UNDER THE REDWOODS 



leaves and its lovely pink blossoms ; an uncom- 

 monly pretty trillium, opening white and turning 

 to a delicate rose-color; two kinds of yellow 

 violets, one rather tall, with a leafy stem, like 

 Viola pubescens, the other {Viola sarmeiitosa) of 

 a lowly habit, as pretty and unassuming as the 

 round-leaved violet of the East, after which 

 nothing more need be said ; the toothwort, which 

 is everywhere in California, so far as I have seen, 

 but nowhere more welcome than here ; and a wild 

 ginger {Asarum)y with characteristic odd-shaped, 

 long-horned blooms — grotesque, they might 

 almost be called — tucked away under the spa- 

 cious leaves. 



Later in the season there would be other blos- 

 soms, for I noticed iris and various things com- 

 ing along, and even a small wild rose bush. Red- 

 wood botany would be a highly interesting study, 

 I told myself, if one could have the year long in 

 which to pursue it. 



But the redwoods themselves were the supreme 

 consideration. Some of the largest, a small num- 

 ber, comparatively, stood alone. In reason they 

 should be most effective so ; but for myself I 

 think I was more impressed by those that stood 

 in a cluster or group, a lordly brotherhood of 

 giants; the largest in the middle, then two, 

 three, or four large ones supporting it, as it were, 

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