150 THE BIRTHWORT FAMILY. 



of the plant, have a conspicuous, velvety pubescence. The rootstock is 

 flavoured something like ginger. 



A. arifbliiini, halberd- leaved asarum, I found in bloom on mountains 

 bordering North Carolina, which were not very far distant from the limit of 

 its northern range, Virginia. Its large hastate leaves quickly told its species, 

 although at times they are known to occur almost heart-shaped. It also 

 bears sriiall flowers which grow very closely to the ground. In texture the 

 jhaves are not nearly so thick as those of A. Virginicum, although they too 

 endure throughout the winter. 



DUTCHMAN'S PIPE. {Plate L.) 

 Aristolbchia niacrophylla. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Birth7uort. Greenish and Scentless. Tennessee and Georgia to May ^ June, 



purplish brown. Pennsylvania and westward. 



Flo'vers : growing on long, axillary peduncles which have rounded, clasping 

 bracts near their middle. Ca/j'x tube : inflated; curved upward and becoming con- 

 tracted in the throat ; the limb three-lobed; spreading and purplish brown. Sla- 

 ■meiis : six. Capsule: oblong, sometimes four inches long. Leaves: often a foot 

 long, with slender petioles; orbicular or broadly reniform, pointed at the apex 

 and deeply cordate at the base, entire; thin; softly'pubescent underneath, especially 

 when young. A smooth, woody, branched vine. 



Twining over rocks and trees in the more northern parts of the southern 

 states, sometimes growing to an astonishing length, this adventurous vine 

 throws out so abundantly its great leaves that it is sometimes difficult to find 

 its stems and flowers. When the latter come to view, however, they are 

 very quaint, as the curious curving of the calyx with its spreading limb forms 

 a structure very like an old Dutch pipe. As a genus this one is remarkable 

 for the diversity of its members in colour, size and even odour. All are in- 

 teresting plants. While through our range there are other species than 

 those that have been included, it is thought that enough have been mentioned 

 to give a showing of the group. 



A. tomentbsa, woolly pipe-vine, bears a specific and common name sug- 

 gested, no doubt, by the dense white tomentum which covers its every part. 

 Aside from this trait it is a similar vine to the Dutchman's pipe although its 

 flowers and leaves are smaller, the latter measuring at most about five inches 

 in length. From North Carolina, it occurs in rich woods to Alabama, Mis- 

 souri and Florida. 



A. Serpentdria, Virginia snake-root, an erect, leafy herb, is considerably 

 known through our district, the people collecting its fibrous, aromatic roots 

 in the autumn to use in medicinal ways. In dry woods it grows and espe- 

 cially in rich leaf mold which has found a lodgement in crevices of rocks. 



