158 April and May Flowers. 



a single pair of opposite leaves. This is the Claytonia, one of 

 the neatest of early flowers. The little Homtonia, or Hcdytf 

 coeulea, now covers large patches of damp fields with the paT 

 blue tint of its petals, varied, here and there, with a cluster f 

 the more showy Dandelion. In dry, stony places, on high 

 banks, from beneath a sheltering rock, peep out the small 

 white flowers of the Early Saxifrage, while on the gree n 

 slopes, the beautiful little Dog's tooth Violet, most delicate of 

 lilies, Erythronium Americanum, shoots up from its bulbous 

 root its spotted leaves, and drooping yellow corollas. The 

 Trilliums, conspicuous for their whorls of broad green leaves 

 and nodding white flowers, are budding, though they can 

 hardly be said to be fully blossomed till June. That low 

 small trailer, with woody stem and hairy evergreen leaves' 

 and clusters of fragrant flowers, white, or shaded with pink or 

 purple, is the Epigaea repens, sometimes called Ground 

 Laurel. A more rare plant than any of these, is the May 

 Apple, Podophyllum peltatum. It has two peltate leaves, from 

 the fork of which, rises a single peduncle, bearing a white droop- 

 ing flower, the calyx of which, falls off as the petals expand, 

 succeeded by an eatable fruit about as large as a plum. The 

 root of the May apple is used as a cathartic, in place of Jalap. 



Of trees and shrubs, a great number produce their flowers 

 in April and May. Among these are various species of the 

 Elm, the Willow, the Birch, the Alder, the Ash, the Hazel, the 

 Poplar, the Maple, and the Cherry. These will be readily 

 recognised without description. One of the most conspicuous 

 trees at this season, is the Shad Berry tree, Amela-nchier Cana- 

 densis, or Mespilus arborea, whose large racemes of white 

 flowers, make it remarkable at a great distance. The thickets 

 too are fragrant, a little later, with that beautiful and well 

 known shrub, the Wild Honeysuckle, or Swamp Pink, Rhodo- 

 dendron nudiflorum. 



Our limits will not allow a further extension of this subject 

 at present, and we conclude by assuring the student that he 

 will have learned more than he can ever do from reading what 

 we write, if during this month, he shall have collected, exam- 

 ined, properly preserved, arranged and labelled, specimens of 

 the species here mentioned. 



