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42,669,670 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0062 | 3 | 208 | 42,669,807 | Caltha palustris Linnaeus | MARSHMARIGOLD
Caltha palustris Linnaeus
When the marshmarigold is in full bloom and the frogs are singing in chorus, we realize that spring has really come. The wet meadows and the margins of the brimming streams are then adorned with bunches of this beautiful Caltha, whose flowers seem of a more brilliant gold because of the contrast with their surroundings. The cluster of bright green leaves, from which the flower stems rise, adds to the charm of the plants. The leaves in spring are as good as spinach, when boiled as greens. The nectar is a feast for small bees and flies which visit the flowers in great numbers. The marshmarigold belongs to the Crowfoot Family. It is often erroneously called cowslip.
Marshmarigold has a wide range, and may be found from South Carolina to Newfoundland and west to Nebraska and Saskatchewan. It occurs also in the Arctic regions, as well as in Europe and Asia.
The specimen sketched grew near Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
PLATE 208 |
42,669,671 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0063 | 3 | 209 | 42,669,809 | Pentstemon digitalis (Sweet) Nuttall | FOXGLOVE PENTSTEMON
Pentstemon digitalis (Sweet) Nuttall
Foxglove pentstemon thrives in dry meadows and thickets, and in midsummer its tall spikes of large white flowers, which are sometimes tinged with lavender, are very showy. Under cultivation the size of the plant and the abundance of flowers may be improved.
This is one of the few eastern pentstemons, most of the numerous members of the genus being natives of the western mountains. They belong to the Figwort Family, and are related to the garden foxglove. They are often called beardtongues.
Foxglove pentstemon ranges from Georgia northward to Maine, and westward to Arkansas and Illinois.
The specimen sketched grew near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 209 |
42,669,672 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0064 | 3 | 210 | 42,669,811 | Callicarpa americana Linnaeus | BEAUTYBERRY
Callicarpa americana Linnaeus
Beautyberry is one of the common plants of the Southern States, growing in moist thickets or in dry, sandy places. It is a bushy shrub, sometimes as much as six feet tall. The small, bluish or pinkish flowers, appearing in spring in dense clusters in the axils of the leaves, are rather inconspicuous. In autumn they are followed by bunches of juicy fruits of an unusual tint, making a large bush a magnificent sight. The fruits persist well through the winter, unless eaten by birds. This plant is a member of the Verbena Family, and is sometimes called French mulberry, apparently because of a remote resemblance of the fruit clusters to mulberries.
This native species is much more showy than the related Asiatic species, but is rarely cultivated. It occurs from Florida northward to Virginia and westward to Texas and Missouri.
PLATE 210 |
42,669,673 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0065 | 3 | 211 | 42,669,813 | Viola rafinesquii Greene | FIELD VIOLET
Viola rafinesquii Greene
The field violet is one of the daintiest members of the Violet Family. It prefers the drier fields and open woods, and because it so frequently is found growing in the grass, and has such a pale color, it is easily overlooked. Field violet is a winter annual, and growing day by day as the weather permits, it is one of the earliest violets to bloom in spring. It soon withers when the hot summer sun strikes it. It is more closely related to some of the European violets than to other American species, as shown by the large stipules at the base of the leaves. When freshly pulled the roots have the odor and taste of wintergreen.
Field violet extends from Georgia to Texas, and northward to New York and Michigan.
The specimen sketched was obtained in the National Zoological Park at Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 211 |
42,669,674 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0066 | 3 | 212 | 42,669,815 | Cyrtopodium punctatum (Linnaeus) Lindley | SPOTTED CYRTOPODIUM
Cyrtopodium punctatum (Linnaeus) Lindley
Few of the truly tropical orchids afford so brilliant a display of large and brightly colored flowers as does this plant, which is one of the showiest of all the orchids native in the United States. It grows abundantly in the cypress swamps of southern Florida, the huge plants with their large club-shaped pseudobulbs, often a foot long, forming dense clumps on the larger tree trunks. It is associated with smaller orchids, coarse ferns, bromeliads, and epiphytes of other groups. The graceful flower panicles, spreading or drooping from the tree trunks, are usually three feet long and sometimes much longer. The flowers, which recall those of the genus Oncidium, suggest a cloud of butterflies hovering over the foliage.
The spotted cyrtopodium has been in cultivation in England for a hundred years. Besides its occurrence in Florida, it has a wide range in the American tropics, extending through the West Indies and from Mexico to Brazil.
The specimen sketched was collected at Coot's Bay, Cape Florida, Florida.
PLATE 212 |
42,669,675 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0067 | 3 | 213 | 42,669,817 | Hypopitys lanuginosa (Michaux) Nuttall | RED PINESAP
Hypopitys lanuginosa (Michaux) Nuttall
Because of its bright red color, red pinesap is more showy than some of its near relatives. Like them it is a plant of fungus-like appearance, because of the complete lack of the green coloring which characterizes nearly all flowering plants. It grows in woodlands, springing from decayed vegetable mould. The plants develop and flower usually in rather late summer, but in the southern part of their range as early as June.
The red pinesap is widely distributed, being found from Florida to Louisiana, and north to Quebec and Newfoundland. It is sometimes referred to the same genus (Monotropa) as the Indianpipe.
The specimen sketched was collected near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 213 |
42,669,676 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0068 | 3 | 214 | 42,669,819 | Conopholis americana (Linnaeus filius) Wallroth | SQUAWROOT
Conopholis americana (Linnaeus filius) Wallroth
Squawroot is a curious plant, suggesting in its appearance, because of the absence of green coloring, a fungus rather than a flowering plant. The thick and firm but fleshy stems often grow indense clumps, the flowers nestling in the axils of bracts and forming a dense spike. The whole plant is pale yellow or brownish, and gradually withers to a deep brown, the stems persisting until late summer, when the seed pods are matured. It grows in rich woods, often about the bases of trees, the flowers opening as early as April.
Squawroot ranges from Florida and Alabama northward to Maine, Ontario, and Michigan. Another closely related species is native in the Southwestern States and in Mexico.
The specimen sketched grew near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 214 |
42,669,677 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0069 | 3 | 215 | 42,669,821 | Habenaria lacera (Michaux) Loddiges | RAGGED FRINGE-ORCHID
Habenaria lacera (Michaux) Loddiges
The tagged fringe-orchid comes into bloom a little later than its more showy sister, the yellow fringe-orchid. Because it grows in swampy places among grasses and other moisture-loving plants, or in deep woods, and since its flowers differ little in coloring from the leaves, it is not easily discovered. The stems are one to two feet high. The plant’s insect visitors are abundantly rewarded by the nectar which it supplies to them in exchange for the part they play in cross pollination. Owing to its color, it is more easily seen after dark than its yellow and purple relatives, and thus attracts night-flying moths to its feast.
Ragged fringe-orchid ranges from Georgia to North Carolina and Missouri, and northward to Newfoundland and Manitoba.
The specimen sketched was found near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 215 |
42,669,678 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0070 | 3 | 216 | 42,669,823 | Cypripedium arietinum Robert Brown | RAMSHEAD LADYSLIPPER
Cypripedium arietinum Robert Brown
Ramshead ladyslipper is the rarest of the North American species of Cypripedium, and one of the most unusual in form and color. It is much daintier than its sisters in its habit of growth. It occurs only in cold, damp woods, and happy is he who is fortunate enough to find it.
Ramshead ladyslipper grows from Massachusetts and New York to Minnesota and northward to Quebec and Manitoba.
The specimen sketched was obtained in Chittenden County, Vermont, by Mr. Edwin Hale Lincoln of Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
PLATE 216 |
42,669,679 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0071 | 3 | 217 | 42,669,825 | Cypripedium reginae Walter | SHOWY LADYSLIPPER
Cypripedium reginae Walter
The showy ladyslipper is considered by many to be the most beautiful of our native species of Cypripedium. It loves peat bogs or low wet woods; thus only those willing to meet the difficulties of tramping in such places are rewarded by finding the shy beauty. Its flowers are also the largest of the North American ladyslippers, and it may have one or more blossoms to crown its leafy stem. The State of Minnesota has chosen the showy ladyslipper as its State flower, and it was the first of the States to adopt such an emblem.
The plant has a rather wide distribution, occurring from Georgia to Minnesota and northward to Newfoundland and Ontario.
The plant sketched was obtained by Mr. Edwin Hale Lincoln near Lenox, Massachusetts.
PLATE 217 |
42,669,680 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0072 | 3 | 218 | 42,669,827 | Pogonia ophioglossoides (Linnaeus) Ker | ROSE POGONIA
Pogonia ophioglossoides (Linnaeus) Ker
Rose pogonia blooms at about the same time as the grass-pink orchid. It chooses the same swamps and wet meadows for its habitat, and the two are often found growing together. Its beautiful fringed lip is an enticing landing place for the bees, which are attracted also by the fresh raspberry odor of the flowers. Its roots are fibrous, and it propagates by runners as well as by seeds.
The plant has a wide range, extending from Florida to Texas and northward to Illinois, Minnesota, Ontario, and Newfoundland. It is found also in Japan.
The specimen sketched was obtained near Tuckerton, New Jetsey.
PLATE 218 |
42,669,681 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0073 | 3 | 219 | 42,669,829 | Dionaea muscipula Ellis | VENUS FLYTRAP
Dionaea muscipula Ellis
Venus flytrap is one of the most interesting and remarkable plants in the United States. The restricted region on the Atlantic coast in which it grows has been visited by many scientists bent upon forming a personal acquaintance with the plant in its native haunts. The white flower is inconspicuous. It is the leaves, which form a cluster at the base of the flower stems, that are so unusual. The leaves are produced at the base of the flower stalk, and consist of a flat stalk and a blade composed of two sides, like the leaves of a book. These are hinged to the midrib, and fringed on the outer edges with tiny spikes. On their concave faces, near the center, three or more tiny hair triggers are found. When these are touched, even lightly, the hinges close, and the insect visitor is clasped between the folded blades, while the spikes interlace firmly. No struggling insect can escape; it is so tightly held that the outline of its body can be seen through the leaf tissue. The leaf secretes a digestive substance, through whose agency the soft parts of the insect are absorbed by the cells. When this digestion is complete the leaf opens and releases the hard indigestible parts. Charles Darwin tells us that this is “the most wonderful plant in the world.”
Venus flytrap has a narrow range, occurring only on the coast of North and South Carolina, especially in the vicinity of Wilmington, North Carolina.
The sketch was made from a specimen grown in the greenhouses of the Department of Agriculture, in Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 219 |
42,669,682 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0074 | 3 | 220 | 42,669,831 | Gelsemium sempervirens (Linnaeus ) Persoon | CAROLINA JESSAMINE
Gelsemium sempervirens (Linnaeus) Persoon
Carolina jessamine, called “jasamer” by the natives of some parts of the South, is one of the delights of early spring in that region. It is a large vine whose woody, tangled, twining stems seek support upon the smaller trees, and then spread in riotous confusion over the tree tops. The clear yellow flowers are borne freely on the many leafy stems at the top, their delightful odor calling the bees to the feast of nectar spread for them. From the buds and seed pods an active medicinal preparation is made, but it must be used with care, as it is a narcotic poison.
