102 PLANTS GROWING IN MOIST SOIL. 
Oh, dearest, sweetest little thing, 
What message do you bring 
To us from other lands than ours 
And other worlds of flowers? 
We bend our ears to listen, dear, 
Our hearts grow mute with fear 
Lest such a dainty, fairy sprite 
Should vanish from our sight. 
It must bea cold heart that does not love the sweet white 
violet. In its turn it loves the mossy, moist places that shield 
it so carefully and from where it sends out its faint perfume. 
_ LANCE-LEAVED VIOLET, | 
Vidla lanceolata, 
This white violet has larger flowers than the preceding 
species ; and the lance-shaped leaves that taper into long peti- 
oles are the mark by which it can be distinguished. The two 
are often found growing together; and belong to the class of 
so-called stemless violets. These have no true stems ; but bear 
their leaves from the root-stock, and the flowers upon scapes. - 
In the late season, near the root may be found cleistogamous 
blossoms, closed buds that never open, but are within them- 
selves self-fertilized. 
TALL MEADOW RUE. (Plate XLVIT) 
Thalictrum poljgamum., 
FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 
Crowfoot. White. Scentless. New England south- June, July and August. 
ward and westward. 
Flowers: growing in large compound panicles. Calyx: of four to ten 
petal-like sepals that blow off early. Stamens: very numerous and giving a 
ball-like feathery effect. %st/s: four to fifteen, mostly borne on different 
plants than the stamens. Leaves: alternately compound ; leaflets numerous, 
small, rounded, sometimes lobed at the top. Stem; tall; erect; branching: 
A tall, graceful beauty that drinks of the cooling vapours be- 
side the sparkling streams, or rears itself in the moist meadows 
where the yellow field lilies are in bloom, There is a certain 
luxury about the fleecy daintiness of the flowers and the growth 

