The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-06
THEFLOWERS OF MAYTIMG
Some Of the Treasures of Local
Fields and Forests.
The Numerous Varieties of the
Dainty Violet. Blue. Purple. Gold.
and White-The AzaIea Flaming
in the WOods-Hny-ADpIe. Dog
wood, Tulip Tree, and Others.

may not drive the average citizen 20 writ
ing poetry on the season. and marriage
relations and other serious business may
| prevent his mind from turning lightly to
thoughts Of love- IL is more than prob
able that he will not prove so phlegmatio
as to remain untouched by the loneliness
quickly unfolding about him. on the lawn.
| in the park. and. best Of ALL in the meadow
and woodland. II no more. he will at least
exhibit gratitude that the trees lining the
/ sidewalks. have put out foliage to serve
as his canopy ffom an oyer-ardent sun.
| II he cares to go beyond this in his in
vestigations he will note many "A curious
/ thing in nature.
/ With the advance Of the season the
( flowers OF May surpass in form and dress
/ their sisters who followed too closely the
| Eastertide and donned their spring gowns
in April The early flowers. as a class.
I are bold in drawing and broad in design;
| the later ones have a longer time in which
| to mature and the result is more finished.
| Perhaps this holds true with the bloom Of
still later months, but TO the popular mind
none are so dear as the blossoms Of May.
Best OF all the new treasures is the yio-
let. Of course. It is the very symbol Of the
season in which it blooms. To the initi-
ated however, the name violet does not
mean a 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 a third viola
pedatal. the bird-foot violet, has leaves
cut I'D into segments so that they some
what resemble the spread toes Of a birds
foot as the name implies The blossoms
Of this last are large, light blue with yell
low eye. and they possess faint. deli
cious odor that makes the species more
precious than its brothers, since mrst &C
our wild species are, unlike those O. the
English. entireless scentless.
OF white violets we have several kinds
the small viola blanda that brightenS
swampy places with its dwarfed. fragrant,
white flowers and round. heart-shaped
leaves. a fellow species with lanceOlate
leaves w. lanceOlata), inhabiting apprOxi-
mately the same neighbOrhoOds, and
large and prettier variety OF viola blanda
that has its home on cool, messy banks.
In all these blue and white kinds just
mentioned blossoms and leaves are sOli-
tary on separate stems. but in the rarer
dog violet which has faint blue flowers,
both are arranged together on the same
erect stalk. The one yellow violet that
this section possesses also has this method
Of growth. Its modest golden blossoms
are usually borne just beneath the downy,
spreading leaves, and are so completely
hidden that the blooming is often over
looked. But the most splendid citizen OF
vioetdOm is the "velvet-head" as it is
called. II much resembles the bird-foot
violet. Of which it is a variety. save that
the two upper petals are cOlOred a most
glorious. deep. velyety shade OF purple
Surely no prettier native flower grows than
this, and it would be hard to find a more
charming sight than a colony Of the spe-
cies in full regalia all the violet faces
turned in the same direction, and each a
perfect symphony Of light blue and pur-
pie and gold
Far more conspicuous is the wild aza-
lea. In those woods where the shrub
abounds the whole underground is lighted
up with its brilliant pink flOwer-clusterS.
The large honeysuckle-like blossoms are
rendered the more graceful by delicate
stamens that project from the throat Of
each one and they are more SNOWY than
because as yet the branches bear very lit
tie foliage. Another pink-fowered plant
of the time. the catch-hy. (Silena Penn
-
in heads very much like those OF our gar
den verbena. and its stems also spread
recumbent on the ground in a similar man.
ner. The term catch fly is due to the
viscid sickness of the buds, in which
small insects may possibly be caught
The common ciuque-fCu a little herb
with creeping shoots. whose smiling. yell
low flowers and ive-fngered leaves every
one is acquainted with is ordinarily known
as ST grFraft -
ever bears such fruit. but possibly because
Of the resemblance in form Of its flowers to
those Of the true berry plant. The genuins
strawberry blossoms are white with gold
en- centres. and the leaves are three-parted.
like those Of clover. only much larger. OF
softer texture and t00thed al the edges.
It fourishos in rather moist open places
and the scarlet berries mature in June
The Mayapple. or mandrake. also has
its habitat in wet soil. and a luxurant and
closely growing bed Of it is a familiar sight
at this season Of the year. The species is
called umbrella plant by the children be-
cause Of the broad terminal leaves that
spread like green umbrellas over the white.
waNy curiousiy scented bloom that dweIls
beneath. The seeds that come later. in
cased in a Aeshy pod, form the May-appls
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
people reject it. Another childrens fay-
Orfte is the wild geranium. or cranes bill;
hardly a May banquet that does not bear It's
quota Of this herbs pinky blossoms. Il
IS the most abundant Of the few native ger
aniums. and il fully upholds the family's
reputation for beauty.
Not behind in charming prettness Is tbs
bIue-eyed srass that peeps shyly out from
every moist meadow spot The delicate.
widespread dark-blue flowers bear GER
tain look OF innocence and timidity THAI
well becomes them.
OF larger growth the most cOnspicuOusly
In bloom are the dogwOOd and tulip tree.
The d0gwoOd is every bOdy's friend. its low
spread branches hold the flower prize IN
easy reach. the tulip tree however. is moro
proud-it holds its blossoms so high in air
that. were il not for the scattered orange
and-yeIlow petals that lie strewn the
ground beneath one might pass By time
again all unaware of the splendor over
head.
The fringe-t tree, which gets its name from
the long. creamy petals that drape the
twigs into a striking resemblance TO the
border Of a ladys shawl. and the papaw.
with dull brown purple. sinister-lOoking
fowers-these both deserve mention. But
there are SO many to be named large and
small-the exquisite purple-and- white,
SNOWY Orchis the lady-slipper tall and
fair. with lemon yellow slipper and twist
ed brown. side strings to tie withal; the
moccasin- flower. whose quaint. crimson
shape and wild fragrance enchant its find
or. the Iupiue. blue skull-cap. golden-elu0.
- n hrnpg hes. Due