FLOWERS OF AUTUMN. 237 



The summer flowers are in their greatest splendor in 

 the latter part of June. The greater number of those 

 which commence their flowering in August are au- 

 tumnal flowers, and do not acquire their full maturity 

 until September. The summer flowers are charac- 

 terized by their large size and brilliant colors, and com- 

 bine the two qualities of delicacy and splendor in a 

 greater degree than those of any other season. Such 

 are the different species of the beautiful orchis tribe, the 

 cardinal flower, the cymbidium, the arethusas, and some 

 of the wild lilies. The majority of the flowering 

 shrubs put out their blossoms in early summer, just 

 after the blossoming of the fruit-trees. These diminish 

 in number as the summer advances, and in autumn 

 hardly one is to be found that is not loaded with seeds 

 or fruit. The flowering plants of autumn, however, 

 though not shrubs, are woody in their texture, and 

 many are, in fact, a kind of annual shrubbery. 



The summer flowers may be said to date their com- 

 mencement with the elegant Canadian rhodora, and to 

 end with the alder-leaved clethra, a flowering shrub 

 very common in our swamps, bearing long slender 

 spikes of white blossoms, which have the odor of lilacs. 

 During this interval, the most beautiful flowering shrubs 

 of our climate unfold their blossoms. The rhodora is 

 followed in succession by the honeysuckles, the kalmias, 

 or false laurels, the azaleas, the viburnums, and many 

 others not less important as ornaments of our native 

 landscape. The flowering of the alder-leaved clethra, 

 marks the decline of summer. After this, the remain- 

 der of the month of August is a period rather barren 

 of wild flowers. The most of those which are peculiar 

 to summer, have faded, and the autumnal tribes are 

 still ripening their buds. There seems to be a short 



