WILD FLOWERS RED 



snuggled to the bosom of Mother Earth, obscurely 

 sheltered by their own velvety-green leaves! The 

 casual observer would never dream of their presence 

 amid the cool, thrifty, green masses of their heart- 

 shaped foliage that, ruglike, cover partially shaded 

 nooks in rich, open woodland, along moist, stony slopes. 

 The exceedingly odd flowers have a peculiar habit of 

 growing partly buried, frequently face downward, in 

 the accumulation of bleached and decaying litter about 

 them. They are sombre-hued, and harmonize so 

 cleverly with their musty surroundings as to appear 

 tolerably inconspicuous. Even if we should crouch 

 on our knees and part the foliage, it would require a 

 second sharp look to discover the solitary and some- 

 what bell-shaped blossoms. All parts of the plant 

 emit an aromatic fragrance when bruised, strongly 

 suggesting that of ginger, from which it received its 

 common name. The odour is at once pleasing and 

 refreshing. The roots yield a volatile oil now extensively 

 used in the manufacture of perfumery. The dried 

 roots are sold at the druggists, as Canada Snakeroot, 

 and country people make decoctions from them for 

 relieving stomach ache. Usually, two long-stemmed, 

 dark green leaves rise from a stout, fibrous, creeping 

 rootstock. They are thin-textured, blunt-pointed, and 

 have two very large lobes at their base. They are 

 broadly heart- or kidney-shaped, and their margins are 

 toothless. Their surface is strongly creased with numer- 

 ous ribs and veinings. The stumpy, short-stemmed 

 flower has no petals, and springs from between the 



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