544 



QUEEN ANNE'S LACE IN FULL FLOWER 



Fig. 2. Note the one in the middle which ha^ been generally fertilized, 

 and is now closing up. These hollow "nests," late in summer, are familiar 

 to all who know the plant. Note the central dark purple flower in each 

 umbel of the other two, a feature that may be absent in some. The 

 beautiful green beetles on the plant are well known to collectors. 



Not a few of our native trees possess very beauti- 

 ful blossoms ; and, as they stand among our wild flowers, 

 they legitimately come in here for occasional description. 

 The blossoms of our Papaw tree are among the most 

 interesting of these, and line specimens of them are here 

 shown ill Figure 4, while the semi-ripe, fruit is shown 

 in Figure 5. Charles S. Newhall, in his work on "The 

 Shrubs of Northeastern America," states that the flowers 

 of the Papaw are "dull purple, in drooping clusters, ap- 

 pearing with the leaves." That they are in drooping 

 clusters is far from correct, as may be seen in the ac- 

 companying illustration. The blossoms are of a very 

 deep liver red, bordering on dark purple ; as a matter 

 of fact, they come out at the time when the thin, obovate- 

 lanceolate, pointed leaves appear. Our North American 

 Papaw (Asimina triloba) is the sole representative of the 

 Custard Apple family (Anonacem) in this country, while 

 it has many trees and shrubs related to it in the tropics ; 

 these belong in the same family. Note that the flowers 



THE SLIMY SALAMANDER 



Fig. 3. While collecting flowers in the damp woods in August, one may 

 meet with the Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus). This beautiful 

 little batrachian ranges from Canada to Florida, and westward to Texas. 

 It is generally black in color, finely speckled with pale gray. The repro- 

 duction here given is from a photograph from life, and gives the specimen 

 natural size. 



FLOWERS AND YOUNG LEAVES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN 



PAPAW 



Fig. 4. The fruit is edible in the autumn, and in its half-ripe stage is 

 shown in Figure 5. 