Carolina jessamine is the State flower of South Carolina. It is found from Florida to Texas and northward to eastern Virginia, and grows also in Mexico. But one other species of the genus Gelsemium is known, which is a native of Asia.
The sketch was made from specimens gathered near Beaufort, South Carolina.
PLATE 220 |
42,669,683 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0075 | 3 | 221 | 42,669,833 | Kalmia latifolia Linnaeus | MOUNTAIN-LAUREL
Kalmia latifolia Linnaeus
Mountain-laurel is a joy to the flower lover, not only when its beautiful blooms are plentiful in late spring, but also during the other months of the year, when its glossy evergreen leaves lend themselves so readily to the decoration of our homes. The intricate structure of the flowers is very curious. Each anther is tucked into a pocket on the inside of the corolla. When a bee probes the nectaries at the base of the flower tube the anthers are released and spring upward, emptying their pollen pouches upon the bee, which carries the pollen to the stigma of the next flower visited, thus effecting cross-pollination. The flower stalks are hairy and sticky and consequently entrap many ants and other small insects which are not useful in pollination. Honey made from mountain-laurel nectar is poisonous, and the leaves are deadly to stock. The heavy, hard, and tough wood is in demand for the manufacture of small articles.
Mountain-laurel prefers sandy or rocky, acid soil. It frequently forms densely interlaced thickets and sometimes grows to a height of twenty feet. Rarely it is a tree as high as forty feet, with a trunk diameter of eighteen inches. Mountain-laurel was taken to Europe about 1750 by Peter Kalm, the Swedish explorer. He was a friend of Linnaeus, who gave the shrub the name Kalmia in his honor. It is the State flower of Connecticut.
Mountain-laurel extends from Florida to Louisiana, western Kentucky, and Indiana, and northward to Ontario and New Brunswick.
The sketch was made from a specimen obtained near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 221 |
42,669,684 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0076 | 3 | 222 | 42,669,835 | Orontium aquaticum Linnaeus | GOLDENCLUB
Orontium aquaticum Linnaeus
Goldenclub is not so handsome as many members of the Arum Family, but when the plants grow in large colonies their many bright yellow spikes are showy. Each spike is composed of innumerable tiny flowers. The plant attracts gnats and small insects, which are instrumental in fertilizing the flowers. It grows in open swamps and on the muddy borders of streams.
The range of the goldenclub is from Louisiana to Florida and northward to Massachusetts, chiefly near the coast.
The specimen sketched was procured near Beaufort, South Carolina.
PLATE 222 |
42,669,685 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0077 | 3 | 223 | 42,669,837 | Castalia odorata (Dryander) Woodville and Wood | AMERICAN WATERLILY
Castalia odorata (Dryander) Woodville and Wood
The lure of ponds and shallow streams never seems more insistent than when the waterlilies open in the early morning. Thoreau, speaking of the Merrimac River, says, “I have passed down the river before sunrise on a summer morning, between fields of lilies still shut in sleep; and when at length, the flakes of sunlight from over the bank fell on the surface of the water, whole fields of white blossoms seemed to flash open before me, as I floated along, like the unfolding of a banner, so sensible is this flower to the influence of the sun’s rays.”
Shelley also sings of their rare beauty:
**** floating waterlilies broad and bright,
Which lit the oak that overhung the ledge
With moonlit beams of their own light.
The fresh fragrance of these beautiful flowers is attractive not only to the flower lover but to the host of insects which visit them. The stamens and pistils mature at different times, thus cross-pollination is accomplished by the insect visitors.
The flowers may be pure white, or tinged with pink. The leaves, shaded with maroon on the under side, are almost as beautiful as the flowers.
The American waterlily is found from Florida to Louisiana and Kansas, and northward to Newfoundland and Manitoba.
The specimen sketched grew near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 223 |
42,669,686 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0078 | 3 | 224 | 42,669,839 | Viola eriocarpa Schweinitz | SMOOTH YELLOW VIOLET
Viola eriocarpa Schweinitz
Among the host of violets, perhaps none is better known to the flower lover than this dainty yellow species, which grows so plentifully in its favorite habitat. A lover of low, open woods, it is early in bloom, and soon is past its full beauty.
Bryant alludes to one of the yellow violets when he tells us that
When beechen buds begin to swell
And woods the bluebird’s warble know
The yellow violet’s modest bell
Peeps from the last year’s leaves below.
The smooth yellow violet occurs from Georgia to Texas and northward to Nova Scotia and Manitoba, being thus somewhat more southern in range than its relative, the downy yellow violet.
The specimen sketched was obtained at Plummers Island in the Potomac River near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 224 |
42,669,687 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0079 | 3 | 225 | 42,669,841 | Menyanthes trifoliata Linnaeus | BOGBEAN
Menyanthes trifoliata Linnaeus
This lovely flower is well protected from molestation by admiring visitors, for it grows in cold swamps or such wet places that rubber boots are a necessity if good specimens are to be obtained. Usually it is associated with thick beds of sphagnum. The white flowers, tinged with pink or purple and glistening in the sun, seem to vie with the bog orchids in beauty. The plant springs from a thick underground rootstock. It belongs to the small Bogbean Family, which is closely related to, and by many authors included in, the Gentian Family.
The range of the bogbean is wide, for it extends from New Jersey and West Virginia to Nebraska and California, and northward to Greenland and Alaska. It is found also in Europe and Asia.
The specimen sketched was collected in a cold bog near the motor road from Lake Louise to Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 5,500 feet.
PLATE 225 |
42,669,688 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0080 | 3 | 226 | 42,669,843 | Ilex vomitoria Aiton | YAUPON
Ilex vomitoria Aiton
Yaupon is a shrub or small tree, sometimes as much as twentyfive feet tall. It is especially handsome in autumn when covered with its beautiful red berries, which resemble those of its close relative, the American holly. It is worthy of wider cultivation as an ornamental plant in the Southern States. The fruits, when ripe, often do not remain long on the branches, for birds, especially mocking birds, are very fond of the berries, and soon strip the trees of them. Various early explorers tell us of the black drink, or cassena, used by the Indians of the South Atlantic States, which was brewed from yaupon leaves. The dried leaves, which contain about one-half of one per cent of caffeine, were steeped in water, which was then cooled by pouring rapidly from one vessel to another, this treatment producing frothiness. When very strong from long boiling, the liquid is black and bitter, and acts as an emetic, a quality which the Indians regarded lightly, and merely drank again. When, however, the leaves are heated with water for but a short time, a delicious drink is produced, and the United States Department of Agriculture is endeavoring to popularize this. It closely resembles maté or Paraguay tea, which is made from a related plant, and it promises to come into wider use as a substitute for tea, being more suitable than the latter for production under the labor conditions of this country.
Yaupon ranges along the Coastal Plain from Texas to Arkansas and Florida, and northward to Virginia.
The specimen sketched was obtained near Beaufort, South Carolina.
PLATE 226 |
42,669,689 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0081 | 3 | 227 | 42,669,845 | Bignonia radicans Linnaeus | TRUMPETCREEPER
Bignonia radicans Linnaeus
Trumpetcreeper is a hardy vine with strong growth, and with gaudy red or orange flowers clustered at the ends of long, graceful stems. If it has an opportunity it clings by means of aerial roots to a supporting neighbor, and frequently it climbs to the tops of tall trees. If no support is available it is satisfied to grow in moist fields, or on neglected roadsides. It is especially beloved by humming birds, which poise below the blossoms and thrust their long, slender bills into the trumpets to reach the nectar glands at the base. Audubon, in painting the ruby-throat, shows the bird with this flower. The trumpetcreeper belongs to the Bignonia Family, whose name was given by Linnaeus in honor of Abbe Bignon, librarian to Louis XV. The genus, as restricted by some authors, contains but two known species, the other being a native of Japan. The crossvine of the Southern States is a near relative. The Bignonia Family is a large one, but most of its representatives are confined to the tropics.
Trumpetcreeper ranges from Florida and Texas northward to southern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and lowa.
The specimen sketched was found near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 227 |
42,669,690 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0082 | 3 | 228 | 42,669,847 | Vaccinium corymbosum Linnaeus | HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRY
Vaccinium corymbosum Linnaeus
Highbush blueberry is better known by its delicious fruit than by the beautiful flowers which are so attractive in spring. These are borne thickly on the branches and attract many insects to their nectar feast. But it is when loaded with fruit that the plant’s principal claim to our interest is acknowledged. While the wild berry is attractive, the improved varieties developed by Dr. Frederick V. Coville are our admiration and delight. The berries of these cultivated forms have reached seven-eighths of an inch in diameter. Highbush blueberries are grown in acid soils, and as they are very hardy, many waste places in our Northern States can be utilized to produce a crop of delicious fruit.
Highbush blueberry ranges, in its numerous forms, from North Carolina (and perhaps farther southward) westward to the Mississippi Valley, and north to Minnesota and Maine.
The specimen sketched was grown in the greenhouses of the Department of Agriculture in Washington from specimens obtained in New Jersey.
PLATE 228 |
42,669,693 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0085 | 3 | 230 | 42,669,851 | Vaccinium tenellum Aiton | PINE LAND BLUEBERRY
Vaccinium tenellum Aiton
Pineland blueberry is a low shrub, rarely over three feet high. It has long, slender, woody underground stems, from which rise at irregular intervals the stiff, bushy branches. The flowers open in early spring, before the finely toothed leaves are fully expanded. The edible berries are a quarter of an inch in diameter, and black, with a whitish bloom over their surface.
Pineland blueberry ranges from Florida to Virginia and westward to Mississippi. It is a shrub of the Coastal Plain, and grows chiefly in sandy pine woods.
The sketch was made from specimens collected at Beaufort, South Carolina.
PLATE 230 |
42,669,694 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0086 | 3 | 231 | 42,669,853 | Magnolia acuminata Linnaeus | CUCUMBERTREE
Magnolia acuminata Linnaeus
The cucumbertree is a handsome inhabitant of the eastern forests. Under favorable conditions it attains a height of ninety feet with a proportionately broad crown. The greenish-yellow flowers, in spite of their large size, are not so conspicuous as those of some other magnolias, for their color blends with that of the leaves. The cylindrical fruit, when ripe, is rose-colored, but before maturity it is green, and bears some resemblance to a small cucumber. The wood is soft and yellowish brown.
This species has a wider range than most of the magnolias, extending from Georgia to Mississippi and Missouri and northward to New York and Ontario.
