JVILD, OR NATIVE FLOWERS. 97 



Indian Tobacco — Lobelia inflata^ (L.) 



This plant is much sought after by the old settlers, and by the 

 Indian medicine-men, who consider it to be possessed of rare virtues, 

 infallible as a remedy in fevers, and nervous diseases. At first it 

 has the effect of producing utter prostration of the nervous system, and 

 is known to be of a poisonous nature. It is, I suppose, a case of 

 " kill or cure." 



A decoction of the dried plant relieves fever through the pores of 

 the skin ; but though used by some of the old settlers, it should not be 

 administered by any one inexperienced in its peculiar effects. The 

 Indians smoke the dried leaves, from which fact the common name is 

 derived- Tndian Tobacco. They also call the plant Kinnikinik, which 

 I suppose means good to smoke, as the word is also applied to one of the 

 Cornels, and also to the aromatic Winter-green — the leaves of these 

 plants being used as a substitute for the common Tobacco, or to 

 increase its influence when smoking the " weed." 



The Indian Tobacco is a small branching biennial, from nine to 

 eighteen inches high ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, light gi-een ; seed vessel 

 inflated ; flowers pale blue, veined with delicate pencilled lines of a 

 darker hue ; soil, mostly dry woods or open pastures ; nature of this 

 innocent looking herb, a virulent poison. 



Indian Pipe — Monotropa uniflora (L.). 



This singular plant has many names, such as Wood Snow-drop, 

 Corpse-plant, and Indian Pipe. The plant is perfectly colourless from 

 root to flower, of a pellucid texture and semi-transparent whiteness. 

 There are no green leaves, but instead, broad and pointed scales, clasping 

 the rather thick stem, which is terminated by one snowywhite flower. 

 The flower, when first appearing, is turned to one side, and bent down- 

 wards, but becomes erect as it expands its silvery petals, these are five in 

 number; stamens from eight to ten; stigma about five-rayed; seed vessel, 

 an ovoid pod, with from eight to ten grooves ; seed small and numerous. 

 Though so purely white when growing, the whole plant turns perfectly 

 black when dried ; even a few minutes after they are gathered, as if 

 shrinking from the pollution of the human hand, they rapidly lose their 

 silvery whiteness and become unsightly. To see this curious flower in 

 its perfection you must seek it in its forest haunts, under the shade of 

 Beech and Maple woods, where the soil is black and rich ; and there, 

 among decaying vegetables, grows this flower of snowy whiteness. 



There are two species of the family. In a Hemlock wood I 

 found the equally singular 



