AMERICAN COLUMBINE 



Aquihgia canadensis Linnaeus 



Of all the spring wild flowers, none is more lovely than the colum- 

 bine which we find in rocky woods or on exposed ledges. Its bright 

 green leaves and crimson-and-gold flowers are borne on slender, grace- 

 ful stems. The bumble bees are attracted to the feast of nectar pre- 

 pared for them, and the brilliant color attracts also the ruby-throated 

 humming-bird. Taken to England by a relative of John Tradescant, 

 gardener to King Charles the First, the American columbine has yielded 

 readily to cultivation, but is never so lovely as when growing in its 

 native habitat. Linnaeus gave the genus its name from a fancied resem- 

 blance of the spurs of the flower to the talons of an eagle. 



American columbine ranges from Georgia to Texas, and northward 

 to Nova Scotia and Northwest Territory. Closely related species grow 

 in Florida. 



The specimen sketched was found near Washington, District of 

 Columbia. 



PLATE 141 



