46 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
set rather anonalously, tO' flowering again. But the case of the 
Linnaca seems the more phenomenal, in that its flowering season 
in June is extremely short in comparison with the others mention- 
ed. In a season which seems to have been unusually favorable to 
the wild flowers from the mountain laurel to the asters, it is pos- 
sible that the Linnaca gathered strength to double its 
flowering period. Did it do so through any considerable range 
of territory? Or was the occurrence noted simply a customary 
incident in the annual activities of the Linnaea, that had hitherto 
escaped my attention ? 
WINTER BLOOMING FLOWERS. 
By Ella F. jNIgsby. 
They are not all winter flowers that I shall tell of, for the 
shepherd's purse, chickweed and henbit also bloom in spring and 
summer. The henbit is of the mint family and would be thought 
a lovely flower if it were only larger. Probably you often see it 
by a brook and do not notice it. The tiny blossoms are clustered 
in a graceful whorl around the stem and are all of violet hue ex- 
cept the lower lip, which is white with purple or violet spots, 
''fairy favors" as Puck might call them. The leaves have a fresh 
aromatic odor and are prettily and variously shaped, the middle 
ones heart-shaped with scalloped edges like many geraniums. One 
may often find these dainty blossoms on a winter day. 
Another winter bloomer is the shepherd's purse, named from 
the odd three-cornered pouches of seed. It has a small white 
blossom. The little chickweed or starwort looks very fair 
when it covers the ground thickly with its small white stars in the 
most wintry season. No doubt it was one of these that John 
Burroughs speaks of as ''a microscopic white flower" which he 
found blooming near Washington in midwinter. 
Skunk cabbage and witch hazel belong to cold weather. The 
buds of the first are formed early and stand ready in winter for 
the first possible moment to unfold. They grow^ in swamps and 
their leaves show 'like so many great emeralds above the black 
ooze." Bees welcome the blossoms, and get a good supply of 
sweetness from the pollen of the large flowers before even the 
arbutus makes the air delicious with hidden clusters. The leaves 
