GLAUCOUS HONEYSUCKLE 



Loniceca prolifeta (Kirchn.) Rehd. 



May - June Now in the hilly woods, there on the north slope where the 

 Hilly woods banks of moss are bright green and a ledge of sandstone 

 is always moist from a perpetual drip coming out of the 

 hillside, the pale flowers of glaucous honeysuckle bloom. 



The vines are tangled and festooned over a bush, over the ground, 

 over the ledges. The lower parts of the vines are woody, the new growth 

 pale green and tender, there in the shady woods, with oval, blue-green, 

 smooth leaves in clasping pairs. Often the lowermost leaves do not clasp, 

 but the majority of them appear to be one leaf with the stem piercing the 

 center — perfoliate leaves. Several of the wild honeysuckles have this 

 characteristic, the glaucous honeysuckle perhaps most noticeable of all. 



In this species the topmost leaves have merged and appear as one 

 circular disk, from the center of which springs a thin, pale stalk on 

 wdiich are the long narrow buds. These open as pale yellow^, tubular 

 flowers with curling })etals and protruding stamens. i\s each flower grows 

 older, it darkens in color to a dull orange hue before it falls away from 

 the stem. 



At last all the flowers have fallen and in their place is a stalk of 

 growing green fruits which, later in the season. Iiii'ii scarlet and juicy, 

 and then are eaten by robins. 



The glaucous honeysuckle and coral honeysuckle (Lonicera semper- 

 rirens) are the two common native members of this family to be found 

 in Illinois woods. 



Two foreign honeysuckles have nuule their homes in Illinois. In 

 the southern part of the state the twining stems and yellow flowers of the 

 Japanese honeysuckle (Lonirrra japort/ica), covei- many roadside fences. 



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