LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY FAMILY 



year's plant. This food is made by the leaves during 

 their active life, which extends from early spring to 

 midsummer. Now, the only connection that roots and 

 rootstock possess with the working leaves is through 

 the stem, which at the same time bears the flower. 

 When the flower is picked the working leaves are also 

 picked and all means of communication with the upper 

 light and air are cut off. It is probable that a vigor- 

 ous rootstock may send up another stem with working 

 leaves, or the work halts imperfectly done. Every real 

 lover of Trilliums picks sparingly. By midsummer 

 the tops die and the plants are at rest for the year. 



The tri in the name Trillium means three, and in 

 its structure the plant faithfully follows the rule of 

 three throughout. Even the green leaves are in a 

 cluster of three on the summit of the stalk, and in 

 their midst is the one large flower, with three sepals, 

 three petals, six stamens, and three pistils united to 

 form one. The old English name of Trillium was 

 Wake-Robin, because in England the flower and the 

 bird appear at the same time, but here our robin comes 

 long before the Trillium rises in the sunny woodlands. 



Abnormal forms of the flower are not rare, in which 

 the calyx and sometimes the petals are changed to 

 leaves, or the parts of the flower increased in number. 

 Frequently the flower turns pink with age; rarely the 

 flower comes pink from the bud. 



36 



