138 FAMILIAR FLOWERS OF FIELD AND GARDEN. 



creeper {Ampelopsis quinquefolia), which is a five- 

 leafed vine. In the hills of New Hampshire the cold 

 winters prevent any woody growth of the poison ivy, 

 and the vine trails at one's feet over meadow and 

 roadside ; but near Boston I have seen stone walls 

 covered with the woody branches which had attained 

 a tall and shriiblike appearance. In autumn the clus- 

 ters of small gray berries are rather decorative, and 

 the leaves turn a pretty red. I have more than once 

 found the witch-hazel {Ilamamelis Virginica) grow- 

 ing side by side with the ivy. 



The beautiful clematis vine hangs in 

 Clematis, or 

 Virgin's Bower, festoons from the trees, and covers 



CUmutix the stone walls beside the roads which 



loJlow the river courses among the 



hills of New Hampshire. For that matter it grows 



everywhere, and is quite as common in the Berkshire 



country and in the vicinity of northern New Jersey. 



The little flower has four greenish- white sepals which 



look like petals, and a great number of stamens ; it 



grows in beautiful, graceful clusters. In the fall the 



gray plumes of the flowers gone to seed are very 



striking, and the hoary appearance of the vine at 



this season suggested the name old man's beard. The 



vine supports itself by a twist in the leaf stem ; it is 



curious to note the turn of these stems, which actually 



revolve in as short a space of time as the tips of 



