HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 173 



and are very ornamental : we cannot have too many 

 of them. 



The best way to obtain a stock is from the woods, 

 for generally florists cannot supply them. 



They may be transplanted early in the spring or 

 late in the autumn, and once planted should be 

 seldom disturbed. 



The Trillium. 



All the species are low -growing plants, with 

 tuberous roots or root-stalks, and are remarkable 

 for having all the parts of the plant in threes. 

 They come up in very early spring, blossom, and 

 die away in a few weeks, unless they set seed. The 

 finest species is T. grandiflorum, a very beautiful 

 plant, which succeeds better in cultivation than 

 most of our indigenous flowers. 



The individual blossoms are pure white, changing 

 to deep rose before they fade, and in ricli soils are 

 often more than two inches in diameter. 



A clump of this plant is one of the most attractive 

 objects in the spring garden. 



T. erectum, a more common species, is a very 

 showy plant : the flowers are dark chocolate-color. 

 There is also a variety with dirty white flowers. 



T. sessile, a western species, has also dull-colored 

 blossoms, but is very showy from the elegant foliage, 

 which is beautifully marbled with light and dark 

 green. 



T. pictum or erythrocarpum is the " Painted Tril- 

 lium," and is the most difficult of all to cultivate. 



