EARLY SPRING 279 



are beautifully protected by the leaves. The 

 plant really forms its flowers underground, and 

 then, by force of youthful sap, it rises above 

 ground, and reveals the first green flush of Spring. 

 It is positively exciting to watch carefully for the 

 first piece of Dog's Mercury to appear, but it is 

 remarkable to notice how quickly plant succeeds 

 plant when a good start has been made. 



This common wayside plant is dioecious, that 

 is, the staminate (male) and pistillate (female) 

 flowers are borne on separate plants. The male 

 flowers are in the form of a raceme, and bear from 

 eight to twenty stamens. The female flowers are 

 far more insignificant, having a two-lobed, two- 

 celled ovary, and two diverging styles. These 

 flowers must be carefully sought after, or they will 

 not be seen. When the Herb Mercury (as the 

 plant is often called) goes to seed, the seed-vessel 

 is rounded and two-celled. It should, of course, 

 be looked for later in the year on the plants bear- 

 ing the pistillate flowers, the racemes on the male 

 plant gradually dying off. 



The Green Hellebore is a really beautiful plant, 

 both the flowers and leaves being particularly 

 graceful. It belongs to the same order as the 

 Buttercups and the Anemone, namely, the Ranun- 

 culacece. It should be sought for in woods on 

 chalky soils, hedges, etc. Although it is not due 

 to blossom until March, it pushes above ground 