The specimen sketched was taken from a beautiful tree growing in front of the buildings of the Department of Agriculture in Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 231 |
42,669,695 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0087 | 3 | 232 | 42,669,855 | Azalea rosea Loiseleur | DOWNY PINXTERBLOOM
Azalea rosea Loiseleur
Downy Pinxterbloom is a striking plant when in bloom, its masses of clear pink flowers attracting the attention of everyone. It decorates the landscape wherever it is found, and is especially beautiful as seen along narrow mountain roads. Here it grows in profusion in company with mountain-laurel and other acid-soil plants. It has a delightful odor. The shrub grows in a vigorous manner, and in favorable locations reaches a height of fifteen feet. It is often called erroneously honeysuckle. It is easily cultivated in suitable soils, and should be planted freely by those who love our native shrubs.
Downy Pinxterbloom extends from the mountains of Virginia westward to Missouri and north to New Hampshire and Southern Quebec.
The specimen sketched was brought into bloom in the greenhouses of the Department of Agriculture in Washington.
PLATE 232 |
42,669,696 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0088 | 3 | 233 | 42,669,857 | Monarda punctata Linnaeus | SPOTTED BEEBALM
Monarda punctata Linnaeus
Spotted beebalm is one of the most beautiful members of the Mint Family. The delicate combination of color in its flowers is quite unlike the colors exhibited by most of its relatives. The plant has a strong flavor and scent, somewhat resembling that of mint but closer to that of thyme. It contains, in fact, so much of the valuable drug thymol that attempts have been made to grow it as a source of this substance. It grows mostly in dry, sterile, and often acid, soils, being found in the Southern States in pine woods, though in the West it is frequent on prairies. It is sometimes called horsemint.
Spotted beebalm is distributed from Florida to Texas and Kansas and northward to southern New York and Minnesota.
The specimen sketched was obtained near Washington, District of Columbia, where it blooms throughout late summer.
PLATE 233 |
42,669,697 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0089 | 3 | 234 | 42,669,859 | Claytonia virginica Linnaeus | VIRGINIA SPRINGBEAUTY
Claytonia virginica Linnaeus
Springbeauty is one of the first spring flowers, blooming with hepatica, bloodroot, anemone, and troutlily. It grows from a small tuber, which is edible. The flowers open only in bright sunshine, closing at night and not opening again if the following day is cloudy. The three style branches of the pistil remain closely pressed together until the anthers have yielded their pollen to visiting insects; then the style branches spread to receive pollen from the later flowers.
Longfellow alludes to the springbeauty in “Hiawatha,” telling us that
Where the fire had smoked and smouldered,
Saw the earliest flower of Spring-time,
Saw the Beauty of the Spring-time,
Saw the Miskodeed in blossom.
This species of springbeauty ranges from Georgia to Texas and northward to Nova Scotia, Montana, and Saskatchewan.
The sketch was made from plants growing near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 234 |
42,669,698 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0090 | 3 | 235 | 42,669,861 | Pinguicula elatior Michaux | PURPLE BUTTERWORT
Pinguicula elatior Michaux
Purple butterwort is a dainty and beautiful plant. It grows in moist sandy pine woods on the Coastal Plain, often in association with other purple or yellow butterworts. Although in Florida it may be found in flower at almost any season, it blooms most profusely in spring. The solitary flower is poised at the top of a slender stalk springing from the center of a rosette of pale green leaves, which usually lie flat against the sand. They feel greasy to the touch because they are covered with myriads of minute glands. The exudation from the glands entraps small insects which alight on the leaf surface, and these helplessly entangled creatures are held closely by the inrolled margins of the leaf blade, to be digested and assimilated as food. The butterworts are all terrestrial plants, but they belong to the same family as the bladderworts, many of which are aquatic.
This species of butterwort is common in Florida and adjoining States, but appears to be unable to withstand cold weather. It has not migrated farther north than southern North Carolina. Curiously enough one of its close relatives is intolerant of warm climates, and though occurring through much of Canada, has not reached farther south than central New York.
The specimen sketched was brought into flower in the greenhouses of the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, from specimens obtained in Florida.
PLATE 235 |
42,669,699 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0091 | 3 | 236 | 42,669,863 | Sarracenia psittacina Michaux | PARROT PITCHERPLANT
Sarracenia psittacina Michaux
Parrot pitcherplant is a beautiful member of the bizarre group to which it belongs. The Pitcherplant Family consists of only three genera and about ten species, all American. The true pitcherplants are all natives of the eastern United States, but one of their relatives grows in the mountains of California, and the other still farther away, in the mountains of Guiana. Our pitcherplants inhabit peat bogs, and they may be grown easily in the hot-house in a mixture of peat and sand. The pot should be placed inside a larger one, and the space between should be stuffed with peat moss, thus imitating the natural conditions of soil and moisture.
The parrot pitcherplant is one of the many interesting plants which are found on our southeastern Coastal Plain. It ranges from Florida to Georgia and Alabama.
The specimen sketched was grown in the greenhouses of the Department of Agriculture in Washington.
PLATE 236 |
42,669,700 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0092 | 3 | 237 | 42,669,865 | Scutellaria serrata Andrews | WOOD SKULLCAP
Scutellaria serrata Andrews
This species is one of the most showy and beautiful of all the skullcaps, of which there are over sixty species in the United States. Its large, blue-purple flowers and the bright-green scentless foliage distinguish it from most other members of the Mint Family native in the Eastern States. It is a forest plant, apparently preferring soils of low acidity, forming small dense clumps, and flowering in May and June. Pink and white forms are occasionally found.
Wood skullcap ranges from South Carolina to Alabama and northward to New York and Illinois.
The sketch was made from a specimen found near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 237 |
42,669,701 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0093 | 3 | 238 | 42,669,867 | Sisyrinchium angustifolium Miller | BLUE-EYED-GRASS
Sisyrinchium angustifolium Miller
The starlike flowers of blue-eyed-grass open only in bright sunshine, and last but a single day. Thus in fields that were plentifully sprinkled with them in the morning, not a flower will be found among the grasslike leaves and stems in the afternoon. Its leaves although very slender, resemble those of an iris, being flattened and attached with their edges turned toward the stem. The plant is a member of the Iris Family.
This species of blue-eyed-grass has a wide range, from Virginia to Colorado and northward to Newfoundland and British Columbia. It has many close relatives, which can be distinguished from it only by botanists who have made a special study of this group.
The specimen sketched was gathered in the valley of Ghost River, thirty-five miles from Banff, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 4,000 feet.
PLATE 238 |
42,669,702 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0094 | 3 | 239 | 42,669,869 | Trillium erectum Linnaeus | RED TRILLIUM
Trillium erectum Linnaeus
In one pronounced character the red trillium is strikingly different from other trilliums, which have no well-defined odor. The strong offensive odor of this plant is repellent to the bees and butterflies, although it does draw the carrion flies, which have a monopoly of the pollen shed by the anthers.
Red trillium ranges from North Carolina to Tennessee and northward to Nova Scotia and Ontario.
The plant sketched was procured from the National Zoological Park in Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 239 |
42,669,703 | NorthAmericanwiIIIWalc_0095 | 3 | 240 | 42,669,871 | Trillium grandiflorum (Michaux) Salisbury | SNOW TRILLIUM
Trillium grandiflorum (Michaux) Salisbury
Snow trilliums area delight to behold when they reach the perfection of growth in spring along with other early spring flowers. They love woodland regions, pushing up from the ground through the covering of brown leaves, and waving in every fitful breeze that blows. As the flowers fade they are flushed with a dainty pink color. Snow trilliums are easily grown and quickly spread through the woods when planted, needing no especial care. The soil must be rich, moist, and well drained. The trilliums belong to the Lily Family.
The snow trillium has a rather wide range, extending from North Carolina to Missouri and northward to Minnesota, Ontario and Quebec.
The sketch was made from plants grown near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 240 |
42,669,083 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0015 | 4 | 241 | 42,669,167 | Orchis spectabilis Linnaeus | SHOWY ORCHIS
Orchis spectabilis Linnaeus
Although this orchid is known by the English equivalent of its Latin name, showy orchis, the name is really not appropriate, for the plant is far less conspicuous than some of its North American relatives. It is known also as “pulpit-flower,” because of the resemblance of the mauve-colored arched petals to the sounding-board over a pulpit. In a walk through the deep woods in early spring, our feet rustling last year's fallen leaves, it is a pleasant surprise to chance upon a group of plants of this shy beauty, the earliest of the orchids to blossom.
The flower is well adapted to insure cross-pollination by bumblebees, for not only is the lip or lower petal of just the size to enable these insects to get a good hold upon it, but the spur, at the bottom of which the nectar is contained, is exactly equal in length to the bumblebee's tongue, so that smaller insects can not reach the nectar. Finally, the anther is so situated that while the bee is busily engaged in extracting the nectar, its head is smeared with the sticky pollen, and as the bee enters the flower of another plant, this pollen is rubbed off on the stigma, thus effecting cross-pollination. The waxy flowers are borne on a short stem, arising between two bright green leaves.
Showy orchis is found from Georgia to Arkansas, and northward to the Dakotas, Ontario, and New Brunswick.
The specimen sketched grew near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 241 |
42,669,084 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0016 | 4 | 242 | 42,669,169 | Pogonia divaricata (Linnaeus) Robert Brown | ROSEBUD ORCHID
Pogonia divaricata (Linnaeus) Robert Brown
Rosebud orchid is widespread and abundant in the far South, and the acid-soil meadows of northern Florida are sometimes colored pink by thousands of its blossoms. Farther north it becomes rarer, and is seldom found even by the botanist, whose excursions lead him to remote fields and bogs. The lovely shading and delicate penciling of the petals lend a peculiar charm to this orchid. To people not familiar with the book name, it is often known as the “rosebud flower,” because of the resemblance of the lip to a slender rosebud. Some botanists hold that it is not a true Pogonia, assigning to it the name Cleistes divaricata.
Rosebud orchid is found from Florida and Alabama northward to Kentucky and southern New Jersey, growing both in lowlands near the coast and on high mountains.
The specimen sketched was obtained near Beaufort, South Carolina.
PLATE 242 |
42,669,085 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0017 | 4 | 243 | 42,669,171 | Habenaria grandiflora (Bigelow) Torrey | LARGE PURPLE FRINGE-ORCHID
Habenaria grandiflora (Bigelow) Torrey
Large purple fringe-orchid is perhaps the most beautiful of the Habenarias. The delightful fragrance of its flowers appeals to us no less than their beauty, and we are not surprised that they attract bees and moths to their nectar and pollen. The plant prefers moist or swampy places in grassy meadows or in partial shade, where the soil is distinctly, though not very strongly, acid.
Large purple fringe-orchid is found from the mountains of North Carolina northward to Newfoundland and Ontario.
The sketch was made from a specimen obtained on Mount Desert Island, Maine, where it grows abundantly.
