308 ANNUAL EEPOET 



to in an inventory of the property of James III., of Scotland, as 

 one of the emblems on a child among the royal possessions. 



The Partridge Berry (Mitchella repens) named by Linnaeus 

 in honor of Dr. John Mitchell, a learned botanist of Virginia, 

 would be highly ornamental in a flower bed or hanging basket; 

 and surely its near relative, the Trailing Arbutus, if it could 

 possibly be tamed, would win the admiration of all. 



The Pitcher plant grows in low, wet places, but in our well- 

 watered State it would be no difficult matter to accommodate it. 

 This is a beautiful and wonderful flower, called botanically 

 Saracenia Purpurea, from Dr. Sarrageua, of Quebec. It is 

 known often as the Side-Saddle Plant. It is related to the Dar- 

 lingtonia, a hooded Pitcher plant of the Sierra Nevada moun- 

 tains, and the still more wonderful Nepenthus of the islands of 

 the Indian ocean, whose leaves, with tendril-like prolongations, 

 sometimes two feet or more in length, become at the ends per- 

 fectly developed pitchers. These plants are — some of them — 

 insectiverous, and very interesting as a study. 



The different varieties of the Kalmia, known as the Laurel, 

 were named for Kalm, a friend and pupil of the great Linnseus, 

 who was born in Finland in 171.5, and after attending a course 

 of lectures by Linnaeus, devoted himself to the study of natural 

 history. He was sent by the Eoyal Academy to explore the 

 northern part of the American Continent, and made many valu- 

 able discoveries in the flora of that region. Although the plant 

 was named for him, it is said that Banister, a Virginia botanist, 

 had made Pay, the great English botanist, acquainted with it, 

 and a living, growing plant was sent by Bartram to Collensin, 

 in England, as early as 1730. There are many interesting facts 

 in the study of this beautiful flower. The very name of Kalmia, 

 or Laurel, seems to bring before me the irregular shores of the 

 Big Sandy among the Cumberland mountains in Kentucky, all 

 glorious in the profusion of these wild, uncultivated beauties. 



The Meadow Beauty, or Ehexia Virginica, is a very bright 

 and ornamental flower, and grows freely in the Eastern states. 

 The Beet Marigold (Bidens Chrysanthemoides of Michaux) is 

 found in the Montana swamps, with its brilliant flowers, and is 

 an interesting plant. Mr. Hulme, in writing of it, says: "The 

 pansy and marigold are associated together as emblems of sor- 

 row, and in some places wreaths of these flowers on cards, with 

 such mottoes as 'May you ever escape them,' are presented to 

 each other by friends as expressive of kindly feeling.'' The 



