WILD FLOWERS RED 
one to wonder how it manages to keep from perishing 
altogether during the extended dry spells of summer 
and fall. ‘The flowers are scarlet, with yellow linings. 
They are conspicuously large and showy, and hang, 
nodding upside down, from fine threadlike stems. 
They vary greatly, measuring from one to two inches 
long, and are rather bulky. The five petals are narrow 
and! cone-shaped, and taper sharply to a thickened, 
rounded point, forming the upright and nearly straight 
spurs. They are united below by five curved and 
flaring sepals, which alternate with the tubes, and 
when viewed from beneath, give the face of the flower a 
distinct star-shape. The numerous, yellow-tipped 
stamens and fine slender pistils project, tassel-like, 
below the pure yellow corolla. As the seed pod 
ripens, it assumes an upright position on stem. The 
lower leaves are compound and divided two or three 
times. Each leaflet has three or more lobes with 
irregular, rounded notches. Their basal leaves are 
borne on long, slender stems which rise direct from 
the roots, and in the spring they form thick, rounded 
tufts. ‘The upper leaflets are variously shaped and 
notched, generally rounded, and unite with the stalk 
at the branching joints. They are thin in texture; 
light green above, and whitish underneath. The 
plant grows from one to two feet in height. The long, 
slender, branching stalk is generally smooth and 
slightly angular. The colour is green, usually deeply 
stained with purple. The Wild Columbine is found 
from Nova Scotia to the Northwest Territory and 
T3 
