stem smooth and woody.

THE LEAVES: opposite; pinnately divided, the leaflets
five to eleven, but usually seven; two to five inches long;
ovate to oval; acute at the apex; sharply serrate; sometimes
with short, soft hairs beneath.

THE FLOWERS: small, funnel-shaped, in flat-topped, loose
cymes.

THE FRUIT: a purple-black drupe.

A very decorative shrub and one that holds possibilities
for the kitchen cupboard and for the medicine chest.
Unfortunately its sensitive leaves wilt almost immediately
after the stem has been cut and do not revive in water.
The shrub is as graceful when filled with the large drooping
clusters of creamy-white flowers as later when its berries,
purple-black, hang at the ends of the branches, clothed
so thickly with their dark green compound leaves. These
berries are but one of the useful parts of the plant. Not
good to eat raw, they make delicious wine and even better
jelly, as Nantucket people can testify. In medicine, prac-
tically the whole plant is utilized, or at least used to be.
From the flowers and berries and inner bark was made a
tonic; while the outer bark compounded with lard com-
posed a soothing ointment for burns and scalds.

Five other members of the Honeysuckle Family have
been reported.

36i

LOBELIACE^ LOBELIA FAMILY

Lobelia cardinalis, L.

Red, rarely rose-colour or white Red Lobelia,

Cardinal Flower,

August-September Red Bettij,

Slink-weed,
Hog's-physic.

Lobelia: Dedicated to Matthias de FObel, an early Flemish

herbalist.
Cardinalis: a Latin form used to refer to colour, from the

red of a cardinal's vestments.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: wet ground.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet to four and a half feet high;
the stem slightly tinged with red, hairless or having a few
short hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oval, tending to lanceolate; dark
green or tinged with red; smooth or nearly so; acute at
both ends; the upper sessile, the lower on stems; slightly
toothed.

THE FLOWERS: in a racemose spike; the corolla with a
straight tube, which is split apparently on the upper side,
somewhat two-lipped; the upper lobed, the lower cleft.

THE FRUIT: a pod.

A very beautiful and, unfortunately, a very rare flower
on Nantucket. But it is one of the flowers that, once seen,
is never forgotten, for the beautiful, cardinal-red of the
graceful blossoms, nodding amid the high green grass, is a

362

LOBELIA FAMILY

treat indeed. Probably one reason why the plant is so
rare in Nantucket is the fact that it prefers running water;
here it must grow in a sluggish marsh.

From this plant is obtained a drug, valuable in the treat-
ment of asthmatic complaints.

363

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Eupatorium pcrfoliatum, L.

Dull white Boneset, Ague-weed,

Common Sweating Plant,

July-September Thoroughwort, Indian Sage,

Thoroughstem, Fever wort,

Thorough-wax, Wild Isaac.
Thorough-grow,

Eupatorium: dedicated to Eupator Mithridates, who is

said to have used this species in medicine.
Perfoliatum: Latin denoting through the leaf.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: ditches and damp ground.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet to five feet high, branched
above; the stem stout with short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite or rarely in threes, four inches to
eight inches long, one inch to one and a half inches wide;
wrinkled and with short, soft hairs on both surfaces;
tapering to a point at the apex; larger at the base and so
grown together that the stem appears to pass through
them; toothed.

THE FLOWER HEADS: crowded in a modified panicle,
small; involucre bell-shaped; its bracts lanceolate, acutish,
overlapping in two or three series, covered with short,
soft hairs, the outer ones shorter.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus consisting of bristles.

This is that tall, rather heavily-stemmed plant of the
ditches and damp ground, with purple-tinged, heavy,
opposite leaves, through which the stem passes, and large,
whitish flower heads that are increasingly fuzzy and in-
creasingly grey as they mature. But not for any grace

364

COMPOSITE FAMILY

or charm that it might possess was the plant known to
the old Nantucketers. It was, perhaps, trie most useful
"herb" they had. As indicated by the common names,
Ague-weed and Feverwort, it was a popular remedy for
fever and ague. The symptoms following its use, it is
said, were those of a setting bone, hence the name of
Boneset. The plant is still in favour medicinally, being
considered an excellent remedy in influenza.

COMPOSITES COMPOSITE FAMILY

Eupatorium purpureum, L.

Magenta-crimson Joe-Pye Weed,

Tall Boneset,

August-September Trumpet-weed,

Gravel-root.

Eupatorium: for derivation see perfoliatum.
Purpureum: Latin for red or purple.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: borders of swamps or low,
damp ground.

THE PLANT: erect, three feet tall or taller; branched at the
top; the stem green tr purple without hairs or with short
ones.

THE LEAVES: verticillate in threes or sixes; thin; ovate or
ovate-lanceolate; without hairs or with short ones on the
veins beneath; acuminate at the apex; petioled; serrate.

THE FLOWER HEADS: numerous and long; the bracts of
the involucre pink, oblong, obtuse, in four or five series.
Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

A handsome and a satisfying plant is the Joe-Pye Weed,
named in honour of an Indian who used it in the cure of
fevers. From the plant is obtained a drug, valuable

365

COMPOSITE

medicinally. Possibly the "aesthetic dull magenta crim-
son" tone of the "soft bristly" flower-heads is responsible
for our admiration. Or it may be partly due to the good
proportions of the sturdy plant — stem stout and tall,
leaves large and yet thin so that the whorls are not heavy.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Eupatorium verbencefolium, Michx.

Dull white Rough Thoroughwort,

Vervain Thoroughwort.
July-September

Eupatorium: for derivation see perfoliatum.
Verbenoefolium: Latin for "leaf of verbena."

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp ground.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet or more tall; the stem slender,
branched at the top, with short, rough hairs.

THE LEAVES: opposite or occasionally in threes, or the
upper alternate; ovate-oblong; two inches to four inches
long; usually obtuse or blunt-pointed at the apex; rounded
at the base; closely sessile or the lower short-petioled;
more or less round-toothed.

THE FLOWER HEADS: small in unequal modified panicles;
involucre bell-shaped; its bracts oblong, or linear-lanceo-
late, acute, overlapping, in about three series, the outer
shorter, densely covered with short, soft hairs.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus consists of bristles.

The leaves of this Eupatorium are quite different from
the heavy, united leaves of the better known Thorough-
wort (the Eupatorium perfoliatum)} these are short in
comparison to the height of the plant. However, there is
no denying that the somewhat triangular whitish flower-
heads resemble, in their furziness, the Thoroughwort group.

366

L1ATRIS

SCARI OSA

ONE INCH

COMPOSITE FAMILY

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Liatris scariosa, Wild.

Magenta-purple Blazing Star,

Gay Feather,

August-October Rattle-snake Master,

^H Button Snake-root.

Liatris: derivation unknown.
Scariosa: Latin for thorny shrub.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT : erect, two feet high or more ; the stem covered
with fine, soft, short hairs, at least above.

THE LEAVES: alternate; the lower oblanceolate, spatulate,
or oblong-lanceolate; the upper linear and linear-lanceo-
late; all acute or obtusish at the apex; narrowed into
margined petioles; thickly dotted with tiny glands.

THE FLOWER HEADS: hemispheric, sometimes nearly one
inch broad, on short stems, or sometimes stemless; bracts
of the involucre overlapping in five or six series, varying
in shape, round at the apex; their tips dry and chaffy,
often coloured. Albinos have been found.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus consisting of bristles.

In thinking of the earliest fall colouring the Nantucket
heaths, one associates with the tinting of the leaves of the
Scrub Oak and the Huckleberry, a deep magenta-purple
flower, that stands alone or in twos or threes, or more often
tints the waving grasses and offers strong colour contrast to
the low Goldenrods. Essentially of a stiff and unyielding
character, with erect stem and long, linear, drooping
leaves, the plant is one and owes its undeniable magnetism
to colour and not to graceful form.

367

COMPOSITE

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Chr ysopsis fakata, (Pursh.) Ell.

Yellow Sickle-leaved Golden Aster,

Ground Gold-flower.
July-October

Chrysopsis: Greek for golden aspect.
Fakata: from Latin for a sickle.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: partially erect and spreading, four inches to
twelve inches high; the stem corymbosely branched above,
rather stiff, leafy to the top, with tiny, soft, woolly, short
hairs, at least when young or becoming almost hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; spreading; rigid; sometimes
slightly curved; linear; one inch to four inches long; acutish
at the apex; stemless; entire; obscurely parallel-nerved.

THE FLOWER HEADS: rather few at the tips of the branches,
less than one inch wide; involucre bell-shaped; its bracts
with a few short, soft hairs. Rays numerous, overlapping.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus brownish and bristly.

The wealth of the Indies in yellow tone is spread over
the Commons and particularly along the ruts of the sandy
roads out of town, by the Golden Aster, in its crowded
clumps. The flowers raise their bright heads from the
fine, grey-green leaves, equally happy in the sunshine or
the rain. Unfortunately, this is another difficult plant to
use for decoration, for, while it lasts well, the branches are
so spreading that the fresh flower heads are far apart and
there are always many that, having gone to seed, have
already become brown-white and fuzzy.

368

CHRYSOPSIS ASTER

FALCATA LINARI1FOL1US

ASTER PATENS

369

COMPOSITE FAMILY

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago.

Of the fifty-six Goldenrods listed in Gray's Manual, 7th
edition, probably seventeen distinct species have been
found on Nantucket. Of these the most characteristic and
the most frequent are the following:

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago altissima, L.

Yellow Tall Goldenrod,

Double Goldenrod,
August-September Yellow-weed.

Solidago: Latin meaning to join or make whole, in allusion

to reputed vulnerary qualities.
Altissima: Latin for "highest."

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry ground, roadsides, also
"along thickets, near low grounds."

THE PLANT: erect, three feet high and frequently higher;
the stem having ashy-grey, soft, short hairs, stout.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate; sometimes five inches
long; thickish; having short hairs which may be soft or
somewhat dry above, soft hairs beneath; nearly entire or
more or less toothed.

THE FLOWER HEADS: crowded in recurved racemes, form-
ing dense, high, broadly pyramidal panicles; the bracts of
the involucre linear.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus of bristles.

This Goldenrod is particularly fond of growing in close
masses in "thickets near low ground." It is one of the
tallest of the Nantucket Goldenrods, one of the earliest to
bloom and one of the first to disappear. Its distinguish-

371

COMPOSITE

ing feature is the ashy-greenness of the stem and the velvety
feel of the lance-shaped, slightly toothed leaves, whose
drooping appearance gives them a weary and dusty look.
The stem is branched at the top like a candelabra, and
the flower-clusters are somewhat heavy in appearance.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago aspera, Ait.
Yellow
September-October

Solidago: for derivation see altissima.
Aspera: Latin for rough.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: "mainly the borders of thickets,
the dryish levels in low grounds."

THE PLANT: erect, three feet tall and taller; the stem
having tiny, dry or bristly hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate, oblong or ovate-lanceolate;
thick; very dry on both surfaces; rounded at the base;
serrate; strongly wrinkled.

THE FLOWER HEADS: much as in the rugosa, but the length-
ened racemes mostly forming a more slender panicle.

THE FRUIT: achenes; the pappus of bristles.

This is one of the later-blooming Goldenrods, belonging
as far as height is concerned, in the group with altissima,
Elliottii, odor a, rugosa, sempervirens, and nuiligulata, but
not closely resembling any of these unless it be rugosa.
In speaking of this one, Mr. Bicknell says:
"A little recognized and widely variable Goldenrod, not
ordinarily to be confused with rugosa, but often associated
with it and quite probably subject to intercrossing."

372

COMPOSITE FAMILY

Its chief distinguishing characteristic lies in the short,
rough hairs of the stem and of the leaves. The leaves are
rounded at the base and are usually very short in compari-
son with the height of the plant.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago bicolor, L.

Whitish Silver-rod,

Pale Goldenrod,

September-October White Goldenrod,

Silver-weed,
Belly-ache-weed .

Solidago: for derivation see altissima.
Bicolor: Latin for two colours.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to two feet tall or taller;
the stem simple or branched, usually stout, having hoary,
matted wool.

THE LEAVES: alternate; obovate, oblong, or sometimes
lanceolate; two inches to four inches long; with soft matted
wool on both surfaces; mostly obtuse or sometimes acute
at the apex; narrowed into long petioles or sessile or nearly
so; dentate; often entire.

THE FLOWER HEADS : small, clustered in an interrupted or
crowded panicle at the ends of slender terminal branches
that are closely set with small leaves of nearly uniform
size; "the green tips of the scales of the involucre which
are often so obvious in this species, are only faintly, if at
all, perceptible," in the Nantucket specimen.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus of bristles.

This is the easiest of the Nantucket Goldenrods to de-
termine. It must be a Goldenrod, one thinks, from the
straight, wand-like stem, and the generally lanceolate

373

COMPOSITE

leaves and the tubular flowers, but the creamish cast of
the flower heads is misleading, until one is assured that
this plant is the exception that proves the rule that all
Goldenrods are yellow.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago Elliottii, T. and G.

Yellow

Elliott's Goldenrod.
September-October

Solidago: for derivation see altissima.
Elliottii: in honour of Stephen Elliot.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: low grounds.

THE PLANT: erect, three feet to six feet high; the stem
hairless or with minute hairs above, simple, or branched
at the inflorescence.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblong or oblong-lanceolate, rarely
ovate-oblong; one inch to five inches long; firm; hairless
on both sides, or with very few, short, soft hairs on the
veins beneath; acute or acuminate at the apex; broad at
the base or sometimes narrowed below; sessile; finely saw-
toothed or the upper entire; rough on the margins; pin-
nately veined.

THE FLOWER HEADS: growing mostly on one side of the
short, spreading, or recurving branches of the narrow pan-
icle; bracts of the involucre linear-oblong and obtuse.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus of bristles.

This is one of the easiest of the tall Goldenrods to identify.
Like the odora, its tendency is to be hairless throughout.
Unlike the odora, it prefers the thicket borders of ponds,
where its rather heavy flower heads create a handsome
dash of yellow.

374

COMPOSITE FAMILY

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago graminifolia, (L.) Salisb.

Yellow

Flat-topped Goldenrod.
August-September

Solidago: for derivation see altissima.
Graminifolia: Latin for grass-like leaves.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, two to four feet high; the stem panicu-
lately much branched, or rarely simple, hairless but some-
times slightly rough above.

THE LEAVES: numerous; alternate; linear-lanceolate; hav-
ing on the nerves of the lower surface minute rough hairs;
acute or tapering to a point at each end; sessile; entire;
with rough, short hairs on the margin; three to five nerved;
with few resinous dots (seen when leaf is held to the light) .

THE FLOWER HEADS: very small, clustered in a flat-topped
modified cyme; involucre ovoid bell-shaped, its bracts ob-
long or oblong-lanceolate; the flower heads slightly
fragrant.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus consisting of bristles.

This Goldenrod is very difficult to distinguish from the
tenuifolia, which, in habitat and appearance, is a close
neighbour. In general, this, the graminifolia, is the
coarser plant. Or a more accurate distinction, lies in the
straw or yellowish-green colour of the bracts of the in-
volucre, of which the tips are rarely darker. The outer-
most bracts, moreover, are ovate or oblong.

Both Goldenrods have numerous leaves, light green and
narrow. The tiny flower heads are in small, crowded
groups in flat-topped clusters and not at all showy in colour.

375

COMPOSITE

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago nemoralis, Ait.

Yellow Low Goldenrod,

Grey Goldenrod,

August-October Field Goldenrod,

Dwarf Goldenrod,
Dyer's Goldenrod.

Solidago: for derivation see alltissima.
Nemoralis: Latin for a grove.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: mainly spreading or prostrate; six inches to
two feet high; the stem slender, ashy-grey, with dense and
fine soft, short hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblanceolate, spatulate or linear-
oblong; thick; roughish; acutish at the apex; petioled; the
upper entire or round-toothed; obscurely three-nerved.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very small, on one side of the spread-
ing or recurving branch'js of the usually one-sided panicle
which tops the stem; bracts of the involucre linear oblong.

THE FRUIT: achenes; the pappus consisting of bristles.

One might think that it would be easy to identify the
low nemoralis, the grey Goldenrod, which spreads its ashy
stems and heavy panicles of flowers in a rosette over the
ground or strives somewhat unsuccessfully to hold them
upright, but it, too, is variable. The flower-clusters, for
example, are sometimes compact and unbranched, but
sometimes as much as five armed. But, fortunately, the
ashy-grey, hoary hairs, even though they may vary in
quantity, are always present on the stem at least.

