120 A GUIDE TO THE WILD FLOWERS 



Leaves compound, the leaflets 7-1 1, of about uniform size, 

 toothed, essentially stalkless. Flowers numerous in a close 

 terminal cluster among the topmost leaves. Sepals green, 

 united at the base. Petals 5, white, rounded, and broadest 

 towards the top. Stamens many. June. In rocky woods from 

 New Brunswick to Georgia, and westward. Fig. 341. See No. 



359 



342. AvENS. Getmi canadense. (Rosaceae.) Rather coarse, 

 often rough herbs, scarcely ever more than 2 ft. tall. Leaves 

 compound or deeply cleft, the leaflets or divisions of the leaf 

 of conspicuously unequal size, the terminal one always larg- 

 est. This is true particularly of the basal leaves. Some of the 

 stem leaves may have only 3 leaflets, but usually more. Flow- 

 ers not numerous, in an open terminal cluster, each flower 

 slender-stalked, white. Fruit usually bristly, the bristles with 

 recurved tips. July. In woods. Nova Scotia and Ontario to 

 Georgia, and westward. Fig. 342. There are 6 other species, 

 one with yellow flowers, but they differ mostly in technical 

 characters. See No. 347. 



343. Flowers neither yellow nor white. 



With two thrice-compound leaves ; flowers greenish-purple .... 



Blue Cohosh no. 344 



Leaves more than 2, simply compound 



Sprawling weak bog plant Purple Cinquefoil no. 345 



Stems erect 



Flowers about 54 in- across, in large terminal cluster 



Queen-of-the-Prairie no. 346 



Flowers about i in, across ; few and nodding 



Purple Avens no. 347 



344. Blue Cohosh. Caulophylhim thalictroides. {Berhcri- 

 daceae.) A smooth bluish green woodland herb, 1-3 ft. tall, 

 with only 2 leaves that are thrice compound, the leaflets sug- 

 gesting Meadow-rue. One leaf is near the top of the stem, 

 and the other and smaller one near the large terminal flower 

 cluster. Flowers greenish-purple, with 6 petals and 6 sepals. 

 In rich woods. New Brunswick to No. Carolina, and west- 

 ward. May. Fig. 344. See also Nos. 501 and 508 



