WILD, OR NATIVE FLOWERS. 93 



the styles protrude beyond the tips of the corol'.a. The root is a round 

 corm, about the size of that of the Crocus, sweetish and shghtly astringent, 

 mealy when roasted, and not unpleasant to the taste. The roots are sought 

 after by the Ground-hogs, which animals often make their burrows near the 

 place where the plants abound, this is often on the slopes of dry, gravelly 

 hills. At any rate it is on the sides of ravines, on the dry plains above 

 Rice Lake, and on islands in our chain of back lakes in Burleigh and 

 Smith, where I have found the bright Gay-feather blooming in the hot 

 month of August. The seeds are hairy, almost bristly, of a light 

 sandy brown when ripe. The blossoms retain their beautiful colour 

 when quite dry, even for many years, and may be mixed with the 

 flowers of the Pearly Everlasting for Winter bouquets or ornamental 

 wreaths. 



One of the species of this family, L. scariosa., a handsome flower 

 found on our North-western prairies, is known by the name of Blazing 

 Star. The showy flowers of the Liatris family, and their hardy habits, 

 make them desirable plants for cultivation. They are easilv propagated 

 from seed. 



GoLDKN-ROD — SoUdago iatifolia, (L.) 



The Solidagos are among our late August and September wild 

 flowers, coming in with the hot Summer suns, which have given the 

 ripened grain to the cradle scythe of the harvest-man. The Trilliums 

 and Lupines and gorgeous Orange Lilies have gone with the Moccasin- 

 flowers, the sweet-scented Pyrolas, and the Wild Roses. Many of 

 the fair flowers have faded and gone, but we are not quite deserted, 

 we have yet our graceful Asters, our pretty Gay-feathers, our Sun-flowers, 

 Cone-flowers and our blue Gentians, and brightening our way-sides with 

 many a gay, golden sceptre-like branch, our hardy, sunny ( iolden-rods • 

 varying in colour from gorgeous orange to pale straw-colour , from the 

 tall stemmed S. gtga)itea to the slender wand-like forms of the dwarf 

 species, of which we possess many kinds, some with hoary foliage, others 

 with narrow willow-like leaves of darker hue. On the grassy borders of 

 inland forest streams we find the Golden-rods ; they seem to accommo- 

 date themselves to every kind of soil and situation. The rocky clefts 

 of islands are gay with their bright colours, the moist shores of lakes, 

 the sterile, dusty waysides, corners of rail-fences or the forest shades 

 no spot so rude but bears one or another species of these hardy plants. 

 A coarse but grand Genus and not without its value. Notjjfor ornament 

 alone is the Golden-rod prized. The thrifty wives of the old Canadian 

 settlers prized it as a dye-weed, and gathered the blossoms for the 

 colouring matter that they extracted from them, with which they dyed 

 their yarn yellow or green. 



