TALL LUNGWORT; BLUEBELLS 



Mertensia paniculate (Ait.) G. Don 

 BORAGE FAMILY 



Although many members of the Borage family are rough, 

 hairy herbs of weedy aspect, others are of marked beauty and 

 refinement. Among the latter might be mentioned the vanilla- 

 scented heliotrope of the greenhouses, and the forget-me-not 

 which beautifies alike lonely mountain streams and formal city 

 gardens. But the finest of the family and perhaps the loveliest 

 of all blue wild flowers in Canada is the Virginian cowslip (Mer- 

 tensia virginica). It, however, is found only in Southern Ontario 

 and is rare even there, while this western Mertensia is widely 

 distributed and abundant, no other blue flower of early Summer 

 being so conspicuous in many districts. 



The picture shows the plant much reduced in size, as the 

 stems grow from one to three feet high. They bear open clusters 

 of drooping flowers which are pink when in bud, turning rich 

 blue as they open. The dark green leaves, especially those at 

 the base of the stem, are strongly and handsomely veined. 



In open meadows, where it sometimes grows, this Lungwort 

 is rather stiff and quite hairy; in shade and along streams it becomes 

 smoother, taller, and more graceful; while among bushes on 

 mountain slopes, high enough to be frequently bathed injmist, 

 it may be seen in such perfection as to rival its lovely eastern 

 relative. 



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