376

SOL1DAGO

NEMORAL1S

SOL1DAGO
PUBERULA

377

COMPOSITE FAMILY

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago odora, Ait.

Yellow Sweet Goldenrod,

Anise-scented Goldenrod,
August-September Blue Mountain-lea.

Solidago: for derivation see altissima.
Odora: Latin for sweet scented.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry soil, open growths of low
shrubbery.

THE PLANT: erect, two to four feet high; the stem simple,
slender, without hairs or with a few short, soft hairs above.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate; two inches to four
inches long; hairless on both surfaces; acute at the apex
or tapering to a point; narrowed at the base; stemless or
very short petioled; entire; anise-scented when crushed;
dotted with glands.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very small, growing on one side of
the spreading racemes of the panicles which are at the end
of the stem; bracts of the involucre oblong-lanceolate,
acute.

THE FRUIT: achenes; the pappus of bristles.

This is the most delicately formed and the most graceful
of all the Nantucket Goldenrods. The leaves, when
crushed, usually have a more decided anise odour than the
other Goldenrods, but this is not an infallible means of
distinction, for other Goldenrod leaves also have a pungent
odour when crushed, and occasionally a plant of odora is
scentless. But by the general slenderness and more
especially by the smoothness of the stem and of the narrow
leaves shall you recognize the odora.

From the pollen is made a drug, valuable in the treat-
ment of hay-fever.

379

COMPOSITE

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago puberula, Nutt.

Yellow Downy Goldenrod,

Minaret Goldenrod.
September-October

Solidago: for derivation see altissima.
Puberula: a Latin diminutive for ripe age.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons;
oak barrens.

THE PLANT: erect, one and a half feet to three feet high;
the stem usually simple, rather slender, with minute,
short, soft hairs, or hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblong-lanceolate, or spatulate;
two inches to four inches long; obtuse or acute at the apex;
narrowed at the base; short-stemmed or stemless; serrate
or entire.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very small, in panicles topping the
stem; the "panicle varies in form from virgate (wand-like)
and only two centimetres wide (a little over one half inch)
to oblong-pyramidal and more than twelve centimetres
(over six inches) in natural spread at its widest part."
Bracts of the involucre somewhat awl-shaped, very acute.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus of bristles.

This is one of the low Goldenrods and is usually erect
and rather stiff. Its leaves are wedge-lanceolate and
sparingly, but sharply toothed. That is its distinguishing
characteristic, its changeableness lies in the shape of the
panicle, which varies in width from one to five inches.

380

381

COMPOSITE FAMILY

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago rugosa, Mill.

Yellow Wrinkle-leaved Goldenrod,

Tall Hairy Goldenrod,

August-September Pyramid Goldenrod,

Butterweed,
Dyer's-weed.

Solidago: for derivation see altissima.
Rugosa: Latin for full of wrinkles.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: in or about low ground.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to five feet high; the stem
simple, or branched at the summit, usually stout, with
short, coarse hairs.

THE LEAVES: numerous; alternate; dark green; oval or
oblong-lanceolate; one inch to four inches long; rather
thin; covered with few or many short, soft, hairs or with
rather dry ones; acute or acuminate at the apex (rarely
obtusish); narrowed at the base; stemless or sometimes
tapering into panicles; sharply serrate; on the lower sur-
face heavily veined and wrinkled.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very small, on one side of, spreading
or recurving, often leafy, branches of the usually large and
compound panicle; the bracts of the involucre linear, ob-
tuse or obtusish.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus of bristles.

This is one of the tall and probably most variable of
the Nantucket Goldenrods. Mr. Bicknell says he found
"a low, villous form with small and narrow almost leafless
panicles and numerous crowded leaves, smooth or nearly
so on the upper surface." But the type form has large,
thin, very veiny, sharply saw-toothed leaves and long,
more or less soft hairs on the stem.

383

COMPOSITE

This Goldenrod readily hybridizes with others including
the semper virens, the Beach Goldenrod. A cross between
the two is included as a separate species in Mr. Bicknell's
list.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago semper virens, L.

Yellow Beach Goldenrod,

Salt-marsh Goldenrod.
August to late Autumn Seaside Goldenrod.

Solidago: for derivation see altissima.
Sempervirens: Latin for ever-blooming.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: beach sand and sandy places.

THE PLANT: somewhat spreading, about two feet high or
more; the stem usually simple, very stout, without hairs,
or with few, short, soft ones above.

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblong; spatulate or lanceolate;
sometimes as much as one foot long; thick and fleshy;
hairless on both surfaces; acute at the apex; stemless or
narrowed into long petioles; entire; with two to five lat-
eral veins.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very small, in racemes that grow at
the end of the stem on one side only of a large, often
leafy panicle. Bracts of the involucre lanceolate, acute.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus of bristles.

This husky and handsome Goldenrod is perhaps the
easiest to recognize. Even though it varies in robustness
and size, becoming actually soft and succulent in more
moist soil, yet it never loses its clean greenness of colour,
nor the smoothness of its leaves and stern. The leaves
remain thick and leathery and entire, and the numerous
flower heads continue to be crowded in heavy panicles.

384

ONE

SOLIDAGO
SEMPERVIRENS

385

COMPOSITE FAMILY

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Solidago tenuifolia, Pursh.

Yellow

Slender-leaved Goldenrod.
August-October

Solidago: for derivation see altissima.
Tenuifolia: Latin for very narrow leaves.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry or damp soil.

THE PLANT: erect, seldom over one and one half feet high;
the stem paniculately much branched above, without
hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate, smaller leaves clustered in the
axils; narrowly linear; one inch to three inches long;
glandular dotted; acuminate at the apex; narrowed at the
base; stemless; entire; one-nerved or with an additional
pair of faint nerves on the sides.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very small, numerous, crowded in
the dense modified cyme; the involucre oblong bell-shaped;
its bracts oblong.

THE FRUIT: achenes; the pappus of bristles.

This is the second of the low, numerously branched and
slender-leaved, wiry Goldenrods. Mr. Bicknell describes it
as "perplexingly variable" for some coarser forms appear
" quite intermediate with the graminifolia." It is a slightly
fragrant species, with very narrow, linear, minutely dotted
leaves, taper-pointed and usually one-ribbed.

Commonly in the axils of the main stem leaves are
bunches of smaller leaves, but the shorter leaves of the
branches have no such bundles. The involucre of the
flower heads is bell-shaped, its bracts firm, oblong and
glutinous,

387

COMPOSITE

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Aster concolor, L.

Deep lilac-pink Eastern Silvery Aster,

Lilac-flowered Aster.
September-October

Aster: Greek for a star, in allusion to the radiate heads of

the flowers.

Concolor: Latin for combination of colours.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: somewhat prostrate or slightly erect, one
foot to two feet long; the stem nearly simple, wand-like;
hairless or with few, short hairs above.

THE LEAVES: crowded; alternate; linear-oblong or lanceo-
late; one and a half to two inches long; flattened against
the stem; the upper reduced to little bracts; with dense,
fine, white hairs on both sides, or the lower practically
hairless; obtuse or capped with an abrupt tip at the apex;
stemless; entire.

THE FLOWER HEADS: numerous in a simple or compound
wand-like raceme; the involucre obovoid; the bracts
lightly and closely over-lapped in several rows; the rays
ten to fifteen.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus, bristly.

One of the most beautifully coloured Asters that we
have, preferring very sandy soil and so found along road-
sides or almost in the sand dunes. At times, by the shore,
the lacy network of the sprays of flowers waving above
the shorter grasses, is Japanese in its delicacy of colouring.

388

COMPOSITE FAMILY

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Aster dumosus, L.

White or lilac-white Bushy Aster,

Rice-button Aster.
August-October

Aster: for derivation see concolor.

Dumosus: Latin, meaning full of brambles or thorns.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the road-
sides, and Commons; waste ground.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high; the stem
freely branched, rather stiff, slender, hairless or very
nearly so, sticky.

THE LEAVES: alternate; crowded; those of the stem linear,
or the upper oblong or linear-lanceolate; the basal one
spatulate; one inch to three inches long; acute or acutish
at the apex; the basal dentate, those of the upper stem
entire, or roughish on the margins; those of the branches
very numerous, small and bract-like.

THE FLOWER HEADS: small, usually at the end of spread-
ing, slender branches and branchlets; the involucre
broadly bell-shaped; its bracts linear, obtuse or acutish,
appressed in about four series, green tipped. Rays fifteen
to thirty, about one inch long.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus white.

A bushy, but slenderly branched and delicately-flowered
Aster. The white or lilac-white rays very fine, the leaves
small and fine.

389

COMPOSITE

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Aster linariifolius, L.

Light violet to pale blue Pine-starwort,

Sandpaper-star wort,

Late August to October Savory-leaved Aster,

Thyme-leaved Aster.

Aster: for derivation see concolor.
Linariifolius: Latin denoting linear-leaved.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Com-
mons, especially in the more sterile parts.

THE PLANT: erect, four inches to ten inches high; the
stem, from a woody root, tufted, corymbosely branched
above, with tiny, short, soft hairs or with stiff hairs.

THE LEAVES: numerous; the uppermost reduced to bracts;
alternate; spreading; rigid; linear; rough on both surfaces;
with a tiny abrupt tip at the apex; stemless; entire on the
margins; those of the branches much smaller and usually
hairy.

THE FLOWER HEADS: solitary, or several at the ends of the
stem and branches; about one inch broad; the involucre
broadly top-shaped; the bracts linear-lanceolate, green on
the back, flattened, overlapping in four or five series.
Rays ten to fifteen, less than one half inch long, entire or
their tips toothed or even torn.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus tawny.

This is the low, dark green rigid Aster of the extremely
sandy plain. When the plant is in bloom, its stiffness,
however, is slightly relieved by the pretty, wide-open
flowers.

390

ONE INCH

ASTER

NOVI-BELG1I

COMPOSITE FAMILY

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Aster multiflorus, Ait.

White or lilac-white Dense-flowered Aster,

Fall-flower,

Late August to November Many-flowered Aster,

White Reef Aster,
White Wreath Aster.

Aster: for derivation see concolor.
Multiflorus: Latin denoting many-flowered.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides, waste places.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high, bushily
branched; the branches ascending or spreading; the stem
often brownish, pale or hoary, with minute somewhat
rough, short hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; those of the stem linear or linear-
oblong; one half inch to one and one half inches long;
those of the branches very small and crowded; all rigid;
rough on both surfaces; mostly obtuse at the apex; sessile
or slightly clasping at the base; entire, and hairy on the
margins.

THE FLOWER HEADS: scarcely one half inch broad; densely
crowded; nearly stemless, having sometimes a tendency to
grow only on one side of the branches; involucre top-
shaped; its bracts leathery, short haired, in three or four
series, the short green tips obtuse or finished with an
abrupt tip. Rays ten to twenty, very short.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus brownish white.

This is the stocky Aster that one thinks of, particularly,
as growing in the streets of the town. The numerous
leaves are dark green and fine and a multitude of flowers
always adorn the plant with white clusters,

391

COMPOSITE

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Aster novi-bdgii, L.

Lilac or blue- violet New York Aster,

Willow-leaved Blue Aster.
August-October

Aster: for derivation see concolor.
Nori-belgii: Latin for New Belgium.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: moist ground.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high, profusely
but not closely branched; the stem hairless or with few,
short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate or linear-lanceolate;
two inches to six inches long; hairless on both surfaces or
very nearly so; acuminate at the apex; narrowed or more
or less clasping at the base, the lowest petioled, the upper
sessile; entire or slightly serrate.

THE FLOWER HEADS: usually numerous in modified pan-
icles, on the average one inch wide; the involucre hemi-
spheric to bell-shaped; its bracts linear, generally acute,
green, somewhat spreading in three to five series, the outer
shorter; rays fifteen to twenty-five, about one half inch
long.

THE FRUIT: achenes, pappus whitish.

The most graceful and the most beautiful of our Asters.
Above the surrounding green of rose-bushes and brambles,
rise the slender branches, covered with tiny leaves, and
topped by the large, flat, flower heads, lilac in colour, with
bright yellow centres. The purplish stem and the lower
leaves, long and narrow, are usually hidden by the under-
growth.

392

COMPOSITE FAMILY

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Aster patens, Ait.

Light violet-purple Late Purple Aster,

Purple Daisy,
August-October Spreading Aster.

Aster: for derivation see concolor.
Patens: Latin denoting open.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high; the stem
slender, rough.

THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate-oblong to oblong-lanceo-
late; rough or with short, soft hairs; those of the branches
much smaller and bract-like; acute at the apex; or the
lowest obtuse; strongly heart-shaped or ear-shaped, and
clasping at the broad base: entire; the margins rough.

THE FLOWERS: in heads; solitary at the ends of the
branches; the bracts of the involucre with short, soft or
somewhat dry hairs and green acute tips. Rays twenty to
thirty.

THE FRUITS: achenes; pappus tawny.

A pretty purple Aster of the dry, sandy soil of the
Commons, that somewhat resembles the undulatus, but
is to be distinguished from it as well as from other Asters
by the leaf, heart-shaped and clasping at the; base.

COMPOSITES COMPOSITE FAMILY

Aster spectabilis, Ait.

Violet Showy Aster.

August-October

Aster: for derivation see concolor.
Spectabilis: Latin for showy.

393

COMPOSITE

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot or more high; stems stiff,
simple or corymbosely branched above, with short, soft
hairs or rough below.

THE LEAVES: alternate; linear-oblong the basal or lower
tones oval; three inches to five inches long, firm, thickish,
acute or acutish at the apex, narrowed at the base on
slender petioles; the upper sessile, sparingly dentate or
entire.

THE FLOWER HEADS: several or numerous, about one and
a half inches broad; involucre nearly hemispheric; its
bracts linear-oblong or slightly spatulate, in about five
series, the tips green. Rays thirteen to fifteen.

THE FRUIT: achenes, pappus whitish.

Brilliancy of violet rays and brightness of yellow centre
are the strongest elements in the picture when one recall
a patch of these showy Asters, of which the flowers are
large and rather heavy in proportion to the height of the
stem and the slenderness of the long leaves.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Aster undulatus, L.

Pale blue to violet Wavy-leaved Aster,

Various-leaved Aster
September-October Fleabane.

Aster: for derivation see concolor.
Undulatus: Latin denoting borne on a wave.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two and a half feet high;
the stem widely branched, stiff, rough and with short, soft
hairs.

394

COMPOSITE FAMILY

THE LEAVES: alternate; cordate or ovate; usually thick;
rough on both sides; with short hairs beneath; acute or
acuminate at the apex; with margined petioles which are
broadened and clasping at the base; dentate, undulate or
entire.

THE FLOWER HEADS: in racemes, often growing on one
side only of the spreading branches, nearly one inch broad;
involucre broadly top-shaped; rays, eight to fifteen.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus whitish.

The Aster undulatus is a fairly tall plant, whose flowers
closely resemble those of the patens. Its never-failing mark
of distinction is the peculiar shape of the leaf-stem. The
leaf is slightly indented at the base, then slips into the
flattened petiole, which, at first contracted, soon broadens
out to clasp the stem with more or less heart-shaped lobes.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Erigeron canadensis, L.

Greenish-white Horse-weed, Bitter-weed,

Cow's Tail, Blood-staunch,

Colt's Tail, Hogweed,

Fleabane, Fireweed.

Erigeron: ancient Greek name, probably suggesting spring,
and an old man, from the hoariness of the seed-vessel
of some of the species.

Canadensis: Latin for Canadian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: barnyards and neglected fields.

THE PLANT: erect, three inches to ten inches high, the
larger plants paniculately, much branched; the stem wand-
like, with rough hairs or practically hairless.

THE LEAVES: alternate; the root leaves differing from the
stem leaves. The basal and lower leaves being spatulate,

395

COMPOSITE

cut-lobed; those of the stem linear are mainly entire; all
covered with short, soft hairs, at least on the margins;
obtuse or acutish at the apex; petioled.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very small and very numerous, pan-
icled in cylindrical groups at the end of the stem.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus bristles or scales.

