WHITE 



the pollen, and yet be unable to carry it to its proper destine 

 tion on the pistil of another flower. 



The Kalmia was named by Linnaeus after Peter Kalm, one of 

 his pupils who travelled in this country, who was, perhaps, the 

 first to make known the shrub to his great master. 



The popular name spoonwood grew from its use by the Ind- 

 ians for making eating-utensils. The wood is of fine grain and 

 takes a good polish. 



The title calico-bush probably arose from the marking of the 

 corolla, which, to an imaginative mind, might suggest the cheap 

 cotton-prints sold in the shops. 



AMERICAN RHODODENDRON. GREAT LAUREL. 



Rhododendron maximum. Heath Family. 



A shrub from six to thirty-five feet high. Leaves. Thick and leathery ; 

 oblong; entire. Flowers. White or pink; clustered. Calyx. Minute; 

 five-toothed. Corolla. Somewhat bell-shaped; five-parted; greenish in 

 the throat ; with red, yellow, or green spots. Stamens. Usually ten. 



This beautiful native shrub is one of the glories of our coun- 

 try when in the perfection of its loveliness. The woods which 

 nearly cover many of the mountains of our Eastern States hide 

 from all but the bold explorer a radiant display during the early 

 part of July. Then the lovely waxy flower-clusters of the Amer- 

 ican rhododendron are in their fulness of beauty. As in the 

 laurel, the clammy flower-stalks seem fitted to protect the blos- 

 som from the depredations of small and useless insects, while the 

 markings on the corolla attract the attention of the desirable bee. 



In those parts of the country where it flourishes most luxuri- 

 antly, veritable rhododendron jungles, termed " hells" by the 

 mountaineers, are formed. The branches reach out and interlace 

 in such a fashion as to be almost impassable. 



The nectar secreted by the blossoms is popularly supposed to 

 be poisonous. We read in Xenophon that during the retreat of 

 the Ten Thousand the soldiers found a quantity of honey, of 

 which they freely partook, with results that proved almosf ^atal. 



46 



