DEPARTMENT OF NATURE STUDY 



O J*. I Prof. William L. Powers, 



t-dltO' J Machias 



THREE BIRD-FLOWERS 



By John H. Lovell 



The most common bird-flower in Maine is the cardinal 

 flower (Lobelia cardinalis.) It favors the banks of running 

 brooks and streams, where its scarlet—red flowers, over an 

 inch in length, glow like small tongues of flame, for no more 

 vivid red flower is to be found in the North America flora. 

 From time to time there flashes from flower to flower the 

 ruby-throated humming-bird, itself agleam with color. Bum- 

 blebees cannot reach the nectar at the bottom of the long 

 corolla-tube, but they sometimes steal it through crevices in 

 the base of the blossoms. 



There is another species of lobelia, the great lobelia 

 (L. syphilitica,) which has blue flowers with a corolla-tube 

 only half an inch long. It is pollinated by bumblebees and 

 the hummingbirds pass it by unheeded. When these two 

 plants grow side by side, it is interesting to notice how the 

 humming-birds are constant to the scarlet flowers and the 

 bumblebees to the blue blossoms. In South America and 

 Africa there are several other species of lobelia which are 

 bird-flowers. 



Another well-known bird-flower is the trumpet honey- 

 suckle (Lonicera sempervirens,) which grows wild south- 

 ward, but is frequently cultivated in Maine gardens. The 

 corolla-tube, which is two inches long, is crimson outside 

 but yellow within. The nectar lies far beyond the reach 

 of bees, but is readily obtained by humming-birds. It is a 

 climbing shrub with scentless, trumpet-shaped flowers in 

 whorls. 



Last summer I saw in a Maine garden a large bed of the 

 red-hot poker plant, or torch lily, in full bloom. The big 



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