THE DUNES AND THEIR PLANTS 129 



large, bell-shaped blossoms. Puccoon (Fig. 97) is a low hairy 

 plant with clusters of brilliant orange blossoms. Horsemint 

 (Fig. 98) is an annual plant with strongly serrated leaves. The 

 yellow flowers are not large but are subtended by conspicuous 

 yellowish-purple bracts that make the blossom clusters at the 

 ends of the stalks showy affairs. The phlox in the dunes is so 

 like the garden flower of the same name it will be promptly 

 recognized. There are three species here. The hairy phlox has 

 a hairy stem and sharp, pointed, lance-shaped or linear leaves. 

 This is the only one common in the pine association, though it is 

 also found still farther back. The St. John's-wort (Fig. 99) has 

 leaves that are dotted with fine translucent spots. The flowers 

 are yellow and of quite good size. Star grass is not a grass really, 

 though its leaves are long and narrow like those of grass. The star- 

 shaped flowers, together with the narrow grasslike leaves, make 

 it easily recognized. Two species are common: one bears yellow 

 flowers the yellow star grass the other, blue flowers blue-eyed 

 grass (Fig. 102). Solomon's seal receives its name from the fact 

 that it has a long underground stem on which are a number of 

 circular scars like seals, each being impressed at the point where 

 a year's growth above the ground was attached. The leaves of 

 the plant are broadly lance-shaped and parallel- veined. The 

 flowers are borne in pairs on the axils of the upper leaves of the 

 pliant, unbranched stem. False Solomon's seal or spikenard 

 (Fig. 103) is quite similar but a somewhat lustier plant, and the 

 blossoms are in a cluster at the end of the stem instead of in 

 the axils of the leaves. Rosa blanda is the common wild rose of 

 the dunes, though R. humilis and R. acicularis are also found 

 frequently, and R. Carolina is to be encountered along the borders 

 of the swales. R. blanda is low, has its smaller branches free 

 from prickles, and its flowers are usually clustered. Its leaflets 

 are rounded at the outer end, wedge shaped next the stem. 

 R. acicularis is well armed ; its flowers are solitary as a rule. Its 

 leaflets are obtuse at the apex, rounded at the base. R. humilis 

 is slender stemmed, armed with slender prickles. Its leaflets are 



