736 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



a dull olive green; and if you look sharp, you will see 

 that each leaf is triple-veined, or triple nerved. That is, 

 there are three veins, as they are called, to the leaf, and 

 thev run from point to point on each, or, as we may say, 

 from the stem ex- 

 tremitv to the dis- 

 tal apex. Usually, 

 the flower-heads 

 are not Aery large, 

 and the tiny flowers 

 composing the m 

 may be said to be 

 of rather a green- 

 ish yellow color ; 

 on the whole they 

 are of a spreading 

 type, as may be seen 

 in the illustration. 



Do you ask me 

 which I take to be 

 the most beautiful, 

 the daintiest, and 

 the most attractive 

 of all this great 

 host of Goldenrods 

 that our country is 

 favored with? My 

 choice is easily 

 made; and I feel 

 iquite sure that 

 those who are at all 

 familiar with these 

 plants will readily 

 agree with me : it 

 is the graceful little 

 Solidago cwsia, the 

 B 1 u e-stemmed or 

 Wreath Goldenrod, 

 also called the 

 Woodland Golden- 

 rod. Later on, I 

 will present here a 

 reproduction of a 

 photograph of this 

 artistic little spe- 

 cies, and you will 

 be able to note that, 

 unlike most of its 

 family, it does not 

 head up like the 

 average members 

 of the group. The 

 flowers are in lim- 

 ited, oblong clus- 

 ters, situated at, or 

 rather springing 

 from, the insertions of the leaf-stems, or where the leaf- 

 stems spring from the main plant-stem. The latter are 

 usually arched for their continuit\', and nf a distinctly 



THE GOLDENRODS 



Fig. 5. — One of the most difficult families of all the flowers to study and identify are the Gcldenrods 

 or the Solidago group. Two species gone to seed are shown in this reproduction of one of my photo- 

 graphs. Some of the species may grow to be eight feet in height, with gorgeous golden plumes sur- 

 mounting the top. There are several groups of Goldenrods. including over eighty species of plants. 

 They will be taken up more in detail next year when the plants are in flower. Specimens should be 

 pressed and sent in from all parts of the country for identification. The insect shown in the cut is the 

 .\merican locust (Schislocerca americana^. often injurious in the South. 



bluish or i)ur[ilish hue — hence one of its common names, 

 the Blue-stemmed Goldenrod. 



This Wreath Goldenrod is quite abundant in some 

 regions, and is usually found on shady banks, or along 



edges of shady 

 woods. Often I 

 have found it grow- 

 ing at the sides of 

 paths that run 

 through the woods, 

 where its bright 

 yellow flowers and 

 arching, bluish stem 

 are sure to attract 

 attention. 



But this is all 

 we can say about 

 our Goldenrods 

 just at present — 

 and, as stated 

 above, they will 

 be taken up again 

 in some later is- 

 sue of American 

 Forestry. 



Before closing 

 the present article, 

 however, it will be 

 as well to sa}- a 

 word in reference 

 to what may be 

 touched upon along 

 other lines, as we 

 pass more exten- 

 sively into this sub- 

 ject of the study of 

 our wild flowers. 

 Already I have been 

 interrogated as to 

 the best field or 

 handbooks the stu- 

 dent should have 

 in order to extend 

 the information to 

 be given in the 

 present department. 

 One or two of these 

 have been men- 

 tioned and quoted 

 from in this and a 

 previous article 

 here, and later on 

 it may be that other 

 works will be cited ; 

 requests should 

 especially come in 

 to that end. No one can study systematically, much less 

 advantageously, our wild flowers unless by the aid of 

 one or more authoritative text-books on the subject. 



