Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-08
NOTES on THE FLORA OF vER-
MONTH";,
Atraacnc and GOldthreud; Oaks and
sweet Fern.
BY Prof. q. II. Perkins.

sweet Fern.
BY Prof. q. II. Perkins.
The PURPLE CLRMAT1s or ATRAGESE is
not at all abundant, indeed 1t is well nigh ms
rare as the White Clcmatis is common. 1t is
not found in company with its relative, but
chooses rocky, out Of the way places where
1t climbs over the bushes, Struggling hithcr
and tbither in its own Irregular, free and
easy way. Very likely most OF those who read
these articles have never seen this plant in
bloom, and yet within mile or SO from the
College have seen steep, clilf-like hillside
fuiry purple with its flowers, but this was
only once, again and again has the purple
glory of that spring been sought in vain.
The plant still grows there and blossoms
every year, but never so profuscly; why
do not know. The vine is much like the
common Clenatis and with similar leaves,
though not quite so large. AT each joint of the
woody stem are four ewes and two ilowers
each of VIII Oh Is two or three inches across.
After the flower comes the ball of downy
fruits, like those of its namesake. Don't
ask me where the cliff is Of which ! speak,
for ito not wish this vino pulled down and
torn by ruthless collectors Fortunately il
is not accessible to any but good walkers
and its situation is such that that arch enemy
of the botanist, the woodchoppcr, will not
find it for his interest TO devasate it.
There is another species OF Clematis with
homely dull purple flowers, which grows in
few localities IN the southern par, of the
State. The white will moi be in bloom for
| two months.
On the messy tussocks tina, abound in
some swamps, or on moist banks with
wintergfeens aud partridge berries grows the
GoLDTliREAD. The sepals arc white and
almost semi.transparcni, while the queer
little club shaped petals, ending in tube,
are yellow and half hidden by the the num-
erous white stamcns. The pistlls are odd in
| their way and as they ripen into dry fruit,
| they each dcvclopa horn-llke pr ,cesscs which
gives them very strange appearance. The
banks on which they grow may be thickly
strewn with these quaint and comcly flowers,
| each of which is borne on 1ilament-llkc
stem, which rises directly from the roots.
| Each FURNISHED leaf also has its own stem.
These leaves are finely Outlined aud are
cleft into three wedgc,,shaped parts. They
remain bright and frceh all winter. II you
would know the reason of the name pull up
some of the roots and you will find them
slender, golden-yellow threads.
The BLACK CAP and the RED RASPBERRY
are now in bloom. These brambles seem
quite able TO enjoy themselves amid very
| different Surroundings, ilourishing alike in
damp meadows, on rocky billsides, by
mountain streams, or along the dusty coun-
try road. The Red is far more abundant
than the Black Raspberry. 1t is sometimes
yellow. | have seen all the berries growing
on small clump Of bushes of this color. 1t
has a liking for stones as may be seen by any
one who will notics how the bushes follow and
cling TO a stone wall or gather around stone
heap. The largest and most luscious berries
| ;, ,t,iI. hnl IpI
| Still more attached to wild and stony situa-
tons are the WILD CrRRASTs, of which there
are several species, some of them very CON-
mon.
Soon after the Mltclla is in bloom comes
| its cousin, the TARELLA. Less dainty and
| prim than It's fellow. it is more feathery and
snowy, and it is larger and more snowy.
| The two seem fond of each other for they
are usually found together, although the
Milella usually fades just as Tiarella is at her
best. The long white s,amcns, of which
there are ten, are the most conspicuous part
of the flower, the sepals are white hut arc
very small. lnasmuch as the stamcns are
tipped with anthers which are light yellow
balls in some flowers and orange in others,
all those of cluster being alike, the appear
anceo all the flowers is not the same for the
anthers arc very prominent and give char
acter to the whole flower.
TIIESTALls, or STAR FLOWER, is a most
chaste and delicate plant. 1t hides in darl,
woods where its clear, white stars seems to
have retired as if TO avoid anything less pure
and simple than themselves. We may often
find il with no other flowers near. There is
a slender stem which bears circle Of thin,
long, pointed leaves and above them, on u
pcdiccl 50 slender that it seems to float
above the leaves rather tlan TO be upheld by
| its stem is the single flower. Rarely there are
several flowers.
| Nearly all the forest trees have bloomod or
are in bloom by the last of May. Some OF
them mgst be left till next week. OF the
| WALNUT there are three species found in
| Vermont, and fourth should be found, but
| do not know that it ever has been. All
the Walnuts are more common in The Cham
plain valley tl.an elsewhere IN the State.
They prefer damp soil and furnish tough,
hard, durable wood. That of the Shag- bark,
or Hickory, is much the best and il is one
of the i.caviesi of all kinds of wood found in
| North America.
| There are about. fifty species OF The OAK
| in the United States. Of these eleven are
found in Vermont. There is great variety
among thSm in form of leaf, mode of
gro WITH, character of The wood and size, hut
yet they all bear unmisakab.ey thu fGmly
marks and in general resemble each other.
The Oaks do not grow in such abundance
in New England as they DO in the West,
where they are much larger and form forests
of great extent. 'i'he White Oak is consider
ed the most valuable species. and t .2 some
what common in this State, though less So,
as think, than the Red Oak. Other species
are common and GtEers still are very rare.
| The flowers in this family are of two kinds /;
tine siaMens alone being found in some and
the pistils only in others. The s,aminate
flowers are arranged in long. dropping cat
kins and the pstiilate in small clusters.
Some of the species are mere bushes, but
most OF them are large and fine trees, char
acteI.fel by certain solidily and dianiiied
strength raihe, thsn by elegance. The
gnarled trunk, the knolteu, tw!stld branches,
and the whole appearance of TN Oak we'll
| iustifies the common impression OF its sturdy
toughnesG end endurance. Most Oaks are
quite US interesting ip winter as in summer
and much more unique. The branches seem
| to abhor regularity in either form or drec-
ton, They start ont and grow few inches
in one direction, bat so2n try another, and
| then another, until something's tie whole
system seems writing aud twisting as If each
was seeking TO escape from all the rest and
from the trunk especially, and yet you may
| discover order in the midst OF all Ais con-
fusion.
| Nor is the Oak by any meaa9 wanting in
a certain altractiveness. 1t always Las the
charm OF originality and, if not beautiful, it
is at least pleasant to look upon. The Oaks
cling most tenaciously TO lheir leaves and
often the dry leaves Of LIS; year may ho
found still attached to branches which have
already begun to put forth the leaves of this
year. These young leaves too, are often
very rich in color, deep brown or crimson,
and yelyety in texture
That trimmcst ana Icate2t Of trees, the
Beech, is regarded as member of this fam
lily, us are also the Hop, Hornbeam and the
Ironwood.
There are some plants, like Arbutus and