212 A NATURALIST IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION 



are mottled with pale areas looking as if the darker color had 

 been washed out by sprinkling water on the leaf. The leaves 

 are quite large, deeply lobed, and hairy. Sweet cicely (Fig. 269) 

 gives the odor or taste of licorice when the foliage is crushed. 

 Clearweed (Fig. 270) has a semi-transparent stem. The leaves 

 are egg shaped and bear large coarse teeth. The flower clusters 

 are in the axils of the leaves. The plant looks like a nettle, but 

 does not have stinging hairs. Bedstraw (Fig. 271) is a low 



FIG. 273. Touch-me-not or wild balsam, Impatiens pallida. Blossoms at 

 right, pod at left; inset, pods after discharge of seeds. 



trailing herb whose foliage is harsh. The stems are covered 

 with points that make them very rough. Ginseng (Fig. 272) 

 when in blossom is readily recognized by the small ball of white 

 flowers. Touch-me-not (Fig. 273) only occurs in the moist 

 places. The stem is translucent ; the flowers are yellow, mottled 

 with dark spots. The seed pod, when ripe, explodes on touch, 

 scattering seeds to some distance. 



Animal life is as abundant and varied as the plant life. 

 Earthworms are abundant in the soil. Here, too, are some insect 

 nymphs like that of the cicada. Some rodents are present as 