Few, even of the weeds, are so deadly stupid in appear-
ance as this, the Horseweed or Hogweed. It is tall, and
stiff like the proverbial yard-stick, with small flower-clus-
ters that seem to be always undeveloped, because the outer
green bracts almost cover the tiny, greenish-white flower
heads. These are borne on diverging branches at the top
of the stem so that the popular name is very clearly
applied when it dubs the plant Colt's Tail. But, as in
many other cases already cited, homeliness does not pre-
clude value. The plant was formerly used as a tonic, and
at the present time a valuable oil which is an ingredient
of a "mosquito dope," is distilled from it.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Erigeron ramosus, (Walt.) BSP

White, with yellow centre Daisy Fleabanc,

Slender White-top-
May-September

Erigeron: for derivation see ca?iadensis.
Ramosus: Latin for branched.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Com-
mons, neglected grounds.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high; the stem
corymbosely branched above, with short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; those of the stem linear-oblong or
linear-lanceolate, the lowest and basal ones spatulatc or

396

COMPOSITE FAMILY

oblong; two inches long and more; obtuse or obtusish at
the apex; stemless or on short petioles; the stem leaves
usually entire; the lowest and basal usually serrate.

THE FLOWER HEADS: rather numerous, on stems; bracts of
the involucre without hairs or nearly so. Rays sometimes
purplish, occasionally minute or wanting.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus of bristles and scales.

If its stem were only more leafy, this plant would not
be unattractive, for its forking branches are somewhat
graceful, and its small, daisy-like flowers, with their yel-
low centres and thin, narrow rays, rather pretty.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Sericocarpus asteroides, (L.) BSP -

Whitish White-topped Aster.

July-September

Sericocarpus: Greek for silky fruit.
Asteroides: Latin, resembling an aster.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil, under pine
trees.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high; the stem
slightly angled, with few, soft hairs or practically hairless.

THE LEAVES: basal or those of the stem alternate; obovate
or spatulate, oblong or oblong-lanceolate; two inches to
four inches long; with short, soft hairs or hairless; acute or
obtuse at the apex; narrowed into petioles; entire or round-
toothed; pinnately veined and faintly three-nerved.

THE FLOWER HEADS: about one half inch high, densely
clustered; involucre bell-shaped; its bracts oblong, with
short, soft hairs on the surface or on the edge, the outer
with green reflexed tips.

397

COMPOSITE

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus brown or white.

Many of the plants of the Commons are stiff, even if
they are low growing, and the White-topped Aster is no ex-
ception. On the ground under the pine trees and practically
everywhere on the Commons are flat rosettes of spatulate
leaves, from which rise somewhat leafy stems, topped
with large, much branched clusters of what appear to be
small flowers of a pinkish .cast. If these flower heads are
examined more closely, they are found to be a circle of
rays set within an outer circle, and under the strong lens
of the microscope, tiny flowers can be discerned.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Pluchea camphorata, (L.) DC.

Magenta-purple Salt-marsh Fleabane,

Spicy Fleabane,
August-October Ploughman's Wort.

Pluchea: dedicated to the Abbe Pluche, a French natural-
ist of the 18th century.

Camphorata: Latin for camphor, in allusion to the strong
camphor odour of the plant.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: salt marshes.

THE PLANT: erect, four inches to two feet high, usually
branched; the stem with short, soft hairs, sticky.

THE LEAVES: opposite; ovate-oblong or lanceolate; three
inches to eight inches long, one inch wide or more; thick-
ish; with few short, soft hairs or none; acute or acuminate
at the apex; narrowed at the base; stemless, but not clasp-
ing, or the lower on short stems; serrate or denticulate;
not conspicuously net- veined.

THE FLOWER HEADS: mostly in naked modified cymes;
bracts of the involucre ovate-lanceolate, acute, with tiny,
soft hairs.

398

COMPOSITE FAMILY

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus of bristles.

Although low-growing, yet it is one of the conspicuous
salt-marsh plants, for it has deep magenta-purple flower
heads and thick grey-green leaves, not to forget a strong,
pungent odour, which is supposed to be camphor-like.

The plants wilt rather quickly after being picked, but
soon revive in water and last for many days, although the
leaves, by turning yellow, become shabby in time.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Anaphalis margaritacea, (L.) B. & H.

White Silver-button Lady-never-fade,

(Local name), Moonshine,

July-October Pearly Everlasting, None-so-pretty,

Life Everlasting, Cotton-weed,

Large-flowered Poverty-weed,

Everlasting, Indian Posy,

Silver-leaf Ladies' Tobacco.
Everlasting,

Anaphalis: said to be ancient Greek name for some similar

plant.
Margaritocea: Latin, pearly.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high, corymbosely
branched above; the stem clothed with flakes of white wool.

THE LEAVES: alternate; linear-lanceolate or the lower
broader and spatulate; from three to five inches long;
above, sage green; below paler; more or less woolly on both
surfaces; tapering to a point at the apex; narrowed at
the base; stemless; entire; the margins rolled backward.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very numerous, close-set in a com-
pound corymb; the staminate flowers at the centre yellow;
involucre bell-shaped; its bracts ovate-lanceolate, obtuse.

399

COMPOSITE

THE FRUIT: achenes, pappus copious.

A greenish-white plant that grows among Bayberry
bushes or Goat's-rue or in big, round clumps in the open.
The leaves, clothed with white wool, are long, slender and
drooping, the flower heads pearly white, with yellow-brown
centres. Of so essentially dry a nature is the whole plant,
that the rubbing of the flower heads together produces a
harsh sound. Because of this dry character, it '"keeps" well
and no old Nantucket bouquet was complete without it.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Gnaphalium polycephalum, Michx.

Cream-white Common Everlasting. Old Field Balsam,

Cudweed, Rabbit-tobacco,

August-October Sweet Life Everlasting, Life-of-Man,

Fragrant Everlasting, Moonshine.
Sweet White Balsam,

Gnaphalium: an ancient Greek name of some downy plant.
Polycephalum: Greek for many-headed.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high; stem simple,
or branched above, with densely matted wool.

THE LEAVES : alternate ; lanceolate or linear-lanceolate ; one
inch to three inches long; above practically hairless and
commonly dark green, beneath densely white woolly;
acute or acutish at the apex; narrowed at the base; without
stems; having wavy margins. Leaves of the winter
rosettes, oblong.

THE FLOWER HEADS: small and few in numerous clusters;
bracts of the involucre white or tinged with brown, oblong,
obtuse, the outer woolly at the base.

THE FRUIT: achenes, pappus of bristles.

400

COMPOSITE FAMILY

The general colour-tone of this low, bushy plant is yel-
low-green. The flower heads are a yellow- creamy white
and the stem (much branched at the top) as well as
the narrow leaves is "velvety — hairy and delicately sage
green." The plant has an aromatic odour, strong and
very lasting, which resembles that of slippery elm, and
while one cannot call the succulent stems "tasty," the
Xantucket boys say they used to chew them to quench
their thirst.

From the plant is obtained a drug, valuable in the treat-
ment of sciatica.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Ambrosia artemisiifolia, L.

Green Ragweed, Black-weed,

Hay weed, Butter-weed,

July-October Hay fever-weed, Tassel-weed,

Hog-weed, Roman-wormwood.
Carrot-weed,

Ambrosia: the Greek and Latin name of several plants as
well as the food of the gods, signifying to die immortal.

Artemisiifolia: Latin, meaning "the leaves of the Arte-
misia," in allusion to the fact that these leaves resemble
those of the Artemisia.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and neglected fields.

THE PLANT: erect, paniculately branched, one foot to
five feet high; the stem with short, soft hairs or more or
less stiff ones.

THE LEAVES: upper, alternate; lower, mostly opposite;
all very variable; one to two pinnatifid or the leaves of
the flowering branches often undivided; two to four
inches long; above, smoothish; beneath, paler and with
ashy-grey hairs; petioled; the divisions, lanceolate, acute
or obtuse at the apex.

26 401

COMPOSITE

THE FLOWER HEADS: the sterile numerous and tiny; the
staminate in slender spikes; the pistillate solitary or
clustered in the upper axils.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus none.

A rather decorative frequenter of old gardens and road-
sides and neglected fields, where its numerous, long and
slender spikes of green flowers and its light green, finely
dissected leaves make it easy to recognise. One should
be able to identify readily this not unattractive but un-
fortunately-endowed plant, in order to aid in its extermina-
tion, for the pollen is quite as responsible for causing hay-
fever as that of Goldenrod.

From the pollen is obtained a drug, valuable in the treat-
ment of hay-fever.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Rudbeckia hirta, L.

Yellow Black-eyed Susan. Great Hairy Rudbeckia,

Brown-eyed Susan, Yellow Daisy,

Yellow Ox-eye- Nigger-head,

May-October Daisy, Golden Jerusalem.
Cone Flower,

Rudbeckia: named in honour of the Professors Rud-
beck, father and son, predecessors of Linnaeus at
Upsala.

Hirta: Latin for rough.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: grain fields, or the dry sandy
soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high, often
branched near the base, with rather coarse, more or less
stiff, short hairs throughout.

402

COMPOSITE FAMILY

THE LEAVES: alternate; IHUIHTOUS; lanceolate or oblong or
spatulate; two inches to seven inches long; thick; acute
or acutish at the apex; stemless or the lower ones petioled;
sparingly serrate with low teeth, or entire.

THE FLOWER HEADS: commonly few or solitary; two
inches broad; rays ten to twenty; bracts of the involucre
beset with short, stiff hairs.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus lacking.

A clump of deep but bright yellow in a hay-field, suggests
the Black-eyed Susan, a handsome plant, evidently i;f the
Composite Family, that has large showy rays and "madder
purple" or brown discs, solid and slightly cone-shaped.
The stem is very hairy, the hairs rough and bristly, and
the leaves dull olive green, lance-shaped, and practically
toothless.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Helianthus divaricatus, L.

Yellow Wild Sunflower,

Rough Sunflower,
July-September Woodland Sunflower.

Helianthus: Greek, denoting a sunflower.
Divaricatus: Latin, denoting widely divergent.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: thickets.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet to seven feet high, branched;
the stem without hairs throughout or with short hairs at
the top, slender.

THE LEAVES: usually all opposite, wide-spreading or di-
vergent (divaricate); lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate; three
inches to eight inches long, acuminate at the apex; sessile
or nearly so, with a suddenly-cut base; dentate or denticu-
late; three prominent veins.

403

COMPOSITE

THE FLOWER HEADS: few or solitary, two inches broad,
borne on short hairy peduncles; involucre hemispheric;
its bracts lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, the outer ones
spreading; rays eight to fifteen.

THE FRUIT: achenes, the pappus consists of deciduous
chaffy scales.

This Wild Sunflower is a copy, on a much slenderer and
smaller scale, of the cultivated Sunflower. The flat centre
or disk is brown although more yellow-brown than purple-
brown, and the oblong, petal-like rays are yellow. On
account of its slightness, this is the more graceful plant.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Bidens cernua, L.

Yellow Smaller Bur-marigold,

Nodding Bur-marigold,

July-October Double-tooth,

Pitch-forks,
Stick-tight,
Water Agrimony.

Bidens: Latin, meaning two-toothed.
Cernua: Latin for stooping.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: damp borders of fresh -water
ponds.

THE PLANT: erect, bushy, one foot to three feet high,
branched; the stem with stiff hairs or hairless.

THE LEAVES: generally opposite or the uppermost alter-
nate; lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate; three inches to six
inches long; hairless on both surfaces; tapering to a point
at the apex; stemless and partly united at the base;
usually shortly and sharply and unequally saw-toothed.

THE FLOWER HEADS: numerous, nodding on short stems,

404

COMPOSITE FAMILY

on an average one inch broad, hemispheric; involucre
hemispheric, its outer bracts often large and leaf-like.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus armed with bristles.

A bushy, but by no means stalwart plant, a frequenter
of the damp thicket border, on the edges of ponds, with
narrow, smooth, and lance-shaped leaves, coarsely and
sharply toothed, and small but fairly conspicuous round
heads of yellow flowerets.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Achillea mille folium, L.

Oyster-white or Yarrow, Sand-leaved Clover*

crimson-pink Milfoil, Bloodwort,

Thousand-leaf, Cammock,

June-October No'sebleed-weed, Carpenter's Grass,

Soldier's Dog -daisy,

Wound wort, Green Arrow,

Sanguinary, Old Man's-pepper.

Achillea: because its virtues are said to have been found

by Achilles.
Millefolium: Latin for a thousand-leaf.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens, roadsides, Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high, simple or stiffly
branched at the top; the stem leafy, with short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; narrowly oblong or lanceolate-
some of them ten inches long and one half inch wide; with
soft, matted wool or short hairs or even hairless on both
surfaces; acute at the apex; narrow at the base; petioled
or sessile; very finely dissected.

THE FLOWER HEADS: numerous in compound, dense, some-
what convex or flat-topped corymbs; yellowish at the cen-
tre; the involucre ovoid; the bracts oblong, obtusish; the
five rays oyster- white.

405

COMPOSITE

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus none.

One of the everywhere plants and, in a sense, one of the
always plants. For its rather large clusters of flowers
persist, withered and brown, often all winter, long after
the finely dissected, feathery, dark green leaves have dis-
appeared. A stiff plant, with a strong, rather disagreeable
odour, not so attractive when white, but very pretty in
the coloured forms. Under a microscope, too, the flowerets
are particularly beautiful.

Though not always handsome, the plant is useful. For
"it checks excessive discharges." Evidently its virtues
have long been known. So has come the botanical name,
Achillea, and so have accumulated the long list of common
names, many of which indicate its medicinal value.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Anthemis Cotula, L.

White, with yellow May-weed, Dog-fennel,

centre Chamomile, Fetid,

Dog's-chamomile, Pig-sty,
June-October Dog-Daisy, Stinking-daisy.

Anthemis: the ancient Greek name of the Chamomile.
Cotula: from Greek for a cup or socket.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: well-travelled roadsides, neg-
lected fields.

THE PLANT: erect or spreading, from one foot to two feet
high; much branched; the stem usually without hairs but
sometimes with short, soft hairs above.

THE LEAVES: alternate; one to three pinnately-divided
into narrow, almost thread-like, acute lobes, from one
inch to two inches long; hairless or sometimes with short,
soft hairs above; mostly stemless.

406

COMPOSITE FAMILY

THE FLOWER HEADS: numerous; about one inch broad;
the rays ten to eighteen, mostly three-toothed; at length
recurved.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus none or practically none.

A bright-faced visitor around dwellings, in neglected
gardens, and by well-travelled roadsides, where the pure
white rays and yellow centres of the conspicuous flowers
are rather decorative. But, unfortunately, it is not a
house-plant, for the rays drop very soon and the yellow
centres turn brown. Still, it has long been useful as an
herb for Chamomile tea has been for generations a popular
cure for certain ailments.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum, L. var. pinnatifidum,
Lecoq and Lamotte.

Marguerite,

White, with Daisy, Maudlin,

yellow centre Big Bull, Mid-summer Moon,

Bull's Eye Daisy, Ox-eye Daisy,

May-October Butter-dog, Moon-penny,

(at least) Dog-blow, Poverty-weed,

Dutch Morgan, Poor-land,

Field Daisy, Moon-flower,

Great White Ox- Sheriff-pink,

eyed Daisy, White Daisy,

Farmer's Curse, White-man' s-weed,

Herb-mar gar et, White-weed.
Horse,
Horse-gowan,

Chrysanthemum: Greek name meaning a golden flower.
Leucanthemum: Greek, signifying white and a flower, in

allusion to the white rays.
Pinnatifidum: Latin for pinnatifid (divided like a fea ther)

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil everywhere.

407

COMPOSITE

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to three feet high, branched
and often tufted, at the least at the base; the stem smooth
or with a few scattered hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; obovate, oblong, or spatulate;
one inch to three inches long; the upper small, narrowed
into a long, slender stem, or stemless, nearly entire; the
lower pinnatifid, in fact all are sometimes doubly pinnatifid.

THE FLOWER HEADS: few or several, on bare stems; one
inch to two inches broad; the involucre spreading, the
bracts oblong-lanceolate, obtuse. Rays twenty to thirty,
slightly two- to three-toothed.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus lacking.

Probably there is no better known plant in the world
than this. It is interesting to note that the variety which
is the common form in the United States is the rare form
in England and on the Continent, and vice versa, the
common form in the more eastern countries, the true
Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum, is the rarer one here.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Tanacetum vulgare, L. var. crispum, DC.

Yellow Tansy, Parsley Fern,

Bitter Buttons, English Cost,
July-October Ginger Plant, Hindheal.

Tanacetum: name of uncertain origin.
Vulgare: Latin for common.
Crispum: Latin for crisp.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides.

