, 1876-09-23
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.

FLORA ROUND ABOUT CHICAGO.
TIE GENTIAN FAs11Lr.-Of nll tho hosts Of
lovely flowers TINT troop over tho f1clIs aud the
hills IN an endless and varied succession from
March TO November, there Is not ono whose
tn1ne calls up gcntler, swcctor associations than
the Friugcd Gcntiau (Gutidn Crinita). It Is not
moro beautiful tl,an many Of Its kindred which
bloom iu the spring AMI summer, but au especial
Charm is attached to It fran Its late appear
unce, when tic frosts have begun their full
work OF destruction. ind the tender foliage and
delicate flowers Of Trailer plants have shr1.nk
blastvl und biackened at the spoilers touch.
Then, when Nature puts on thelnournfu aspect
Of death anl decay, anl her Willis and thtckets,
TINT lately rcluiccd I'll their wenlth Of lush
vegetation, present a widespread secno OF
lnyoc md ruin, the heart llghts-up With m ua-
expected ray Of cheer at sight Of the azure
blossoms Of tho Fringcl Gentian, which stand
like the emblem Of hopo anid the surrounding
devastation. The species Is abundant at
Glencoe and Hyde Park; md every tlowcr-'oyer
will eagerly gather sprays Of It for au ai itutntal
bouquet. But It must bo kept In the sunshine.
1t is unc Of the sensitive things that gricvc and
plne In the sllade, nnl It folds It's petals close
over lis heart, US though to hide the gloom and
disappointment TINT arc b1ooding there.
Tie Five-Flowercd Gcnt!an {9. qnaqtefo'la}
SO called from It's habit Of bearing about Two
palc-hluc blossoms Ut the summit 1t IT, palli-
side. Tie Snnllcr.Frfugetl Gcnttail (o. ietonsa),
form 80 like the spccics first described that
slarp glance is ncedrl to sepnrate theln has hecn
found ut tiracefanI. Tho White Gcnttan{ a. atoa),
wlusc bc}l-sl,apeA eorallas arc lightly t!ngcd
| rura at Riverside. The Closed Gcntsan tO. an
drcrs1 which, curiousay enough, iiever expands
the tips VI It's potals, but lolds them porsstcnt-
| lie common herbs at Riverside and Gtcncou.
| The pretty SahbatIa anguaris, with its clus-
tiers Of large pink flowers, grows IN abundance
| Mt Mlller's Station. The Centaury (Ef1fhrra
Srsaklns ] out Into bloom, like tic sat1aita, ii
mldsllInrl,cr Is very local, being confined tu tie
I.uporto roa,l south OF Michigan City. Tho
lInckbcan {.ltHyaathes tr!follatal b!ossuNs III
May and June. 1t Is one OF tlle plants whose
,narshcs with patches aud borders OF yeTduro
und ct,lor. The iluwera nro bOrnc H. raccl1sea
terminating a mixed scapc, ind ara slngularly
hetiul under i ingntyng glas1, tsIs "hits a1s
The instdu surface. They may be gathered At
ltlvurslc Hyde Park, Siiilcfs' and other loeal'
Tile uenltat,.worts (i;t"tIdnaeAx} arc re rcmaIka'
er says Of the genus t'esstiaH: " Few genera dis.
rluy 10 full q series Of eo!ors In the lowers -
this does; rcd b!ue, yellow, md white, urs al
exhibited III It, M1Lil many Ok tue lEkeFu4t0laLl
compuutl tlilts. +. Thc rcl species are ucar
" confined to tho Andes, Ut South America, mud
New Zealand" Ot sixteen species fund by Dr.
Jameson in Peru and Coto,nbsn, eight were rcd,
four purple, two blue, ulle yellow, aIll one white
rlu Geniians vi the lit1nalaya arc ull blue-ilow
erctl. ..
is widespread over the world; yet It Is q curt
pus fact observed Ia the distribution Of these
species, that, although they abound on the eie
yated heghts Of lofty mtluntain-ranges, grow
it,g On thu Andea and The llimalayas, Is 90 ant
l6,0U0 feet above thu SEQ, near sha llMlt OF per
petual SHOW, they are scarce in tho higher latl
tudes. "Ilicy arc entirely unknown, remark
Dr, Hooker, ITO the FIefas Of tle Polar any
American Islands: very icw lnhabtt Greenland
iceland, Or tho ArctIc-Sca shores, In the North
or Tasmania, New Zealand, Fuegfa, or tho Ant
arctic Islands, III the South; and agaIn, !n othe
parts OF North Europe and America. Or 0
Chill and Patagonia, they are Infinitely les
numerous than III the Alps Of Middle aud soutl
Europe, or the Andes Of the Equator"
species, which gbound over thu middle aud NOR
elevated tlis&rIcts Of Southern Europe aud Asia
covering the sides Of hills With blossoms OF sue
intcuse brill!anry that the eye can scarcely res
upon then,." ..-
Tbs euure Order u characterized by b!tte