2i8 ^ GUIDE TO THE WILD FLOWERS 



664. Leaves compound. 



Leaf segments toothed Water-leaf no. 665 



Leaf segments not toothed Blue-bell no. 666 



665. Water-leaf. Hydrophyllum virginianum. {HydrophyU 

 laceae.) A weak, unbranched, leafy perennial, 1-2 ft. high. 

 Leaves alternate or basal, compound, the segments arranged 

 feather-fashion, rather distinct, irregularly wedge shaped, 

 often lobed, and coarsely toothed. Flowers white or pale 

 lavender, rarely violet or darker, in a close, but few-flowered 

 cluster. Corolla tubular or bell shaped. Fruit round, dry, 

 about yi in. in diameter. In rich woods. Quebec and Ontario 

 to So. Carolina, and westward. June-July. Fig. 665. A re- 

 lated species, H. canadense, has leaves with 5-9 broad lobes, 

 and occasionally one or two much smaller leaflets. It is found 

 in rich woods. Vermont to No. Carolina, westward to Illinois 

 and Kentucky, and is rare near the coast. 



666. Blue-bell. Polemonmm reptans. (Polemoniaceae.) A 

 smooth, somewhat weak perennial, about i ft. high. Leaves 

 compound, the oval leaflets very short stalked, toothless, ar- 

 ranged feather-fashion, about ^ in. long. Flowers blue, in 

 an open loose cluster. Corolla bell-shaped, cleft to about the 

 middle, about ^ in. wide, the lobes rounded. Fruit dry, the 

 seeds mucilaginous. In woods. New York to Georgia, and 

 westward. May. Fig. 666. A related species, P. Van Bruntiac, 

 has larger, bluish-purple flowers. Mostly in the mountains. 

 Vermont and northern New York to Maryland. See Nos. 679 

 and y2y. 



667. Plants prostrate, more or less woody; leaves ever- 

 green. 



Leaves iJ^-3 in. long Trailing Arbutus no. 668 



Leaves J/2 in. long or less Creeping Snowberry no. 669 



668. Trailing Arbutus. Mayflower. Epigaea re pens. 

 {Ericaceae.) A prostrate plant with rough, evergreen leaves 

 and a woody stem. Leaves alternate, oblong or oblong-oval, 

 thick and leathery, 1^/2-3 in. long, on obviously hairy stalks. 

 Flowers tubular, pink or white, very fragrant, about ^ in. 



