58 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



bracts. The calyx is two to four parted in irregular bract- 

 like scales. Its petals are five, sometimes six, and its 

 stamens twice as many. The capsule is a dainty urn hold- 

 ing numerous tiny seeds. 



The whole plant is such an exquisite little wonder 

 that when I have come upon it in the shadows of deep 

 woods with last year's brown leaves about its feet, a trifle 

 lifted, it has seemed to be a little ghost of last summer's 

 blossom that for love of the world has parted the brown 

 leaf-portal of its tomb and arisen and lingers still, loath 

 to leave its old haunts. 



The Monotropa is a saprophyte drawing its beautiful 

 life from decaying vegetable matter. Its whiteness is due 

 to the lack of chlorophyll and lacking this, it is unable to 

 make the starch which all plants need. To its help has 

 come a little thallophyte so fine as to have gone undis- 

 covered until the miscroscope found it. Together they 

 work, the thallophyte securing food for both and the 

 Monotropa paying it back in some other kind of plant 

 money. 



The little ghosts come out of the earth with their 

 heads bowed and stand thus through all their white lives. 

 At touch of mortal fingers, be it ever so gently, they turn 

 black. When their morning of life is over and their fruit 

 is set, then the little heads are raised proudly, confidently, 

 praisefully. Soon after, the plant grows black and sinks 

 into the mold from whence it came. The plant's scheduled 

 time for flowering is from July to August, but I have found 

 them on our northern borders in October. 



