172 White to Green and Brown Flowers 



Hcraclcuni, from the Greek name of Hercules, is an ex- 

 cellent designation for this huge Cow Parsnip, which among 

 plants is certainly a veritable hero for strength and size, 

 frequently growing to a height of eight feet. Its huge 

 leaves and great clusters of white flowers, often measuring 

 a foot across, are very showy, and once seen will always be- 

 remembered. The plant has an extremely nasty smell. 



BUNCHBERRY 



Coniiis canadensis. Dogwood Family 



Stems: erect. Leaves: verticillate at the summit of the stem, 

 sessile, oval, pinnately veined, acute at each end, entire ; bracts in- 

 volucral, white. Flowers: greenish, capitate. Fruit: red, globose. 



A slender tough stem bearing a circle of four or five oval, 

 pointed leaves at its summit, out of the midst of which 

 grows a cluster of inconspicuous tiny green flowers, sur- 

 rounded by four beautiful white bracts, — such is the Bunch- 

 .berry, or Pigeonberry, which we find everywhere in the 

 forests. It w^ill surprise many travellers to learn that the 

 lovely white leaves are not the petals, but only the bracts 

 encircling the wee green flowers in the centre. 



When these white bracts have fallen off, each flower-head 

 develops into a bunch of small scarlet berries, from which 

 the species derives its common name. 



Cornus stolonifera, or Red-osier Dogwood, is a hand- 

 some shrub, with bright red stems and numerous flat-topped 

 clusters of pretty little greenish-white flowers, which have 

 a very fragrant odour. The Western Indians call it Kinni- 

 kinic, and dry and use the inner bark in place of tobacco; 

 while the half-breeds of the plains call- it Harougc, signi- 

 fying " a red switch." The fruit is a cluster of round dark 

 blue berries. 



