WILD FLOWERS blue and purple 



white, and they are found blossoming in scattered 

 groups during March, April and May. The old 

 leaves are broader than long, heart-shaped with three 

 distinct lobes, and spring direct from the root on slen- 

 der, hairy stems. The tough, rounded, purple-stained 

 stems are grooved on one side. The old leaves spread 

 upon the ground, and the new ones which immediately 

 follow the buds form pretty, thick, rounded tufts. 

 They are thick and leathery, and the older ones are 

 usually strongly tinged with purple. In the fall, the 

 following season's sprout may be found at the base 

 of the tuft, in a fuzzy casing. During my winter 

 rambles I often find their evergreen tufts associated 

 with those of the beautiful Christmas Ferns. The 

 Hepaticas grow in scattered patches in rich, loose soil, 

 along the rocky hillsides of open woodland, where it 

 is partly shaded. The leaves were formerly used as 

 a remedy for torpid livers, and this custom is still 

 said to be practised among the country people in 

 Tennessee. Hepatica is from the Greek, meaning 

 liver-like, and alludes to the shape of the leaves. 

 This species grows perennially from Nova Scotia to 

 Florida, and west to Manitoba, Iowa and Missouri. 

 Its flowering period extends from December to May, 

 according to its location. 



PURPLE VIRGIN'S BOWER. PURPLE CLEMATIS 



Clematis verticillaris. Crowfoot Family. 



The Purple Clematis is much less common than the 

 white-flowered Virginia Virgin's Bower, and grows 



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