THE PLANT: erect, one and one half feet to three feet high;
the stem usually simple up to the flowering branches,
stout, hairless or with few short, soft hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; pinnately divided into linear-ob-
long, pinnatifid or incised parts, the lobes acute, usually

408

COMPOSITE FAMILY

serrate; the lower segments of the leaves often smaller
than the others.

THE FLOWER HEADS: commonly numerous, very small,
rather short-stemmed; the involucre hemispheric; its
bracts oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or the outer acute; the
variety crispum has the leaf segments more incised and
crisped than the type.

THE FRUIT: achenes; the pappus consisting of bristles.

This is a striking plant, with robust stem and very
finely divided dull green leaves and bright yellow button-
like heads of flowers.

It is interesting to know that the variety crispum, which
is the more rare form on the mainland, is the more abun-
dant in Xantucket.

As the name "crispum" implies, the leaves are slightly
crisp. They have a strong, pungent odour, due to a vol-
atile oil. This oil, mixed with that distilled from Flea-
bane and Pennyroyal and diluted with alcohol, makes a-
good "mosquito dope."

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Artemisia caudata, Michx.

Green-yellow Wormwood,

Mugwort.
July-October

Artemisia: ancient name of the Mugwort, in honour of

Artemisia, wife of Mausolus.
Caudata: Latin, meaning with a tail.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: nearly erect, two feet to three feet high, at
length paniculately branched; the branches without hairs
or rarely with few, soft, short hairs, the stems slender;
very leafy, hairless.

409

COMPOSITE

THE LEAVES: alternate; two to three pinnately divided
into narrowly linear, acute lobes; upper leaves pinnately
divided, or the uppermost entire; all sometimes bearing a
few short, soft hairs; lower leaves and those of sterile
shoots on slender stems; upper leaves sessile or nearly so.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very small, in a large, somewhat
leafy panicle.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus none.

The presence of this Wormwood is an indicator of very
sandy soil. In some places, indeed, its low-spreading,
flattened branches offer footholds in the beach sand, where
little else but Eel grass is growing. In form and in colour
it varies as it matures. When the plant is young, the
finely divided light green leaves on low stems remind one
of the Wild Carrot. Later, the stem still unbranched,
crowded with very dark green leaves, bends stiffly back-
ward, while still later one finds single plants or rosettes
of plants, much branched and crowded with leaves and
bearing tiny, green-yellow flower-clusters that resemble
little pin-heads, or the whole plant already turned reddish
brown and withered.

Even this ugly plant has been mistaken for Heather!

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Artemisia Stelleriana, Bess.

Beech Worm-wood,
Yellow- white Dusty Miller,

Mugwort,
July-August Old Woman.

Artemisia: for derivation see caudata.
Stelleriana: Latin name in honor of G. W. Steller, an ex-
plorer of the early eighteenth century.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: beach sand.

410

ARTEMl
SIA

STELLER1ANA\|?

ICHOR-

IUM
1NTYBUS

411

COMPOSITE FAMILY

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two feet high or more,
bushily branched; the branches somewhat erect; the stems
clothed' with a white, matted wool.

THE LEAVES: alternate; obovate to spatulate; piniiatcly
compound; one inch to four inches long; beneath densely
covered with long, white, matted hairs, becoming smoother
and greener when old; the lower petioled, the upper sessile;
deeply lobed, the lobes entire or few-toothed; obtuse.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very small, in a racemose spike on
short stems, which are clothed with greenish-white, matted
wool; the involucre bell-shaped; its bracts also covered
with matted hairs.

THE FRUIT: achenes; the pappus none.

This is the greenish-white plant that grows in round
clumps on the beach sands, or is frequently used in gar-
dens, as a border-plant. It is easily transplanted, because
it roots so readily in water.

When in its "native haunts," it is not difficult to iden-
tify. For the decoratively slashed grey-green leaves are
matted, some often close to the sand, and from them rise
stiff spikes of yellow-white flower heads. These, unfor-
tunately, soon turn a dingy brown.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Erechtites hieradfolia, (L.) Raf.

White Fireweed,

Pile Wort.
July-September

Erechtites: the ancient name of some species of groundsel,

probably called after Erechtheus.
Hieradfolia: Latin, having leaves like Hieracium, the

hawk weed.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil, particularly
of the Commons.

413

COMPOSITE

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to five feet high, usually
branched; the stem grooved and hairless or with somewhat
stiff, short hairs on the lines, succulent, often dark purple,
with rank odour and a juice most nauseous to the taste.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate;
two inches to eight inches long; thin, acuminate at the
apex; stemless and slightly clasping at the base, or the
lower narrowed into petioles; dentate and often deeply
cut; with rough margins; in drying turn black.

THE FLOWER HEADS: seldom an inch long, about one
quarter inch in diameter; the involucre cylindrical, con-
spicuously swollen at the base before flowering; its bracts
numerous, green or dark purple, with rough margins.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus bright white.

An uninteresting, weedy-looking plant that grows prac-
tically anywhere in poor soil — in the Town as well as on
the Commons. It has a heavy, succulent stem, with coarse
leaves and small tubes for flower heads, green, tipped with
white, that are later followed by pure white puff-balls, the
only good-looking part of the plant!

The popular name, Fireweed, has been given it, because
it is supposed to be one of those plants that come up after
a fire, but on account of its name it is not to be confused
with the handsome Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium} of
the Commons, that has large magenta flowers, and promi-
nent stamens.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Arc-Hum tomentosum, Fernald.

Light magenta Burdock,

Cuckoo Button.
July-October

Arctium: from Greek for "a bear," in allusion to the rough

involucre.
Tomentosum: Latin for a stuffing of wool or hair.

414

COMPOSITE FAMILY

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: waste-places, near dwellings.

THE BUSH: erect, from three to five feet high,, branched,
its main stem with short, soft hairs, more or less woolly
and matted.

THE LEAVES: alternate; the upper roundish or ovate; the
lower deeply heart-shaped; sometimes twelve inches long;
obtusish at the apex; on long, hollow petioles; usually
entire (rarely finely divided).

THE FLOWER HEADS: lilac-pink or light magenta, about
three quarters of an inch broad; the involucre subglobose;
the spines tipped with bristles.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus consists of scales.

What child has not made baskets from the prickly green
burs of the burdock, and who is not familiar with the
stout, coarse bush, over whose small, purple flower heads on
a warm August morning, crowds of white cabbage butter-
flies hover, some alighting on the broad and heavy leaves?
It grows in the midst of old dumps and along roadsides;
anywhere, in fact, near dwellings, the burdock flourishes.

The bush has a use, the root being placed in the medicinal
cupboard, and the young stalks, carefully pared and boiled,
serving as a substitute for asparagus.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Cirsium arvense, (L.) Scop.

Lilac or pale magenta Canada Thistle, Grey Thistle,

Cursed Thistle, Perennial Thistle,

July-September Prickly Thistle, Small-flowered

Hard Thistle, Thistle,

Corn Thistle, Creeping Thistle.

Cirsium: Greek for a swollen vein for which the thistle was

a reputed remedy.
Arvense: Latin, belonging in a field.

COMPOSITE

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and neglected
ground.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high; branched
above; the stem slender and grooved.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate;
five inches to eight inches long; without hairs on the
upper surface and, when young, slightly wooly on the
under surface; acute at the apex; broader at the base;
sometimes petioled or sometimes sessile and slightly clasp-
ing; the lower sometimes running down the stem; all
deeply pinnatifid into very prickly lobed or toothed
segments.

THE FLOWER HEADS: numerous, one inch broad, nearly
one inch high; the outer bracts ovate to lanceolate, tipped
with short, prickly points.

THE FRUIT: achenes, pappus of bristles.

This is that tall, bushy thistle, with very narrow leaves
and small lilac flower heads. To explain its appearance
on Nantucket, legend says that a Canadian ship, freighted
with mattresses, was wrecked here and the down contained
seed, which germinated, and the plant spread. It is
really a pest, and Nantucket should be none too glad to
welcome it.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Cirsium lanceolatum, L.

Magenta Common Thistle, Horse Thistle,

Lance-leaved Bell Thistle,

July-October Thistle, Bird Thistle,

Bull Thistle, Blue Thistle,

Spear Thistle, Button Thistle,

Plume Thistle, Boar Thistle,

Bur Thistle, Roadside Thistle,
Bank Thistle,

416

COMPOSITE FAMILY

Cirsium: for derivation, see arvense.
Lanceolatum: Latin for lance-shaped.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil, particularly
of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, branched, three feet to four feet high; the
stem stout, leafy to the flower heads, grooved, clothed
with matted hairs.

THE LEAVES: alternate; dark green; three inches to six
inches long, or the lowest larger; lanceolate; the upper
surface with short somewhat soft or roughish hairs; the
lower with brown, matted wool; acuminate at the apex;
sessile, continued down the stem and branches; deeply cut,
the lobes triangular-lanceolate, tipped with stout prickles;
the margins and bases prickly, and mid- vein hairy, es-
pecially when young.

THE FLOWER HEADS: mostly solitary at the ends of the
branches, one and one half inches to two inches broad,
one and one half inches to two inches high; bracts of the
involucre cottony, narrowly lanceolate, tipped with slender
prickles.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus consists of bristles.

The monarch of the fields is this dignified plant that
holds stiffly its numerous dark green spiny leaves at right
angles to the stem and carries erect the large solitary
handsome head of magenta flowers neatly ragged above
(if such a paradox is permissible), and well-armoured below
by dark and spiny bracts. The "off-islanders" consider
the plant in its fresh condition very effective for bouquets;
the Nantucket people prefer to make puff-balls from it for
winter decoration.

COMPOSITE

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Cirsium spinosissimum, (Walt.) Scop.

Yellow, sometimes with Yellow Thistle.

purple markings

June-August

Cirsium: for derivation see arvense.
Spinosissimum: from Latin, meaning most thorny.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, two feet tall or taller, branched; stem
leafy, somewhat woolly when young, but becoming
smoother.

THE LEAVES: numerous; green on both sides; lanceolate or
oblong; acute at the apex; sessile and clasping at the base;
deeply cut or lobed, the parts generously armed with
prickles.

THE FLOWER HEADS: two to four inches broad; bracts of
the involucre narrowly lanceolate, roughish.

THE FRUIT: achenes.

Indubitably a thistle, and a very spiny one!

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Cichorium Intybus, L.

"Chicory blue" Chicory,

Succory,

July-October Blue-sailors,

Coffee Weed,
Bachelor's-buttons.

Cichorium: altered from the Arabian name of the plant.

A similar name is used in nearly all the languages of

civilization.
Intybus: a classical Latin name for the species.

418

COMPOSITE FAMILY

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: roadsides and fields.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot to three feet high; the stem
-stiff, much branched, with few, short, stiff hairs.

THE LEAVES: those of the stem alternate, the basal spread-
ing on the ground; those of the stem oblong-lanceolate or
lanceolate, those of the rigid flowering-branches, spatu-
late; the lower three inches to six inches long, the upper
much smaller, those of the flowering branches minute;
acute or acutish at the apex; clasping or partly clasping
at the base, even narrowed into long petioles; the lowest
pinnatifid, the upper entire or lobed.

THE FLOWER HEADS: very numerous, sometimes one and
one half inches broad, one to four together in stemless
clusters on the nearly leafless or bracted branches. Albinos
are found from pale blue to pure white. In fading, flowers
turn white, due to oxidation.

THE FRUIT: achenes; the pappus of short, blunt scales.

A beautifully coloured, rather stiff plant, about which
there are interesting stories. The root-leaves are still used
in Europe for forage, and, blanched, are a substitute for
pot-herbs or are served as a salad or used as spinach. In
this country, during the Civil War, the ground-up root was
used for making coffee and is still an adulterant in the
cheaper grades, while in France it is still put to this use.
Also a valuable drug is obtained from it.

This historic plant was at one time very rare on Nan-
tucket. In commenting on this fact, Mrs. Owen says,
"At the south end of Orange Street, scattered along the
roadside, where it has been known for fifty years, and
never, apparently, any more or less abundant than now."
Mr. Dame reports two plants in Siasconset and a few in
Polpis. But now it is everywhere. Unfortunately it can-
not be picked advantageously, for the minute the stem
has been cut, the flowers usually droop and do not revive.

419

COMPOSITE

But out in the open, it is a different story. On a cloudy
day, when the grey-blue colouring is exceptionally deep,
a whole field of Chicory amid the waving grasses, stretch-
ing even to the sombre background of Barker bushes, is a
sight fit for the gods.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Leontodon antwnncilis, L. var. pratensis, (Link.) Koch.

Yellow Fall Dandelion, Lionx-tooth,

Hawkbit, Dog Dandelion,

June-November Arnica, Arnica Bud.

August Flower.

Leontodon: from Greek, a lion and a tooth, in allusion to
the toothed leaves. French, tooth of a lion (dent-de-lion).

Autumnalis: Latin for the season of increase, which is the
Autumn.

Pratensis: Latin for belonging in a field.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: streets of the town, open places.

THE PLANT: erect, six inches to two feet high; the flower-
stems hairless or very nearly so, usually branched and
scaly.

THE LEAVES: basal; narrowly oblong to linear-lanceolate;
with a few short, soft hairs; acuminate at the apex; nar-
rowed at the base into rather short petioles; pinnatifid or
some of them coarsely dentate.

THE FLOWER HEADS: several, about one inch broad or
more; on peduncles thickened at the top; involucre ob-
long, hairless or with short, soft hairs.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus tawny, a row of equal
bristles.

In fields and along roadsides, in town or out, but more
frequently in grassy places along the streets, are found

420

COMPOSITE FAMILY

these bright yellow flat-topped dandelion-like heads, on
slender, wiry stems. The rosette of dull green and bluntly
lobed leaves is at the base and usually well hidden in the grass.
Although both the Leontodon autumnalis and the variety
are abundant on Nantucket, Mr. Bicknell says they are
very scarce on Martha's Vineyard. "The var. pratensis
seems to have made its appearance only on a few lawns at
Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, not far from where the
Nantucket boats make their landings." Thus may Nan-
tucket help to populate the world!

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Taraxacum officinale, Weber.

Yellow Common Dandelion Yellow Gowan.

Blow-ball, Lion's Tooth,

From early spring to One 0' Clock, Milk-witch,

autumn, and sometimes Fortune-teller, Monk's-head,

throughout the winter. Puff Ball, Priest's Crown,

Cancer Wort, Arnica,

Horse Gowan, Witches' Gowan.

Irish Daisy,

Taraxacum: Greek, to disorder, in allusion to the medicinal

properties.
Officinale: Latin for workshop, the place where the drugs

were compounded.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: waste places and gardens.
THE PLANT: from a thick, deep root, often ten inches long.

THE LEAVES: tufted at the base; pinnatifid; oblong to
spatulate; three inches to ten inches long; rather succulent;
usually with short, soft hairs; acute or obtuse at the apex;
narrowed into stems; dentate or rarely with the margin
wavy, or nearly entire.

THE SCAPE: erect, two inches to eighteen inches tall,
without hairs.

421

COMPOSITE

THE FLOWER HEADS: one inch to two inches broad, con-
taining one hundred and fifty to two hundred flowers; the
inner bracts of the involucre linear or linear-lanceolate,
the outer shorter, turned back, all acute.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus white.

This cheerful, irrepressible weed needs no introduction.
When it appears in November or December, in the absence
of flower rivals, we pay it our compliments, but when in
the early spring we find its gayety spoiling our lawn, we
seek measures of extermination, and, if an unfortunate
Puff-ball appears, we go for it, tooth and nail.

It is no solace that the young leaves may be used for
greens or salads, or that the plants, if popped into warm
water the instant after they have been gathered, keep
well and are decorative, or that they make excellent wine
and have medicinal qualities as a tonic. We must seek
means of extermination. Cutting off only acts as a stimu-
lant to the plant. A pinch of dry salt on the cut root
retards recovery. Chemical sprays kill the young plants,
but the old ones are not much affected. The best method
is to spray the lawn with copper or iron sulphate, which
does not injure the grass. But diligence must be your
\\atchword, whatever method you employ, if you would
have final success.

It is interesting that the plant is protected from destruc-
tion by animals by its bitter, milky juice, which they dislike.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Sonchus oleraceus, L.

Yellow Common Sow-thistle, Milky Tassel,

Hare's Lettuce, Sevinie's Cole-wort,

June-November Milkweed, Hare's Cole-wort.
Milk Thistle,

Sonchus: Greek name for Sow-thistle.
Oleraceus: Latin, signifying greens.

