350 breck's new book of flowers. 



ground and embosom the infant blossom, till their full ex- 

 pansion and ripening of the seeds." tit is found in abun- 

 dance in our Avoods. The Indians are said to paint their 

 faces with the juice. The flowers expand only in fine 

 warm weather. Three or four stems spring from one 

 root, six or eight inches high. The plant succeeds best in 

 a rather shady spot. 



SARRACENIA.— Side-saddle-Flower. 



[Named in honor of Dr. Sarrazin, a French physician who first sent the plant 

 from Canada to Europe.] 



Sarrac^nia purpurea. — Side-saddle-Flower. — Pitcher 

 Plant. — An evergreen herbaceous perennial and one of the 

 most curious of our indigenous plants. It is called Side- 

 saddle-Flower, from the resemblance of the stigma to a 

 woman's pillion : also, " Our Forefathers' cup," from the 

 singular form of the leaves, which are tubular and hold 

 water, and when full-grown, contain from a wine glass full 

 to a gill, and are rarely empty. Report says our worthy 

 ancestors made use of them to drink from. No matter 

 how this may be, they certainly look as if they might be 

 thus used, having the appearance of little pitchers, but 

 not very inviting from their unpleasant odor, and from 

 the fact, that they are generally found to contain many 

 dead insects. The cup is hairy within, the hairs pointing 

 downwards : in these the insects get entangled, and 

 perish. The flowers are destitute of much beauty, but 

 are very curious in their structure. To attempt to give 

 a botanical description of this plant would be out of place 

 in this work. As this is always found in wet, boggy, or 

 mossy grounds, it is rather diflScult to manage in a common 

 garden, unless there is a wet corner in it. I have suc- 

 ceeded with it by taking with a spade, a large ball of 

 earth with the plant, and transferring it to a moist place. 



