JpELSEY’S HARDY AMERICAN PLANTS 
i£^$rro)vn in the Carolina ^fountains at 3800 feet elevation 
HARDY NATIVE HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS, continued 
VAGNERIA raeemosa. Wild Spikenard. 1 to 3 ft. Berries pale red, speckled purple. White flowers 
showy racemes. 
, VERATRUM viride. Indian Poke. 2 to 8 ft. Yellowish green plant with very large showv leaves appearing 
1 in early spring. Damp ground. ' b 
VERNONIA novaboracensis. Iron-Weed. 3 to 0 ft. From July to September this fine composite gives a 
show of deep purple flowers in large corymbs. Fine for massing where a tall late bloomer is desired. 
VIOLA blanda. A small low species, with orbic¬ 
ular leaves, the white flowers sweet-scented 
and tinged with purple. 
canadensis. Canada Violet. 3 to 14 in. 
Flowers white and purplish. May to August, 
cueullata. Blue Violet. G to'12 in. Blue, 
sometimes variegated with white. A sturdy 
sort, blooming all summer, 
cueullata nana. 3 to G in. Very small growth 
and small leaves. 
cueullata laciniata. 4 to 8 in. Finely 
cut narrow leaves. 
hastata. Yellow Violet. 5 to 12 in. 
Small, rare, blooms early, 
lanceolata. 3 to G in. Small beardless 
white flowers with lance or linear leaves, 
palmata. Early Blue Violet. G to 
12 in. Purple or blue, 
pedata. Bird’s-Foot Violet. 3 to G in. 
Showy, light blue flowers, 
pedata, vnr. bicolor. 3 to G in. Very hand¬ 
some variety. Two upper petals deep violet, 
velvety. Rare. 
rotundifolia. Round-Leaved Violet. 2 to 4 in. 
Flowers yellow striped with purple. Very large 
prostrate leaves in earliest spring, 
sheltonii. A pretty western species; flowers 
spurred. 
YUCCA glauca. Bear-Grass. 2 to 4 ft. Very 
narrow stiff leaves. May and June. White, 
filamentosa. Adam’s Needle. 2 to 10 ft. Showy 
plant for massing. White. Flowers in Julv. 
Very large panicles. 
Shortia galacifolia 
From n |»liotoj'ra|>li taken in early April (See pa^c 36 ) 
flaccida. 2 to G ft. Makes large clumps and 
produces abundant tall panicles of showy white 
flowers in July and August. 
XEROPHYLLUM asphodcloidcs. Turkey 
Beard. 1% to u fl. Long grass-like leaves from which rises a tall spike of white flowers. 
ZIGADENUS loimantholdos. 2 to A ft. White head of flowers in June and July. Very showy. 
WORTH READING 
Nomenclature and Descriptions of Plants in this Catalogue 
Tlioro is much confusion in tlio botanical names of plants at the present time, and common names 
aro novel* reliable. Wo have, therefore, adopted the system used by Britton and Brown in their a Illus¬ 
trated Flora” as boing tho most logical and universally accepted at the present time. Infallibility Is 
not elaimod, and it is to bo hoped that a universal system will soon bo adopted by all botanists so that 
a botanical term will stand and always stand for a specific plant. Until then it is only possible to logi¬ 
cally follow somo well-known system to secure reasonable accuracy. 
Tho better-known technical synonyms have been given, and tho most widely used common names, and 
wo hope our systematic efforts to connect tho plants with tho correct scientific and popular names will be 
of assistance to every ono interested into whose hands this Catalogue may fortunately find its way. 
The heights of all trees and plants are carefully given immediately after the names—the first figures 
indicating tho height tho species usually attains in cultivation, the second indicating its extreme growth 
in a wild stiito. # Under favorable cultivation the height may often exceed the first figures considerably 
so tho information must bo considered approximate. Wo have endeavored to avoid long descriptions 
and to give information of value, such as time of flowering, color of flowers and foliage, fall and winter 
effects of leafage, fruit and bark, and kind of soil in which difficult species may be expected to thrive. 
It is a fact that no part of the world has furnished the gardens of Europe and America with so many orna¬ 
mental plants of this kind [shrubs and lawn trees] as this same Alleghany region. Along the course of every 
rocky stream are masses of the great Rhododendron and Katmia , while on the borders are smaller broad-leaved 
38 