PLATE 243 |
42,669,086 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0018 | 4 | 244 | 42,669,173 | Franklinia alatamaha Marshall | FRANKLINIA
Franklinia alatamaha Marshall
Franklinia, or Franklin tree, a member of the Tea Family, has perhaps the most romantic history of any plant included in “North American Wild Flowers.” It was first seen by John Bartram in 1765 in the vicinity of Fort Barrington, Georgia, and was named by his friend, Humphrey Marshall, in honor of Benjamin Franklin. His son, William Bartram, also visited the locality in 1791, and described the plant in his “Travels through North and South Carolina.” He states that he never saw it at any other place but near the Fort, where “there are two or three acres of ground where it grows plentifully.” Thorough search has since been made by botanists, including Dr. C. S. Sargent, H. W. Ravenel, and Dr. E. T. Wherry, but no wild plants can be found. All those in existence in American gardens apparently originated with the plant or plants obtained by William Bartram and grown at Philadelphia in the place long known as Bartram’s Garden, now a public park.
Franklinia has been shown by Dr. Frederick V. Coville to belong to the great number of plants that flourish only in acid soils. Cuttings have been rooted successfully and distributed to nurserymen and to private gardens. At Whitesbog, in New Jersey, a number of plants are growing vigorously under the care of Miss Elizabeth C. White. The specimen sketched was obtained from one of these plants when they were in blossom in September, 1926. The delicious odor of the flowers attracts many bees, but few viable seeds have resulted. The Franklinia blooms in autumn when most other trees or shrubs are past flowering. Its leaves turn a beautiful crimson before falling from the branches.
PLATE 244 |
42,669,087 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0019 | 4 | 245 | 42,669,175 | Phlox divaricata Linnaeus | BLUE PHLOX
Phlox divaricata Linnaeus
Blue phlox is a lovely flower of spring. It often grows in company with cream-white violets in rich valleys, beneath tall trees, affording a delightful combination of dainty color. In its wild state, this species of phlox is variable, the color ranging from pinkish to pale violet, and the corolla-lobes may be entire or deeply notched. It was one of the earliest American plants to be cultivated in Europe, being illustrated in Miller's “Figures of Plants” in 1758.
At Plummers Island, near Washington, District of Columbia, where the specimens sketched were obtained, visitors are not permitted to gather the flowers, and in consequence blue phlox has thrived and grows in great profusion, filling the woods with its fragrance. The plant is well adapted to cultivation in shady gardens.
Blue phlox is found from Florida to eastern Texas and northward to Quebec and Minnesota.
PLATE 245 |
42,669,088 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0020 | 4 | 246 | 42,669,177 | Collinsia verna Nuttall | BLUE-EYED-MARY
Collinsia verna Nuttall
Blue-eyed-mary is one of the daintiest of spring flowers. In the Middle West it sometimes grows in such profusion that the meadows are blue with its brightly colored blossoms. The plant is fragile in appearance. Its flowers, although without odor, are visited by many bees. A member of the Figwort Family, this plant is thus related to the snapdragons, pentstemons, and monkeyflowers. It can be cultivated easily in rich, gravelly soil, and is a very desirable addition to the wild garden. Since it is a winter annual, the seeds should be sown in summer or early fall, but once established, it reseeds itself abundantly.
The specimen sketched was grown by Dr. Edgar T. Wherry in his garden in Washington from seeds procured from Cincinnati, Ohio.
Blue-eyed-mary ranges from Western Pennsylvania to Kentucky and Kansas, and northward to western New York, Ontario, and Wisconsin.
PLATE 246 |
42,669,089 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0021 | 4 | 247 | 42,669,179 | Bikukulla cucullaria (Linnaeus) Millspaugh | DUTCHMANS-BREECHES
Bikukulla cucullaria (Linnaeus) Millspaugh
The peculiarly delicate flowers of dutchmans-breeches, held aloft above the lacelike leaves by a slender stem, are one of the delights of flower lovers in early spring. This plant prefers rich soil on rocky ledges or well-drained wooded slopes. The leaves wither when the warm days of late spring come. The plant was valued as a love charm by the North American Indians. Recent tests made by the United States Department of Agriculture trace many cases of stock poisoning to this plant. The leaves, unfolding before there is much other green vegetation, are eaten greedily by cattle, and since the plant grows in leafmold, with slight hold in the earth, it is easily pulled loose, and the tubers as well as the leaves are eaten by the animal. This double dose of the toxic substance, which is contained in all parts of the plant, often produces fatal results. The Virginia highlanders know the plant as “little staggerweed.” It belongs to the Fumitory Family. Many authors use the name Dicentra for the genus. The flowers of this species are usually white, but pink-flowered plants are found occasionally, especially in the southwestern part of its range.
The specimen sketched was obtained near Washington, District of Columbia.
Dutchmans-breeches has a wide range, occurring from North Carolina to Kansas, and north to Minnesota and Nova Scotia.
PLATE 247 |
42,669,090 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0022 | 4 | 248 | 42,669,181 | Silene caroliniana Walter | PEATPINK
Silene caroliniana Walter
The bright flowers of the peatpink are larger than the blossoms of most of our wild members of the Pink Family, and always attract notice among the spring flowers. The plants grow in clumps, and prefer dry, sandy or rocky, usually rather acid soil. The flowers have two sets of stamens, one set maturing before the other. The styles do not mature until the stamens have unloaded their pollen on visiting insects, which transfer it to the older flowers, thus ensuing cross-pollination. The flower stalks are sticky, so that small insects, endeavoring to reach the flowers by crawling up the stem, are trapped.
This species, termed in some books Silene pennsylvanica, ranges from Georgia to Massachusetts. A closely related species, differing in that the stems and calyx of the flowers are not sticky, grows from Alabama to Kentucky and has recently been named by Dr. J. K. Small, Silene wherryi.
The specimen painted was obtained at Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 248 |
42,669,091 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0023 | 4 | 249 | 42,669,183 | Dentaria laciniata Muhlenberg | CUT TOOTHWORT
Dentaria laciniata Muhlenberg
Cut toothwort is found in spring growing plentifully in rich, moist woods, at about the same time as bloodroot and hepatica. The name toothwort is given because of the protuberances on the rootstocks of some of the species of Dentaria. These rootstocks have a spicy flavor similar to watercress, and are enjoyed by country children, who know one of the species as “crinkleroot” and dig its rootstocks to eat with their school lunches. The pale pink or white flowers of cut toothwort are rather attractive, but the plant withers quickly when gathered, and does not easily revive.
This member of the Mustard Family is found from Florida to Louisiana and Kansas, and northward to Quebec and Minnesota.
The sketch was made from flowers gathered in Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 249 |
42,669,092 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0024 | 4 | 250 | 42,669,185 | Sarracenia rubra Walter | SWEET PITCHERPLANT
Sarracenia rubra Walter
Sweet pitcherplant is a lovely member of its family, its flowers held aloft on delicate stems well above the “pitchers.” In addition to other interesting features, it has a delightful odor similar to that of wild grape blossoms. The leaves have the usual characteristics of pitcherplants, catching and digesting unwary insects that enter them. Of all the pitcherplants, this is, perhaps, the most desirable to cultivate because of its fragrance and its lasting qualities. It should be grown in a cool greenhouse.
Sweet pitcherplant is found from Georgia and Alabama to North Carolina, growing chiefly at moderate elevations.
The specimen sketched was brought into bloom by Dr. Frederick V. Coville in the greenhouses of the Department of Agriculture in Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 250 |
42,669,093 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0025 | 4 | 251 | 42,669,187 | Sarracenia minor Walter | HOODED PITCHERPLANT
Sarracenia minor Walter
Hooded pitcherplant has some distinctive features not shown by most other members of the family. The hood is beautifully arched, and tends to darken the interior cavity of the leaf. Contrasting with the opaque yellow-green of the surrounding leaf structure, the translucent patches near the summit of the hood are white, and act as windows, transmitting light to the upper part of the “pitchers.” Insects encouraged by the light to enter are often unable to find the way out, and exhausted by their endeavors to escape, drop to the bottom of the “pitcher,” where they die and are digested for the use of the plant.
This is the southernmost in range of all the pitcherplants, occurring in damp, acid meadows as far south as the middle of the Florida peninsula, and ranging northward through eastern Georgia, but barely entering Alabama and North Carolina.
The sketch was made from plants collected near Beaufort, South Carolina.
PLATE 251 |
42,669,094 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0026 | 4 | 252 | 42,669,189 | Porteranthus trifoliatus (Linnaeus) Britton | BOWMANSROOT
Porteranthus trifoliatus (Linnaeus) Britton
The delicate flowers of bowmansroot grace the woodlands in June, when the graceful loose panicles of white blossoms, sometimes tinged with pink, are at their best. To the layman, the plant bears little resemblance to other members of the Rose Family, to which it belongs. The name Porteranthus was given in honor of Thomas Conrad Porter, professor of botany in Lafayette College. In many books the plant is named Gillenia trifoliata.
Bowmansroot ranges from Georgia to Missouri, and northward to New York, Ontario, and Michigan. The plant sketched grew near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 252 |
42,669,095 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0027 | 4 | 253 | 42,669,191 | Azalea vaseyi (Gray) Rehder | PINKSHELL AZALEA
Azalea vaseyi (Gray) Rehder
The pinkshell azalea is so charming in form and color that it deserves attention from flower lovers who cultivate our native plants. It prefers rather moist, acid soil, and yields easily to cultivation. The corolla is so different in shape from that of other Azaleas that it is considered by some botanists to belong to a distinct genus, named Biltia in honor of George Vanderbilt.
Pinkshell azalea has a narrow range, being found only at a few restricted localities in the mountains of western North Carolina. For many years nurserymen have been digging and shipping this species from its native haunts, until it has been nearly exterminated as a wild plant. Fortunately it can be propagated in acid soils from seed.
The specimen sketched was grown by Dr. Paul Bartsch in his garden in Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 253 |
42,669,096 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0028 | 4 | 254 | 42,669,193 | Rhododendron maximum Linnaeus | ROSEBAY RHODODENDRON
Rhododendron maximum Linnaeus
The glory of the rosebay rhododendron when in bloom can hardly be exaggerated. Its lovely white or delicately pink flower clusters, surrounded by dark green leaves, make a charming picture. The shrub grows to a height of thirty feet in the Carolina mountains, where it often covers every available spot, both swamp and hillside, with a tangle of stiff stems and leathery foliage. The mountaineers know it as “laurel.” Its roots lie in mats close to the surface of the ground, and are protected by a cover of fallen leaves, which conserve the moisture, retain the acid condition of the soil, and add fertility.
Rosebay rhododendron is the state flower of West Virginia. It is abundant from central Georgia and Alabama as far north as Pennsylvania. It is occasional farther north, even reaching one or two localities in Nova Scotia.
The specimen sketched was obtained from the mountains of North Carolina.
PLATE 254 |
42,669,097 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0029 | 4 | 255 | 42,669,195 | Atamosco atamasco (Linnaeus) Greene | ATAMASCO-LILY
Atamosco atamasco (Linnaeus) Greene
Springing from the brown bed of the southern forest, no lovelier flower graces the awakening of spring than the atamasco-lily, a member of the Amaryllis Family. Blooming as it does in many places about Easter time, it is widely known in the South as “Easter lily.” Great bunches of the flowers are gathered to decorate homes and churches, but since the bulbs are not disturbed, the plants are not injured. A few long grass-like leaves grow from the bulb, and above them the flower stem, bearing the beautiful white flower, which sometimes is shaded delicately with pale pink. The thrill that comes when the flowers are discovered for the first time will long be remembered, for a patch of moist open woods starred with hundreds of the blossoms is a beautiful sight.
