THE TALL MIDSUMMER WEEDS. 203 



circle of prickly leaflets (bracts). This species is also 

 indigenous. In early September we will probably 

 see the little yellowbird picking at the ripened this- 

 tles in the pasture ; he is after the seed, and if we 

 watch him we will see how nicely he aids Nature by 

 setting whole clouds of thistle down afloat. 



The most perfect of all blue wild flowers now 

 follows in our list : it is par excellence the roadside 

 beauty. This is chicory (Cicorium Intybus\ a dan- 

 delionlike flower whose charming misty blue set in 

 soft green must be seen in broad spreading masses 

 to be appreciated. The flower is too familiar to 

 need description here. Its roots are ground, roast- 

 ed, and used either to flavor coffee or to furnish a 

 straight substitute for it. 



Still another dandelionlike flower we will see on 

 the rattlesnake weed (Hieracium venosum). This 

 scrawny stemmed plant grows from one to two feet 

 high, and bears on its many branches small yellow 

 flower heads composed of strap-shaped florets. The 

 leaves, clustered at the root, conspicuously purple- 

 veined above and purple-tinged beneath, are oblong, 

 thin, pale, and slightly, if at all, toothed. 



A hawkweed (Hieracium Canadense) which is 

 quite common on the woodland roads in the North 

 bears yellow flowers slightly resembling the species 

 described above. It has a simple leafy stem grow- 



