AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS 5 



delicate, lace-like foliage.^ The panicles of droop- 

 ing, pale flesh-colored flowers heightened the effect 

 of the whole. This plant is a regular climber; it 

 has no extra appendages for that purpose, and does 

 not wind, but climbs by means of its young leaf- 

 stalks, which lay hold like tiny hands or hooks. 

 The end of every branch is armed with a multitude 

 of these baby hands. The flowers are pendent, and 

 swing like ear jewels. They are slightly heart- 

 shaped, and when examined closely look like little 

 pockets made of crumpled silk, nearly white on the 

 inside or under side, and pale purple on the side 

 toward the light, and shirred up at the bottom. 

 And pockets they are in quite a literal sense, for, 

 though they fade, they do not fall, but become 

 pockets full of seeds. The fumitory is a perpetual 

 bloomer from July till killed by the autumn frosts. 

 The closely allied species of this plant, the di- 

 centra (Dutchman's breeches and squirrel corn), are 

 much more common, and are among our prettiest 

 spring flowers. I have an eye out for the white- 

 hearts (related to the bleeding-hearts of the gar- 

 dens, and absurdly called " Dutchman's breeches ") 

 the last week in April. It is a rock-loving plant, 

 and springs upon the shelves of the ledges, or in 

 the debris at their base, as if by magic. As soon 

 as blood-root has begun to star the waste, stony 

 places, and the first swallow has been heard in 



1 Strange to say, the plant did not appear in that locality the 

 next season, and has never appeared since. Perhaps it will take 

 another dynamite earthquake to wake it up. 



