17C FAMILIAR FEATURES OF THE ROADSIDE. 



kill Mountains, near Dean's Corners, !N". Y. But it 

 is common tlironghout tlie ISTortheastern States. 



As the road cliniljs tlie slope from the meadows 

 and enters the border of the woods, we ma.y happen 

 to see a pretty crimson magenta flower snuggled be- 

 side some small deep-green leaves, slightly resembling 

 those of the wiotergreen. This is the flowering 

 wintergreen {Polygala paucifoUa), a dainty little 

 thing scarcely four inches above the ground, which 

 bears its fertile flower in budlike form on a subter- 

 ranean stem. The leafage is frequently sulfused with 

 ruddy purple. Still another woodland flower, and 

 one which is endowed with the daintiest perfume, is 

 the twin flower [LinnoM horealis), whose creeping 

 stems spread over the stony ground in mossy woods, 

 where the sunlight spots the ground with yellow- 

 green. The little drooping bell, scarcely a third of 

 an inch in diameter, is white lined with crimson-pink. 

 The light-green leaves are small, round -toothed, and 

 broadly oval. The twin flower blooms after the 

 flowering wintergreen ; the latter is in its prime in 

 late May. 



Two noxious plants which show their bright-green 

 leaves and greenish white flowers in June, are the 

 poison sumach {Rhus venenata) and the poison ivy 

 {Bhus toxicodendron). Both of these are harmful to 

 touch, especially when in bloom. I have drawn the 