422

COMPOSITE FAMILY

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: waste ground and fields.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot high and more; the stem nearly
simple, sometimes reddish at the base.

THE LEAVES: alternate; lyrate-pinnatifid or the uppermost
lanceolate; the terminal part commonly larger and tri-
angular; four inches to ten inches long; clasping by ear-
shaped or arrow-shaped base; the margins slightly round-
toothed, with bristly or scarcely spiny teeth, or those of
the uppermost leaves entire.

THE FLOWER HEADS: several or numerous; involucre
hairless.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus of soft, white bristles, which
usually fall away, connected sometimes with one or two
stouter ones which fall separately.

This is a coarse and weedy plant, yet somewhat deco-
rative, with a stout, hollow, and succulent stem and dark
green leaves, \vhich like those of a thistle have prickly
edges. The pale yellow flower-heads, too, are shaped
like a thistle's.

In Europe the plant is used as a pot-herb. It is kept
succulent by constant pinching of the flower heads.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Hieracium canadense, Michx.

Yellow Canadian Hawkwced.

July-October

Hieracium: Greek for hawk.
Canadense: Latin for Canadian.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, one foot high and taller; the stem
sparingly branched, leafy, practically hairless, or with a
few, short, soft ones.

423

COMPOSITE

THE LEAVES: alternate; oblong-lanceolate, ovate-oblong, or
lanceolate; above usually hairless, beneath hairless or with
short, soft hairs ; acute or acuminate at the apex ; rounded
or somewhat heart-shaped at the base; at least the upper
sessile; coarsely toothed or especially cut below the middle;
the margins sometimes hairy.

THE FLOWER HEADS: usually numerous, in modified pani-
cles; the involucre with small, short, soft hairs, its bracts
overlapping in two or three series, the outer spreading.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus brown.

To recognize that the Hawkweeds are closely related to
the Dandelions is easy, but to distinguish the Hawkweeds
one from another is a more difficult task. This is the large,
stout one, almost handsome in its vigour, with deep yellow
flowers and numerous, lance-shaped leaves, dark green and
stout.

COMPOSITE COMPOSITE FAMILY

Hieracium marianum, Willd.

Yellow Hawkweed.

June-October

Hieracium: for derivation see canadense.
Marianum: Latin for Maryland.

THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons.

THE PLANT: erect, about one foot high or taller; stems
usually solitary, paniculately branched above, slender,
with short, silky hairs.

THE LEAVES: mostly basal but two to several stem leaves;
stem leaves obovate or oblong, somewhat upright or lying
against the stem; with slightly rough hairs; obtuse at the
apex; narrowed at the base; without stem or petioled; may
be purple veined or wholly green.

424

COMPOSITE FAMILY

THE FLOWER HEADS: usually numerous in modified pani-
cles, one half inch broad or more, on slender peduncles
which are more or less glandular and sometimes covered
with whitish hairs; principal bracts of the involucre linear-
lanceolate, acute or acuminate, hairless or nearly so.

THE FRUIT: achenes; pappus brown.

This Hawkweed has a rosette of leaves at the base of a
slender and practically bare flowering stem. The plant is
very variable and therefore difficult always to distinguish
readily. But Mr. Bicknell says that "a character worthy
of primary consideration in the determination of ambigu-
ous examples" is the white hoariness (canescence) of the
panicle together with the very glandular dark-hairiness
(pubescence and nigrescence) of the involucre.

Seventy-one other members of the Composite Family
have been reported.

425

INDEX

Aaron's Flannel, 345.
Aaron's Rod, 345.

ACERACE/E, 202, 2O3.

Acer rubrum, 202.
Achillea Millefolium, 405.
Acorus Calamus, 16.
Adam's Cup, 115.
Adam's Flannel, 345.
Adam's Pitcher. 115.
Adder's Mouth, 45.
Adder's-wort, 320.
Agroslemma Gilhago, 91.
Ague-root, 31.
Ague Tree, 105.
Ague-weed, 364.
Alder, Black, 200.
Alder, False, 200.
Alder, Spiked, 260.
Alder, Striped, 200.
Alder, White, 200, 268.
Alehoof, 328.
Aletns farinosa, 31 .
Alfalfa. 159.
ALISMACE^E, 11-13.
Amber John, 220.
Ambrosia arlemisifolia, 401 .
A melanchier canadensis, 130.
American-thrift, 287.

AN'ACARDIACE^:, IQO-IQS.

.1 nagallis arvensis, 296.
A naphalis margarilacea , 399 •
Andromeda, Privet, 260, 268.
Anemone, Five-leaved, 103.
Anemone quinquef olia, 103.
Anemone Wood, 103.
Angel-eyes, 358.
Anthemls Cotula, 406.
.\piosluberosa, 169.
Appalachian-tea, 196.
Apple of Peru. 342, 344-
Apple-pie, 248.
AQUIFOLIACE^E, 196-208.
ARACE/E, 15-17-
Arbutus, Trailing, 269.
Archangel, 334-
Arctium tomentosum, 414.
Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi,2j2.
Arenaria peploides. 85.
Arethusa bulbosa, 47.
Ariscematriphyllum, 15.
Arnica, 419. 421.
Arnica Bud, 420.
Arrow-head, n, 12.
Arrow-wood, 360.

Artemisia caudata. 409.
Artemisia Stelleriana, 410.
Arum, 15.

ASCLEPIADACE/E, 308-3 14 .

Asclepias amplexicaulis . 308.
Asclepiasincarnata,va.i. pulchra,

3ii.

Asclepias syriaca, 312.
Asclepias tuberosa, 313.
Ascyrum hypericoides, 214.
Ash, Poison, 194.
Aspen, American, 52.
Aspen, Quaking, 52.
Aster. Bushy, 389.
Asler concolor, 388.
Aster, Dense-flowered, 391.
Asler dumosus, 389.
Aster, Eastern Silver, 388.
Aster, Late Purple, 393.
Aster, Lilac-flowered, 388.
Aster linariifolius, 390.
Aster, Many-flowered, 391.
Asler mullijlorus, 391.
Aster, New York, 392.
Asler novi-belgii, 392.
Aster patens, 393-
Aster, Rice-button, 389.
Aster, Rushy, 389-
Aster, Savory-leaved, 390.
Aster, Showy, ,->93.
Asler spectabilts, 393-
Aster, Spreading, 393.
Aster, Thyme-leaved, 390.
Asler undulalus, 394-
Aster, Various-leaved, 394-
Aster, Wavy-leaved, 394-
Aster, White Reef, 391.
Aster, White-topped, 397-
Aster. White-wreath, 391 .
Aster, Willow-leaved, Blue. 392-
Atriplex patula, var.hastala, 81.
August Flower, 420.
Azalea. Clammy, 264.
Azalea, White, 264.

Bachelor's Buttons, 100, 418.
Balm, Yellow, 293.
Balsam, 186, 204.
Balsam, Old Field, 400.
Balsam, Sweet White, 400.
BALSAMINACE^E, 204, 205.
Bamboo-brier, 32.
Bannal, 146.
Baplisiu. lincloria, 145.

427

INDEX

Barbarcn vid^nris, 113.
Barberry, 240.
Basil, 333-
Bayberry, 58.
Beaconweed, 80.
Bead-Ruby, 29.
Bearberry, Red, 272.
Bear-bind, 315.
Bear-grass, 229.
Bear's-bilberry, 272.
Bear's-grape, 272.
Bedstraw, Clayton's, 356.
Beebresh, 7.
Behen, 92.
Bell-bind, 315. 316-
Belly-ache-weed, 373-
Besom, 146.
Betony, Paul's, 334-
BETULACE^:, 61, 62.
Bidens rernua, 404.
Big Bull, 407.
Bindweed. 86.
Bindweed, Bracted, 316.
Bindweed, European, 315.
Bindweed, Field, 315-
Bindweed, Great, 316.
Bindweed, Hedge, 316.
Bindweed, Hooded, 3 16.
Bindweed, Lily, 316.
Bindweed, Small, 315.
Bird's Bread, 123.
Bird-seed, 355.
Bird's-eggs, 92.
Bird's-eye, 296.
Bird's Nest, 263.
Bird's Nest Plant, 257.
Bird's Pepper, 109.
Bird's-tongue, 296.
Birdweed, 86.
Biscuit Leaves, 32.
Bishopweed, Mock, 255.
Bitter-bush, 64.
Bitter Buttons, 408.
Bitter Sweet, 338.
Bitterweed, 395-
Black-a-moor, 7.
Blackberry, Wild, 138.
Black-cap, 7.
Black-eyed Susan, 402.
Black-jacks, 354-
Black Mercury, 192.
Black-weed, 401.
Bladder-campion, 92.
Bladderwort. 353-
Bladderwort, Tiny, 353-
Bladderwort, Zigzag, 3.i3-
Blanket Leaf, 345-
Blazing Star, 31, 367.
Blister-flower, 100.
Blister-plant, 100.
Blood-staunch, 395.
Blood wort 405.

Blooming Sailv, 247.
Blow-ball, 421.
Blueberry, Dwnrf, 285.
Blueberry, Early Sweet, 285.
Blueberry, High Bush, 283.
Blueberry, Low Sweet, 285.
Blueberry, Sugar, 285.
Blueberry, Swamp, 283.
Blue-curls, 325, 331.
Blue-devil, 320.
Blue-eyed Babies, 358.
Blue Mountain tea, 379.
Blue-sailors. 418.
Blue-thistle. 320.
Bluets, 358,
Blue-weed, 320.'
Bog-bean. 305.
Bog-onion, 15.

Bonaparte's Crown, 186, 364.
Boneset, Tall, 365.

BORAGINACE^;, 319-321.

Bouncing Bet, 93.
Box-berry, 270.
Box-thorn, 343.
Boxwood, 130. 357.
Brassica nigra, 113.
Brawling, 272.
Bread-and-butter, 32, 347
Brideweed, 347.
Bright-eyes. 358.
Broad-leaf, 355.
Brook Bean, 305.
Broom, 196.
Broom, Clover, 145.
Broom, Green, 145.
Broom , Indigo, 145.
Broom, Irish, 146.
Broom, Prickly, 149.
Broom, Scotch, 146.
Broom, Yellow. 145.
Brown Dragon, 15.
Brown-eyed Susan, 402.
Brown-wort, 331.
Bruise-wort, 93.
Buckbean, 305.
Buckberry, Seedy. 268.
Buckwheat, Copse, 74.
Buckwheat, False, 74.
Buckwheat, Hedge, 74.
Bugle-weed, 334.
Bulb-segg. 7.
Bull-rattle, 92.
Bunch-of-keys, 93.
Burdock, 414.
Bur-marigold, Nodding, 404
Bur-marigold, Smaller, 404.
Burnet Rose. 296.
Burnt Weed, 247.
Bur-reed, 9.
Butte-bung, 259.
Butter-and-eggs, 347-
Butter-cresses, 100.

428

INDEX

Buttercup, Bulbous, 101.
Buttercup, Creeping, 102.
Buttercup, Meadow. 100.
Buttercup, Seaside, 102.
Buttercup. Spotted-leaf, 102.
Buttercup, Tall, 100.
Butter-daisy, 100.
Butter-dog, 407.
Butter-rose, 100.
Butter-weed, 383, 401.
Butterfly Flower, 313.
Butterfly Weed, 313.
Button-bush, 357.
Button-tree, 357.
Button Willow, 357.
Buttonwood Shrub, 357.

CACTACE^E, 240, 241.
Cactus, 240. t

Cadlock, 113.
Cakile edentula, in.
Calamus, 16.
Calfkill,267.
Calluna vulgaris, 275.
Calopo&on, 46.
Calopogon pulchellus, 46.
Camel's Foot, 39.
Cammock, 405.
Canada-root, 313.
Canadian Tea, 270.
Cancerwort, 421.
Candle-berry, 58.
Candlewick, 345.
Canker-root, 287.
Capsella Bursa-pastoris, no.
CAPRIFOLIACE^E, 360, 361 .
Cardinal Flower, 362.
Carnation, 94.
Carpenter-herb, 334.
Carpenter-weed, 331.
Carpenter's Grass, 405.
Carrot, Wild, 257.
Carrot-weed, 401.
Carya alba, 60.
CARYOPHYLACE^E, 84-97.
Case-weed, no.
Cassia Chamcecrista, 144.
Castalia odorata, 98.
Cat-brier. 32.
Catchfly, 92.
Catgut, 160.
Catmint, 327.
Catnip, 327.
Cat-o'-nine-tails, 6, 7.
Cat's Cradles, 354.
Cat's-foot. 328.
Cat's-tails, 6, 320.
Cat's Wort, 327.
Cat-tail, Broad-leaved, 7.
Cat-tail, Narrow-leaved, 6.
Cedar, Carolina, 4.

Cedar, Ground. 229.
Cedar, Red. 4.
Celandine, Great, 106.
Cenlaurium spicatum, 304.
Centaury, 180, 184.
Centaury, Spiked, 304.
Cephalanthus accidentally, 357.
Cerastium arvense, 89.
Cerastium vulgalum. 90.
Chamomile, 406.
Chamomile, Dog's, 406.
Charlock, 113.
Charlock, Jointed, 112.
Charlock, \\hite, 112.
Checkerberry, 270.
Cheeses, 209.
Cheeses, Doll, 209.
Cheeses, Dutch, 209.
Chelidonium majus, 106.
CHENOPODIACE^:, 81-83.
Chenopodium album, 80.
Cherry-pie, 248.
Cherry Cabinet, 1/12.
Cherry Indian, 130.
Cherry Whiskey, 142.
Cherry Wild, 142.
Cherry Wild Black, 142.
Cherry Wild Rum, 142.
Chicken-berry, 270.
Chickweed, Corrmon. 86. 90.
Chickweed, Field, 89-
Chickweed, Field Mouse-ear, 89.
Chickweed, Large Mouse-ear, 90.
Chickueed, Meadow. 89.
Chickweed, Poison, 296.
Chickweed, Red, 296.
Chickweed, Sea, 85.
Chicory. 418.
Chimaphila macnlata, 261.
Chimney-sweeps, 354
Chinkapin, 67.
Chinks, 270.
Chinquapin, 67.

Choke-berry, Purple-fruited, 129.
Choke-berry, Red, 128.
Choke-pear, 128.
Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum,

var. pinnatifidum, 407.
Chrysopsis falcata, 368.
Cichorium Intybus, 418.
Cinnamon-sedge, 16.
Cinnamon Wood, 105.
Cinquefoil, 136.
Cinquefoil, Hoary, 135.
Cinquefoil, Rough-fruited, 137.
Cinquefoil, Silvery, 135.
Cirsium arvense, 415.
Cirsium lanceolatum, 416.
Cirsium spinosissimum, 418.
CISTACE/E, 224-231.
Clethra alnifolia, 260.
Climath, 192.

42Q

INDEX

Clock, 354.
Clover, Alsatian, 154.
Clover, Alsike, 154.
Clover, Brazilian, 159.
Clover, Broad-leaved. 155.
Clover, Burgundy, 159.
Clover, Bush, 162.
Clover, Calf, 153.
Clover, Chilian, 159.
Clover, Dusty, 162.
Clover, Dutch, 156.
Clover, Hare's-foot, 153.
Clover, Honey, 157.
Clover, Honeysuckle, 156.
Clover, Hop, 150, 158. '
Clover, Horned, 158.
Clover, Low Hop. 156.
Clover, Meadow, 155.
Clover, Old Field, 153.
Clover, Pin, 174.
Clover, Purple, 155.
Clover, Pussy, 153.
Clover, Pussyfoot. 153.
Clover, Rabbit-foot, 153.
Clover, Red, 155.
Clover, Sand-leaved, 405.
Clover, Small Hop, 156.
Clover, Stone, 153.
Clover, Sweet. 157.
Clover, Trailing Bush, 165.
Clover, Tree, 157.
Clover, White, 156.
Clover, Yellow, 150.
Clover-broom, 145.
Cocks, 354-
Cockspur Thorn, 133.
Codlins-and-cream, 248.
Coffee-weed, 418.
Colic-root, 31, 313.
Colt's Tail, 395.
Comandra umbellata, 70,

COMPOSIT/E, 364-425.

Cone-flower, 402.
Conquer John, 30.

CONVOLVULACE^E, 315-318.

Convolvulus arvensis, 316.
Convolvulus sepium, 316.
Convulsion Weed, 263.
Core.ma Conradii, 189.
Corkscrew Plant, 50.