Atamasco-lily ranges from Florida and Alabama northward to southeastern Virginia. It has been reported also from Pennsylvania, but has not been found in that state in recent years. By some botanists the plant is known as Zephyranthes atamasco.
The flowers sketched were obtained near Yemassee, South Carolina.
PLATE 255 |
42,669,098 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0030 | 4 | 256 | 42,669,197 | Lilium superbum Linnaeus | TURKSCAP LILY
Lilium superbum Linnaeus
It is not surprising that Linnaeus gave the specific name superbum to this beautiful lily. Anyone who has seen it growing in meadows or bogs in midsummer will never forget the impression created by a great number of these plants blooming together. The stems, which at times attain a height of seven feet, are crowned with a panicle of magnificent flowers, sometimes numbering forty, whose color varies from red to orange. This lovely wildling yields easily to garden treatment, especially in acid, boggy soil, and survives from year to year, even increasing in beauty.
Turkscap lily is found from the mountains of Georgia to Missouri, and northward to New Brunswick and Minnesota.
The flowers sketched grew near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 256 |
42,669,099 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0031 | 4 | 257 | 42,669,199 | Polygala lutea Linnaeus | ORANGE POLYGALA
Polygala lutea Linnaeus
At many places in the Southeastern States the brilliant heads of the orange polygala stand out in bold relief from the background of grasses and weeds that surround them. The pine-barren swamps are its chosen habitat, and here it may be found in blossom most of the summer. Most of the North American plants belonging to the Polygala Family have inconspicuous flowers, often dull in color, but the flowers of this species are very showy. The roots of the plant, like those of many other species of Polygala, contain the chemical substance commonly known as “oil of wintergreen,” which can be recognized by its odor and taste. As this same flavoring substance is used in candy, the country people throughout the South know the species of Polygala as “candyweed” or “candyroot,” and chew the roots as a cure for coughs and colds. The medicinal value of this species is slight, although extracts of the roots of other members of the genus are used extensively in cough remedies.
Orange polygala ranges from Florida and Louisiana northward to New Jersey and Long Island.
The sketch was made from flowers collected near Beaufort, South Carolina.
PLATE 257 |
42,669,100 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0032 | 4 | 258 | 42,669,201 | Pedicularis bracteosa Bentham | RED HELMET
Pedicularis bracteosa Bentham
Red helmet, or wood betony, is found plentifully in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and frequently, before it comes into bloom, deceives the passer-by, who assumes that its fern-like leaves are fern fronds. The flowers are curious in structure, the “helmet” having the shape of a walrus head with tusks on either side, and being so arranged that it protects the stamens from the rain. Insect visitors are plentiful, and gather the nectar easily from its shallow receptacles.
This member of the Figwort Family ranges from Colorado to California, and northward to Alberta and British Columbia.
The specimen sketched was gathered near Baker Lake, fifteen miles north of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 6,000 feet.
PLATE 258 |
42,669,101 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0033 | 4 | 259 | 42,669,203 | Chelone glabra Linnaeus | TURTLEHEAD
Chelone glabra Linnaeus
This plant prefers to grow along water courses or in swamps, where it blooms freely in late summer and fall. The ingeniously constructed flower is visited by bees and other insects. The lower lip forms a platform on which the bees alight, and as the hooded upper lip is large enough to enclose the body of any but the largest kind of bees, they usually disappear completely when they go in to get the nectar. When they back out, their heads bear pollen brushed from the anthers, and in entering another blossom they leave some of this on the stigma, thus effecting cross-pollination. The creamy color of the flower, sometimes tinged with pink, turns to brown as it fades. Turtlehead is easily cultivated and forms a desirable addition to the wildflower garden. It belongs to the Figwort Family, and is often known to country folk as “wild snapdragon.”
Turtlehead has a wide range, occurring from Florida and Alabama to Kansas, and north to Newfoundland and Manitoba.
The plant from which the sketch was made grew on Mount Desert Island, Maine.
PLATE 259 |
42,669,102 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0034 | 4 | 260 | 42,669,205 | Sambucus pubens Michaux | SCARLET ELDER
Sambucus pubens Michaux
Although rather inconspicuous in spring when its small, greenish-white flowers open, scarlet elder is a striking plant in summer and fall, with its bunches of brightly colored berries against a background of deep green leaves. The bushes are from five to thirty feet in height. Since they grow in rather barren, rocky places, and are not particular about soil or altitude, they have a wide distribution. The elders belong to the Honeysuckle Family.
This species is a rather northern one, ranging from the mountains of Georgia to those of Colorado and California, and northward to Newfoundland and Alaska.
The sketch was made from a specimen collected near Glacier House, Glacier, British Columbia, at an altitude of 3,500 feet.
PLATE 260 |
42,669,103 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0035 | 4 | 261 | 42,669,207 | Anisostichus capreolatus (Linnaeus) Bureau | CROSSVINE
Anisostichus capreolatus (Linnaeus) Bureau
Although its flowers are very showy, crossvine is not familiar to many flower lovers. Its glossy, evergreen, paired leaves are borne on tough, tangled, woody stems with stout tendrils. The plant is nearly related to the trumpet-creeper, but is easily distinguished from it by the shorter trumpet of its flower. In some botanical works it is listed as Bignonia crucigera, the species name meaning crossbearer. In a section of the stem certain elements of the wood make a perfect cross, hence the name crossvine. In autumn the leaves turn to a bronze color. The crossvine prefers moist, almost swampy situations having an acid soil.
The plant ranges from Florida to Louisiana, and northward to Virginia, southern Ohio, and Illinois.
The specimen sketched was gathered near Beaufort, South Carolina.
PLATE 261 |
42,669,104 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0036 | 4 | 262 | 42,669,209 | Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus | INDIANPIPE
Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
The weird flowers of the Indianpipe develop in warm midsummer weather after rains. The flowers rise above the forest floor when most plants are past their bloom. The plants subsist upon decaying vegetable matter, having a mat of rootlets under the dead leaves. They have specialized away from the habits of ordinary plants, having lost their chlorophyl, and are ghostly white, or sometimes pale pink, with leaves that are mere scales. As the seeds mature, the flowers turn upward and blacken.
This plant is very widely distributed, being found practically throughout the North American continent north of Mexico, and also in Japan and the Himalayas.
On Mount Desert Island, Maine, where this specimen was gathered, Indianpipe grew in many localities.
PLATE 262 |
42,669,105 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0037 | 4 | 263 | 42,669,211 | Lobelia cardinalis Linnaeus | CARDINALFLOWER
Lobelia cardinalis Linnaeus
Cardinalflower, one of the most brilliantly colored of all our wild flowers, loves swampy places or the banks of streams, where in midsummer it teaches its perfection. The long spikes continue to bloom for weeks. The flowers open in succession from the lowest buds on the stem to those at the top. For this reason, the plant is easily exterminated in its native haunts, the flowers at the top of the stems being gathered with the old flowers and ripening seeds below. The color of the flowers is likened to that of a cardinal’s hat, and surely the corolla of no other of our wild flowers is so rich and velvety. Cardinalflower may be grown easily from seed, but in gardens it must be treated as a biennial unless its wet habitat can be reproduced. In the wild state, it is perennial by offsets.
Cardinalflower occurs from Florida westward to Texas, Kansas, and Colorado, and north to New Brunswick and Ontario.
The sketch was obtained from specimens gathered near Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania.
PLATE 263 |
42,669,106 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0038 | 4 | 264 | 42,669,213 | Zenobia cassinifolia (Ventenat) Pollard | ZENOBIA
Zenobia cassinifolia (Ventenat) Pollard
Zenobia is a branching shrub, from three to five feet in height, with glossy, deep green leaves. Its clusters of large, creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers exhale a delightful perfume, and its name is a fitting tribute to the beautiful Zenobia, queen of Palmyra, in the days of its glory. The plants flourish in acid soil, like most other members of the Heath Family, to which the genus belongs.
Zenobia ranges from Florida to North Carolina, in the coastal plain and piedmont provinces, but it has proved hardy much farther north.
The sketch was made from specimens obtained near Rose Hill, North Carolina.
PLATE 264 |
42,669,107 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0039 | 4 | 265 | 42,669,215 | Phoradendron flavescens (Pursh) Nuttall | AMERICAN MISTLETOE
Phoradendron flavescens (Pursh) Nuttall
The mistletoe of romance does not grow in America, but our native species serve the same decorative purpose, and are used at Christmas time with holly and other evergreens. There are several kinds of mistletoe, parasitic on both evergreen and deciduous trees. The name Phoradendron, applied to the principal American genus of the Mistletoe Family, is derived from Greek words meaning “treethief.” Where American mistletoe is plentiful it often kills its host. The flowers appear in September, but the fruit does not mature until the following year. Each berry contains a single seed.
This species of mistletoe is found from Florida to Texas and Missouri, and northward to New Jersey and Ohio.
The sketch was made from a specimen obtained in Virginia, where it grows chiefly on tupelo trees, but sometimes on red maples.
PLATE 265 |
42,669,108 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0040 | 4 | 266 | 42,669,217 | Ilex opaca Aiton | AMERICAN HOLLY
Ilex opaca Aiton
The brilliant red berries and spiny evergreen leaves of American holly carry with them all the Old World associations, even though our species is different from that of Europe. The inconspicuous flowers are of a greenish color, and the pistillate and staminate flowers usually occur on separate trees. American holly is most abundant in moist woods on rather acid soils. It sometimes teaches a height of fifty feet, with a trunk three and a half feet in diameter, but is of slow growth. The wood is white, close-grained, and hard; the bark greenish gray, with white markings. The great demand for holly at Christmas stimulates cutting for commercial purposes, and is denuding the forests of this beautiful evergreen. To save it from extermination, substitutes must be used whenever possible.
American holly is found from Florida to Texas and Missouri, and northward to Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
The sketch was made from a specimen obtained near Washington, District of Columbia.
PLATE 266 |
42,669,109 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0041 | 4 | 267 | 42,669,219 | Tsuga mertensiana (Bongard) Sargent | MOUNTAIN HEMLOCK
Tsuga mertensiana (Bongard) Sargent
Mountain hemlock forms wide expanses of dark green foliage along the mountain sides. A mature tree has a tapering trunk two to four feet in diameter and seventy to a hundred feet in height, and gracefully drooping branches. The heavy cones are abundant and beautifully colored, especially in their earlier stages, before the scales have dried in ripening. In the Selkirk Mountains this is a conspicuous tree, adding greatly to the beauty of the landscape.
Mountain hemlock has a comparatively narrow range, occurring from western Montana to California and Alaska.
The specimen sketched grew near Glacier House, Glacier, British Columbia, at an altitude of 3,500 feet.
