"THE LEAFY MONTH OF JUNE" 



streams and to till the hollows formed by the 

 great roots of the forest trees. The most seques- 

 tered nooks we chance upon in our explorations 

 of the northern woods in June are likely to be 

 adorned by the pink bells of the Linn&a. 



Another wood-plant, a little less fastidious, per- 

 haps, in its choice of locality, is the Indian cucum- Indian 

 ber-root, or Mcdeola. This is rather an unusual- roo t 

 looking plant, delicate and graceful, with small 

 green or yellowish, lily-like flowers which droop 

 from the summit of a slender stem. Directly be- 

 neath the flower-cluster grows a whorl of ovate, 

 pointed leaves ; still farther down, the stem is 

 again encircled by another whorl consisting of 

 more and larger leaves. The plant is less effective 

 now than later in the summer, when its erect, 

 purple berries and gayly painted leaves are sure to 

 attract the eye. I have never tasted the tuberous 

 root, which is said to have a cucumber-like flavor 

 and to have been used as food by the Indians. 



Even in midwinter we can go to the woods, 

 and, brushing away the snow from about the roots Partridge- 

 of some old tree, find the shining, white-veined 

 leaves and coral-like berries of the partridge- vine. 

 But this is the season when w r e should make a 

 special pilgrimage to some dim retreat which is 

 pervaded with the fragance of its lovely white or 

 pinkish twin blossoms. 



91 



