The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-15

Galeoasis setrahit. or common hemp net
tie. IS a coarse plant which when bruised
erniss very disagrseah bic odor. whence IT'S
Latin name. like wease,." But the
most charming sight I ever witnessed IN
nature was a thick growth or this hemp
nettie about twenty feet across in fuli
bloom. just covered with humniing birds
OF all sizes and colors. They came every
pleasant evening for over a week. between
4 and o'clock. We tried 20 count them
but could only approximate their number
as over ao. I had often heard OF tae
humming bird waltz. which now has
beautiful significance to me. Ny neignoor.
when told her OF IL. laughed when said
they had hummed waltz. But the next
evening she came to see them and did not
laugh any more al what she had thought
was my imagination. Indeed. there were
tears in her eyes as she stood watching
them. she was 30 moved by the wonderful
beauty and harmony. ! said. ''Oh. for the
pen Of a poet. the ear Of 4 musician and
the understanding OF 4 naturalist 10 per-
petuate such pleasure" Ny little girl
still calls this plan; the birdie flower.
Borsge Family.
We have enc specimen Of the horage
family lie henotrope division. onosmo-
dunn MOLE or false cromwell. is a low.
honaely pant. Ike an uncultivated hello
trope. brist.y, hairy al! over and coarse
blossoms.
Some Solitary Specimens.
A species Of the waterleaf family is Hy-
drophyllum canadense. or waterfall. a
pretty little plant with round leaves. PAL
mately iohed and cluster OF white flow
ers with yellow center.
Only one species of the polemonium fam
lily has been found. Phlox suoulata.
ground or moss pink. forms thick mats.
has awl-shapeG leaves a haif-inch long,
corolla pink purple. fragrant.
Our one species of the gentian family
is not in Gray's botony. Gentiana CD. or
gentian, is most like G. angusufolia. Mine
sinuses of the large azure blue corolla are
fringed and the flower is sessile on the
end OF the stem. or nearly 50.
A common species OF the birthwort fam
lily ts Asarum canadense wild ginger or
snake root. low. pretty plant. with
pair of large, entire heart-shaped leaves
and a hrownish purple flower on short
peduncle, spicy. fragrant, growing In rich
soil on moist shady banks.
A species OF the goosefoot family Is
Cheropodium album. or white goosefoot-
the meaning OF the Latin name is the
lambs quarter We are all acquainted with.
Buckwheat Family.
Only a few of the eleven members OF the
buckwheat family are interesting. Buck
wheat comes from the German for
"Beech-wheat."
Polygonum aviculare, or dooryard grass.
has PROSTATE branches and oblong leaves
much larger than the leaves OF the two
following.
Polygonum ranoscissumun. or knot
grass, mas more upright branches and
smaller lanceolate leaves.
Polygonum tenue has very slender
branches and narrow linear leaves. The
flowers OF all three are inconspicuouS
PolygoniGm,- a pretty species OF
princes feathers from Marble Gulch,
eight to sixteen inches high, lanceolate
root leaves with rather long petioies,
sheaths cylindrical with foliaceous bor-
ders, with dense spike. or purplish white
flowers. spike an inch in length: very
fragrant.
Polygonum hyoropiper, or common
smart weed has rose pink flowers In dense
spikes on the branching stems also.