38 FLORA OF MICHIGAN. 



Aspidium acrostichoides, Swart/. Shield Fern. 



" aculeatum, Swartz, var. Braunii, Koch. Shield Fern. 

 Boottii, Tuckerman. Shield Fern. 

 Goldianum, Hook. Shield Fern. 

 Lonchitis, Swartz. Shield Fern. 

 marginale, Swartz. Shield Fern. 

 spinulosum, Swartz. Shield Fern. 



" var. intermedium, D. C. Eaton. Shield Fern. 

 Cystopteris bulbifera, Bernh. Bladder Fern. 



" fragilis, Bernh. Bladder Fern. 

 Dicksonia piloxiuscula, Willd. 

 Onoclea sensibilis, L. Sensitive Fern. 



" Struthiopteris, Hoffman. Ostrich Fern. 

 Osmunda cinnamomea, L. Cinnamon Fern. 

 Claytoniana, L. Flowering Fern. 

 regalis, L. Flowering Fern. 

 Phegopteris Dryopteris, Fee. Beech Fern. 



hexagonoptera, Fe"e. Beech Fern. 

 polypodioides, Fe"e. Beech Fern. 



THE PROCESSION OF FLOWERS. 

 A. Flowers of April. 



In northern climes there is greater interest shown for the flowers of 

 early spring, than for those of equal beauty, which may follow at any 

 other season of the year. After the usual long dreary winter, the first 

 approach of returning plant activity is always welcome. 



The naked sticks, so long bare in their brown and gray, are covered 

 with swelling buds. From the dead leaves of last autumn ar& springing 

 forth hundreds of plants, all making arrangements for the work of the 

 season, in fact they began their work last summer and autumn, so that 

 flowers were all well formed and of considerable size before winter set in. 

 The date of blossoming varies much in different seasons, but in the 

 southern half of the State the following account is applicable: 



The pioneer of wild spring flowers is the Hepatica, often called liver- 

 leaf or blue anemone, the thick evergreen leaf of which resembles a clover 

 leaf in shape with the parts somewhat grown together. In favored sunny 

 slopes, the flowers may often be seen long before the snow leaves the 

 shady banks. 



A few inconspicuous weeds are in flower in early April; indeed, flowers 

 may be found at any time during the winter when there is snow to cover 

 the ground. 



Alders and birches of the swamps next open their waxy catkins of 

 flowers. How can they tell just when it will do to venture out? How is 

 it that three, four, or more unusually warm days in autumn would not set 

 them all out, when they would perish? They have descended from a long 

 line of hardy ancestors, the injudicious or tenderest ones of which have 

 perished. Foreign trees and herbs are much more likely to be deceived 

 by unusual seasons. 



A little later willows are covered with downy spikes, smooth as kittens, 

 soon spreading to woo the bees which seek the nectar and yellow pollen. 



The American elm, the rock elm, the red elm, and the red maple all 

 send forth flowers before hanging out their leaves. In swamps or low 

 grounds, skunk-cabbage puts up its fetid bunch of flowers on a fleshy 

 stem as large as one's thumb. In a few places may be found the colt's- 

 foot from Europe, much resembling the dandelion. On low lands in some 

 portions of northern Michigan, may be seen the sweet-scented colt's-foot. 



