THE  FLOWERS  OF  EARLY  SPRING. 
437 
boy  and  girl,  as  well  as  not  a  few  children  of  larger  growth* 
The  finest  specimens  ever  seen  by  the  writer  were  from  a  moun- 
tain in  Camden,  Maine.  It  has  also  been  used  as  a  medicinal 
agent,  but  with  no  better  nor  worse  results  than  many  others. 
It  is  a  true  wild  flower,  resisting  all  attempts  at  domestication. 
Closely  associated  with  this  is  found  the  Hepatica^  in  its  two 
forms  of  triloba  and  acutiloha^  one  with  rounded,  the  other  with 
pointed-  leaves,  probably  merely  varieties.  The  little  clump  of 
flowers  pushes  its  way  through  the  ground,  often  in  advance  of 
the  leaves,  and  with  the  varying  shades  of  .pink,  blue  and  white, 
seen  in  difi'erent  plants,  is  a  welcome  addition  to  our  spring 
bouquet,  though  lacking  the  fragranc6  of  the  Mayflower. 
About  this  same  time  the  southern  aspect  of  rocky  hillsides 
begins  to  whiten  with  the  cheerful,  though  not  specially  grace- 
ful or  showy  flowers  of  the  Early  Saxifrage  {Saxifraga  Vir- 
giniensis),  and  in  forest  marshes  the  inconspicuous  little  Golden 
Saxifrage,  with  a  name  longer  than  itself  {Chrysosplenium 
Americanum).  Soon  in  the  meadows  the  carpet  of  living  green 
is  embroidered  with  the  golden  flowers  of  Caltha  palustris  or 
the  English  Marsh  Marigold,  improperly  called  Cowslip,  and 
whether  correctly  or  not,  associated  with  creamy  milk  and  yellow 
butter,  while  a  little  later  are  seen  in  the  morning  sun,  the 
white  stars  of  the  Bloodroot  [Sanguinaria  Canadensis),  as  fra- 
gile as  they  are  beautiful,  generally  lasting  but  for  a  day.  Its 
orange-colored  juice  is  much  used  in  medicine  as  an  emetic,  an 
expectorant;  and  a  liniment.  This  plant  readily  bears  trans- 
planting, increases  in  size  under  cultivation,  and  becomes  one  of 
the  most  attractive  ornaments  of  the  early  flower  border.  In 
some  parts  of  the  country  is  found  a  somewhat  similar  flower, 
the  Twin-leaf,  or  Rheumatism  Root  (Jeffersonia  diphylla)  also 
well  repaying  cultivation. 
Meanwhile  the  pastures  are  beginning  to  whiten  (last  year 
remarkably)  with  the  modest  little  Houstonia,  or  Innocence 
(^Oldenlandia  coerulea),  while  a  host  of  violets  are  making  their 
appearance.  Viola  blanda,  a  wee,  white,  sweet-scented  species, 
in  the  woods ;  cucullata,  with  its  large  blue  flowers  and  hood- 
shaped  leaves,  with  their  curious  palmate  variety ;  rotundifolia, 
with  yellow  flowers  and  shiny  leaves ;  and  on  the  hillsides  and 
