WILD FLOWERS yellow and orange 



a foot in length, and they taper into long, winged 

 petioles or stems, that partly clasp the stalk. The 

 margins are more or less toothed or even entire. The 

 bright yellow flowers are thickly crowded on their 

 little stems, and form a compact, oblong and cylin- 

 drical, terminal spike. It is distributed along the wet 

 shores and bogs from Newfoundland and northern 

 New Jersey, to western Ontario, Minnesota, and 

 Wisconsin; also in the mountains of North Carolina, 

 during August and September. 



SHOWY, OR NOBLE GOLDEN-ROD 



Solidago speciosa. Thistle Family. 



This is one of the most striking and fascinating 

 of its genus. The large, round, usually single stalk 

 raises its magnificent golden plume anywhere from 

 three to seven feet in height. Neither is there any- 

 thing mussy or fussy in the makeup of this stately 

 beauty. It is remarkably clean-cut and well-groomed 

 in every detail. The smooth-surfaced and rough- 

 edged olive-green leaves are rather thick and firm- 

 textured, and they alternate on the stalk. You can 

 detect this plant instantly by its leaves, because they 

 are so different from the general run of its kind. The 

 lower leaves are oblong and pointed, and they taper 

 toward the base into margined stems. As they ascend 

 the stalk, they become smaller, and graduate into 

 lance-shaped leaflets, that finally disappear as they 

 mingle with the great floral head. The stalk is often 

 stained with red, and adds much to the general appear- 



175 



