



WHITE 



species which is easily distinguished by its smooth lance-shaped 

 leaves, quite unlike those of the common violet. It is found in 

 damp soil, especially eastward. 



SOLOMON'S SEAL. 



Polygonatum biflorum. Lily Family. 



Stem. Slender, curving, one to three feet long. Leaves. Alternate, 

 oval, set close to the stem. Flowers. Greenish-white or straw-colored, ^^ _^ 

 bell-shaped, nodding from the axils of the leaves. Perianth. Six-lobed at \, ' - 

 the summit. Stamens. Six. Pistil. One. Fruit. A dark blue berry. 



The graceful leafy stems of the Solomon's seal are among the 

 most decorative features of our spring woods. The small blos- 

 soms which appear in May grow either singly or in clusters on a 

 flower-stalk which is so fastened into the axil of each leaf that 

 they droop beneath, forming a curve of singular grace which is 

 sustained in later summer by the dark blue berries. 



The larger species, P. siganteum, grows to a height of from 

 two to seven feet, blossoming in the meadows and along the 

 I streams in June. 



The common name was suggested by the rootstocks, which 

 | are marked with large round scars left by the death and separa- 



!tion of the base of the stout stalks of the previous years. These 

 scars somewhat resemble the impression of a seal upon wax. 



The generic name is from two Greek words signifying 

 J many, and knee, alluding to the numerous joints of the rootstock. 



CHOKE-BERRY. 



Pyrus arbiitifolia. Rose Family. 



A shrub from one to three feet high. Leaves. Oblong or somewhat 

 lance-shaped, finely toothed, downy beneath. Flowers. White or reddish, 

 small, clustered. Calyx. Five-cleft. Corolla. Of five petals. Stamens. 

 Numerous. Pistil. One, with two to five styles. Fruit. Small, pear- 

 shaped or globular, berry-like, dark red or blackish. 



This low shrub is common in swamps and moist thickets all 

 along the Atlantic coast, as well as farther inland. Its flowers 

 appear in May or June ; its fruit in late summer or autumn. 



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