Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 139 



DUTCHMAN'S BREECHES (Dicentra Cucullaria). 



This peculiarly flowered herb belongs to the Fumi- 

 tory family (Fumariaceae), a family of delicate, 

 smooth plants with watery juices and compound, dis- 

 sected leaves. One has but to glance at this species 

 to see why it should have received the name it bears. 

 Oftimes objects are fancifully named, and future gen- 

 erations look and wonder, but fail to see the reason 

 for so naming them, but not so with Dutchman's 

 Breeches, for there are the little panties suspended 

 where all may see them. 



The flower stalk, proceeding from the root, attains 

 heights of from 5 to 9 inches and bears a loose ra- 

 ceme of four to eight white, inverted flowers; the 

 four petals are united in pairs, two of them forming 

 a large double-spurred sac, and the other two very 

 small petals forming a protection for the stigma. 

 The double sac is white, stained with yellow. The 

 leaves are on long petioles from the rootstalk; they 

 are pale sage-green in color, 3-parted and finely slash- 

 ed. Dutchman's Breeches may be found blooming 

 in April and May in rich, hilly woods from N. S. to 

 Minn, and south to N. C. and Mo. 



SQUIRREL CORN (D. canadensis) is similar, but 

 the white sac-like petals are stained with purple, the 

 spurs are shorter and rounder and the flower is 

 slightly fragrant. The roots have little tuberous ap- 

 pendages resembling grains of corn. This species is 

 found in the same range as the last. 



PALE CORYDALIS (Corydalis sempervirens) is 



also similar in some respects to the foregoing 

 species. The leaves are sage green, 3-parted, but 

 not slashed as much as those of Dutchman's Breeches. 

 The pale magenta flowers are half an inch long, have 

 a rounded base and two-flanged mouth. It is found 

 from N. S. to Minn, and south to Ga. 



