280 FLOWERING OF PLANTS. 



apply to that region of country extending south to the mouth 

 of the Hudson, north to the mouth of the Mohawk, eastward 

 to the Atlantic, and westward to the Pacific Ocean. 



In Ohio, and the western part of New York, the climate, on 

 account of the influence of the lakes, and the cold, eastern 

 winds from the Atlantic being broken by ranges of mountains, 

 is milder, and vegetation is somewhat earlier than in New 

 England in the same latitude. 



In some cases, a plant puts forth leaves and blossoms at the 

 same time ; but usually, the leaves appear before the flowers, 

 probably having a greater force to draw up the sap than the 

 flowers, in which it rises by slow degrees. We see little ap- 

 pearance of vegetable life as early as March ; sometimes 

 snow covers the ground nearly or quite through the month ; 

 but if we examine the trees and shrubs, even then, we may 

 perceive that they have already felt the vivifying influence of 

 heat, by the swelling of their buds, and that a little increase 

 of temperature will cause the embryo flower, or leaf, to burst 

 its prison and come forth. 



Vernal Flowers. 



In April, the leaves of trees and shrubs begin to put forth ; 

 a few flowers show themselves, amid the damp chilly atmos- 

 phere with which they are surrounded ; among the most inter- 

 esting of these harbingers of spring is the HEPATICA triloba, 

 or liver-leaf; a lowly, modest flower, of a pale blue colour, 

 with beautifully formed three-lobed leaves. 



The low anemone (ANEMONE nemorosa*), with its pale blos- 

 soms, is now found in shady woods and damp pastures. 



Among the blossoms now to be seen are most species of the 

 poplar, a plant in the class Monaxia, having stamens and pistils 

 on separate plants. The salix, or willow, is of the same class : 

 this genus includes the weeping willow, or SALIX tristis^ 

 sometimes called Salix Babylonica, in allusion to a beautiful 

 passage in the psalms, which represents the children of Israel 

 when carried into captivity, as sitting down by the waters of 

 Babylon to weep, and hanging their harps on " willow trees 

 that withered there." 



Among the forest trees now in blossom, are the maple and 

 the elm ; in the meadows and moist grounds, the yellow cow- 



*Thi8 little flower I have seen raising its head amid surrounding snows, on 

 the banks of the Poesten kiln, a romantic little stream which flows into the 

 Hudson, near Troy. 



t Tristis (Latin) signifies pensive or sad. 



Vegetation in March Flowers of April. 



