16 AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 
In some of the woods it forms large patches, 
even in summer, of a dark green carpet which 
is in striking contrast of colour to the floor 
of brown leaves; and when the noonday sun- 
light streams down upon these patches between 
the tall trees, the effect is exceedingly rich. 
The plant is the Perennial Mercury, J/er- 
curtalis Perennis. At first it emerges from 
the ground doubled up; then it uncurls, and 
spreads itself out rapidly, as a butterfly when 
it leaves the chrysalis shell. The male plants 
have a clustered circle of leaves interspersed 
with upright spikes of flowers, having stamens 
only; the female, which are usually found 
growing near, but in separate patches, have 
shorter spikes, also among the leaves, contain- 
ing flowers with germens of the colour of the 
leaves, and a whitish feathery stigma. After 
a time the male flowers die away; the female 
perfect their fruit, and the plants remain green, 
as described, all through the summer. The 
Perennial Mercury, which is a poisonous plant, 
belongs to the Natural Order, EupHoRBIACEA, 
the Spurge Family, which we will notice later 
in the season. The gorgeous Pozusettia, now 
so much used for ornament, with its great 
