(A) Purple Gerardia (Gerardia purpurea) is a 
pretty little species that decorates low, moist, sandy 
fields and meadows with its beautiful purple-pink blos¬ 
soms. The slender stem is quite branchy and averages 
about a foot in height, though it occasionally attains 
heights of two feet. From three to eight flowers, open¬ 
ing one at a time, grow along the ends of each branch. 
The corolla is broad and about 1 in. long, bright pur¬ 
plish pink, the mouth of the funnel spreading into five 
rounded lobes, spotted or downy within. 
All the Gerardias and Foxgloves are quite parasitic, 
attaching their roots to those of other plants and get¬ 
ting part of their sustenance from them. This species 
is found chiefly along the coasts of the Atlantic, the 
Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. It blooms from 
August to October. 
(B) Smooth False Foxglove (Gerardia virginica) 
has a smooth, branching stem from 2 to 6 feet high. 
The large, lemon-yellow flowers measure nearly two 
inches long by an inch broad. The plant grows from 
Me. to Minn, and southwards and blooms during August 
and Sept. 
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