LETTERS FROM ALABAMA. 
287 
glorious blossoms of a large Ipomma^ closely like 
the Convolvulus major of English gardens^ but of 
twice the diameterj and of the most lovely light 
purple hue. The plant grows along the sides of 
this lane in profusion^ and the twining shoots 
depend gracefully down on either liand^ bearing the 
noble trumpet-like flowers. Like the well-known 
favourite I have just compared it to, our sylvan 
beauty is emphatically a morning flower. The 
elegant words of the poet apply pre-eminently to 
it : — 
“ The morning flowers display their sweets, 
And gay their silken leaves unfold, 
As careless of the noon-tide heats ; 
As fearless of the evening cold. 
Eipp’d by the wind’s unkindly blast, 
Scorch’d by the sun’s director ray, 
The momentary glories waste, 
The short-lived beauties die away.” 
For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning 
heat/’ than our lovely Ipom^a shrivels up^ and 
the grace of the fashion of it perisheth.” May I 
learn the sacred lesson which its fleeting glory is 
fain to teach ! 
In these thickets a plant called Poke {Phytolacca 
decandria) holds a prominent place^ being conspi- 
cuous for its long racemes^ sometimes nearly a foot 
in lengthj of glossy black berries ^ set on crimson 
footstalks ; the stem and the nerves of the leaves 
are of the same crimson hue^ greatly enhancing the 
beauty of the plant. It is very common in the 
corners of rail-fences^ and by roadsides, as well as 
in bushy wastes. The berries are full of a rich 
purple juice^, which leaves a fine permanent stain ; 
