The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-04-07
I'm I=I1[E PUNE [BM[R[R[EN9

double variety so rare as to have
escaped the notice of most botanists
Before the arbutus is gone the violets
appear; not only the small shy blossoms
of the North, but larger; wide-opeD ones
light blue or lavender-and known as
birds foot violet. With them comes a
dwarf iris, bright blue and golden
throated: and about the same time, in
great patches which cover the ground, is
found a low growing phlox, a delicate
flower varying from bright pink to white,
and easily reminding one of the Drum
mond phlox so universally cultivated.
During the early spring the trees give
us many beautiful flowers, and strik-
ingly handsome bouquet is made of
| branches of the swamp maple, with it's
crimson, winged seed-yessels hanging in
clusters, and the brilliant white bios
SONS of the dog wood. Throughout April
the latter trees are a most salient fea-
ture of the landscape, and nothing else
| is so we'll adapted to household adorn-
ment. The flowers, growing only on one
side of the branches, turn outwards when
arranged in vases or fastened to the
walls; and our rooms are often converted
into bowers Of purity and whiteness,
charming enough for the most dainty
bride.
Two members of the interesting Sarre-
cenia family are found here in abund-
ance; the pitcher-plant with its curious
| flowers, and the larger trumpet leaf with
its nodding, greenish-yellow blossom.
With the coming of May the varieties
increase, and the Pulse and Composite
families seemingly strive to out-do each
other In numbers. The most noticeable
of the Pulse family are the one-leayed
| lupine with blue flowers and evergreen
foliage; baDtisia or false indigo $50
called because an inferior quality o.
indigo is obtained from it), bearing long
racemes of golden-yellow blossoms;
| tephrosia, or hoary pea, Familiarity known
as the DEVILS lute-string, or shoe-string
"a name suggested by it's long, slender,
tough roots rather than undue intimacy
with his Satanic Majesty-and having a
variagated blossom of purplish-pink and
yellow, which changes to pink and white,
and resembles the sweet-pea in appear
ance, but without it's perfume; the lndi-
go fera, or true indigo plant, which,
though it's blossoms are insignificant, is
very graceful, somewhat similar to the
maidenhair fern in form and foliage; the
sensitive, or partridge pea, and the but
terfly pea, snowy lavender flower with
an unusually large banner.
1t is in May that the sweet bay and it's
cousin, the beautiful tulip tree, put forth
| their blossoms; those of the former,
creamy white and heavily scented, and
those Of the latter yellow and orange,
with scarcely preceptible odor. In TINS
month, also, the roadsides are beautifed
by azaleas, or false honeysuckles, OF
which there are two representatives: one
| Haunting its bright red-pink flowers; the
other more sedate with it's white, rosy
tinged corolier, so clammy, or sticky,
that it's sides cling together, holding
| fast the unfortunate insects which alight
upon It.
The spurge nettle, low herb, with
rather snowy white flowers, attracts at
/ tention in more ways than one if an
attempt to gather it is made. AS might
! be inferred il belongs to the Spurge
family, and is also appropriately called