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our woods and should be cultivated more in the city. The 

 leaves are medium sized, ovate oblong, finely serrate 

 pointed. "The opening orange-colored pods displaying the 

 scarlet covering of the seeds are very ornamental in 

 autumn," and remain so till the middle of winter. The 

 only one I know of in the city is in my yard. 



The Menispermum Canadense Moouseed, Yellow Ferrilla, 

 is a handsome little twiner with smooth bark and large 

 pretty leaves, loves rich soil and shady places. It is one 

 of the modest little things that no one can observe with- 

 out admiring. A specimen may be seen twining round a 

 little Box Elder tree in my front yard. It is common in 

 thickets in rich bottom land. The stem is smooth and 

 slender. It bears panicles of delicate little yellowish white 

 flowers in summer, and little round clusters of purple fruit 

 in autumn, but its chief beauty is its foliage. 



The Clematis Virginiana common Virgin's Bower, is 

 not uncommon in thickets around Peoria. This vine is a 

 little wood}', but chiefly herbaceous ; therefore dying back 

 in winter, but each year throwing out a vigorous growth. 

 It is a profuse bloomer, flowers white, and the fruit pi uni- 

 ons with conspicuous feathery tails that are curious and 

 ornamental. 



The Dioscorea villosa Wild Yam, is the most elegant of 

 our indigenous vines. It is the rare beauty of our woods. 

 No one can see it without admiring it. It is a delicate 

 herbaceous vine. It loves the thickets, is modest and retir- 

 ing. If it came from Japan it would be esteemed and 

 cultivated. It grows around us and we scarcely know it. 

 " Verily, a prophet is not without honor save in his own 

 country." It is the only representative we have of the 

 Dioscorea or Yam family. It is an endogen with net-veined 

 leaves, which is an exception to the rule. The flowers are 

 not conspicuous, greenish yellow, the sterile in drooping 

 panicles, the fertile in drooping simple racemes, the fruit 

 three angled or winged, pods nearly an inch long, stems 

 slender from large knotty and matted rootstocks. 