CORNACE^E, 259.

Corn Bind, 315.
Corn-campion, 91.
Corn-cockle, 91.
Corn-lily, 315.
Corn-mullein, 91
Corn-pink, 91.
Corn-rose, 91.
Corn-spurry, 84.
Corpse Plant, 263.
Corylus americana, 61.
Corylusrostrata, 62.

Cotton-weed, 399.

Cotton- weed Wool, 3 12.

Country-pepper, 123.

Cow-bell, 92.

Cow-bind, 315.

Cow-grass, 155.

Cow-lily, 315.

Cow-quake, 84.

Cowslip, 29.

Cow's Tail, 395.

Cranberry, Hog, 272.

Cranberry, Large American,

284.

Cranberry, Marsh, 284.
Cranberry, Mountain, 272.
Cranberry, Upland, 272.
Cranesbill, Spotted. 173.
Cranesbill, Wild, 173.
Crane-willow, 357.
CRASSULACE^E, 122-124.
Cratcegus Crus-Galli, 133.
Creashals, 272.
Creeping Charlie. 328.
Creeping Jack, 123.
Cress, Corrmon Winter, 113.
Crocus, 269.
Cross-wort, 293.
Crowberry, 272.
Crowberry, Broom, 189.
Crowfoot, 100, 173.
Crowfoot, Bulbous, 101.
Crowfoot, Meadow, 100.
Crowfoot, Seaside, 102.
Crowfoot, Tall, 100.
Crown-of-the-field, 91.
Crow's Nest, 257.
CRUCIFER/E, 108-114.
Cuckoo Button, 414.
Cucumber, Wild, 103.
Cudweed, 400.
Currant, Smooth, 125.
Cuscuta Gronovii, 317.
Cypripedium acaule, 39.
Cytisus scoparius, 146.

Daisy, 407.

Daisy, Bull's-eye, 407.

Daisy, Field, 406, 407.

Daisy, Great White Ox-eyed,

407.

Daisy, Irish, 421.
Daisy, Ox-eye, 407.
Daisy, Purple, 393.
Daisy, White, 406, 417.
Daisy, Yellow, 402.
Daisy, Yellow Ox-Eye, 402.
Dandelion, Common, 421.
Dandelion, Dog, 420.
Dandelion, Fall, 420.
Datura Stramonium, 344.
Daucus Carota, 257.
Deadmen's-bones, 347.

430

INDEX

Decodon veriicillalus, 242.
Deer-berry, 270.
Deergrass, 246.
Desmodium sessilifolium, 161
Devil's Apple, 344.
Devil's Flower, 347.
Devil's-gut, 317.
Devil's Hopvine, 32.
Devil's Milk, 106.
Devil's Plague, 257.
Devil's Rattle-box, 92.
DeviTs Shoestrings, 160.
Devil's-tongue, 240.
Devil's Trumpet, 344-
Devil's Vine, 316.
Dew Plant, 121.
Dianthus Armeria, 94.
Dock, Curled, 73.
Dock, Sharp, 72.
Dock, Sour, 72.
Dock, Yellow, 73.
Dodder, Gronovius', 317.
Dodder, Onion, 317.
Dodder, Wild, 317.
Dog-berry, 128.
Dog-blow, 407.
Dog-daisy, 406, 407.
Dog-fennel, 406.
Dog's-dinner, 229.
Dogs and Cats, 153.
Dog's-chamomile, 406.
Dog's-ribs, 354.
Dogwood, 338.
Dogwood, Poison, 194.
Doll-cheeses, 209.
Double-tooth, 404.
Dovefoot, 173.
Draba verna, 108.
Dragon 's-mouth, 47.
Dragon's Tongue, 261.
Drosera filiformis, 117.
Drosera longifolia, 118.
Drosera rotundi folia, 121.
DROSERACE/E, 117-121.
Drunkards, 270.
Duckweeds, 18.
Dulcamara, 338.
Dusty Miller, 410.
Dutch-cheeses, 209.
Dutchman's Pipe, 364.
Dutch Morgan, 407.
Dye-leaves, 196.
Dyer's-weed, 383.

Ear-drop, 204.
Ear-jewel, 204.
Echium vulgare, 320.
Eggs and Bacon, 347.
21der, American, 360.
Elder, Common, 360.
Elder, Poison, 194.

Elder, Sweet, 360.
Elderberry, 360.
Elder-blow, 360.
EMPETRACE.E, 189.
English Cost, 408.
English Kingcup, 101.
Epigaa repens, 269.
Epilobium angustifolium, 247.
Epilobium hirsutum, 248.
Erechtites hieracifolia, 411.
Erica cinerea, 279.
Erica Tetralix, 280.
ERICACE/E, 260-286.
Erigeron canadensis, 395.
Erigeron ramosus, 396.
Eriocaulon articulalum, 19.
ERIOCAULACE/E, 19.
Erodium cicutarnm, 174.
Eupatorium perfoliatum, 365.
Eupatorium purpureum, 365.
Eupatorium verbencefolium, 367.
Euphorbia Cyparissias, 186.
Euphorbia polygon! folia, 187.
EVPHORBIACE/E, i86-i88.
Everlasting, Common, 400.
Everlasting, Fragrant, 400.
Everlasting .Large-flowered, 399
Everlasting, Life, 399.
Everlasting, Pearly, 399.
Everlasting, Silver-leaf, 400.
Everlasting, Sweet Life, 400.
Eve's Cup, 115.
Eve's-thread, 23.
Eyebright, 121, 263, 296, 358.

FAGACE^E, 63-69.
Fairy-cheeses, 209.
Fairy Smoke, 263.
Fall Flower, 391.
Farmer's curse, 407.
Fat-hen, So.
Felonwort, 106.
Feltwort, 345.
Fern Bush, 57, 200.
Fern-pale, 57.
Fern, Meadow, 57.
Fern, Parsley, 408.
Fern, Shrubbery, 57.
Fern, Sweet, 57.
Fern wort Bush, 57.
Fetid, 406.
Fever Cup, 115.
Feverwort, 364.
Fiddle-grass, 248.
Field-balm, 328.
Field-pine, 225.
Filbert, 61.
Fire-top, 247.
Fireweed, 344, 395, 4H-
Fireweed, Five-finger, 136*
Fireweed, Silvery, 135.
Five Sisters, 293.

431

INDEX

Flag, Cat-tail, 7.

Flag, Large Blue, 35-

Flag, Narrow Blue, 34.

Flag, Poison, 34, 35.

Flag, Slender Blue, 34.

Flag, Sweet, 16.

Flag, Water, 35.

Flag-root, 16.

Flag-root, Narrow -leaved, 34.

Flag-root, Poison, 34.

Flannel Leaf, 345.

Flax, Devil's, 347.

Flax, Wild, 347-

Flax, Woods, 93.

Flax, Yellow, 171.

Flax-tail, 34,

Flaxweed, 347.

Fleabane, 394- 395-

Fleabane, Daisy, 396.

Fleabane, Salt Marsh, 398.

Fleabane, Spicy, 398.

Fleur-de-Lis, 35.

Floating Heart, 307.

Flux-root, 313.

Fly-trap, 115.

Forefather's Cup, 115.

Forefather's Pitcher, 115.

Fortune-teller, 421.

Foxberry, 272.

Foxglove, 115.

Foxglove, Lady's, 345.

Fragaria virginiana, 134.

Frogwort, 101.

Frost Bite, 80.

Frost Weed, 224.

Frostwort, 224.

Fuller's Herb, 193.

Furze, 149.

Gale, Canada Sweet, 57.
Galium Claytonii, 356.
Gall-berry, 196.
Gaultheria procumbens, 270.
Gay Feather, 367.
Gaylussacia baccala, 281.
Gaylussacia dumosa, 282.
GENTIANACE/E, 300-307.
GERANIACE^E, 173-179-
Geranium maculatum, 173-
Geraaium, Spotted, 173.
Geranium, Wild, 173.
Gerardia, Large Purple, 351.
Gerardia purpurea, 351.
Germander, 324.
Ghost Flower, 264.
Gill-ale, 328.

Gill-over-the-ground, 328.
Gilliflower, Mock, 93.
Ginger, 123.
Ginger Plant, 408.
Globe-flower, 357.
Gnaphalium poly ceph alum, 400.

Goat's Rue, 160.
Gold-balls, 102.
Goldcups, 100.

Golden Aster, Sickle-leaved,. 368.
Golden Chain, 123.
Golden Jerusalem, 402.
Golden Moss, 123.
Goldenpest, 3o3 •
Goldenrod, Anise-scented, 379.
Goldenrod, Beach, 386.
Goldenrod, Double, 371.
Goldenrod, Downy, 380.
Goldenrod, Dwarf, 376.
Goldenrod, Dyer's, 376.
Goldenrod, Elliott's, 374.
Goldenrod, Field, 376.
Goldenrod, Flat-topped, 375.
Goldenrod, Gray, 376.
Goldenrod, Low, 376.
Goldenrod, Minaret, 380.
Goldenrod, Pale, 373.
Goldenrod, Pyramid, 383.
Goldenrod, Salt Marsh, 386.
Goldenrod, Seaside, 386.
Goldenrod, Slender-leaved, 387.
Goldenrod, Sweet, 379.
Goldenrod, Tall, 371.
Goldenrod, Tall-hairy, 383.
Goldenrod, White, 373.
Goldenrod, Wrinkle-leaved, 383
Goldenrod, Rush, 100.
Golden Seal, 28.
Gold-flower, Ground, 368.
Gold-knaps, 100.
Gooseberry-pie, 248.
Gooseberry, Swamp, 125.
Goosefoot, White, 80.
Gorse, 149.

Gowan, Horse, 407, 421.
Gowan, Witches, 421.
Gowan, Yellow, 421.
Grape, False, 206.
Grape, Northern Fox, 207
Grass, Blue-eyed, 36.
Grass, Quicksilver, 186.
Grass, Rib, 354, 355.
Grass, Ripple, 354.
Grass, Tongue, IOQ.
Grass, Yellow-eyed, 20.
Gratiola aurea, 348.
Gravel-plant ,269.
Gravel-root, 365.
Graveyard Weed, 186.
Green-arrow, 406.
Green-berry, 270.
Green-brier, 32.
Ground-berry, 270.
Ground-cedar, 229.
Ground-ivy, 328.
Ground-moss, 229.
Ground-nut. 169.
Ground-pea, 169.

432

INDEX

Grouse-berry, 270.
Gum, Black, 259.
Gum, Sour, 259.
Gum, Tupelo, 259.
Gumtree, Yellow, 259.
Gypsy Herb, 334.
Gypsyweed, 334.

Habenaria blephariglollis, 40.
Habenaria ciliaris, 41.
Habenaria lacera, 42.
Hardback, 127.
Hare's Bread, 345.
Hare's Cole-wort, 422.
Hare's-foot, 153.
Hare's Lettuce, 422.
Hawkbit, 420.
Hawkweed, 424.
Hawkweed, Canadian, 423.
Hayfever-ueed, 401.
Hayhoof, 328.
Haymaids, 328.
Hayweed, 401.
Hazelnut, 61.
Hazelnut, Beaked, 62.
Headsman, 354.
Heal-all, 331.
Healing-blade, 355-
Heath, 229.
Heath, American, 225.
Heath, Barren, 225, 229.
Heath, Purple, 279.
Heather, Beach, 229.
Heather, Cross-leaved, 280.
Heather, False, 229.
Heather, Purple, 279-
Heather, Scotch, 275, 279, 280.
Heart-of-the-earth, 331-
Heartweed, 77.
Hedge-bells, 315.
Hedge-lily, 316.
Hedge-maids, 328.
Hedge-taper, 345.
Helianthemum majus, 224.
Helianthus divaricatus, 403.
Hemerocallis fulva, 23.
Hen-plant, 354. 355-
Herb John, 220.
Herb- Margaret, 40-.
Herb of St. Barbara, 113.
Herb Trinity, 103.
Heron's Bill, 174.
Hibiscus Moscheutos, 210.
Hickory, Fragrant, 60.
Hickory, White-heart, 60.
Hieracium canadense, 423.
Hieracium marianum, 424.
Hill-berry, 270.
Hindheal, 408.
Hip-tree, 139.
Hog berry, 272.
Hog's physic, 362.

Hogwecd, 146, 401.
Holly, American, 199.
Holly, Christmas, 199.
Hollyhock, Sea, 210.
Honey-balls, 357.
Honey-lotus, 157.
Honcystalks, 156.
Honeysuckle, Clammy, -><>(.
Honeysuckle, Swamp White,

264.

Horehound, Virginia, 334.
Horn-beam, 259.
Horn-beam, Swamp, 259.
Horn-pine, 259.
Horse, 407.
Horse-brier, 32.
Horseflea-weed, 145.
Horsefly-weed, 145.
Horse-gold, 100.
Horse-weed, 395.
House Leek, Little, 123.
Honstonia cccridea, 358.
Huckleberry, Bush, 282.
Huckleberry, Dwarf, 282.
Huckleberry, High Bush, 281.
Huckleberry. Low Bush, 282.
Hudsonia, 225.
Hudsonia ericoides. 225.
Hudsonia lomentosa, 229.
Hudsonia, Woolly, 220.
Hungry Vine, 32.
Huntsman Cup, 115.
Husk-root, 31.
Hydrocotyle umbellata, 255.
HYPERICACE^E, 214-223.
Hypericitm boreale, 21 ".
Hypericum canadense, 218.
Hypericum gentianoides. 218.
Hy 'peri cum nuitiliim, 219.
Hypericnm perforatum, 220.
Hypericum virghn'cum, 223.
Hyssop, Golden Hedge, 348.
Hyssop, Penny, 333.
Hyssop, Wild, 322.

Ice Leaf, 345-
Ice Plant, American, 263.
Ilex fastigiata, 196.
Ilex glabra, 196.
Ilex opaca, 199.
Ilex verticillala, 200.
Impatience, 204.
Impatiens biflora, 204.
Impudent Lawyer, 347.
Indian Bean, 160.
Indian-cherry, 130.
Indian Cup, 115.
Indian-fig, 240.
Indian Moccasin, 39.
Indian Pipe, 263.
Indian Pitcher, 115.
Indian Posey, 313. 399-

433

INDEX

Indian-potato, 169.
Indian Sage, 364.
Indian Turnip, 15.
Indigo-broom, 145.
Indigo-weed, 145.
Indigo, Wild, 145.
Ink-berry, 196.
Inn Flower, 296.
Innocence, 358.
IRIDACE^E, 34-36.
Iris, 35-

Iris prismalica, 34.
Iris versicolor, 35.
Iron- weed, 322.
Ivy, American, 206.
Ivy, Climbing, 192.
Ivy, Five-fingered, 206.
Ivy, Five-leaf, 206.
Ivy, Poison, 192.
Ivy. Three-leaved, 192.
Ivy-berry, 270.
Ivy-plum, 270.

Jack-in-the-pulpit, 15.
Jack-of-the-buttery, 123.
Jackson Vine, 343.
Jack-straws, 354.
Jacob's Ladder, 30, 347.
Jacob's Staff, 345.
Jamestown Weed, 344-
Jessamine, 343-
Jessamine, Bastard, 343.
Jewel-weed, 204.
Jimson-weed, 344.
Job's Tears, 28.
Joe-Pye-Weed, 345-
John's-wort, 220.
Jointweed, Coast, 79.

JUGLANDACE/E, 60.
Juneberry, 130.
June-plum, 130.
June-tree, 130.
Juniper, 4.

Juniperusvirginiana, 4.
Juniper Bush, 4.
Juno's Tears, 322.
Jupiter's Staff, 345-

Kalmia angustifolia, 267.
Kelpwort, 82.
Kemps, 374-
Kempseed, 354.
Kickjng-Colt, 204.
Kicking-horses, 204.
Kill-wort, 1 06.
King Cup, 100.
Kinnekinick, 277.
Kiss-me-Dick, 286.
Knap-bottle, 92.
Knot-grass, Coast, 75.
Knotweed, Arrow-leaved,
Knotweed, Sand, 79-

Knotweed, Seaside, 75.
Knotweed, Spotted, 77.

