PLANTS THAT WALK 9 
ing plants. It takes a step, sends down litle roots, 
then another step, until it is satisfied. Whittier 
claims that the Mayflower was the first flower to 
greet the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock when they 
landed; and that it greatly encouraged them with 
its beauty and courageous habits. 
Another good walker is the sensitive mimosa, 
one of those curious sensitive plants which show 
their objection to being handled by quickly closing 
their leaflets, folding them together in pairs, when 
touched. The sensitiveness of the plant is so ex- 
treme that if one leaf is touched roughly the neigh- 
bouring leaves will close in sympathy, and the whole 
stem droop. They remain in this withered-looking 
condition until they believe the danger to be past, 
when they unfold their leaflets and brighten up 
again. 
A dainty and much-loved walker is the twin- 
flower. Its bell-shaped blossoms grow in pairs, 
with their drooping heads suspended from an up- 
right stem. They are a delicate crimson-pink, and 
there is about them a delightful fragrance that is 
like the odour of almond blossoms. The plant loves 
the mossy ground of deep woods, where it walks 
over a large area. | 
But among the great walkers must be mentioned 
the many grasses and sedges which thrive along 
