Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-05-28

''vi'let" turks. To the initiated, how
ever, the name violet does not mean
single species, for there are many
kinds. The most abundant blue one
(viola palmata) has heart-shaped
leaves, which are arrow-shaped in a
less common sort viola sagittata), ,
while yet third viola pedata), the
bird-foot violet, has leaves cut up
! into segments so that they somewhat
resemble the spread toes OF a birds
foot, as the name implies. The bios
SONS of this last are large, light blue
with yellow eye, and they possess a
faint, delicious odor that makes the
species more precious than it's broth
ers, scince most of our wild species
are, unlike those of the English, en-
tirely scentless
Of white violets there are several
kinds, but they are seldom seen about
Madison. In all the varieties of vio-
lets just mentioned blossoms and
leaves are solitary on separate stems,
but in the rarer dog-violet, which has
faint blue flowers, both are arranged
together on the same erects talk.
But the the most splendid citizen of
violetdom is the velvet-head. 1t much
resembles the bird-foot violet, of
which it is a variety, save that the
two upper petals are colored a most
glorious, deep, velvety shade Of pur-
pie. Surely no prettier native flow
IL l. I.
hard to find a more charming sight
than a colony of the species in full
regalia, all the violet faces turned
in the same direction, and each per-
feet symphony of light blue and pur-
pie and gold. Nature always chooses
her shades we'll. but in this case she
has excelled herself.
Then also can be seen the common
cinque-fril. a little herb with creep
| ing shoots, whose smiling, yellow
| flowers and five-fngered leaves every
one is acquainted with, is ordinarily
known as wild strawberry '-not
that it really ever bears such fruit,
but possibly because of the resemb-
lance in form of it's flowers to those
of the true berry plant. The genuine
strawberry blossoms are white with
golden centers. and the leaves are
three-parted, like those of clover, only
much larger, of softer texture and
toothed at he edges. 1t fourishes in
rather moist, open places and the
scarlet berries mature in June.
The Mayapple, or mandrake, also
has it's habitat in wet soil, and a
luxuriant and closely growing bed OF
it is familiar sight at this season OF
the year The species is called UNI
brella-plant by children because of the
broad terminal leaves that spread like
green umbrellas over the white, waxy,
curiously scented bloom that dwells
beneath The seeds that come later,
incased in a feshy pod, form the May
apple proper, which is supposed to
have all sorts of medicinal qualities
and which little boys sometimes eat
| for the perfumed, sickening-sweet
taste that makes more fastidious peo-
pie reject it. Another children's ia
vorite is the wild geranium, or
cranes bill; hardly a May banquet
that does not bear its quota of this
herbs pinky blossoms. 1t is the most
abundant of the few native geraniums,
and it fully upholds the family's rep
utation for beauty.
| Not behind in charming prettiness
is the blue-eyed grass. that peeps shy
/ ly out from every moist meadow spot.
| The delicate, widespread, dark-blue
| flowers bear a certain look of inno-
cence and timidity that we'll becomes
them. Plants have characters, just
as do more sensate things; and one
can we'll imagine that were the but
| tercup suddenly humanized there
would come forth in the metamorDho-
sis a busy, laughing, CHEEKY little
girl, from the daisy maiden and
| from the dandelion a sturdy plodder,
rather dull. but very good-natured
and light-hearted. So the blue-eyed
grass is innocent; and the star-grass,
| that f1ecks the carpet of the open