102 WILD FLOWER FAMILIES 
downward, the stamens near the petals and the 
pistil projecting straight out from the center, 
appearing as a prolongation of the blossom stem. 
The plant as a whole is a charming example of 
that harmonious asymmetry dear to the art of 
the Japanese. The colors also are.in harmony 
with the simple outline of the plant: the leaves are 
of varying shades of green, mottled with rather 
indistinct markings of a dull whitish color or of 
a faint purplish hue, while the blossom is a lovely 
yellow, having occasionally a purplish tinge. 
The Dog’s-tooth Violet, often called also the 
Adder’s Tongue, is one of our earliest flowers, 
appearing in April and lasting well into May. 
From the situations where it is most commonly 
found one would think that it loved the music of 
the little rivers, lingering near to listen to the 
gladsome songs of these “in the season of their 
prosperity.” But it also habitually occurs in 
open groves and even along the borders of the 
forest. In rainy weather and at night the flowers 
close, but they open again upon the appearance 
of sunshine and are said to turn on their stalks to 
follow the sun. The blossoms are freely visited 
by many bees, by which cross-pollination seems to 
be very generally brought about. 
In the western states the White Adder’s 
Tongue is found. This plant bears a general re- 
semblance to the yellow species but it has much 
