
er 
204 PLANTS GROWING IN LIGHT SOIL. 
opens by a lid. From this fact is the significance of its generic 
name, 
TRAILING ARBUTUS. MAYFLOWER. GROUND 
LAUREL. (Plate CVZ) 
Epigea répens. : 
FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 
Heath. White or pink. Fragrant. New England and New Jersey. March-May. 
Flowers : growing in terminal clusters. Ca/yx : of five, green pointed sepals. 
Corolla: tubular; with five spreading lobes; within hairy. Stamens: six to 
ten; included; anthers, yellow.  /vstz/: one; stigma, five-lobed. Leaves: 
alternate on hairy stalks; cordate; entire; evergreen. Stem: prostrate; 
branching ; woody ; hairy. 
Thoreau says: “I love nature, I love the landscape because 
it isso sincere. It never cheats me, it never jests ; it is cheer- 
fully, musically earnest.” It is so with the arbutus, a faithful 
little sweetheart. Even to those that live in large cities the 
browned, faded bunches, tied with wet strings and peddled by 
sad-eyed little boys, have the power to kindle a gleam of joy in 
the heart; but to those that live in the quietude of the country 
and watch the changing of the seasons by the position of the 
sun’s reflection upon their sidewalls, the coming of the arbutus 
is an event in the year. It never disappoints its seekers. As 
soon as the winter’s covering of snow has faded away and only 
little melting patches are seen sparingly about; the dried 
leaves may be pushed aside and the sweet, pink face snuggling 
so cosily among its green leaves has a fragrant welcome to be- 
stow. Stern and grave as were the Pilgrim fathers, they loved 
it dearly ; for as Whittier tells in his beautiful poem, it was the 
first blossom to greet them after their winter of suffering. In 
New England, where it grows abundantly, and especially about 
Plymouth, it is called Mayflower. 
“ O sacred flower of faith and hope, 
As sweetly now and then 
Ye bloom on many a birchen slope, 
In many a pine-dark glen.” 

