, 1877-05-26
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.

FLORA ROUND ABOUT CHICAGO.
TnH 8AxIrnAOB FAMltr, TIE HousBLEEK
FAMiLr, AND rnn MiLrorL FAMlLr.-some
Of tho loveliost flowers In our gardens and
Wild lands belong to tho eaxlfragacem or
Sa1trago Family. The delicate it'll. Miteila
dtphylls, or Nftre-Wort, which Is found In damp
placcs, often Ia clumps ot moss in the shaaY
woods or by tho brookslde, ts ono OF them.
It's slender raceme OF small white aowcge, with
pair Of hcartshape,a ieaves at tLs base, ts rlpe
tor Tho botanlst In May. The Mltolla Is sbuu-
dant at Glencoe, and 1oupishts In many other
localities round about Us.
A liomcl|cr member Of the family, tho Hen
chera htspda. or Aium-Root, is also in blossom
In May. Tho flower stem or scapu rises from a
cluster oF;rootlcaves to the height Of from two
TO four feet. Tho plant ia common at Hyde
rark and southwark, and has becn noted at
Highland i'ark and other points.
Tho Swamp-Saxtfrago t9axffraga Pennsyl-
vanical IL ra.her rsro species III our vicinity.
but has been gathered at Roschfll. It il one Of
our May flowers, and The ouly saxffraga named
by Mr.. Babcock In our f1ora Tho pretty raE-
nahsia Caroltniana, OF usa*s OF pasnasaus, Is
Cutilln0lt In tue open I!ells at Hyde Park md
southwark. Tie gIaniular hairs At the base Of
the petals arc Tipped with drops OF sparkling
that found in the leaves Of tho 'sunlcw. Tic
plant was given The ua,ne It beara BY Dfaseoriacs
because ot Ito prolific growth oD Mount paraas.
aus. II comes Into hluutl In July.
or tho genus Hthes we have several sEccfcs
Tho 4. Cynobosti, or prtckiy uooscherry, l,as
been mentioned by twp Or three Of our eorro-
spondonts In the lis.s 0f plants already found In
bloom shfs spring. Thu Smooth GoosUberry IL
lirte'lu,n) llas been @ met wiih at 0raSsaad and
Riverside. The Wild Black Currax IL aorl-
luin} Is q coutsnosi inhabitant Of the wools at
Riverside, Calumet, and filns1alo rh!s specIes
closely resembles tho Biack Ctlrrant Of the gar
and tho GooscbefrY arc derived from spccIos of
Kibes, which aro nnttves Ut tho United States.
Among tho representatives OF tho Saxtfrage
family which aro cotntnon In cultivation !s tho
with raeemea ot s1lowy blossnms Tic Hy-
drsngea Is auothur, which has been introduced!
from China and Japan. Tho plant ia remaFka-
bic for the varieties Of .col1E which tho flowers
rcd: but 1T poor soil thle! becomes utugy
green; tn q rlrh M0ld, md wptcrcu With M
ntkallno solution or tuanurcd with wool-ashas,
TIC tiowcrs change to- q beautiful blue. Tho
ewfet.seen,ed syfinga IL also one Of tho saxl-
OF Europe. The Escaltonias, from South Amer
iea, which aro priced In t1ie greenhouses, belong
In ibis orlcri and 10 does the littlo creeping
nlaat troa. f:','na, tho saxitFaga aaramcntosa,
Tha saxifragos are widely distributed about
tho world. TWsnty-th.eo speclea Of tho Hy-
drongea.ls belong to China anil japan. Thc
lcayea OF the Hylrongca ThuabcFgil arc used In
tic beverage il called, Tor IT, f1ne flavor, Tic
Tea Of Heaven. THIS powerful astrtngent OBJ
ta'ncd from the roots Ut tho nenchera Amer
leaua has given tho plant tho nalao Of Alum
lloot The genqs Rltes T. asoYMnslantly repre-
There arc upward Of $50 spsclos In tho entlro
or,lor. ..-.