NATIVE WILD FLOWERS 



azure-blue, striped in some cases with a deeper color. There 

 are often as many as five buds and blossoms clustered at the 

 summit of the flower stem and in the axils of the deep green 

 smooth and glossy leaves. 



On parting the lips of the closed corolla we see at the 

 narrowed neck some toothed and sharply jagged appendages, 

 which also may be observed in many others of the Gentians 

 in greater or lesser degree. This handsome species is about 

 eighteen inches high, with flowers more than an inch in 

 length, and loves rich leaf-mould near water on rocky 

 islands. 



FRINGED GENTIAN Gentiana crinita (Froel). 



Of the Fringed Gentians we boast three forms, all charm- 

 ing and attractive, and it seems strange that such beautiful 

 flowers should not have found their places long ere this in 

 our gardens. The seeds would not be difficult to obtain from 

 the tallest plant, 6r. crinita, as it blooms early enough to ripen 

 its pods before the heat of the summer has entirely given 

 place to frosts. 



I have generally found the tall Fringed Gentian on dry, 

 rather gravelly soil and river banks. The buds of this 

 flower are beautifully folded, almost twisted, and are ter- 

 minal, growing singly on long foot stalks; the corollas 

 rarely unfold fully; the plaited folds are inconspicuous or 

 absent. The color of the flower of this tall species is light 

 blue, and white at the base; the upper edges of the corollas 

 are elegantly fringed and cut. Though taller, and the bells 

 more abundant, the lower, deeper colored fringed varieties 

 are more lovely. 



There is a bitter principle in the roots of most of the 

 Gentians; especially is this strongly developed in the Five- 

 flowered Gentian G. quinqueflora (Lam.). This bitter 



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