MAY NOTES 



pyramidal masses of white blossoms. Along the Decorative 

 lanes the thorns are conspicuous. In their white, 

 round-petalled flowers with pink-tipped stamens 

 we see evidences of their kinship to the apple- 

 blossoms. Deep in the woods, often throwing 

 its picturesque, straggling branches across some 

 swift-rushing stream, we find the flat clusters of 

 the hobble-bush. 



The Labrador tea is blossoming in these same 

 woods, though more abundantly far northward, 

 as its name indicates. The individuality of this Labrador 

 shrub is always interesting on account of the 

 leathery leaves which are heavily lined with rust- 

 colored wool, suggesting ample protection against 

 cold and wet. On this hardy-looking plant it is a 

 surprise to find the delicate, somewhat fragrant 

 white blossoms. 



Far less frequent than the white-flowered shrubs 

 in May are those with colored blossoms. Yet 

 this is the month of the pink azalea, which grows 

 in great tangles in the wet meadows, creeping Pink-flow- 

 with warm waves of color into every little bay ere s ru s 

 formed by the dark promontories of the neighbor- 

 ing woods. A shrub nearly related to the azalea, 

 which I never found in flower till this year, is the 

 rhodora. For the first time I was able to visit its 

 haunts early enough to see the brilliant butterfly- 

 blossoms, purplish-pink in color, almost blotting 



73 



