HARPER'S GUIDE TO WILD FLOWERS 



arise from the center of a scaly bract which is resinous-dotted. 

 It grows in moist woods, on hillsides, in bogs, from New Eng- 

 land to Pennsylvania and northward. 



Fetter Bush 



Leucothoe racembsa — Family, Heath. Color, white. Leaves, 

 lance-shape to oblong, acute, short-petioled, minutely toothed. 

 Calyx, of 5 nearly separate sepals, attended by white, scaly bracts 

 underneath. Corolla, united into a tube below, 5 - toothed. 

 Stamens, with awned anthers. Fruit, a 5-celled capsule. Flowers, 

 nearly sessile, in close, i-sided racemes terminating the branches, 

 a few in the axils. May and June. 



A tall shrub, 5 to 10 feet high, found in moist woods and 

 thickets, near the coast, from Massachusetts to Florida. 



L. axillaris. — Color, white. Leaves, thick, shining, evergreen, 

 petioled. Flowers, borne in good-sized racemes, very early in 

 spring, from February to April. On banks of streams. 



This and the two following species are found from Virginia 

 southward. 



L. Catesbaei has pointed, serrulate, ovate-lanceolate leaves, with 

 small, white flowers in racemes. About 3 feet high, with spread- 

 ing, often recurved branches. The flowers have the odor of chest- 

 nut blossoms. May. 



L. recurva is a low, straggling bush found on dry hills of the 

 Alleghanies. Flowers and leaves similar to the last. The species 

 may further be distinguished by the anthers and stigmas. In 

 this and L. racemosa the anthers are awned and the stigma is 

 simple. In the other two the stigma has 5 rays. These differences 

 may be seen under the microscope. 



Mountain Laurel. Spoonwood. Calico-bush 



KMmia latifblia (named from Peter Kalm, a pupil of Linna?us 

 and a distinguished botanist). — Family, Heath. Color, white or 

 rose-color. Leaves, thick, evergreen, alternate, oblong, pointed, 

 on short petioles, opposite, scattered or clustered. Calyx, 5- 

 parted, clammy, covered with glutinous hairs. Corolla, first 

 tubular, then expanding, wheel or umbrella shape, with 10 

 horn-like projections on the outside, in which repose the 10 

 anthers on white filaments. When they are slightly jarred, as 

 by a visiting insect, they spring up and fling their pollen over 

 the insect's body, which thence flies to another flower and rubs 

 against its pistil, thus securing cross - pollination. Capsule, 5- 



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