Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-07-20
NOTES ON THE FLORA OF WEIR
nIONE-X.
HarcbelI. Beach Pea, Pnrsr!dgeberry,
Daisy and Arethusa.

nONG-x.
Hnrcbell. Beach Pea, Partr!dgeberry,
Daisy and Arethusa.
Written for the Free Press by Prof. O. H. Perkns.l
The HAREDELL, or Bluebel, resembles The
Lupine in its readiness 10 grow in what seem
to be unfavorable localities. Less SNOWY
than the Lupine, it is more light and slender,
more fragile and graceful, and it seems the
more delicate because of the contrast which
it gives with the rough rocks on which 1t
grows. 1t chooses rocky places above all
others. Give 1t but the merest hint OF a
crevice in rocky ledge, so that it contain a
little earth, and into this the fine rootlets
work their way and the plant is satisfied. 1t
rarely grows alone, there is almost always u
tuft or clump of llarebells il there is one. The
soft, wavy tufts delight in fastening them
selves into the assures of cliff, and there
they hang, holding To the plants below, a most
agreeable adCrnment to the rugged surface,
with only the ferns and MOSES to keep them
company. Every stir of the uir swings their
| light bells, but our cars are too dull TO hear
their tnklc, and, yet, If we listen with open
hearts and simple love of nature, we may
catch its meaning and find that it would
teach us Il lesson of contcntment amid diff
culties, of patient, quiet and beautiful lives,
| even though they must be passed amid rude
and hard surroundings, 1t would be inter
osting to know the origin of the name Hare
| bell. 1t may have been the mcrcst fancy, il
may have II history which VIC would like to
know, but which is hoplessly lost amid long
forgotten folk lore of Europe, for the plant
grows there as well as here. The reason for
the specific name which Linneus gave the
plant, rotundjtolia, is not often very appar-
eut for the leaves arc narrow and fine, not
at all round. In young plants, however,
| there are, next the ground, round leaves
which generally wilhcr away before the flow
crs come. The bells are not always blue,
but may be pure white. As the stem de.
velops new buds at the top as fast as the
flowers wthcr below, succession is kept up
which enables the plant to continue in bloom
| for several weeks or even months.
There are two plants of the same general
character which belong to the Pea family and
have the papilionaceous ilowers-a barbar-
ously long name to express very pretty
flower structurc-which belong to that fami-
| ly. The leaves OF both these plants are very
much like those of the Pea. One of these
species of Lalhyrus-it has no common name
grows on the higher ground bordering the
Lake aud often in profusion. 1t has light
yellow flowers borne in small clusters.
| The other and more interesting species is
known as the BEACH PEA and it is a maritime
plant fond of the salt air and the spray of The
waves. How then comes it to grow and
| flourish On the shores of our fresh water lake ?
1t is an example OF most perssient.a and cndur-
ing affection for the old home that has been
occupied generation after generation for, who
knows how many, thousands OF years There
are dozen or more species of these plants,
remnants Of fora that has long since passed
away and of Il time wholly unlike the pres.
ent. 1t was when what is now Lake Cham
plain was part OF the great ST. Lawrence sea
| when whales sported in the waters and huge
beasts roamed through the forests and over
| the fields, that the Beach Pea settled on
its shores. 1t is o wonderful thing this
power of endurance and growth which some
plants possess. They may be in themselves
fragile and easily destroyed, but they never
theless continue for generation after genera
ton in long succession. They are themselves
very ancient and yet very fresh and vigor-
Gus and the leaves are as green and the flow
ers as bright as when, thousands Of
years ago, they first looked up at the
sun. The flowers of the Beach Pea
are Of bright purple hue and are
quite attractive The plant grows in the
purest sand, often only just out of reach of
the waves.
Those pretty grcenlmats which the PAR
| TRIDGE BERRY wcaves over the russell floor OF
pine grove attract every ones attention, es-
pecially if they are frightened by the red
berries which may thickly dot the surface. 1t
| is II little prim and set som; lines in its mode
| OF growth, but always pretty and neat 1t
| lam he ut rtT If q IN rif,
| it of its leaves and tenaciously holds them
and the berries too through the Winter, and
In Spring peeps out from under snow bank
| as cheetlly as II Summer had lasted through
| the year. As the name indicates, the Par
fridge berry is better known from its berries
| than its flowers and they are much more con-
spicuOus. Yet the flowers are dainty, ex-
quiste little things shyly nesting among the
leaves Their small, white bells always grow
| in pairs and 50 lovingly and closely that the
two are one in the fruit, on the end of which
may be seen the dry remnants of the two
| flowers.
| The DAISY should have been mentioned
some time ago, but other plants have crowd
cd it aside, and for lack of space the chron-
illogical order which was at first followed ir
these papers has necessarily been somewhat
broken. In the lists the time of blossoming
is given and in the body of each article ap.
proximately, but not always exactly.
| And what shall write oil the DAISY !!
1t is Hover hated by some, loved by
many; detested as u pernicl0us weed,
or cherished rs favorirc; calling
upon itself maledlctions because it
spreads itself 50 abundantly among the
meadow grass, or causing, eXclama'ions OF
delight because its pretty flowers ad0rn the
same meadow.
1t may be said here M well as any
where that these articles are written
chiefly for those who love flowers IN
and for themselves aud who would
know and love them better. More,
over | must speak oil the flowers, II
speak of them at all, us they seem to me, not
always expecting all who may care to read