26 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



Danville on March 14. But Erigenia is very uncommon, and 

 in most places hepaticas are the first bloomers, and may usually 

 be expected on or before the same time, and both are closely 

 followed by bloodroots and spring beauties. 



* * * 



Speaking of early flowers, there are some trees and shrubs 

 blooming in March which we frequently overlook. The soft 

 maple puts forth its dull red flowers by March 20. When the 

 first hepaticas appear the hazel is in full bloom. Its long 

 yellow catkins hang pendent on the twigs, and the slightest jar 

 is sufficient to release a shower of yellow pollen. Spicebush 

 comes out at the same time with the bloodroot. Its yellow 

 flowers are more conspicuous than those of maple and hazel, 

 and secretes a good supply of honey, which attracts some of 

 the early flies. One may often see them perching upon the un- 

 opened buds, vei*y likely trying to steal the honey from within. 



* * * 



On May 1, Phlox Stellaria is in bloom at Grand Tower, 

 Illinois. What ! you are not acquainted with Phlox Stellaria? 

 Well, possibly not, because it is one of the rarest plants in the 

 eastern States. So far as known it ocurs at but two places, 

 Grand Tower, and Lexington, Kentucky, in each place grow- 

 ing upon limestone cliffs. At Grand Tower there is a series 

 of cliffs nearly a mile long, facing the Mississippi river, and 

 in the spring they are almost hidden by the light bluish-purple 

 flowers of this Sweet-William. The roots penetrate into the 

 clefts and fissures of the rock, so that the plants grow in rows 

 marking the course of each fissure. The stems are not over 

 eight or ten inches high, and quite bushy, and the leaves are 

 stiff and narrowly linear. The petals are deeply notched at 

 the end. In this feature it closely resembles the related Phlox 

 bifida, which has a much wider distribution, but is also scarce. 

 The cliffs where P. Stellaria grows get the full force of the 

 afternoon sun and become very hot ; too hot, in fact, for plants 



