Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 129 



WILD COLUMBINE (Aquilegia canadensis) is one 

 of our typical, early woodland plants, graceful in 

 form and beautiful in flower. It grows in rocky wood- 

 land throughout our range, flowering from April to 

 June. The slender roots are perennial and the plant 

 will grow up each year if this is undisturbed. Unfor- 

 tunately, from the nature and shallowness of the 

 soil among the rocks, and the tough wiry, slender 

 stem, it is usually plucked out by the roots by those 

 gathering flowers. I trust that those of my readers 

 who find it necessary or advisable to gather this, or 

 other flowers, will make sure that at least the root 

 be left for future production. 



The flowers are well shown on the opposite page; 

 the stem is very slender, wiry and graceful, quite 

 branching and attaining heights of one to two feet. 

 The flowers are heavy, which causes them to nod 

 from their slender, thread-like peduncles. A quantity 

 of nectar is secreted in the base of each red spur, 

 serving to attract butterflies, moths and often the 

 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, for these birds are very 

 partial to red colors. Columbine blossoms from April 

 to July throughout our range, on rocky, wooded hill- 

 sides. 



GOLDTHREAD (Coptis trifolia) is a small wood- 

 land plant receiving its name from the slender, 

 threadlike, golden-yellow roots; these are very bitter 

 and are used for the concoction of several medicines. 

 These roots are characterisitc and readily identify 

 the species. The leaves also are peculiar in that 

 they are evergreen, and deep shining green in color, 

 3-parted and notched, on long petioles from the root. 

 The white flower has five or six early falling sepals; 

 it is usually solitary on a scape from 3 to 6 in. high. 

 Common in rich woods throughout U. S. and Canada. 