LABIATVE, 324-337.
Lace-flower, 257.
Ladder-by-the gate, 93.
Ladder-to-Heaven, 30.
Ladies' Purse, no.
Ladies'-slipper, 204.
Ladies ' Sourgrass, 122.
Ladies' Tobacco, 399.
Ladies' Tresses, Drooping, 49.
Ladies' Tresses, Little, 48.
Ladies' Tresses, Nodding, 49.
Ladies' Twisted Stalk, Slender,

59-

Lady-never-fade, 399.
Lady's Nightcap, 316.
Lady's Slipper, Pink, 39.
Lady's Slipper, Purple, 39.
Lady's Slipper, Stemless, 39.
Lady's Thumb, 77.
Lambkill, 267.
Lamb's-foot, 355.
Lamb's Quarter, 80.
Lamb's Tongue, 335-
Lap-love, 315.
Lathyrus maritimus, 147.
LAURACE/E, 105.
Laurel, Ground, 269.
Laurel, Narrow-leaved, 267.
Laurel, Sheep, 267.
Lavender, Sea, 287.
Lavender-thrift, 287.
Lechea maritime., 230.
Lechea minor, 231.
Leechwort, 354.
LEGUMINOS^E, 144-170.
Lemnas, 18.
LEMNACE^E, 18.
Lemon-lily, 23.
LENTIBULARIACE/E, 353.
Leontodon autumnalis, var. pra-

tensis, 420.

Leonurus Cardiaca, 332.
Lepidium -virginicum, 109.
Lespedeza capitata, var. velutina,

162.

Lespedeza procumbens, 165.
Liatris scariosa, 367.
Liberty Tea, 293.
Life-of-man, 400.
LILIACE^:, 23-33-
Lilium philadelphicum, 24.
Lilium superbum, 27.
Lily, Day, 23.
Lily, Flag, 35-
Lily, Flame, 24.
Lily, Huckleberry, 24.
Lily, Liver, 35.
Lily, Nodding, 27.
Lily, Philadelphia, 24.

434

INDEX

Lily, Pond, 98.

Lily. Red. 24.

Lily, Snake, 35-

Lily, Toad, 98.

Lily, Turk's-cap, 27.

Lily, Turk's-head. 27.

Lily, Water. 35. 98.

Lily, Wild Orange-red, 24.

Lily, Wild Tiger, 27.

Lily, Wood, 24.

Lily-bind, 316.

Lily-of-the-valley, False, 29.

Lily-of-the-valley, Wild, 29.

Limonium carolinianum, 287.

LIXACE/E, 171.

Linan'a canadensis, 346.

Linaria vulgaris, 347.

Ling, 75-

Li Hum medium, 171.

Lion's-ear, 332.

Lion's-tail, 332.

Lion's Tooth, 420, 42 i.

Liver-lily, 35.

Lobelia cardinalis, 362.

LOBELIACE/E, 362.

Lobelia, Red, 362, 363.
London-pride, 93.
Loosestrife, Bulb-bearing, 294.
Loosestrife, Four-leaved, 293.
Loosestrife, Purple, 245.
Loosestrife, Spiked, 245.
Loosestrife, Swamp, 242.
Loosestrife, Upright, 294.
Loosestrife, Whorled. 293.
Lords-and-Ladies, 15-
Love-entangled, 123.
Love-vine, 317.
Lucern, 159.

Lungwort, Bullock's, 345.
Lungwort, Cow's. 345-
Lungwort, Sea, 319-
Lycium halt mi folium, 343.
Lycopus americanus, 334-
Lycopus i'ir:;ini<-~us, 334-
Lyonia ligustrina, 268.
Lysimachia quadrifolia, 293.
Lysimachia terrestris, 294.
LYTHRACE^E, 242-245.
Ly thrum Salicaria, 245.

Maianthemum canadense, 29.
Maiden's-tears. 92.
Male-berry, 268.
Malice, 209.
Mallow, Blue, 209.
Mallow, Common, 209.
Mallow, Country, 209.
Mallow, Dwarf, 209.
Mallow, Low, 209.
Mallow, Rose, 210.
Mallow, R.unning, 209.
Mallow, Swamp, 210.

Mallow, Swamp Rose, 210.
Mallow, Water, 210.
MALVACEAE, 209-213.
Malva rotundijolia, 209.
Maple, Red, 202.
Maple, Scarlet, 202.
Maple, Swamp, 202.
Maple, Water. 202.
Marguerite, 409.
Markry, 192.
Mark-weed, 192.
Marsh Beetle, 7.
Marsh Pestle, 7-
Marsh-turnip, 15.
Matrimony Vine, 343.
Maud, 209.
Maudlin, 407.
Mayflower, 269.
May-bean, 130.
May-pear, 130.
May-weed, 103, 406.
Meadow Beauty, 127, 246.
Meadow-cup, 115-
Meadow-soap, 127.
Meadow-sweet, 127.
Meadow-turnip, 15.
Mealweed, 80.
Mealy-berry, 272.
Mealy-plum Vine, 272.
Medicago lupulina, 158.
Medicago saliva, 159.
Medick, Beach, 158.
Medick, Purple, 159-
MELASTOMACE^E, 246.
Meldweed, 80.
Melilot. Trefoil, 158.
Melilot, White, 157.
Melilotus alba, 157.
Mentha arvensis, var. Canaden-
sis, 335.

Menthapiperita, 336-
Menyanthes trifoliata, 305.
Mercury Vine, 192.
Mertensia maritima. 319-
Mid-summer Moon, 407 .
Milfoil, 405.
Milkweed, 308, 422.
Milkweed, Blunt-leaved. 308.
Milkweed. Common, 312.
Milkweed, Hairy, 311.
Milkweed. Swamp. 311.
Milkweed, Yellow or Orange,

313.

Milk-witch, 421.
Milkwort, Bitter, rSo, 185.
Milkwort, Pink. 180.
Milky Tassel, 422.
Mint, American, 336.
Mint, Brandy, 336.
Mint. Common, 335.
Mint, Corn, 335.
Mint, Field, 327, 335-

435

INDEX

Mint, Lamb, 336.
Mint, Pepper, 336.
Mint, Virginia Mountain. 333-
Moccasin Flower, 39.
Mocker-nut, 60.
Monk's-head, 421 .
Motiotroha uni flora, 263.
Moonflower, 305, 407.
Moon-penny, 407.
Moonshine, 309, 400.
Moor-grass, 121.
Morning Glory, Small-flowered,

315.

Morning Glory, Wild, 316.
Mother's Hearts, no.
Motherwort, 332.
Mountain BON, 272.
Mountain Moss, 123.
Mountain Tea, 270.
Mouse-tail, 123.
Muckweed, 80, 192.
Mugwort, 409, 410.
Mugwort, Common, 3.15.
Mullein, Dock, 335.
Mullein, Great, 3.15.
Mullein, Velvet, 345.
Musk, Wild, 174.
Mustard, Black, 112, 113.
Mustard, Brown, 113.
Mustard, Red, 113.
Mustard, Wild, 112.
Myrica asplenifolia, 56.
Myrica carolinensis, 18.
MYRICACE/E, 57-59-
Myrtle, Barren, 272.
Myrtle, Bog, 305.
Myrtle-flag, 16.
Myrtle-grass, 16.
Myrtle-sedee, 16.
Myrtle, Sweet, 16.
Myrtle, Wax, 58.

NAIADACE/E, 10.
Napoleon's Plume, 186.
\epeta Cataria, 327-
Nepela hederacea, 328.
Xerve Root, 39.
Xerve Water, 311.
Xicandra Physalodes, 342.
Xigger-head, 32. 354- 4O2 .
Nightshade, Bitter, 338-
Xightshade. Black. 341.
Xightshade, Climbing, 338.
Xightshade, Deadly, 341-
Nightshade, Garden, 341.
Ximble Weed, 103.
Noah's Ark, 39-
None-so-pretty, 399.
Nonesuch, 158.
Nosebleed-weed. 4^5-
X YMPH/EACE.*:. 98. 99-
Xymfihoidf* laiumosum, 306.
X yssa sylvatica, 259-

Oak, Bear Scrub, 64.

Oak, Black, 68.

Oak, Black Scrub. 64.

Oak, Dwarf Black, 64.

Oak, Dwarf C hestnut. 67.

Oak. Dyer's, 68.

Oak, Holly. 64.

Oak. Jerusalem. So.

Oak, Poison, 192.

Oak, Scrub, 67.

Oak, Scrub Chestnut. 67.

Oak, White, 65.

Oak. Yellow-barked, 68.

CEnothera biennis, 25 J-

QLnolhera Lamarkiana, 252.

GLuolhera muricala, 253.

Old-goose, 39-

Old Maid's Nightcap. 173.

Old Man's Flannel, 3-15-

Old Man's Pepper, 405.

Old Woman, 410.

ONAGRACE/E, 247-254.

One-berry, 270.

One-blade, 29.

One-leaf. 29.

One O'clock, 421.

OPunlia vulgans. 240.

Orach, Halberd-leaved. 81.

Orange Apocynum, 313.

Orange-grass. 218.

Orange-root, 313-

Orchid, Feather-leaved. 40.

Orchid, Green Fringed, 42.

Orchid, Ragged, 42.

Orchid, Ragged Fringed, 42.

Orchid, Rein, 40.

Orchid, White Fringed, 40.

Orchid, Yellow Fringed, 41.

ORCHIDACE/E, 39~5 i-

Orpine, Biting, 123.

OXALIDACE^E, 172.

Oxclis stricta, i 72.

PAPAVERACE^E, 106, 107.

Parsnip, 257.

Partridge -berry. 270.

Pea. Beach. 168.

Pea, Cat. 166.

Pea, Everlasting, 168.

Pea, Hoary, 160.

Pea, Large-flowered Sens-Vive

144.

Pea. Partridge, 144.
Pea, Potato, 169.
Pea, Seaside, 168.
Pea, Turkey. 160.
Pea, Wild, 160.
Pencil-wood, 4.
Penny John, 220.
Pennyroyal. 333-
Pennyroyal. Bastard. 325.
Pennyroyal, Wild, 335 -

436

INDEX

Pennywort, Marsh, 255.

Pennywort, Water, 285.

Pepper Bush, 265.

Pepper Bush, Sweet, 260.

Pepper Crop, 123.

Peppergrass, Wild, 109.

Pepperidge, 259.

Peppermint, 336.

Peppermoss, 123.

Pepper-turnip, 15.

Pepper, Wild, 15.

Persicaria, Glandular, 76.

Persicaria, Pennsylvania, 76.

Peter's Staff, 345.

Pickerel-weed, 22.

Pickpocket, no.

Pick-purse, no.

Pickry, 192.

Pigeon's Grass, 322.

Pigmy-weed, 122.

Pig-potato, 169.

Pig-sty, 406.

Pigweed. 80.

Pigweed, Smooth, 80.

Pilewort, 41 r.

Pimpernel, Red, 296.

Pimpernel, Scarlet, 296.

Pimpernel, Sea, 85.

PINACE-*:, 3-5.

^in-ball, 357-

Pin-clover, 174.

Pin Grass, 174.

Pin Weed, 174.

Pin Weed, Beach, 230.

Pin Weed, Thyme-leaved, 231.

Pine, Beach, 230.

Pine, Candlewood, 3.

Pine-cheat, 14.

Pine, Field, 225.

Pine, Pitch, 3.

Pine Sap, 3-

Pine-starwort, 390.

Pine, Torch, 3.

Pine-weed, 218.

Pink, Bearded, 46-

Pink, Boston, 93-

Pink, Chimney, 93.

Pink, Deptford, 94-

Pink, Grass, 46, 94.

Pink, Hedge, 93.

Pink, Marsh, 300.

Pink, Mountain, 269.

Pink, Mullein, 91.

Pink, Old Maid's, 91-

Pink-purse, 84.

Pink, Sheriff, 407.

Pink, Swamp, 46, 264.

Pink, Wild, 47-

Pink, Winter, 269.

Pinus rigida, 3.

Pipewort, 19.

Pipewort, Seven-angled, 19.

Pipsissewa, Spotted, 261.
Pitcher Plant, 115.
Pitch-forks, 404.
PLANTAGINACE^E, 354, 355.
Plantago lanceolaia, 354.
Planlago major, 355.
Plantain, Buck, 354.
Plantain, Buckthorn, 354.
Plantain, Dooryard, 355.
Plantain, English, 354.
Plantain, Greater, 355.
Plantain, Lance-leaved, 354-
Plantain, Long, 354.
Plantain, Ribwort, 354.
Plantain, Ripple, 354.
Plantain, Snake, 354.
Pleurisy Root, 313.
Ploughman's Wort, 398.
Pluchea camphorala, 398.
Plum, Beach, 140.
Plum, June, 130.
Plum, Sand, 140.
PLUMBAGINACE^E, 287, 288.
Pogonia, Adder's Mouth, 45.
Pogonia ophioglossoides, 45.
Pogonia, Rose, 45.
Poison Berry, 341.
Poison-creeper, 192.
Poison-flower, 338.
Poison-vine, 192.
Polygala, 180.
Polygala cruciata, 180.
Polygala polygama, 185.
POLYGALACEjE, 180-185.
POLYGONACE/E, 172-179.

Polygonatum biflorum, 30.
Polygonella articulatum, 79.
Polygonum, acre, 74.
Polygonum dumetorum, 74.
Polygonum glaucum, 75.
Polygonum pennsylvanicum, 76.
Polygonum Peraicaria, 77.
Polygonum sagittatum, 78.
Pondweed, 10.

Pondweed, Fennel-leaved, 10.
Pontederia cordata. 22.

PONTEDERIACE^E, 21, 22.

Poor-land, 407.
Poor-tnan's-pepper, 123.
Poorman's Soap, 127.
Poor-man's Weatherglass, 296.
Poppy, Bubble, 92.
Poppy, Frothy, 92.
Poppy, Spratting, 92.
Populus tremuloides, 52.
Potamogeton pectinatus, 10.
Potato-pea, 169.
Potentilla canadensis, 131.
Potentilla argentea, 135.
Potentilla recta, 137.
Poverty-grass, 153. 225, 229.
Poverty-plant, 229.

437

INDEX

Poverty-weed, 84, 399, 407.

Prairie-hyssop, 333.

Prairie Senna, 154.

Pricket, 123.

Prickly-grasswort, 82.

Prickly Pear, 240.

Pride-madam, 123.

Priest's Crown, 427.

Priest's Pintle, 15.

Primrose, Evening, 251, 252,

253-

PRIMULACE^E. 293-299.
Prunella vulgaris, 331.
Primus maritime, 140.
Prunus serotina, 142.
Psedera quinquefolia, 206.
Plilimnium capillaceum, 255.
Puff Ball, 421.
Purple-lead, 76.
Purples, Long, 245.
Purvain, 352.
Pussies, 153.
Pussy Cats, 153.
Pycnanlhemumvirginianum,^^^.
Pyrola americana, 262.
Pyrus arbutifolia, 128.
Pyrus arbutifolia, var. atropur-

purea, 129.

Quack Salvers' Grass, 186.
Quaker Bonnets, 358.
Quaker Ladies, 358.
Queen Anne's Lace, 257.
Quercitron, 68.
Quercus velutina, 68.
Quercus alba, 63.
Quercus ilicfolia, 64.
Quercus prinoides, 67.
Quiver-leaf, 52.

Rabbit-tobacco, 400.
Radish, Wild, 112.
Ragweed, 401.
Ramcid, 347-
Ramsted, 347.
Ram's-claws, 102.
Ram's-tongue, 354.
RANUNCULACE.E, 100-104.
Ranunculus acr is, 100.
Ranunculus bulbosus, 101.
Ranunculus Cymbalaria, 102.
Ranunculus repens, 102.
Raphanus Raphanistrum, 102.
Rapper Dandies, 270.
Rat's-bane, 261.
Rat-tail, 354.
Rattle-box, 92.
Rattlebush, 145.
Rattle-snake Master, 367.
Red-berry Tea, 270.
Red Betty, 362.
Red Pollen, 270.