PLATE 267 |
42,669,110 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0042 | 4 | 268 | 42,669,221 | Tsuga heterophylla (Rafinesque) Sargent | WESTERN HEMLOCK
Tsuga heterophylla (Rafinesque) Sargent
Western hemlock is a tall tree with graceful feathery branches, quite different from the mountain hemlock in habit and in fruitage. It sometimes grows two hundred feet high, with a trunk six to nine feet in diameter. The small brown cones, not more than an inch long, are produced abundantly, and contrast with the background of shiny, dark green leaves. The leaves are marked on the lower surface with white bands.
This species of hemlock occurs from western Montana to northern California, Alberta, and Alaska.
The specimen was obtained at Glacier House, near Glacier, British Columbia, at an elevation of 3,500 feet.
PLATE 268 |
42,669,111 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0043 | 4 | 269 | 42,669,223 | Larix occidentalis Nuttall | WESTERN LARCH
Larix occidentalis Nuttall
One of the stateliest trees in our northwestern country is western larch, which gives a distinctive appearance to the forests where it is found. The tall, straight trunks, often three feet in diameter, reach a height of a hundred feet or more, rising above the surrounding trees. The wood is very durable, which makes it especially suitable for railroad ties. In consequence, the large trees are being cut rapidly.
Western larch ranges from western Montana to Oregon and British Columbia.
The specimen sketched was obtained in the valley of the Horse Thief River, a tributary of the Columbia River in British Columbia, Canada, at an altitude of 3,000 feet.
PLATE 269 |
42,669,112 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0044 | 4 | 270 | 42,669,225 | Pseudotsuga mucronata (Rafinesque) Sudworth | DOUGLAS-FIR
Pseudotsuga mucronata (Rafinesque) Sudworth
The giant Douglas-fir is an impressive tree wherever it reaches its full development. It grows from eighty to two hundred feet in height with a trunk two to eight feet in diameter, or sometimes even larger. The rich green foliage, pointed buds, and beautiful pendent cones distinguish it from its forest companions. The long bracts are conspicuous on the cones, since they extend half an inch beyond the scales.
Douglas-fir is found from western Texas and northern Mexico to California, British Columbia, and Alberta.
The sketch was made from a specimen obtained near Radium Hot Springs in the Columbia River Valley, British Columbia, at an altitude of 3,000 feet.
PLATE 270 |
42,669,113 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0045 | 4 | 271 | 42,669,227 | Cornus canadensis Linnaeus | BUNCHBERRY
Cornus canadensis Linnaeus
To see bunchberry in its glory we must travel to the northern woods, where the cool summers and generally moist conditions of soil and atmosphere are most favorable to its growth. Here it covers acid humus with its bright green leaves, producing at the top of each stem a whorl of pointed, white, petal-like bracts. The flowers proper are the few inconspicuous purple or greenish tubular objects clustered in the center of these bracts. Bunchberry is closely related to the showy dogwood trees of more southern regions and in its way is quite as beautiful, in spite of its small size.
Bunchberry has a wide range, being found from the mountains of West Virginia and New Jersey to Maine and Labrador, and westward to Colorado, California, and Alaska.
The specimen sketched was gathered at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 5,000 feet.
PLATE 271 |
42,669,114 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0046 | 4 | 272 | 42,669,229 | Cornus canadensis Linnaeus | BUNCHBERRY
Cornus canadensis Linnaeus
When in August the bunchberry is in fruit, it is even more striking than when in flower, for the berries are exceptionally brilliant in color. They are relished by wild birds, though insipid and unattractive to our taste. Both stems and leaves also turn red, enhancing the charm of the bunchberry's home, in the shady places of the deep northern forest.
Owing to the wide range of the bunchberry, it is well known to flower lovers everywhere. From West Virginia to New Jersey it grows only on the higher mountains, but it descends to sea level from Massachusetts to Labrador. It is common also in the mountainous regions of western North America from Colorado and California to Alaska.
The sketch was made from a specimen collected near Hector, British Columbia, Canada, at an altitude of 4,500 feet.
PLATE 272 |
42,669,115 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0047 | 4 | 273 | 42,669,231 | Moneses uniflora (Linnaeus) Gray | WOODNYMPH
Moneses uniflora (Linnaeus) Gray
Woodnymph would probably escape the attention of the passerby, were it not for the pervasive odor of its flowers. Beautiful trails in the deep forest, where the sunshine filters through, lead us to the quiet spots where it grows in perfection. Half hidden by surrounding moss, with the stem turned down so that the flower is shielded from rain, it is seen only by sharp eyes. After fertilization the stem straightens, turning the flower upward.
Woodnymph constitutes a genus of its own, and belongs to the Pyrola Family—in fact, it is often known as the “one-flower pyrola.” It has a wide range, occurring from the mountains of Pennsylvania to Labrador, and from New Mexico northward to Oregon and Alaska, as well as in Europe and Asia.
The specimen sketched was gathered in the valley of Baker Creek, twenty miles by trail north of Lake Louise, Alberta, at an altitude of 6,000 feet.
PLATE 273 |
42,669,116 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0048 | 4 | 274 | 42,669,233 | Primula maccalliana Wiegand | ALBERTA PRIMROSE
Primula maccalliana Wiegand
Travelers to the mountains in midsummer rarely see this lovely primrose, for it soon passes with the first warm days. It delights in wet banks or moist, sandy or gravelly places, and is so small that sharp eyes are needed to find it. The slender, dainty stem carries the pale pink flowers four or five inches above the basal tuft of green leaves, from whose center they spring. The flowers become purple in withering.
Alberta primrose has a narrow range, occurring only in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.
The specimen sketched was found on the shore of Bow Lake, twenty-five miles north of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 5,000 feet.
PLATE 274 |
42,669,117 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0049 | 4 | 275 | 42,669,235 | Senecio lugens Richardson | MOURNING GROUNDSEL
Senecio lugens Richardson
Mourning groundsel is a peculiar plant, thriving in situations where camps have been located, and blooming late in the flowering season. The flower stalk, about a foot tall, rises from the center of a rosette of large leaves, and from the top of the stem a half dozen flowers on long stems sprawl irregularly. The name commemorates a massacre at Bloody Falls on the Coppermine River in Yukon, within the Arctic Circle, where a party of Eskimos was destroyed by Northern Indians who accompanied the explorer Herne.
The range of mourning groundsel is from Montana and Washington northward to Yukon.
Our sketch was made from a specimen found on the upper Pipestone River, fifteen miles northwest of Lake Louise, at an altitude of 5,000 feet.
PLATE 275 |
42,669,118 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0050 | 4 | 276 | 42,669,237 | Dodecatheon pauciflorum (Durand) Greene | SLENDER SHOOTINGSTAR
Dodecatheon pauciflorum (Durand) Greene
Slender shootingstar has a delicate habit of growth, and appears so frail that one wonders how it thrives in its chosen location. It loves moist places, such as wet meadows, or rocky ledges where cold water trickles down. The stems rise from the center of a loose tuft of green leaves. The flowers always remind us of the cyclamen, and this is not surprising, as both belong to the Primrose Family.
The range of slender shootingstar is rather wide, from Colorado northward to Saskatchewan, Mackenzie, British Columbia, and Alaska.
The sketch was made from a specimen found in the valley above Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 5,500 feet.
PLATE 276 |
42,669,119 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0051 | 4 | 277 | 42,669,239 | Salix nivalis Hooker | SNOW WILLOW
Salix nivalis Hooker
When climbing in the higher altitudes of the Rocky Mountains, just above timber line, one often finds large patches of the ground covered with a low plant about an inch high, bearing spikes of tiny red flowers surrounded by small, dark green leaves. It proves to be the snow willow, one of the smallest of all the large group of willows. Later in the season the flowers are followed by tiny seeds with feathery appendages, by means of which they are carried by the wind to new locations far from the parent plants. The plant is so low that it is not torn by the winds, however violent they may become on the bleak mountain slopes. In winter, also, it is well protected by even the thinnest blanket of snow. Thus has the tiny willow become adapted to its environment.
The species ranges from Montana to Washington, and northward to Alberta and British Columbia.
The specimen sketched was found near Bow Lake, twenty-five miles by trail north of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 7,000 feet.
PLATE 277 |
42,669,120 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0052 | 4 | 278 | 42,669,241 | Phacelia sericea (Graham) Gray | GRAY PHACELIA
Phacelia sericea (Graham) Gray
Gray phacelia grows under various conditions in the higher mountains. Some plants are quite low, others form stems a foot tall, springing from a bunch of silky gray-green leaves. The flowers are produced in elongated clusters. The deep purple color of the flowers contrasts with the bright yellow of the anthers, which stand out on filaments much longer than the corolla, giving a feathery appearance to the spikes. Numerous insects are attracted by the strong, disagreeable odor. Gray phacelia belongs to the Waterleaf Family, and ranges from Colorado and Nevada northward to Alberta and British Columbia.
The sketch was made from a specimen collected near Glacier, British Columbia, Canada, at an altitude of 6,500 feet.
PLATE 278 |
42,669,121 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0053 | 4 | 279 | 42,669,243 | Lychnis apetala Linnaeus | NODDING CAMPION
Lychnis apetala Linnaeus
Nodding campion grows among the rocks and boulders of old moraines or on alpine summits. Its flowers, turned toward the ground, are inconspicuous. The tiny petals project only a little from the end of the inflated calyx. Though the species has a wide distribution, it is seldom seen by the traveler because the coloring of both leaves and flowers is similar to that of the rocks among which it grows.
Nodding campion is found in both Labrador and Greenland, and extends from Colorado and Utah northward to Alberta, British Columbia, and Alaska. It occurs also in Europe and Asia.
The sketch was made from a specimen found near Lake McArthur, fourteen miles by trail from Hector, British Columbia, at an altitude of 7,000 feet.
PLATE 279 |
42,669,122 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0054 | 4 | 280 | 42,669,245 | Erigeron aureus Greene | GOLDEN FLEABANE
Erigeron aureus Greene
Golden fleabane is known to all mountaineers in the Canadian Rockies, for its clear yellow flowers cover the ground in favorable situations above tree line, or appear in rock crevices where the soil has gathered in sufficient quantity to give the plants a foothold. The flowers spring from a tuft of gray-green leaves, and are raised by their tiny stems an inch or more above the ground. They are not so perishable as most alpine flowers, and may be found through most of the season. They belong to the Aster Family.
Golden fleabane has a narrow range, being found only in Alberta and British Columbia.
The specimen sketched was obtained on the summit of Mount Fairview, near Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 8,500 feet.
PLATE 280 |
42,669,123 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0055 | 4 | 281 | 42,669,247 | Carex aurea Nuttall | GOLDEN SEDGE
Carex aurea Nuttall
Sharp eyes are needed to find this attractive sedge in fruit, for it grows near the ground among other grasses and plants. Its seeds are heavy in proportion to the slender stems, and the bunches are borne over toward the ground. We have frequently found it on the flats of glacier-fed streams, where the hot mid-day sun melted the ice and sent down a flood of water every afternoon.
