NATIVE WILD FLOWEKS 



foliage much lighter, and the juice of the plant more 

 watery. 



Professor Lindley has given the Balsam a place among 

 the garden Nasturtiums. A very natural affinity seems to 

 exist between the Nasturtiums and Balsams as respects 

 habits, form and color. Dr. Gray gives the Balsams an 

 order to themselves. 



RATTLESNAKE PLANTAIN Goodyera pubescens (E. Br.), 



This is a formidable name for a lovely little plant the 

 leaves of which are prettily netted over the dark green sur- 

 face with milky-white veinings. The ovate pointed leaves 

 are set close to the ground; from the centre of the leaves 

 rises a naked stalk of pearly white flowers in a slender 

 spike; corolla ringent with inflated lip; root-stock some- 

 what creeping, soft and fibrous; the flowers are slightly 

 fragrant. This pretty little plant is found in the forest, 

 often on decayed fallen trunks of trees or in light fibrous, 

 mould. It is very nearly allied to the 



SLENDER LADY'S-TRESSES Spiranthes gracilis (Big.). 



The flower-stem of this singular plant is twisted so that 

 the blossoms are turned to one side, forming a spiral of" 

 great beauty. The flowers are smaller but sweeter than those 

 of the Rattlesnake Plantain; greenish -white, lipped and 

 fringed. The two leaves are closely pressed to the ground 

 and are little seen after the plant is in bloom. There are 

 several species of these graceful Orchids. 



The spiral arrangement of the flowers probably suggested 

 the ringlets on some fair lady's head. The old florists 

 and herbalists of former times were more gallant than our 

 modern botanists, for they gave many pretty names to the- 



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