346 



THE AMEEICAK 



scarcely leave a lupiu unplucked. Later in the 

 season tliis locality is bright with the flame- 

 colored cups of the beautiful Orange-red Lily 

 {Lilium Philadelphicum) , worthy of place in 

 any garden. 



The genus Sanunclus is well represented here 

 by seven species, the white Water Crowfoot (li. 

 aquatilis, Yxr. trichophyllus) , R. abortivus, the 

 the small-flowered species, the Hooked Crowfoot 

 {B. reourvatus) , the Yellow Water Ci'owfoot 

 (jB. multijidus) a lover of the water and the most 

 interesting species, the Early Crowfoot {R.fasci- 

 cularis) , the Creeping Crowfoot (iJ. repens) , and 

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

 laria) , a curious little thing, with small flowers 

 and fleshy, roundish heart-shaped leaves, sending 

 out long rooty runners. 



Our handsome Columbine {Aqiiilegia Cana- 

 densis) is not rare here. The Pitcher Plant 

 {Saracenia purpurea) , one of the most remark- 

 able of our native plants, used to be in several 

 localities, as difierent herbariums attest, but no 

 one has of late been able to find a specimen. 



A species of Cactus {Opuntia BaffinesquiiU] ) 

 grows 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 noli-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 mouth 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- 

 posure to its subtle cxlialations, it would seem 

 have been enough to confine certain of my 

 acquaintances to their rooms for a fortnight. 

 Celastrus scandens, tlie Climbing 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 CEnothera 

 biennis and its handsome relation, CEnothera 

 fruticosa, known as Sun Drops ; with two of the 

 Saxifrage family, both quaint plants— ^ewc/iera 

 hispida and Saxifraga Pennsylvanica. Along 

 the ditches is the Mermaid Weed {Proserpinaoa 

 palustris), quite commonly associated with two 

 of the False Loosestrifes {iMdwigia polycarpa 



and X.^aZMsiris), homely plants that somehow 

 attract the attention of the botanist as much as 

 more showy things. Triglochin maritimum, the 

 Ari'ow Grass, is also abundant and curious, in 

 company with the Water Plantain (AUsma plan- 

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

 Kalmianum) abounds immediately in the vicinity 

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

 est profusion, gleam like gold. Why has it not 

 found its i)lace in the garden ? 



I find three of our native roses liere — Bosa 

 lucida, Bosa blanda, and the Swamp Rose (Bosa 

 Carolina), sometimes exceedingly handsome. 

 Two species of Spiraea are found, both pretty — 

 S. salicifolia, the common Meadow Sweet, and 

 the Nine Bark (Spirma opalifolia), a tall shrub 

 white vnth 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 jtlant. 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 

 parvijiora aud Diervilla trifida, the latter some- 

 times cultivated, though scarcely showy enough 

 for ornament. The Horse Gentian ( Triosteum 

 perfoUatum) , 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), aud 

 Nymphma tuber osa. If the Sweet-scented Water 

 Lily {Nymphma 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 Chinque- 

 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 pai't 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- 

 let-flowered Pickerel Weed, and the Water Shield 

 (Brasenia peltata) . This last named plant, the 

 Manual of Gray tells us, is of singularly wide 



