SWALLOW-WORT. 309 



of the cotton. Tliis cotton is collected by the settlers 

 in North America to fill beds and mattresses, and 

 the tender shoots of this species are eaten in the 

 spring as we eat asparagus. The flowers are so 

 odoriferous as to make it very agreeable to travel 

 in the woods, especially in the evening, when the 

 odour is more powerfully exhaled. 



In Canada, these flowers are gathered in the 

 morning while covered with dew, for the purpose 

 of making a sugar from them. 



Kalm tells us that the stalks of this plant dye a 

 crood olive colour. 



The Tuberous-rooted Swallow- wort, or Orange 

 Apocynum Asclepias Tuberosa, is a very orna- 

 mental plant, on account of the bright orange 

 colour of its flowers, that shine with a fiery bril- 

 liancy during the months of July, August and 

 September. This species of Swallow-wort is com- 

 mon in most of the states of America, where it goes 

 by many denominations ; such as *' Butterfly- 

 weed," from beino; a favourite resort of the insects of 

 that tribe ; it is also called '' Pleurisy, or Ache-in- 

 the-side plant," from its medicinal virtues, said to 

 be of considerable activity. 



AVith us this plant sends up a stem about a foot 

 in height, but Mr. Pursh tells us that he found it 

 growing on mounds of sand, which had been gra- 

 dually accumulated by the winds to a considerable 



