DOGBANE FAMILY. 



APOCYNACE^.. 

 Spreading Dogbane. Apocynum androscemifoliimi. 



Found along tlie borders of wayside thickets in June and July. 



The branching, woody-fibred stalk grows from 2 to 3 feet in 

 height ; it has a sticky, milky juice, and is smooth ; dull-red on the 

 upper side, greenish on the under. 



The entire, smooth leaves are slightly pointed at the ends ; dull 

 green ; they are set on extremely short stems in pairs. 



The small bell-shaped flowers have 5 recurved points, and are 

 white, striped on the inside with hair lines of pink ; their 5 yellowish 

 stamens are arranged in a short, pointed cone. They hang on short 

 stems, in small clusters from the ends of the branches and the angles of 

 the leaves. 



Taken by itself the Dogbane's flower is pretty, but the plant is 

 sprangly in growth and awkward in gesture ; its branches spread at an 

 unpleasing angle, and the leaves are stiffly set. It is seen at its best 

 among tall grasses, where only the pink bells of the flowering tips arise 

 above the neigboring growths. The plant is much visited by a small . 

 iridescent green beetle. 



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