30 Prairie -Flowers. 



A week later, in forest-glades, lance-elliptical and curiously-spotted leaves, 

 with stems of white lily-like flowers, belong to the graceful plant Erythro- 

 nium albidum, or dog-tooth violet. Close by, we see the blood-root [San- 

 guinaria) untwisting its ample leaf-folds and creamy corols ; and pretty 

 pink claytonias (C Virgiftka) and early odorous violets ( Viola b/anda) be- 

 sprinkle the adjacent grounds. We gain this gentle slope, under these tall 

 and slender iron-woods ( Ostrya Virginicd) and amelanchiers {A. Canadensis) 

 gay with white drooping racemes, to find the Twin-leaf ( y^rj^^/rt- diphylla) , 

 just ready to unfold its snow-white petals, and intermingling tufts of Dicen- 

 tra Ciuullaria and golden corydalis (C aiirea), of charming foliage and 

 flowers. In the open border, we find Baptisia leiicophcea, bearing its hand- 

 some burden of heavy cream-colored blossoms on low-bending racemes. 

 We pass along the margin of the woods, where multitudes of pretty wood- 

 anemones {A. nemorosd) nod to our departing steps. 



Before the month is quite gone, two distinct masses of attractive bloom 

 will claim our attention, — the blue of the Viola ciicullata, so common every- 

 where, and here so luxuriantly rampant ; and the red, white, and blue of the 

 Collinsia venia. This last is somewhat rare ; but I have found it in spread- 

 ing patches in the sub-shady bottom-lands of the Desplaines and Fox Riv- 

 ers, making a pretty show for weeks. It occupies a frequented nook in my 

 garden, enlarging from year to year, requiring little care, but giving us an 

 early and protracted pleasure. 



And now May is here, and the prairies are teeming with life in bud and 

 blade ; but it will be mid-May before we shall be attracted outside the 

 " openings," or much beyond the copses and margins of the woods. The 

 wild plum, cherry, crab-apple, thorn, and many of the shrubs' and brambles, 

 are now gay and odorous. Wild hyacinths {Scilla Fraseri) are shooting up 

 thickly from their native beds of turfy mould. This is another of our native 

 plants not unworthy a place in the garden. 



On this copsy acclivity, and the banks of the little brooklet below, we 

 shall find an interesting group of new-comers. These stout vegetable 

 growths, outspread like green parasols, or scarce unfolded, robust of leaf, 

 yet penurious in flowers, are rather obtrusively prevalent ; but we will leave 

 the May-apples {Podophyllum peltatum), and pass beyond. We have 

 an agreeable surprise : here is the showy orchis ( Orchis spedabilis). We 



