58 WILD FLOWER FAMILIES 



generic name — Sanguinaria — of the Blooclroot is 

 easily appreciated when one digs up the blood-red 

 root that sends its ensanguined juices through the 

 stalks to be transformed to snowy whiteness in the 

 petals. 



DicENTRA. The beautiful little White Dicen- 

 tra wdiich bears the common name of Dutchman's 

 Breeches, is one of the most attractive wild flowers 

 of early spring. Its foliage is cut into many fine 

 divisions that give it a fern-like effect, while its 

 exquisite waxy blossoms form a graceful raceme 

 along the flower-stalk. These blossoms are vis- 

 ited by the early-flying, long-tongued bees which 

 gather the nectar secreted within the flowers. 

 This species is quite generally distributed over 

 the northern states in rich, moist woods. It is 

 sometimes called the Soldier's Cap and occasion- 

 ally White Hearts. 



Squirrel Corn. The closely related Squirrel 

 Corn is at once distinguished from the \\'hite 

 Dicentra by the shape of the flower. In the 

 Squirrel Com the posterior lobes of the greenish 

 w^hite blossom, often flushed with pink, are not 

 prominent and do not diverge from each other, 

 as they do in the Dutchman's Breeches. The 

 flowers have a delicate fragrance, suggestive of 

 that of the Hyacinth. The leaA^es are very similar 

 in the two species and the geographical range is 

 much the same. If you dig up the curious little 



