MOUNTAIN FLOWERS II9 



This Twisted-stalk is a large plant with many clasping, 

 pointed leaves growing all the way up on both sides of its long 

 branching stems, with one solitary leaf at the apex. These 

 leaves are handsome, green and glossy on the top, with strongly 

 marked veins, and are covered with a whitish bloom on the 

 under side. Looking at the plant from above it appears to 

 bear no flowers at all, but turn over its stems and you will 

 find beneath each leaf one or two tiny greenish -white bells, 

 hanging on sharply bent thread-like stalks that spring from 

 the axils of the leaves ; these flowers in time turn into bright 

 red oval berries. 



The name Twisted-stalk is derived from its abruptly bent 

 flower stems. 



For 5. rose us, S. brevipes, and 5. curvipes see the Pink to 

 Red Section. 



SPIKENARD 



Smilacijia stellata. Lily Family 



Stems: stout, erect, or somewhat zigzag. Leaves: lanceolate, sessile, 

 somewhat clasping, acute, acuminate at the apex, rather concave. Flowers : 

 raceme sessile or short-peduncled, several-flowered. Fruit: bright red 

 berry dotted with purple. 



Large colonies of this pretty Spikenard, which to ordinary 

 eyes looks like a wild Lily-of-the-Valley, grow near the banks 

 of mountain streams and in the moist meadows. It is a lovely 

 plant that grows up very stiff and straight out of the ground, 

 and has stout stems which are leafy all the way from the base 

 to the slender flower racemes. These racemes are composed of 

 from five to fifteen little starry blossoms, each one having a 

 white six-parted perianth. The leaves are of a whitish-green 

 hue. 