Golden sedge has a wide range, being found from Pennsylvania and Connecticut to Newfoundland, and westward to New Mexico and California and northward to Yukon.
The specimen sketched was obtained at Lone Pine Camp, in the valley of the Siffleur River in Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 5,000 feet.
PLATE 281 |
42,669,124 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0056 | 4 | 282 | 42,669,249 | Oxytropis podocarpa Gray | ALPINE POINTVETCH
Oxytropis podocarpa Gray
Rocky slopes above timberline yield many of the most attractive flowers, among them the alpine pointvetch. This plant overcomes the handicaps of its difficult environment by growing close to the ground, its woody root holding it firmly to the soil that has collected among the stones or in the crevices of rocky ledges. The graygreen leaves form a fine background for the comparatively large purple flowers, which also lie near the ground.
Alpine pointvetch belongs to the Pea Family. It occurs from Colorado to Idaho, and northward to British Columbia and Alaska, also in Labrador.
The sketch was made from a specimen collected at Wonder Pass, near Mount Assiniboine, fifty miles south of Banff, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 8,000 feet.
PLATE 282 |
42,669,125 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0057 | 4 | 283 | 42,669,251 | Oxytropis podocarpa Gray | ALPINE POINTVETCH
Oxytropis podocarpa Gray
Alpine pointvetch is adorned, a little later in the season, with inflated pods. As the slender stems are unable to beat their weight, the pods lie on the ground, and sometimes, if the plant is especially sturdy, make a circle of fruit around the gray silky leaves. The tiny peas soon ripen, and finding lodgment in some cranny among the stones and rocks, produce new plants.
We find this member of the Pea Family in Labrador, and in the west from Colorado and Idaho northward to British Columbia and Alaska.
The specimen sketched was collected near Bow Lake, twenty-five miles north of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 7,800 feet.
PLATE 283 |
42,669,126 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0058 | 4 | 284 | 42,669,253 | Kalmia microphylla (Hooker) Heller | ROCKY MOUNTAIN KALMIA
Kalmia microphylla (Hooker) Heller
The dainty stems and flowers of Rocky Mountain kalmia cause that plant to seem far removed from its sturdy relatives of the eastern United States. It grows in swampy places near streams and alpine lakes, often forming masses of color among the moss, grasses, and other low-growing plants which love similar conditions of soil and moisture. The first hot days cause the corollas to fall, leaving behind them a cluster of red seed vessels. Rocky Mountain kalmia belongs to the Heath Family, and is closely related to Rocky Mountain cassiope, as well as to the pink and the white mountain-heathers, which often grow near it in somewhat drier soil.
Rocky Mountain kalmia has a comparatively narrow range, occurring from Colorado west to California, and northward to Alberta, British Columbia, and Alaska.
The specimen sketched was collected at Burgess Pass, seven miles by trail from Field, British Columbia, Canada, at an altitude of 7,000 feet.
PLATE 284 |
42,669,127 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0059 | 4 | 285 | 42,669,255 | Pyrola secunda Linnaeus | SIDEBELLS PYROLA
Pyrola secunda Linnaeus
Sidebells pyrola—its name often contracted to sidebells—is a dainty plant, with small, leathery leaves close to the ground. It loves moist shady places. The tiny bell-shaped flowers hang from one side of the flower stem, and by this characteristic the species is easily distinguished from the other pyrolas. It seems easily satisfied with respect to habitat, for we find it growing plentifully in widely different situations, although always in rather acid soil.
This diminutive relative of the heaths has a wide range, occurring from Virginia to California and Mexico, and northward to Alaska and Labrador. It is found also in Europe and Asia.
The sketch was made at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, where the specimen grew at an altitude of 5,500 feet.
PLATE 285 |
42,669,128 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0060 | 4 | 286 | 42,669,257 | Antennaria rosea (Eaton) Greene | PINK PUSSYTOES
Antennaria rosea (Eaton) Greene
Of all the kinds of Antennaria, pink pussytoes is one of the most attractive, the pale silvery leaves and stems and the pink bracts of the flower heads forming a pleasing color combination. The plants are found usually in dry sterile or moist open ground, where they form mats, often in association with Antennaria microphylla, a similar species.
Pink pussytoes belongs to the Aster Family, and ranges from Colorado to California and Yukon.
The specimen shown was collected at an altitude of 6,000 feet, near Lake Agnes, reached by trail from Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada.
PLATE 286 |
42,669,129 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0061 | 4 | 287 | 42,669,259 | Caltha leptosepala De Candolle | ELKSLIP
Caltha leptosepala De Candolle
The traveler seldom sees the beautiful elkslip in perfection, because it frequents retired spots high in the mountains. It grows in dense masses, preferring swampy meadows wet by the cold water from melting snow. The leaves suggest those of the cyclamen, but the flowers, with their yellow centers and white petals, are more like the flowers of bloodroot. Sometimes the petals are tinged outside with pale blue. They soon fall when the hot sun strikes them.
Elkslip has a wide range, occurring from New Mexico to Washington, Alberta, and British Columbia. It belongs to the Crowfoot Family and is closely related to the marshmarigolds of the East.
Near Mount Assiniboine, where this specimen was collected at an altitude of 5,000 feet, the alpine meadows in places are covered with its sturdy growth. Mount Assiniboine is fifty miles by trail south of Banff, Alberta, Canada.
PLATE 287 |
42,669,130 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0062 | 4 | 288 | 42,669,261 | Artemisia discolor Douglas | ROCK WORMWOOD
Artemisia discolor Douglas
The wormwoods all have a pungent odor, especially when the leaves and flowers are crushed. Rock wormwood grows among the loose stones of steep rock slides. The plants are so nearly the color of their rock surroundings that they are easily overlooked. The wormwoods belong to the vast Aster Family, and to the subdivision that includes the oxeye daisy and yarrow.
Rock wormwood has a narrow range, being found from Montana to Washington, and northward to British Columbia.
The specimen sketched was obtained by the side of the rocky trail under Mount Wapta, ten miles by trail from Field, British Columbia, Canada, at an altitude of 6,500 feet.
PLATE 288 |
42,669,131 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0063 | 4 | 289 | 42,669,263 | Anaphalis margaritacea (Linnaeus) Gray | PEARL EVERLASTING
Anaphalis margaritacea (Linnaeus) Gray
Pearl everlasting, with its clusters of yellow-centered white flower heads, grows plentifully in many situations, but it is not one of the most beautiful of the mountain flowers. The white, cottony leaves and stems contrast with the background of dark green grasses and leafy plants among which the plants grow. The flowers are sometimes dried for winter use in making wreaths and other decorations, and they are often dyed red for use at Christmas. The plant belongs to the Aster Family.
Pearl everlasting has a wide range, being found from Pennsylvania to Kansas and California, and northward to Newfoundland and Alaska. It occurs also in Asia.
The specimen sketched was gathered near Moose Creek, in the valley of the Kootenay River, forty miles southwest of Banff, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 3,500 feet.
PLATE 289 |
42,669,132 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0064 | 4 | 290 | 42,669,265 | Erigeron salsuginosus (Richardson) Gray | ALASKA FLEABANE
Erigeron salsuginosus (Richardson) Gray
Of all the mountain flowers in the Canadian Rockies, Alaska fleabane is one of the most conspicuous on the higher slopes and in the alpine valleys. The flower heads are large, their bright yellow centers surrounded by purple rays. The stems are often eighteen inches tall. Growing in profusion, frequently with lemon columbine, they make the slopes gay with their colors. The horses apparently enjoy their flavor, and always try to nip them along the trail.
The range of this fleabane is from New Mexico to California, and northward to Alaska and Saskatchewan.
The sketch was made at Tilted Mountain Camp, eighteen miles by trail north of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 7,500 feet.
PLATE 290 |
42,669,133 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0065 | 4 | 291 | 42,669,267 | Anemone globosa Nuttall | GLOBE ANEMONE
Anemone globosa Nuttall
This beautiful flower is often the first anemone seen by the flower lover whose Western journey is taken in midsummer, when the early anemones are past flowering. The plants grow in clumps, the flowers borne on stout stems well above the gray-green foliage and colored pink, red, white, or sometimes lavender. A thimble-like seed-head follows the flowers, and this soon develops into a fluffy mass, each seed being provided with cottony hairs by which the wind transports it to a new location. The anemones belong to the Crowfoot Family.
Globe anemone occurs from New Mexico and California northward to South Dakota, Mackenzie, and Alaska. It is very plentiful in some of the dry meadows near Banff.
The sketch was made from specimens gathered near Mt. Massive, ten miles west of Banff, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 5,000 feet.
PLATE 291 |
42,669,134 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0066 | 4 | 292 | 42,669,269 | Aquilegia brevistyla Hooker | SHORTSPUR COLUMBINE
Aquilegia brevistyla Hooker
Shortspur columbine is a rate member of the Crowfoot Family, seldom found by mountain visitors. Its blue coloring is most beautiful, and in marked contrast to that of the lemon columbine and red columbine, both of which are familiar plants in the alpine valleys of the Canadian Rockies.
This species is found from Minnesota and South Dakota to Alberta and Yukon. It is closely related to the European columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) so often cultivated in our gardens.
The sketch was made from a specimen obtained in the valley of Healy Creek, ten miles south of Banff, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 6,000 feet.
PLATE 292 |
42,669,135 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0067 | 4 | 293 | 42,669,271 | Rubus pedatus Smith | RED DEWBERRY
Rubus pedatus Smith
The rich green leaves of the red dewberry form close mats over the ground, and the star-like white flowers contrast sharply with them. The fruits have usually four or five drupelets, bright red in color, surrounded by a leafy envelope. The stems creep along the ground, rooting at the joints. Both flowers and fruits often are found on the plants at the same time. This member of the Rose Family inhabits cool, damp woods.
In the Selkirk Mountains red dewberry is very plentiful, but our specimen was obtained near the trail leading from the Banff-Windermere motor road at Marble Canyon to Evelyn Glacier, five miles south, in the valley of Vermilion River, fifteen miles from Castle Station on the Canadian Pacific Railway, at an altitude of 6,000 feet.
Red dewberry is found from Montana to California, and northward to Alberta and Alaska.
PLATE 293 |
42,669,136 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0068 | 4 | 294 | 42,669,273 | Gentiana acuta Michaux | LADDER GENTIAN
Gentiana acuta Michaux
Ladder gentian is not so handsome or showy as many other gentians. The stems are stiff and frequently dark red in color. The numerous flowers are lavender or sometimes white, and spring from the stem in the axils of the upper leaves. Often the plants are almost pyramidal in form, especially when growing among other plants in full sunshine in upland meadows. This species prefers rather dry, sandy soil, and as the roots are very shallow, the plants are easily pulled up.
Ladder gentian ranges from New Mexico to California and north to Alaska, and from Maine to Labrador. It is found also in Europe and Asia.
The sketch was made from a specimen secured near Lake Louise Station, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 5,000 feet.
