FLORA OF MICHIGAN. 37 



Soon after, the spring beauty with pale rose-colored flowers delicately 

 lined with a deeper hue, shoots up its slender stem between two narrow, 

 thick, fleshy leaves. Its cup-shaped flowers are nourished by a tuber as 

 large as the end of a lady's little finger which is deeply buried in the rich 

 loam of the valley. 



The mandrake or May-apple is now raising its buds which soon expand 

 like an umbrella. 



The buds of beech, hickory and basswood are swelling every day and 

 are soon too large for their scaly coverings. Two or three species of 

 trillium are conspicuous on the hill side. They may be best admired where 

 they grow, for the odor of wilting trilliums is anything but agreeable. 



On dry land through portions of the State, the fragrant sumach, a low 

 straggling shrub is occasionally seen, showing its small yellow flowers. 

 Leatherwood or moosewood is an interesting early bush, not growing 

 abundantly anywhere. It has very soft tender wood, while the bark is 

 very tough. 



In shaded places may be found a pale, juicy little flower about the size 

 of your little finger nail, having two long spurs or horns. It is called 

 Dutchman's breeches, from a slight resemblance to those ancient gar- 

 ments. Another flower somewhat like it is called squirrel corn, because 

 some of the underground shoots look like bunches of yellow corn. 



About this time watch for two or more grassy-looking plants called 

 sedges, and for the beautiful Isopyrum. 



On little knolls at the south, or more frequently at the north, may be 

 found the partridge-berry, occasionally carrying some of its red berries 

 through the winter safe and sound from the birds, boys and squirrels. 

 The round, evergreen leaves are about as large as a cent. Wintergreens 

 with thick, bronzed leaves and red berries are attractive for April. 



North of the middle portion of the State, the trailing arbutus or May- 

 flower hides its sweet pink and white flowers beneath the dead leaves. 

 Everyone admires this plant. Mosses and evergreen ferns in shady places 

 attract unusual attention at this time of year because of their beautiful 

 green color. 



Toothwort and cardamine, two species of each, are out with their white 

 flowers. They are cousins to the cabbage, radish, turnip, mustard and 

 horseradish. 



About this time look for several kinds of violets; then come the anem- 

 ones, one, two, three of them, early, beautiful, delicate. And here come 

 the small white flowers of the mitre-wort, fringed all around the edges 

 like a sweet little night-cap. 



True to its time the June-berry or service-berry sends forth its clear 

 white blossoms, somewhat like those of a cherry tree. Late in the month 

 a yellow honeysuckle appears, and the early crowfoots, two or three of 

 them, with glossy petals of golden yellow. A phlox, also, begins to 

 untwist its fragrant petals. 



Along wet land, curled under two dull green kidney-shaped leaves, may 

 be found a purple flower hiding itself from view. It is the wild ginger. 

 The dandelion, a thrifty naturalized foreigner, is just showing its yellow 

 heads covered with bees. Let Higginson describe the next: "The Blood- 

 root opens, a name of guilt, and a type of innocence. This fresh and 

 lovely thing appears to concentrate all stains within its ensanguined root, 

 that it may condense all purity in the peculiar whiteness of its petals. It 

 emerges from the ground with each shy blossom wrapt in its own pale- 



