STUDYING PLANTS IN WINTER 



735 



this Goldenrod was 

 lata; but it has now 

 of Nuttall. and in 

 stands as Etithainia 

 yrammifoUa. (p. 

 797.) One of its 

 principal characters 

 is the fact that it 

 is flat-to p pi-d : the 

 ends of the several 

 flower bunches 

 composing its 

 plume are, as a 

 whole, in the same 

 plane superiorly, 

 and not brought up 

 in a conical fash- 

 ion, as in so many 

 other species. It 

 has several com- 

 mon names, as the 

 Lance-leaved Gold- 

 enrod, and the 

 Bushy or Fragrant 

 Goldenrod. An- 

 other character by 

 which it may be 

 identified in this 

 most puzzling as- 

 semblage of plants, 

 is that its leaves are 

 lance-shaped ; t h e 

 form they assume 

 is well shown in 

 Figure 5 of the 

 present article, 

 where, too, it is 

 seen that their 

 edges are smooth 

 and even, or not 

 toothed. In color 

 they are a light 

 green, with from 

 three to five ribs 

 running the whole 

 length of them. 



T h e terminol- 

 ogy for leaf -de- 

 scription will be 

 given pretty soon 

 in one of my arti- 

 cles, when it will 

 be much easier to 

 comprehend the 

 meaning of the 

 terms commonly 

 used by botanists 

 e v e r }■ w h e r e in 

 order to describe 



formerly known as Solidago laiicco- 

 been removed to the genus Eiithamia 

 the last edition of Grav's Rotanv it leaved Goldenrod flourishes from 



these very important structures in the vegetable world. 

 Throughout the Middle Atlantic States this Lance- 



THESE HAVE A DECIDEDLY PRACTICAL VALUE 



Fig. 4. — The Teazel family (Dipsacacea) is a very small group in this country, including but three 

 genera and a few species. We see here the "combs" of the common, wild card teazel {Dipsacus 

 sylvestris), an interesting and important plant in not a few particulars. It is rare in the United States 

 and therefore is not used commercially. In the western parts of England the teazel heads are used 

 in the manufacture of woolen cloths of various kinds, that is, they are used to " raise the nap," and they 

 answer this purpose far better than any tool that man has as yet been able to make. Metal ones tear 

 the material, whereas a card teazel head, such as we see in this illustration, when seriously obstructed 

 during the nap-raising process, breaks, and, as I say. thus saves the fabric from being torn. They were 

 brought by the ton into England before the war from France and Germany, and there is no reason 

 why these card teazels should not be raised for the same purpose in the United States, where woolen 

 goods are so largely manufactured. They use them by simply scraping the thorny stem to make a 

 handle, and then the natural tool is ready for use. Cattle will not browse upon this plant, as often 

 even the upper surface of the leaves is covered with prickles that would tear the tongue of a browsing 

 animal. The bases of the upper leaves grow together, and in the pocket thus formed the rain and dew 

 collect Country people will tell you that this is a "sure cure" for warts. It is a good place to collect 

 small insects, these Venus's Cups or Basins. Indeed, there is much more to be said about the head of 

 a card teazel, for which there is not sufficient room here. 



July to September, 

 being found prin- 

 cipally along river 

 and creek banks, 

 along roadsides, 

 and, in some in- 

 stances, growing so 

 luxuriantly as to 

 almost entirely fill 

 an extensive low 

 meadow, extend- 

 ing, perhaps, from 

 stream to stream. 



The Goldenrod 

 standing next to 

 this, on the right 

 hand side of the 

 picture (Fig. 5), is 

 a specimen of the 

 Yellow-weed or 

 Canada Goldenrod 

 {Solidago canaden- 

 sis). This is prob- 

 ably the most abun- 

 dant of all in this 

 elegant assemblage 

 of flowers, and it is 

 found from British 

 Columbia and east- 

 ward, and south- 

 ward to include the 

 Floridan peninsula. 

 It is a tall, stoutish 

 plant, with a leaf 

 that, when typical, 

 is quite unmistak- 

 able ; they are 

 pointed at both 

 ends, rough above 

 and rather woody 

 below, with saw- 

 toothed edges. This 

 latter character is, 

 however, absent in 

 the leaves highest 

 up on the stems. 

 Note that in the 

 Canada Goldenrod 

 the flower-bunches 

 are so arranged 

 that they, as a 

 whole, form a 

 pointed pyramid 

 with the summit 

 above. Finally I 

 m a y say of the 

 leaves that thev are 