PLATE 294 |
42,669,137 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0069 | 4 | 295 | 42,669,275 | Astragalus alpinus Linnaeus | ALPINE MILKVETCH
Astragalus alpinus Linnaeus
Alpine milkvetch is found at high altitudes. It covers the ground with a mat of leaves, above which the loose bunches of delicate mauve flowers are borne in short heads. It delights in rocky soil in partially shaded situations. When found above tree line, the flower heads are borne on very short stems. The flowers show the plant to be a member of the Pea Family.
Alpine vetch has a wide range, being found from Vermont to Labrador, and from Idaho to Alaska. It occurs also in Europe.
The specimen sketched was obtained in the valley of Johnson Creek, thirty miles by trail from Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 6,000 feet.
PLATE 295 |
42,669,138 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0070 | 4 | 296 | 42,669,277 | Potentilla glaucophylla Lehmann | GRAYLEAF FIVEFINGER
Potentilla glaucophylla Lehmann
On the higher mountain slopes we were always attracted by the cheerful yellow flowers of grayleaf fivefinger. The slender stems, rising well above a bunch of gray-green leaves, wave to and fro in the mountain breezes. The blossoms seem sometimes almost like a shower of gold, just reaching the earth from the clouds above. This plant belongs to the Rose Family.
Grayleaf fivefinger ranges from New Mexico to Oregon, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
The sketch was made at Lake O'Hara, eleven miles by trail north of Hector Station on the Canadian Pacific Railway, British Columbia, Canada, at an altitude of 6,000 feet.
PLATE 296 |
42,669,139 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0071 | 4 | 297 | 42,669,279 | Thermopsis rhombifolia (Nuttall) Richardson | GOLDENPEA
Thermopsis rhombifolia (Nuttall) Richardson
The clear yellow flowers of the goldenpea, as observed from the car windows, are very striking, and they are equally beautiful when seen close at hand. The plant’s suggestion of coarseness is less apparent when the blooms are gathered to adorn the house, and they do not fade so quickly as many of the daintier flowers.
Goldenpea has a rather wide range, extending from Colorado and Nebraska northward to Saskatchewan.
The specimen sketched was obtained near Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 3,500 feet.
PLATE 297 |
42,669,140 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0072 | 4 | 298 | 42,669,281 | Menziesia glabella Gray | WESTERN MENZIESIA
Menziesia glabella Gray
Many of the steep wooded slopes in the higher valleys of the Northwest Coast are covered with blueberry bushes and other shrubs, and in company with them is found the western menziesia, sometimes called false blueberry. The dainty bells, hanging from the upper portions of the bushes, are tinged with vermilion or pink. When the leaves and stems are crushed, an unpleasant skunklike odor is very evident. The ponies never eat the bush, and so escape the effects of the poison that this plant has recently been proved to contain. The flowers soon wither when hot days come, and are followed by curious little seed vessels. The genus name was given in honor of its discoverer, Archibald Menzies, one of the earliest botanists to visit the Northwest Coast.
The genus Menziesia belongs to the Heath Family. The species ranges from Wyoming to Oregon, British Columbia, and Alberta. It has a relative also in the Appalachian Mountains.
The sketched branch was obtained on the side of the Yoho Valley, near Field, British Columbia, Canada, at an altitude of 6, 500 feet.
PLATE 298 |
42,669,141 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0073 | 4 | 299 | 42,669,283 | Trillium chloropetalum (Torrey) Howell | GIANT TRILLIUM
Trillium chloropetalum (Torrey) Howell
Giant trillium is found from the mountains of western Washington to California. It is easily cultivated in wild gardens, and proves to be hardy in the vicinity of Boston, where this specimen was obtained.
The petals vary from white and greenish-yellow to wine color.
PLATE 299 |
42,669,142 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0074 | 4 | 300 | 42,669,285 | Epilobium lutem Putsh | YELLOW WILLOW-WEED
Epilobium lutem Putsh
The lush growth of yellow willow-weed attracts attention to the plant, as its greenish-yellow funnel-shaped flowers are inconspicuous. It loves the moist borders of streams, or other wet places. The long seed pods are characteristic of the Epilobiums, a wellknown genus of the Evening-primrose Family. This species has a narrow range, being found from Washington State, and British Columbia to Alaska.
Yellow willow-weed grows plentifully in the Selkirk Mountains near Glacier House, at Glacier, British Columbia, where this specimen was gathered at an altitude of 3,500 feet.
PLATE 300 |
42,669,143 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0075 | 4 | 301 | 42,669,287 | Epilobium angustifolium Linnaeus | FIREWEED
Epilobium angustifolium Linnaeus
The magenta hue of fireweed is often inharmonious with the colors of other flowers, but when seen alone in valleys or on mountain sides, tinting the landscape, it is very beautiful. The tall, graceful stems are decorated with many flowers, and these are followed by the cottony seeds which are blown everywhere by the passing winds. After forest fires, fireweed is the first plant to cover the burns, and its name was derived from this fact. Occasionally the flowers are white or very pale pink. Where the soil is especially rich, the plant may grow to a height of five or six feet. It belongs to the Eveningprimrose Family.
Fireweed has a wide range, occurring from North Carolina to Greenland, and westward to New Mexico, California, and Alaska. It is found also in Europe and Asia.
The specimen sketched came from the valley of the Clearwater River, thirty miles by trail north of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 6,000 feet.
PLATE 301 |
42,669,144 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0076 | 4 | 302 | 42,669,289 | Xerophyllum tenax (Pursh) Nuttall | BEARGRASS
Xerophyllum tenax (Pursh) Nuttall
Beargrass is a conspicuous plant when in bloom, the spikes of creamy flowers contrasting with the dark green foliage of the neighboring trees and plants. The numerous flowers seem almost too heavy even for the stout stems supporting them. On steep slopes, sterile plants often form a close sward, which is so slippery that it is difficult to traverse. The tender young flower shoots are eaten by bears, and are also cut down by ground squirrels for food. The Indians use the leaves in making fine baskets, and for this reason the plant is sometimes known as “basketgrass.” The genus contains only two other species, one of which, known as “turkeysbeard,” is found on the Atlantic coast.
Beargrass belongs to the Lily Family. It has a narrow range, occurring only from Montana and California to British Columbia. It is especially plentiful in Glacier National Park.
The specimen sketched was obtained in Mount Rainier National Park.
PLATE 302 |
42,669,145 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0077 | 4 | 303 | 42,669,291 | Centaurium venustum (Gray) Robinson | PINK CENTAURIUM
Centaurium venustum (Gray) Robinson
The brilliant flowers of pink centaurium contrast beautifully with their gray surroundings, and are the more striking because the plants grow in bunches. The numerous flowers are large in proportion to the size of the plant, and the pea-green leaves are entirely overshadowed by them. The plant belongs to the Gentian Family.
Pink centaurium has a very narrow range, being confined to moderate altitudes in southern California.
We gathered specimens at Torrey Pines, near La Jolla, California.
PLATE 303 |
42,669,146 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0078 | 4 | 304 | 42,669,293 | Allium cernuum Roth | NODDING ONION
Allium cernuum Roth
In the Canadian Rockies, nodding onion is a conspicuous plant, growing plentifully on the drier slopes. Its graceful leaves and stems, the latter curved downward near the top, differentiate it from other members of the Lily Family. If its identification is in doubt, however, the smell and taste of garlic, when the stems are broken, enable one to place it at once.
This onion has a remarkably wide range, occurring from Virginia and New York to New Mexico and British Columbia.
We gathered it in the Ice River Valley, twenty miles by trail south of Leanchoil Station on the Canadian Pacific Railway, at an altitude of 4,000 feet.
PLATE 304 |
42,669,147 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0079 | 4 | 305 | 42,669,295 | Rhododendron albiflorum Hooker | ROCKY MOUNTAIN RHODODENDRON
Rhododendron albiflorum Hooker
To those familiar with the eastern rhododendrons, with their glossy evergreen leaves, the Rocky Mountain rhododendron is a surprise, for it has deciduous leaves, and the flowers are not in clusters at the ends of the branches, but are scattered along the leafy twigs. The creamy flowers, often tinged with pink, remind us of orange blossoms. Bees are much attracted to them. No one who has traveled over the trails in the Canadian Rockies could have overlooked this beautiful plant. It usually grows in acid soil in company with menziesia and blueberry bushes, on steep, partially shaded slopes.
Rocky Mountain rhododendron has a narrow range, from Montana to Washington, British Columbia, and Alberta.
It is very plentiful at Glacier, British Columbia, where this specimen was gathered at an altitude of 3,500 feet.
PLATE 305 |
42,669,148 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0080 | 4 | 306 | 42,669,297 | Anemone deltoidea Hooker | FOREST ANEMONE
Anemone deltoidea Hooker
This beautiful anemone grows plentifully in deep woods, sheltered from the hot rays of the sun. Its blooming season is much longer than that of most other western anemones, which prefer alpine meadows in full sunshine. The single flower grows at the end of the slender stem, and the pale yellow stamens and pure white petal-like sepals are very conspicuous by contrast with the shade and dark coloring of the forest floor. The species has creeping roots, and often grows in clumps. It belongs to the Buttercup Family.
Forest anemone has a narrow range, being found only in northern California, Washington, and Oregon.
We found our specimens in Mount Rainier National Park.
PLATE 306 |
42,669,149 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0081 | 4 | 307 | 42,669,299 | Geranium viscosissimum Fisher and Meyer | WESTERN CRANESBILL
Geranium viscosissimum Fisher and Meyer
Western cranesbill is a more robust plant than its relative, the wild geranium, which is so common in the Eastern woods in spring. The flowers are borne on sturdy stems well above the beautiful cluster of rich green leaves, making the plant almost a bouquet in itself. The name cranesbill comes from the resemblance of the seed pod to the bill of a crane.
Western cranesbill belongs to the Geranium Family. It is found from Colorado and California northward to South Dakota, Alberta, and British Columbia.
We gathered the flowers in a beautiful meadow, a day and a half by trail northeast of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, at an altitude of 5,000 feet.
PLATE 307 |
42,669,150 | NorthAmericanwiIVWalc_0082 | 4 | 308 | 42,669,301 | Echinocereus viridiflorus Engelman | GREEN STRAWBERRY-CACTUS
Echinocereus viridiflorus Engelman
One of the commonest members of the cactus family in the western United States is the green strawberry-cactus, which grows abundantly in many places in the Rocky Mountain region, usually about rocks on the foothills, or along the stony banks of stream beds. Because of its neat habit, and beautifully colored spines, the plant is one of the most attractive of our cactuses, and is frequently used as a pot plant. The spines, although sharp, are placed in such a manner that they are not very offensive when the plant is handled, in spite of the fact that they protect it effectively from animals which might eat the succulent stem. The flowers are small, and inconspicuously colored. The small green juicy fruits are edible when ripe.
The green strawberry-cactus ranges from western Texas and the desert of northern Mexico as far northward as southern Wyoming.
The specimen sketched came from Texas.
PLATE 308 |
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