Along the Lakeside — Third Excursion 



The sophora blossoms late in summer, bearing com- 

 pound clusters or panicles of whitish flowers not particu- 

 larly ornamental. An American species quite similar is 

 found in the far west and south. In every prominent 

 aspect it is as unlike the red-bud as possible, yet they 

 stand almost side by side in botany, which illustrates 

 how unlike are the points of view of the scientist and 

 the mere nature-loving observer. 



BuTTONWOOD. — Widely distributed throughout the 

 country is the buttonwood, a group of which, near the 

 north end of our route, are among the more imposing 

 trees of the Park, but in their wild growth in the Eastern 

 States they cannot usually command much admiration. 

 But there are buttonwoods and buttonwoods; a man 

 may be handicapped by his environment as well as by 

 his ancestry, and often only needs transplanting into 

 surroundings that will bring out all there is in him, 

 and] surprise both himself and his friends. This has 

 evidently been the happy lot of the Park buttonwoods — 

 called sycamores in the West — and this particular cluster 

 is one of the noblest there. It is in winter that their 

 stately trunks, wide-reaching massive limbs, and smooth 

 yellowish bark are brought into full relief, and emphasize 

 the desirability of studying such growths in their bared 

 forms as much as when nearly concealed by foliage. In 

 most buttonwoods the thin bark flakes ofl" in large irreg- 

 ular patches, much to the detriment of its good looks, 

 but those referred to are unusually smooth. 



As a rule, in woody plants the incipient bud of 

 next year's growth may be distinctly seen in the angle 



lOI 



