OUR WILD FLOWERS. 307 
make scenes of wayside loveliness. Wild flowers now come with 
bewildering rapidity. Painted Cup makes itself known in the woods 
by an array of brilliant scarlet bracts, which hide the small flowers. 
Larger yellow Lady’s Slipper is often found with it, and occasion- 
ally the smaller species (Cypripedium parviflorum), which has nar- 
rower and more pointed leaves and both petals and sepals more 
shaded with brown. Small white Lady’s Slipper and showy Orchis 
are rare and delightful little plants of the same family. Green 
Orchis (Habenaria bracteata) grows among graceful Maidenhair 
Ferns, in damp ravines, and small two-leaved Orchis (Habenaria 
Hookeri) near mossy ledges where tender swaying Harebells are 
mingled with lace-like ferns. In partially shaded nooks is white 
Wake Robin surrounded by its whorl of three leaves. The petals 
flush to rose color a day or two after opening. Often parasitic on 
roots of trees are waxen Indian Pipes (Monotropa uniflora) which 
because of its ghastly appearance the Indians named the “Ghost 
Flower.” The stems grow in clusters from a bunch of rootlets. The 
whole plant is a dead white, resembling a fungous growth, but it 
turns dark even with the most careful handling. Purple and white 
Vetchlings climb by their tendriled leaves upon the bushes of the 
hillsides, where also Hedge Bineweed trails and twines its long 
stems and Morning Glory-like flowers. 
In cool shade are beds of Pyrola with rounded evergreen leaves 
and wax-like spikes of white flowers. Beside streams Solomon’s 
Seal swings its rows of green bells beneath its fern-like stem, where 
at the same time are pink Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum Virginicum), 
blue Skullcap (Sentellaria versicolor), white feathery clusters of 
False Spikenard (Smilacina racemosa) and Marsh Bellwort too frail 
to stand clinging to the high grass. Among well-known plants of 
southern bluffsides and prairies are Butterfly Weed which grows 
in large clumps and is conspicuous because of its clustered um- 
bels of brilliant orange, Ground Cherry, its drooping bells brown- 
centered, Meadow Parsnip with flat umbels of small yellow flowers, 
and Spiderwort in many shades of purple and blue. Flowering 
Spurge attracts attention by the petal-like involucre of white bracts, 
and Psoralea (Psoralea argophylla) by stems and leaves of silvery 
whiteness. Where the soil is richer are Sanicle (Sanicula Mary- 
landica), which has greenish compound umbels, spreading mats of 
Seneca Snake root (Polygala Senega), tipped with white pointed 
spikes, beautiful wild Phlox and three-flowered Avens (Geum triflo- 
rum), a striking piant both in blossom and fruit. In June there are 
Fleabanes, Groundsel, Cane Flowers and a few other species of 
compositae, forerunners of the great host waiting to invade the 
land in late summer and autumn. 
In July the scent of Clover blossoms fills the air. All the wood- 
land paths begin to be obstructed by tangled undergrowth or shut 
in by Sumach bushes. Vines wander over shrubs or garland the 
trees making bowers of beauty. In ponds and water that flows 
softly are sweet-scented Water Lilies, which open their pure blos- 
soms early inthe morning, closing them again in the afternoon; 
at last the closed flower is drawn down to ripen the seed beneath 
