Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 153 



ROSE FAMILY (Rosaceae). 



This is a very large family made up of trees, shrubs 

 and herbs. It contains some of our most valuable 

 plants and fruit-bearing trees such as pear, apple, 

 strawberry, blackberry, etc. The flowers are all reg- 

 ular, have five petals, five sepals, numerous stamens, 

 one or more pistils, and an abundance of nectar and 

 pollen. They supply a bounteous feast for insects 

 and they are chiefly fertilized by them. 



MEADOWSWEET (Spiraea salicifolia) is a com- 

 mon and beautiful shrub that grows along the edges 

 of woods, swamps or even roadsides. Its handsome 

 pyramidal clusters of flowers are in evidence during 

 July and August. The stem is straight, slender, 

 woody and yellowish buff; along it, at close intervals, 

 alternate the lanceolate, toothed, short-stemmed 

 leaves. At the top is a spire-like panicle of fleecy 

 flower clusters. Each flower has five, round, white 

 petals and numerous long, pink stamens that give the 

 flowers a feathery appearance and a rosy tint. 



Its name is rather misleading for the flowers are 

 only slightly fragrant. It ranges from N. Y. to Mo. 

 and southwards; the common species found in the 

 New England states is specifically known as latifolia. 

 Its leaves are thinner and the stem more reddish. 



HARDHACK; STEEPLEBUSH (Spiraea tomento- 



sa) is one of our most beautiful flowering shrubs. 

 The flower spike is more slender and steeple-like 

 than that of Meadowsweet and the flowers are a 

 beautiful shade of pink. The flowers bloom 1 down- 

 wards from the top of the spike, so that it soon as- 

 sumes a brownish or yellowish tinge at the top of 

 the spire. The leaves are more closely alternated and 

 are dark green above and lighter below. Steeple- 

 bush grows in low ground from N. B. to Minn, and 

 southwards. 



