96 
THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
would be interesting to know also whether soil, climate 
or longitude have any effect on the color of the flowers. 
Another similar difference in the flowers of Lilium Cana- 
dense has come to the editor's notice. When this lily was 
first encountered in southern New York many years ago, 
he was surprised to learn that its common name was wild 
yellow lily for all the plants he could find were bright 
orange red, quite as red, in fact, as the wood lil^^ {Lilium 
Philadelphicum) . This coloration .seems to prevail across 
the southern part of the State, though yellow blossoms 
are occasionally' found. As one travels east, however, the 
colors gradually change places until in Southern New 
England the flowers are nearty all yellow and the plant is 
rightly named the yellow lily. Is this another case of an 
elementary species? Additional notes are much desired. 
Cases of such coloration are not peculiar to flowers, it 
would seem, for the little screech owl {Megascops asio) is 
sometimes gray and at others bright reddish brown. 
Various Teas. — It is probable that the real tea will 
never be supplanted in the regard of civilized man by an 
infusion of some other plant, but it is interesting to note 
that aside from the familiar **herb tea" of former times 
taken for its medicinal qualities, mankind has, under 
stress of circumstances, evolved several tolerable substi- 
tutes. During the Civil War, tea made from sassafras 
roots is said to have been frequently used in the South as 
a beverage. Its use as a blood purifier is common in some 
sections at present. If we are to believe the historians, 
tea made from the leaves of raspberry and Ceanothus 
Americanus was frequently used during the Re volutionar}- 
War. Indeed, the latter plant is said to have received its 
name of New Jersey tea on this account. The name of tea- 
berry applied to the wintergreen (Gau/t/zer/a procumbens) 
hints at its use as a beverage. An infusion was made of 
the leaves and was often known as mountain or Salvador 
tea. A near relative of the wintergreen — Ledum lati folium 
— is known as Labrador tea from the use of its leaves for 
tea. Its taste is said to be between tansy and chamomile 
