PINXTERBLOOM 



Azalea nudiflora Linnaeus 



In early spring, the bare stems of the pinxterbloom, or wild azalea 

 with their clusters of curved red buds, are conspicuous in the woods 

 or along the banks of the brimful streams. As the flowers open, exhal- 

 ing their peculiar faint perfume, they are visited by bumble bees and 

 moths. The leaves begin to open about the same time as the flowers, 

 but they do not expand fully until the blooming period has passed. 



Easily yielding to cultivation, if the soil is acid, either sunny or shady 

 places may be utilized to grow the plants. They will flourish also in 

 either dry or swampy situations, growing to a height of six feet in 

 suitable soil. 



This species of pinxterbloom ranges from North Carolina north- 

 ward, and since the ice sheets of the glacial period retreated, it has 

 pushed a short distance into the glaciated territory, to a line extending 

 from Illinois through central New York to Massachusetts. A closely 

 related species occurs still farther north. 



The specimen sketched was collected near Wishington, District of 

 Columbia. 



PLATE 12.8 



