128 CASSANDRA CALYCULATA. LEATHER-LEAF! CASSANDRA. 



net, or rather lace-work, of great beauty, and on these Httle 

 veins are seen small resinous dots in great numbers, generally 

 three or four times more numerous on the under than on the 

 upper surface. It is not known whether they are of any advan- 

 tage to the plant as an individual, or whether they are simply of 

 use in that general order of nature which makes all things work 

 together for good. The plant is an evergreen, though with the 

 incoming of winter the lower leaves take on the roseate hue 

 depicted in our plate. As the pretty little waxen-white flowers 

 become perfectly developed, they droop upon their delicately 

 slender stems, and make a pretty wand-like spray, which is really 

 beautiful, and well worthy of study by the devotees of art. In 

 very delicate ornamentation, as in the more precious metals, 

 there are many opportunities for using our plant as a model to 

 great advantage. Even dried specimens, provided they have been 

 dried rapidly, and under great pressure, can be so arranged as to 

 form very pretty wreath-frames for enclosing shells, or similar 

 mementos, or can be made into ornaments of various other 



kinds. 



Dr. Gray gives our plant the common name of " Leather- 

 leaf," but we find no reason anywhere given for this name. Its 

 botanical name, Cassandra, ought to be pretty enough to insure 

 general adoption. 



The Cassandra is a native of Northern Europe and Asia, as 

 well as the United States, but it is remarkable that, while it is 

 rather common from Canada to North Carolina, it is not found 

 west of the Mississippi River. It is extremely common in the 

 barrens of New Jersey, whence we drew our illustration. 



Explanation of the Plate. — i. Branch with buds hi December. — 2. Branch in flower 

 in March. 



