IN MISS AMELIA'S MEADOW 223 



about, and almost as tall as the Black Cohoshes 

 that grew In the woods in July. 



I don't call Great Mullen a new friend among 

 the flowers. Ever since we found Hepatlcas its 

 leaves have been lying like rosettes in the grass. 

 They are pale green and soft, and when I touch 

 them they make me shiver a little as I do when I 

 bite the skin of a peach. 



Its pale yellow flowers grow on what looks like 

 a tall stick coming up from the middle of the 

 rosette, and this must be two years old before they 

 peep out on It. Each flower then only opens for 

 a single day. Afterward It fades and another 

 higher up on the stalk opens In Its stead. In this 

 way the plant goes on blooming a little at a time 

 all through the summer and part of the autumn. 

 No one ever sees the whole of the Great Mullen's 

 stalk covered at the same time with flowers. On 

 days when only two or three blossoms are open, 

 the stalk looks very tall and the leaves very large 

 and coarse to uphold such a few pretty little 

 flowers. 



When we could get Tommy to talk, for he was 

 still very cross about Peter and Uncle Hiram, he 

 said he called this plant Mullen Dock, although it 

 had really more names than he could remember, 

 " not one less than forty." 



Philip thinks this Is because the Great Mullen 

 has been a wonderful traveler, and christened 

 with a new name in almost every country. Its 



