i84 PLANTS GROWING IN RICH OR ROCKY SOIL. 



RATTLESNAKE PLANTAIN. {Plate XC VI.) 



Perh7iiu7n rcpeiis. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Orchis. IVhlte. Scentless. Atlantic states. Late summer. 



Flowers: very small; arranged loosely on one side of a tall spike. Lip, 

 inflated. Leaves : from the base and lying flatly about the ground in a circle ; 

 ovate ; conspicuously veined and spotted with a light shade of yellow, almost 

 white. 



This upright, delicate stalk of tiny white flowers suggests 

 little to us of the terrible, brilliantly-coloured monster with 

 flaming eyes and upraised fangs for which it has been named. 

 But it springs from the same root as its curious leaves, and they 

 are supposed to have a peculiar efficacy in curing the bites of 

 rattlesnakes. The Indians are credited with placing great 

 faith in them. It may be that they have a soothing effect on 

 the wound : but once let the two honey-like drops of venom 

 that the snake has at the bottom of his fang be interjected, 

 and the little white blossoms would prove as effectual in restor- 

 ing the victim. 



P.piibescens is a more beautiful variety, as its flowers grow less 

 on one side of the spike and the singular mottling of the leaves 

 is more pronounced, being with white and dark green. 



CRINKLE=ROOT. PEPPER=ROOT. TOOTHWORT. 



Dentaria diphylia. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Mustard. White. Scentless. liTaine southward. May. 



Flowers: rather large; growing in a terminal corymb. Calyx: of four 

 sepals that fall early. Corolla : of four cruciferous petals. Stamens : six ; of 

 which two are shorter than the others. Pistil: one. Pod : '^dX; lanceolate. 

 Leaves: two, on the stem, whorled and divided into three toothed leaflets. 

 Rootstock : long ; fleshy and similar in taste to water-cress. 



There is always a crispness and freshness about the mustards, 

 meet them where we will. Undoubtedly among themselves 

 they are very witty. This one is fond of rooting in leaf mold 

 and we would sadly miss it from the May woods if some day it 

 should learn the trick of wandering and stray from us far away 