Red-rot, 117.
Red Weed, 72.
Reed-mace, Great, 7.
Reed-mace, Lesser, 6.
Rheumatism Root. 261.
Rhexia virginica, 246.
Rhododendron viscosum, 264.
Rhus cohallina, 190.
Rhus glabra, 191.
Rhus Toxicodendron, 192.
Rhus Vernix, 194.
Ribes oxyacanshoides, 125.
Ribwort, 354.
Ringcup, 100.
River-bush, 357-
Robin-runaway, 328.
Rockberry, 272.
Rocket, Purple, 247.
Rocket, Sea, 171.
Rocket, Yellow, 113.
Rockplant, 123.
Rockrose, 224.
Rockrose. Canadian, 224.
Roman Wormwood, 401.
Rosa Carolina, 139.
Rosa virginiana, 140.
ROSACE/E, 127-143.
Rosa-solis, 121.
Rose, Carolina, 139.
Rose, Dwarf Wild. 140.
Rose, Low Wild, 140.
Rose, Pasture Wild, 140.
Rose, Swamp, 139.
Rose, Virginia Wild, 140.
Rose, Wild, 139.
Rosemary, Marsh, 287.
Rosin Rose, 220.
Rosy-bush, 127.
Round Dock, 209.
Rubber-tree, 312.
RUBIACE^:, 356-35O.
Rubus iron dosus, 138.
Rudbeckia, Great Hairy, 402.
Rudbeckia hirta, 402.
Rumex Acetosella, 72.
Rumex crispus, 73.
Rutland Beauty, 316.

Sabatia gracilis, 300.
Sagachomi, 272.
Sage, Wood, 324.
Sagittarialatifolia, forma obtusa,

12.

Sagittaria Engelmaniana, n.
Sailor's-knot, 173.
St. Andrew's Cross, 214.
St. Anthony's Turnip, 101.
St. James'-weed, no.
St. John's-wort, Canadian, 218.
St. John's-wort, Common, 220.
St. John's-wort, Dwarf, 210.
St. John's-wort, Marsh, 223.

438

INDEX

St. John's-wort, Northern, 217.
St . John's-wort. Slender, 219.
St. John's-wort, Small-flowered,

219.

SALICACE/E, 52-54.
Salicornea eurofxra, 82.
Salix discolor, 53.
Saloop, 105.
Salsola Kali, 82.
Salt-grape, 82.
Saltwort, Common, 82.
Sambucus canadcnsis, 360.
Samphire, 82.
Samphire, Salt Marsh, 82.
Sand-grass, 79.
Sandweed, 84.
Sandwort, Purple, 84.
Sand wort, Red, 84.
Sandwort, Sea Beach, 85.
Sanguinary. 405.
SANTALACE^E, 70, 71.
Saponaria officinalis, 93-
SARRACENIACE^E, 115, ti6.
Sarracetiia purpurea, 115.
Sassafras variifolium, 195.
Sassafras Tree, 195.
Savin, 4.
Savin, Red. A.
SAXIFRAGACE/E. 125, ut .
Scaldweed, 317.
Scarlet berry, 338.
Scratch-grass. 78.
Screw Augur, 49.
Scrofula Plant, 224.

SCROPHVLARIACF/E. 345-352.

Scntellaria galericulata, 326.
Sea -grape, 82.
Sea-pink, 92.
Sea-purslane, 85.
Sea-sedge, 16.
Sea-thrift, 82.
Seawort, 30.
Sedge-cane, 16.
Sedge-grass, 16.
Sedge-root, 16.
Sedge-rush, 16.
Sedum acre, 123.

Self-heal, 33 1-

Sensitive Plant. Wild, 144.
Sericocarpus asteroides, 397.
Service-berry, 130.
Service-tree, 130.
Sevinie's Colewort, 422.
Shad-bush, 130.
Shad-flower, 108, 269.
Shameface, 173.
Shamrock, 156.
Shamrock, Water, 305-
Sheep-bind, 315.
Sheep-poison, 172,267.
Sheep Pot, 255.
Shepherd's Bag, no.

Shepherd's Clock, 296.
Shepherd's Club, 345.
Shepherd's Delight, 296.
Shepherd's Pouch, no.
Shepherd's Purse, i 10.
Shepherd's Sundial, 296.
Shepherd's Warning, 296.
Shepherd's Weatherglass,

296.

Sheriff-pink, 407.
Shin-leaf, 262.
Shirt-button Plant, 209.
Shoofly, 145.
Shovel-weed, 110.
Sicklewort. 331.
Side-saddle Flower, 105.
Silene latifolia, 92.
Silk weed, 308, 312.
Silkweed, Swamp. 311.
Silkweed, Rose-colored, 311.
Silver-button, 399.
Silver-leaf, 127. 204.
Silver-rod, 373-
Silver- weed. 373.
Simpler's Joy. 321.
Sisyrinchium atlanlicum, 36.
Sitfast, 102.

Sium circutce folium, 256.
Skull-cap, European, 326.
Skull-cap. Marsh, 326.
Sling-fruit. 204.
Sloughwort. 15.
Small-pox Plant, 115.
Smartweed, Water. 74.
Smelling Stick, 105.
Smilacina racemosa. 28.
Smilachia stellatn. 29.
S mil ax rotundijolia ,32.
Snap-tree, 259.
Snake-flower. 320.
Snake Mouth, 45.
Snake-root, Button. 367.
Snap Dragon, 20 i .
Snap Dragon, Wild. 347.
Snappers, 92.
Snap-weed, 204.
Snow-ball. Little. 357.
Soap-gentian, 93.
Soap-root. 93.
Soapwort, 93.

SOLANACE/E, 338-3-I4-

Solatium Dulcamara. 338.
Solatium vigrum, 3Ji.
Soldiers, 2^5.

Soldi( r's Woundwort, 405.
Solidagn al'issinia. 371.
Solidago uspera, 372.
Soliifa-.'o I'iiolor, 373.
Sol iiltti'o r.liiot'.ii, 374-
Solida x o £/•// >n i n i folia , 2~:.
Solidat>o nemoralis, 37' •
?o odora, 379-

439

INDEX

Solidago puberula, 380.
Solidago rugosa, 383.
Snlida^o sempervirens, 386.
Solidago tenui folia, 387.
Solomon's Seal, Dwarf, 30.
Solomon's Seal, False, 29.
Solomon's Seal, Hairy, 30.
Solomon's Seal, Small, 28, 30.
Solomon's Seal, Star-flowered,

29.

Solomon's Seal. Two-leaved, 29.
Solomon's Seal, Zigzag, 28.
Sonchus olcraceus, 421.
Sorrel, Cow. 72.
Sorrel, Field, 72.
Sorrel, Gentleman's, 72.
Sorrel. Horse, 72.
Sorrel. Mountain, 72.
Sorrel, Poison Sheep, 172.
Sorre!, Red, 72.
Sorrel, Re-ltop. 72.
Sorrel, .Sheep, 72, 172.
Sorrel. Toad, 72, 172.
Sorrel, Upright Yellow Wood,

172.

Sorrel, Wood. 72.
Sour-grass, 72, 172.
Sour-gras^;, Ladies', 172.
Sour Weed, 72.
Sowthistl^, Common. 422.
Spanish Bayonet. 31.
SPARGANIACE.-E. 9.
Sparqaninm americanum, 9.
Speckled-iewels, 204.
Speckled John. 220.
Spergula arvensis, 84.
.*? pergula rubra, 84.
Spice-berry, 270.
Spider's-flower, 92.
Spikenard, False, 28.
Spikenard, Wild, 28.
Spinach. Wild, So.
Spircea latifolia, 127.
Spiraea tomentosa, 127.
Spiranthes Berkii. 48.
S piranthes cernua. 49.
Spiranthes gracilis, 50.
Spleenwort, Bush, 57.
Spurge, Cypress, 186.
Spurge Garden. 186.
Spurge Knotweed, 187.
Spurge, Seaside, 187.
Spurry, 84.
Spurry, Corn, 84.
Spurry, Sand, 84.
Squirrel-shoes, 39.
Starchwort, 15.
Star-flower, 205.
Star Grass, 31.
Star-of-Bethlehem, 358.
qtar-root, 31.
Starweed, 86.

Starwort, 86.
Starwort, Pine, 390.
Starwort, Sandpaper, 385 .
Starwort, Savory-leaved, 390.
Steeple Bush, 127.
Slellaria media, 86.
Stick-tight, 404.
Stinking-daisy, 406.
Stink-weed, 344, 362.
Stonecrop, 153.
Stonecrop, Biting, 123.
Stonecrop, Mossy, 123.
Stork's-bil1, 173, 17^.
Strawberry, Scarlet, 134.
Strawberry, Virginia, 134.
Strawberry, Wild, 134, 136.
Succory, 418.
Sugar-berry, 130.
Sugar-pear, 130.
Sugar-plum, 130, 155.
Sumach, Common, 190.
Sumach, Dwarf Black, 190.
Sumach, Mountain, 190.
Sumach, Pennsylvania, 191.
Sumach, Poison, 194-
Sumach, Scarlet, 191.
Sumach, Shoemaker, 191
Sumach, Sleek, 191.
Sumach, Smooth, 100, 191.
Sumach. Upland, 190.
Sumach, White, 191.
-Sundew, Oblong-leaved. 118.
Sundew. Round-leaved. 121.
Sundew. Thread-leaved, 117.
Sunflower, Rough, 403.
Sunflower, Wild, 403.
Sunflower. Woodland, 403.-
Swallow-wort, 106, 313.
Swallow- wort, Flesh-colored,

311-

Swallow-wort, Orange, 313.

Swallow-wort, Silky, 312.

Swallow-wort, Virginia, 312.

Swamp Candles, 294.

Swamp-turnip, 15.

Swamp-wood, 357.

Sweating Plant, 364.

Sweet Bush, 57.

Sweet Cane, 16.

Sweet Ferry, 57.

Sweet-flag, 16.

Sweet Grass, 16.

Sweet Root, 16.

Sweet Rush, 16.

Sweet Sedge, 16.

Sweet Segg, 16.

Sweet William, Wild, 93-

Tanaeetum vulgare, var. crispum,

408.

Tansy, 407.
Taraxacum officinale, 421.

440

INDEX

Tarr, 167.
Tassel-weed, 401.
Tea-berry, 270.
Tear-berry. 270.
Tear-thumb, 78.
Tear-thumb, Arrow-leaved, 78.
Tephrosia virginiana, 160.
Teucrium canadense, var. lil-

lorale, 324.
Thimble-flower, 331.
Thimble-grass, 354.
Thistle, Bank, 411.
Thistle. Bell, 416.
Thistle, Bird, 416.
Thistle, Blue, 320, 416.
Thistle, Boar, 416.
Thistle, Bull, 416.
Thistle, Bur, 416.
Thistle, Button, 416.
Thistle, Canada, 415.
Thistle, Common, 416.
Thistle, Common Sow, 422.
Thistle, Corn, 415.
Thistle, Creeping, 415.
Thistle, Cursed, 415-
Thistle, Grey, 415.
Thistle, Hard, 415.
Thistle. Horse, 416.
Thistle, Lance-leaved, 416.
Thistle, Milk. 422.
Thistle, Perennial, 415.
Thistle, Plume, 416.
Thistle, Prickly, 415.
Thistle, Roadside. 416.
Thistle, Small-flowered, 415.
Thistle, Spear, 416.
Thistle. Spreading, 416.
Thistle, Tumbling, 82.
Thistle, Yellow, 418.
Thorn-apple, 344.
Thorough-grow, 364.
Thorough-stem, 364.
Thorough-wax, 364.
Thorough wort, 332.
Thoroughwort, Common. 364.
Thoroughwort, Rough, 366.
Thoroughwort. Vervain, 366.
Thousand-leaf, 405.
Throwwort, 332.
Thyme, Mountain, 333.
Thyme, Virginia, 333.
Tick-trefoil . Sessile-leaved , 1 6 1 .
Tillcea Vaillanlii, 122.
Time Grass, 166.
Toadflax, Bastard, 70.
Toadflax, Blue, 346.
Toadflax, Wild, 346.
Toadflax, Yellow, 34?-
Torches, 3^5.
Torch wort. 345.
Touch-and-heal, 220.
Touch-me-not, 204.

Trailing Pea, 169.
Traveler's-delight, 160.
Treasure-glove, Tangle-tail, 123.
Tree Moss, 186.
Trefoil, Bean, 30^.
Trefoil, Black, 158.
Trefoil, Lop Hop, 156.
Trefoil, Marsh, 30=5.
Trefoil, Melilot, 158.
Trefoil, Smaller Hop, 156.
Trefoil, Water, 30^.
Trefoil, White, 156.
Trichoslemn dichotomum, 325.
Trientalis americana, 295.
Trifolium agrarium, 150.
Tn 'folium arvense, 153.
Trifolium hybndum, 154.
Trifolium pratense, 155.
Trifolium procumbent, 156.
Trifolium re pens, 156.
Trumpet-weed, 365.
Tuber-root, 3 13.
Tube Rose, Wild. 49.
Two-lips, 39.
Typha angustifolia. 6.
Typha latifolia, ~.
TYPHACE/E, 6-8.

Ulex europceus, 1-19.

U.MBELLIFER^;. 255-258.

Unicorn-root, 31.
Universe Vine, 272.
Utricularia subulata, 353.

V actinium corymbosum, 283.

V actinium rnacrocarpon, 284.

V actinium pennsylvanicum, 285.

Velvet-plant, 345.

Velvets, 239.

Venus' Pride. 358.

V erbascum Thapsus, 345.

VERBENACE/E, 322. 323.

Verbena hastata, 322.

Vervain, American, 322.

Vervain, Blue, 322.

Vervain, False, 322.

Vetch, Bird, 166.

Vetch, Blue, 166.

Vetch, Common, 167

Vetch, Cow, 166.

Vetch, Hairy, 168.

Vetch, Pebble, 167.

Vetch, Spring, 167.

Vetch, Tufted, 166.

Vetch, Winter, 168.

Vetchling, 168.

Viburnum venosum, 360.

Vicia Cracca, 166.

Vicia saliva, 167.

Vicia villo<;a, 168.

Vinegar Tree, 191.

T"/c.' • I -nceolata, 232.

441

INDEX

Viola pallens, 235.
Viola papillonacea, 236.
Viola pedata, 239.
VIOLACE/E, 232-239.
Violet, Bird's-foot, 239.
Violet-bloom, 338.
Violet, Common, 236.
Violet, Crow's-foot, 239.
Violet, Lance-leaved, 232.
Violet, Sand, 239.
Violet, Sweet White, 235.
Violet, Wood, 239-
Viper's Bugloss, 320.
Yiper's-grass, 320.
Viper's-herb, 320.
Viper's-stem , 320.
Virginia Creeper, 206.
Virginia Silk, 312.

VlTACE/E, 2O6-2O8.

Vitis labrusca, 207.

Wait-a-bit, 32.
Wake-robin, 15.
Wall-moss, 123.
Wall-pepper, 123.
Warlock, 1 10.
Washington's Plume, 245-
Watches, 1 15.
Water Agrimony. 404.
Water Cabbage, 98.
Water-grass, 255.
Water-navalwort . 255.
Water Nymph, 98.
Water Parsnip, Hemlock, 256.
Water-torch, 7.
Wax-berry, 58.
Wax Cluster, 270.
Wax Myrtle, 58.
Way Bread, 355-
Welcome-home-husband-though-
never-so-drunk, 123.
Welcome-to-our-house, 186.
Whin, 149.

Whippoorwill's Boots, 115.
Whippoorwill's Shoes, 115.
White-apple, 169.
White-bottle, 92.
White-hen, 92.
Whiteman's-weed, 407.
White-root, 313.

White Rot, 255.

White-top, Slender, 396.

White-weed, 407.

White-wood, 268.

Whitlow Grass. 108.

Whortleberry, Bear's, 272.

Wicky. 267.

Wild Arsenic, 261.

Wild Bean, 169.

Wild-cotton, 312.

Wild Indian-pear, 130.

Wild Isaac, 364.

Willow, French, 247.

Willow, Glaucous, 53.

Willow, Pussy, S3-

Willow, Silver, 53.

Willowherb, Great Hairy, 248.

Hooded. 326.

Night. 253.

Spiked, 245, 247.

Willowherb

Willowherb, Swamp, 242.

Wind-flower, 103.

Windle, 354.

Wink-a-peep

Winterberrv

Wintergreen,
Wintergreen,
Wintergreen,
Wintergreen,
Wintergreen,

296.

Evergreen. 196.
Winterberry, Virginia, 200.
Wintergreen, 200, 205.

Aromatic, 290.

Creeping, 270.

False, 262.

Spicy, 270.

Spotted, 261.
Wintergreen, Spring, 270.
Winterweed, 86.
Witches' Pouch, no.
Wood-bind, 316.
Woodbine, 206.
Wood-flower, 100.
World's Wonder, 93.
Worm-wood, 409.
Worm-wood, Beach, 410.
Worm-wood, Roman, 401.

XYRIDACE^:, 20.
Xyris flexuosa, 20.

Yarr, 84.
Yarrow, 405.
Yellow Weed, 371-
Youthwort, 121.

442

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