346 



THE AMERICAN 



scarcely leave a lupin uiiplucked. Later in the 

 season this locality is bright with the flame- 

 colored cups of the beautiful Orange-red Lily 

 {TAHum Philadelphicum) , worthy of place in 

 any garden. 



The genus Ranunclus is well represented here 

 by seven species, tlie white Water Crowfoot {R. 

 aqnatiIis,\'M-. trichophyllus) , R. abertivus, the 

 the small-flowered species, the Hooked Crowfoot 

 Ui. recirratiis). the Yellow Water Crowfoot 

 (1\. )iiiiltif!iliis) a lover ofthe water and the most 

 iiilnvsiiiio species, the Early Crowfoot {R.fasci- 

 (■ularis) , tlie Creeping Crowfoot (R. repens) , and 

 lastly the delicate Sea-side Crowfoot (R. cymba- 

 laria), a curious little thing, with small flowers 

 and fleshy, roundish hear(>shaped leaves, sending 

 out long rooty runners. 



Our handsome Columbine {Aquilegia Cana- 

 densis) is not rare here. The Pitcher Plant 

 {Saracenia purptirea), one of tlie most remark- 

 able of our native plants, used to be in several 

 localities, as diflereut herbariums attest, but no 

 one has of late been able to find a specimen. 



A species of Cactus {Opuntia Raffinesquiti?] ) 

 gi-ows quite abundantly on the sandy ridges 

 north of the city along the lake shore, and makes 

 quite a display with its large yellow chalices. It 

 is a noU-me-tangere sort of thing, however, and 

 resents handling. In company with it I find the 

 peculiar thistle of the Great Lakes {Cirsium 

 Pitcheri), with cream-colored flowers, blooming 

 half a month earlier than its congeners. It has 

 an ashen, woolly aspect, and is of low growth. 



Rhus toxicodendron, the Poison Sumach, is 

 abundant in a dwarf form, and is almost as much 

 dreaded by some of our botanists as a venomous 

 reptile might be. A touch, or even slight ex- 

 l)osure to its subtle exlialatious, it would seem 

 have been enough to confine certain of my 

 acquaintances to their rooms for a fortnight. 

 Celastrus scandens, the Climbiug^Bittersweet, or 

 Wax-work, is also common along the lake shore. 

 It is insignificant in flower, but very showy when 

 its orange and scarlet fruit opens in autumn. 

 The Hop Tree {Ptelea trifoliata), a tall shrub, 

 seems to thrive in almost pure sand with the 

 foregoing plants. Its bitter, winged fruit is 

 sometimes used as hops, it is said. 



In moister places, in the same district, I find 

 the Evening Primroses, the weedy (Enothera 

 biennis and its handsome relation, (Enothera 

 fruticosa, known as Sun Drops ; with two of the 

 Saxifrage family, both quaint plants— //ewc/iera 

 hispida and Saxifraga Pennsylvanica. Along 

 the ilitches is the Mermaid Weed (Proserpinana 

 palustris), quite commonly associated with two 

 of the False Loosestrifes {Ludwigia polycarpa 



and L. palustris), homely plants that somehow 

 attract the attention of the botanist as much as 

 more showy things. Triglochin maritimum,ihe 

 Arrow Grass, is also abundant and curious, in 

 company with the Water Plantain (A/isma plan- 

 tago). Kalm's St. John's Wort {Hypericum 

 Knlmianum) abounds immediately in the vicinity 

 of the lake, its large yellow flowers, in the greatr- 

 est profusion, gleam like gold. Why has it not 

 found its place in the garden .? 



1 find three of our native roses here— Bosa 

 Jiic.ida, Rosa blanda, and the Swamp Rose {Rosa 

 Carolina), sometimes exceedingly handsome. 

 Two species of Spira;a are found, both pretty — 

 S. salicifolia, the common Meadow Sweet, and 

 the Nine Bark {Spirma opalifolia), a tall shrub 

 white with blossoms. In the same locality with 

 the latter, north of the city, two species of Vibur- 

 num are abundant — V. lentago, the Sheep Berry, 

 handsome both in flower and leaf, and the Cran- 

 berry Tree ( Viburnum opulus) . The Snowball 

 of the gardens, so familiar to all, is a cultivated 

 form of this plant. By some the original is pre- 

 ferred for ornament, and with considerable rea- 

 son, as its broad cymes are handsome, and the 

 bright red fruit abundant. It is a poor substitute 

 for the Cranberry, in flavor as well as on account 

 of its large flat stone. Two other interesting 

 plants of the Honeysuckle family were found in 

 company with the Viburnums, i. e., Lonicera 

 parvijlora and Diervilla triflda, the latter some- 

 times cultivated, though scarcely showy enough 

 for ornament. The Horse Gentian (Tnos^eMm 

 perfoliatum), an oddity of the same family, is 

 found later ; with the common Elder {Sambucus 

 Canadensis) . 



The Water Lily family is represented by the 

 Yellow Spatter-dock {Nuphar advena), and 

 Nympha'M tuberosa. If the Sweet-scented Water 

 Lily {Nymphoia odorata) is found here it is not 

 common. One specimen only was referred to 

 that species, mainly because of its delightful 

 fragrance, rather than from any marked difler- 

 ence from its scentless neighbors. 



The noble Yellow Nelumbo, or Water Chinqua- 

 pin, is found at Calumet Lake, about fourteen 

 miles from Chicago, but an excursion made ex- 

 pressly to collect it resulted in the finding of its 

 remarkably large leaves only, the flowers being 

 missing. In the southern part of the State it is 

 no rarity. 



Among the water plants of interest, also, I 

 must include the beautiful Buck-Bean {Meny- 

 anthes trifoliata), Pontederia cordata, the Vio- 

 le(>flowered Pickerel Weed, and the Water Shield 

 {Brasenia peltata). This last named plant, the 

 Manual of Gray tells us, is of singularly wide 



