402 THE DIAPENSIA FAMILY. 



GALAX. GALAXY. C0LT'5=F00T. 



BEETLE=WEED. (Plate CXXXII.) 



Galax aphjflla. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Diapensia. Cream-ivkite. Scentless. Georgia to Virginia. May., June. 



Floioers: small ; growing in a dense, spike-like raceme on a scape from twelve 

 to eighteen inches high and having reddish, scale-like bracts at its base. Calyx : 

 five-|)arted. Corolla: with five oblong petals. Sta7nen-tiibe : ten-lobed at the 

 summit, the divisions alternate with the petals, anther-bearing, the others petaloid 

 and sterile. Stigma : three-lobed. Capsule : ovoid ; erect. Leaves : sometimes 

 four inches in diameter, arising with slender petioles from the base ; orbicular ; 

 deeply cordate, irregularly serrate or crenate, bright green and lustrous and turn- 

 ing in the late season to rich shades of maroon ; evergreen. Roots : highly col- 

 oured ; fibrous. 



As we see the galax blossoms pluming themselves along some shaded 

 bank, we feel that they are a truly splendid assemblage, a veritable milky way; 

 and, since their name suggests it, we do not hesitate to connect their spark- 

 ling sylph-like forms with some of the mysterious wonder we accord to the 

 stars, blink-blinking against their sombre background. It is, however, with 

 the leaves that our thoughts linger longest. Through the plant's range they 

 seem to be everywhere. In the mountainous parts of North Carolina I saw 

 them hugging closely the ground in patches spreading over acres. By the 

 side of woodland paths they raised themselves ; shone from roadside banks 

 and peeped from under rocks. Early in May they are of an exquisite yel- 

 low-green. In June more solidly green ; but later in the season, when dingy 

 little capsules have replaced the soft blossoms, they turn to rosy pink, or 

 show rich tones of wine-colour. To many that have never seen the blossoms 

 these leaves are familiar, for the mountain people pick them by the million, 

 and tie them into little bunches of a hundred each which later are sent to 

 florists in different parts of the country. 



It was Mrs. Kibbee, the widow of a doctor who lost his life in a yellow 

 fever panic while experimenting with a cot he had invented for the relief of 

 patients, who first realised their decorative value and sent them out from 

 North Carolina. For every bunch of a hundred leaves she received two 

 dollars, and this revenue made up the greater part of the money with which 

 she supported her children. Now, however, this is a matter of history, for 

 the business has passed into the hands of many. 



SHORTIA. LITTLE COLT'S=FOOT. (Plale CXXXI.) 

 Short la galacifblia. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Diapensia. White. Scentless. Mountains of North March., April. 



and South Carolina. 



Flowers : terminal ; solitary ; growing on scapes from three to six inches high 

 with scale-like, lavender bracts near the flower. Calyx : with five ovate, green 



