1 8 IVILD, OK NATIVE FLOWERS. 



coarse ; of a dull green, surrounding the several long flower-stalks. 

 The soft cottony seeds remain in close heads through the winter, till 

 the spring breezes disperse them. 



The largest species of our native Anemones is the Tall Anemone, 

 A. Virginiatia. This handsome plant loves the shores of lakes and 

 streams ; damp rich ground suits it well, as it grows freely in such soil, 

 and under moderate shade when transferred to the garden. 



The foliage of the Tall Anemone is coarse, growing in whorls round 

 the stem; divisions of the leaf, three parted, sharply pointed and toothed. 

 In this, as in all the species, the coloured sepals, (or calyx leaves) form 

 the flower. The outer surface of the ivory-white flower is covered with 

 minute silky hairs, the round flattened silky buds rise singly on tall 

 naked stems ; but those of th outer series are supplied with two small 

 leaflets embracing the stalk The central and largest flowers open first 

 the lateral or outer ones, as these fade away ; thus a succession of 

 blossoms is produced, which continue to bloom for several weeks. The 

 flowers of this plant, under cultivation, become larger and handsomer 

 than in their wild state. This species is distinguished from A. 

 cylindrka by its round heads of fruit and larger flowers. The Anemone 

 is always a favourite flower wherever it may be seen, whether in British 

 woods, on Alpine heights, or in Canadian wilds ; on banks of lonely 

 lakes and forest streams, or in the garden parterre, where it is rivalled 

 by few other flowers in grace of form or splendour of colour. 



We cannot boast, in this part of the Dominion, any of the more 

 brilliant and beautiful flowers of this ornamental family, though that 

 interestmg lovely species, known as Pasque-flower, Anemone patens., 

 (L.) var Nuttalliana (Gray), is largely distributed over the prairie lands 

 of the Western States and in our North-Western Provinces, where it is 

 one of the earliest of the Spring flowers to gladden the earth, with its 

 large azure-blue blossoms, than which none are more beautiful. 



The bud appears on a thick leafless scape, about four to six inches 

 high, enclosed in a cut and pointed involucre of grey bracts of silvery 

 hue and shining brightness. The scape is clothed with hairy scales • 

 from within this silky covering peeps out the fair blue bud, which 

 shortly expands into a large, open, bell-like, very blue blossom, with a 

 shade of white at the base of each large pointed sepal. As the flower 

 advances a change takes place in the whole aspect of the plant : the 

 root-leaves begin to appear, which are compoundly cut and divided, and 

 the head of plumy fruit is raised on a high scape above the silken 

 involucre, and now ripens in the breezy air and sunshine. 



