Teachers' Leaflet. 6ii 



There are four species of trilliiims more or less common in New York 

 State and they may be identied by the following table : 



a. Flowers dark, reddish-purple with rank odor — Wake Robin or 



Birthroot. 



b. Flowers with large, white petals which are one and one-half to 



two inches long — Large flowered Wake Robin or Wood Lily. 



C. Petals, white striped with crimson — Painted Wake Robin. 



d. Flowers white or pinkish with petals less than an inch long ; the 

 flower stem so bent that the little blossoms are often hidden 

 below the leaves — The Noddingg Wake Robin. 



Obscrz'ations. — 



(i). \\'here did you find the trillium or wake robin growing? 



(2). Were there many growing in its vicinity? 



(3). What insects visited the flowers and carried the pollen for the 

 trillium ? 



(4). Do the same insects visit the purple and the white trilliums? 



(5). What is the difterence in odor between the purple and the white 

 wake robins? 



(6). Do the colors of the flowers change as the flower matures? 



(y). \\'hat is the color and shape of tht fruit of each different 

 species of trillium, that you have studied? 



(8). When is the fruit ripe? 



Facts for teachers. — -The trilliums grow mostly in damp, rich woods. The 

 painted trillium is found in cold, damp woods along the banks of brooks ; the 

 white trillium is likel.v to be found in large numbers in a locality while the purple 

 trillium is found only here and there. Flies and beetles fertilize the red trillium 

 largely ; the}' are attracted to it by its rank odor, which is very disagreeable to us 

 but very agreeable to some insects. The large, white trillium is visited by bees 

 and butterflies. The fruit of the trillium is a berry; the berry of the purple tril- 

 lium is somewhat six-lobed and reddish; that of the large, white trillium is black 

 and somewhat six sided and quite large. The nodding trillium develops a berry, 

 which is reddish-purple while the berry of the painted trillium is bright red and 

 shining and three sided. The berries ripen in late summer and early autumn. 



References. — "Field Book of American Wild Flowers." Mathews; 

 "Nature's Garden," Blanchan ; "Child's Own Book of Spring Flowers," 

 Comstock. 



A white-faced maid, Wake-robin Her heart with wise lore laden 



In a tiny, three-leaved hood, Of the cabalistic Three. 



Knows many of earth's secrets This triple, ancient symbol 



While nodding in the wood. The mystic, magic Three. 



No longer is she sleeping, Laurance 

 From magic spell she's free, 



