NATIVE WILD FLOWERS 
azure-blue, striped in some cases with a deeper color. There 
are often as many as five buds and blossoms clustered at the 
summit of the flower stem and in the axils of the deep green 
smooth and glossy leaves. 
On parting the lips of the closed corolla we see at the 
narrowed neck some toothed and sharply jagged appendages, 
which also may be observed in many others of the Gentians 
in greater or lesser degree. This handsome species is about 
eighteen inches high, with flowers more than an inch in 
length, and loves rich leaf-mould near water on rocky 
islands. 
FRINGED GENTIAN—Gentiana crinita (Freel). 
Of the Fringed Gentians we boast three forms, all charm- 
ing and attractive, and it seems strange that such beautiful 
flowers should not have found their places long ere this in 
our gardens. The seeds would not be difficult to obtain from 
the tallest plant, G. crinita, as it blooms early enough to ripen 
its pods before the heat of the summer has entirely given 
place to frosts. 
I have generally found the tall Fringed Gentian on dry, 
rather gravelly soil and river banks. The buds of this 
flower are beautifully folded, almost twisted, and are ter- 
minal, growing singly on long foot stalks; the corollas 
rarely unfold fully; the plaited folds are inconspicuous or 
absent. The color of the flower of this tall species is light 
blue, and white at the base; the upper edges of the corollas 
are elegantly fringed and cut. Though taller, and the bells 
more abundant, the lower, deeper colored fringed varieties 
are more lovely. 
There is a bitter principle in the roots of most of the 
Gentians; especially is this strongly developed in the Five- 
flowered Gentian—G. quinqueflora (Lam.). This bitter 
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