82 PLANTS GROWING IN MOIST SOIL. 



the summer grass in the moist meadows, impress us with the 

 idea that they have come out to show us that all the grass 

 could bloom as beautifully, if it had the mind to do so ; and 

 that if we were good, as it is said to the children, we might 

 some day find our fields covered with their sparkling little 

 faces. They dislike being picked, and after they have been 

 severed from their stem, shrivel almost immediately, 



YELL0W"-ADDER*5 TONGUE. DOG'S-TOOTH VIOLET. 



(^Plate XXXVII) 

 Erythrbnuan Amerzcanum. 



Flowers: terminal; solitary; nodding. Perianth: of six, slender, recurved 

 divisions, streaked with, and the underside of, purple. Stamens: six. Pistil: 

 one; stj'le, club-shaped. Leaves: two only; oblong; pointed; spotted with 

 dark purple and white. Stem : rising from a corni. 



The names of this beautiful flower are rather confusing, and 

 bring. to the mind objects of entirely different aspect from 

 that of the one to which they relate. *' Dog's-tooth," we are 

 told, refers to a supposed resemblance of the roots of the plant 

 to the canine teeth of a dog ; but this would not help the wan- 

 derer by the woodland brook to any great extent, as the roots 

 are commonly hidden. Why the name of violet was ever at- 

 tached to it, is rather a mystery ; and in any case must have 

 been from a purely imaginative idea. If one of its names 

 must be used, it were better to choose yellow-adder's tongue, 

 which at least gives a clue to its colour ; and the marking of 

 i'ts leaves is not dissimilar to an adder's skin. But how much 

 prettier and more appropriate are the names of fawn lily, or 

 trout lily, which have been suggested by Mr. Burroughs. At 

 night the flower gently closes. 



E. albidum^ the white species, is similar in appearance. It 

 bears a bluish-white flower and the leaves are not nearly so 

 spotted. It is commonly found farther west than Pennsylvania. 



