220 PLANTS GROWING IN LIGHT SOIL. 



the beauty of the brilliant flower. Dr. Erasmus Darwin, when 

 speaking of American catchflies, said, " The viscid material 

 which surrounds the stalks under the flowers is a curious contri- 

 vance to prevent insects from plundering the honey, or devour- 

 ing the seed." 



STARRY CAMPION. {Plate CXIII.) 



Silene stellata. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Pink. White. Scentless. General. June., July. 



Flcnuers : clustered loosely in a panicle. Calyx: swollen; reddish, sticky^ 

 with five lobes. Corolla: of five deeply fringed petals. Stamens: ten; ex- 

 serted. Pistil: one; styles, three. Leaves: sessile; lanceolate; whorled in 

 fours, or opposite in pairs on the upper and lower part of the stem. Stem : 

 two to three feet high ; reddish coloured. 



The deeply fringed petals and yellow-green leaves of the 

 starry campion form masses of delightfully cool colouring that 

 seem to breath the freshness of the midsummer woods. It is 

 in the evening that the flowers unfold, although in much shaded 

 woods they remain open until noon of the next day. The plant 

 is a conspicuous catchfly. 



GROUND=NUT. DWARF GINSENG. {F/ale CXIV.) 



Panax trifblium. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Ginseng, White. Scentless. New England westward: April.^ May. 



southward to Georgia. 



Flowers : tiny ; imperfect ; clustered closely in a slender-stalked umbel and 

 forming a ball of bloom. Gz/vjr ; short ; with five small teeth. Corolla : oi 

 five petals. Stamens: five. Pistil : one. Frttit : det\) yeWow. Leaves : ihx&e, 

 whorled below the flower and divided into three to five sessile leaflets. Root- 

 stock : tuberous ; deeply seated in the earth. 



The round fluffy ball of tiny blossoms which rises above the 

 leaves gives this plant a very pretty and innocent look. It 

 rests so peacefully in the spring woods that it seems a shame 

 to disturb it to dig for its tubers. They are edible and have a 

 sweet, pungent taste. 



