216 PLANTS GROWING IN LIGHT SOIL. 
appearance is crisp and pert-like, and although it evades us and 
hides itself behind its handsome leaves, we may hardly fancy 
that it does so from shyness ; but rather that it is mischiev- 
ously teasing its seeker and peeping out its bright face to laugh 
at him as he passes on. 
FOUR-LEAVED LOOSESTRIFE. 
Lysimachia quadréfolia. 
FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 
' Primrose. Yellow, streaked with red. Scentless. General. June. 
Flowers: solitary; growing uprightly on axillary thread-like flower-stalks. 
Calyx: of five, parted petals. Corolla: of five, oblong, parted petals. 
Stamens : four or five. Fst: one. Leaves: lanceolate ; opposite or whorled 
at even distances about the stem. Stem: upright; smooth. 
The perfectly symmetrical arrangement of the leaves of this 
plant and the star-like, bright faces that shoot out from their 
axils make it very noticeable. It is closely related to L. 
terrestris of the moist meadows ; but is fond of the light soil of 
open woods and sometimes even appears along the roadsides. 
This difference of taste is probably owing to the considerate 
forethought of the family, which wish to put themselves as 
much ex evidence as possible, and to be ready to assist the poor 
farmer by using their soothing influence upon his quarrelsome 
beasts. L. terrestris, page 93. 
PARTRIDGE VINE. (Plate CX7.) 
Mitchélla répens. 
FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR Z RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 
Madder. White. Fragrant. General. June, July. 
Flowers: terminal; two in each cluster. Calyx: of four toothed sepals. 
Corolla: of four wax-like lobes which extend into a tube; within hairy. 
Stamens: four. Pistil: one. Fruit: a small, round, scarlet berry singularly 
crowned with the eight calyx-teeth, and formed by the cohering of the ovaries 
of the twin flowers. Zeaves: small; round; opposite; shiny; evergreen, 
Stems : trailing closely over the ground. 
Much of the essence of the woodlands is embodied in the 
cherry-like scent of the gentle sister blossoms and the pretty 

