HARPER'S GUIDE TO WILD FLOWERS 



Shin Leaf 



Pyrola elliptica. ("A pear" from fancied resemblance of the 

 foliage to that of a pear tree.) — Family, Heath. Color, whitish. 

 Calyx, 5-parted. Corolla of 5 ovate petals. Stamens, 10, the 

 anthers inverted and opening by chinks. Pistil, 1, with a large 

 curved style, bearing at its apex a 5-divided stigma. Flowers 

 collected in a spike on a scape, with 1 or 2 scaly bracts. Leaves, 

 in clusters at the root, ovate, dull, evergreen, thin, with margined 

 petioles. June and July. 



One of our pretty lovers of the deep woods, with a rosette 

 of evergreen leaves at the root surrounding a tall scape 

 finished with a raceme of bright flowers. (See illustration, 

 P- 105.) 



P. americana. — Calyx, lobes long and narrow. Petals, thick, 

 white, although some varieties of this plant may have pink or 

 flesh-colored tints. Flowers, in long racemes, and all have a pro- 

 truding, upward curving style. Scapes taller than the preced- 

 ing, and leaves thicker, roundish, shining, on petioles. Sometimes 

 called wintergreen. June to August. 



Open, light woods, in rather sandy soil. Eastern and 

 Northern States as far south as Georgia. 



Indian Pipe. Corpse Plant 



Monotropa uniflbra. ("Turned to one side.") — Family, Heath. 

 Color, a leaden white. Leaves, none. Calyx, of 2 to 4, and 

 corolla, of 4 or 5, bract - like scales. Stamens, 8 or 10, with 

 anthers joined horizontally to the filaments, opening by 2 

 chinks. Pistil, 1, with a thick style, surmounted by a fleshy 

 4 to 5-rayed stigma. Fruit, a capsule filled with very many 

 minute seeds. Stems, waxy white, with bracts in place of leaves, 

 all devoid of chlorophyll (green) grains, 3 to 8 inches high, in 

 clusters from a bunch of fibrous roots which are parasitic on the 

 roots of other plants, or saprophytic, growing on decaying vege- 

 table matter. The flowers at first hang down; in fruit, stand 

 erect. June to August. 



No odor, and a rather unpleasant plant, clammy to the 

 touch, turning black after being plucked. It has been called 

 "Life in death." (See illustration, p. 107.) 



Trailing Arbutus. Ground Laurel. Mayflower 



Epigaea repens. ("Upon the earth.") — Family, Heath. Color, 

 white or pink. Sepals, 5, pointed. Corolla, tubular, with spread- 

 ing lobes, hairy inside, purest white to deepest pink. Flowers, in 



