THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



121 



Epilobium, or the Great Willow Herb. 



.1. W. I.AKKAUEE/'- 



1 several times 

 of late thrust itself 

 npou the attention 

 of the world of bee 

 keepers for its 

 value in certain 

 localities as a 

 houey plant. As 

 the poor or in- 

 differently good 

 houey seasons go 

 by it becomes 

 more and more e\ ideiit that it is one of the 

 vital problems of the industry to increase in 

 some manner our honey yields. For this 

 reason, plants of this character are receiving 

 particular attention, with the purpose that, 

 if the flower cannot be brought to the bee, 

 the bee must be taken to the flower. 



Epilobium augustifoliuni Lium., or E, 

 spicatum of other authors, is known under 

 various common names, the best known of 

 which is willow herb, flre weed, Indian pink, 

 and ros5 bay. It belongs to the same botan- 

 ical order as the Fuschia and Evening Prim- 

 rose. Nearly all of the order are aquatic or 

 at least prefer marshy or wet soils. 



Of the genus Epilobium there have been 

 described some fifty species inhabiting 

 America. A large majority of these are 

 found only in British America and Alaska. 

 Many extend down among the snows of the 

 Rocky Mountains, as far south even as Ari- 

 zona. There are only three or four species 

 of Epilobium found at all commonly in the 

 U. S. east of the Mississippi river. By far 

 the most numerous of these is the augustifo- 

 liurn. The visits of insects assisted by the 



*John H. Larrabee was born thirty years ago at 

 Niles, Mich. He is the older of two sons of Mr. 

 and Mrs. Wesley Larrabee, who for many years 

 have resided in Shoreham, Vt. "Johnny" was 

 a bright, scholarly boy, and having obtained a 

 good start in the district school, was given a 

 three years' academic course, followed by one 

 year in the University of Vt. Having excellent 

 qualifications he for two years took up success- 

 fully the arduous duties of school teaching; but, 

 in 1884, began with the bees. In this business, 

 too, it is hardly necessary to state that he has 

 also met wilh pre-eminent success. Interesting 

 articles from his pen have from time to time ap- 

 peared in the leading journals of bee culture, 

 and his strides in progress were rapid. " Ram- 

 bler" gave him the title of ■" GenialJohn," which 

 seems to his friends to be decidedly appropriate. 

 A year ago he was asked by Prof. A. J. Cook, of 

 Agricultural t'ollege, Mich., to assist in experi- 

 ments in bee-culture under the Department of 

 Agriculture, and this position he at present holds. 



habits of flowering have caused many of the 

 species to intercross or hybridize. 



The plant is an herb growing from two to 

 six feet in height and may be easily identi- 

 fied by a study of the cut and by the follow- 

 ing description. The leaves are arranged 

 alternately on the stalk, are acutely lanceo- 

 late, paler beneath, and have lateral veins 

 forming loops nearly parallel with the edge 

 of the leaf. The stamens and style are bent 

 downwards and the stigma is four lobed. 

 The seeds are borne in pods about two inches 

 in length, are very numerous, and have at- 

 tached to them a coma or hairy filament. 

 The color of the flower is a violet-blue. 



EPILOBIUM. 



In this species the stamens are ripe before 

 the stigmas appear, that is, the male part of 

 the flower comes to perfection and the pollen 

 is disseminated before the female part has 

 developed. However, the blossoming habits 

 of the plants render ample cross fertilization 

 sure by means of insect visits. The flowers 

 open upon a raceme and the lower ones ripen 

 seed while those above are in all stages of 

 bloom to the bud. May not the fact that 

 these insect visits are so necessary for its 



