The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-23
MOUNTAIN LAUREL ABLOOM
GLORIOUS SIGHTS IN HIDDEN
MOUNTAIN VALLEYS. q

Acres OF IL In the Highlands OF the Hudson
Near New York, but Rarely Seen ~
New Workers SHOW Of the PinxteP
Flower About Over for the Season.
The pond edgaA swamps and brooke
sides In the high, wooded hills Of the High
lands Of the Hudson west Of the river,
back Of Fort Montgomery. West Point and
Cornwall, wac recently aiame with the
pink-purple flower clusters Of the purple
ASalea. Now the same spots and also
the dryer places further back from the
water courses are frosted with the blossoms
Of the mountain laurel. Rhododendron
nudidorum, as the LinnRan classification
ponderously names the beautiful pinxter
flower. as the Southerners call the azalee.
gives place to Halmia latifolia. the les
burdensome name Of the laurel.
In two deep. narrow valleys back Of Fort
Montgomery and Highland Falls. nearly
parallel TO the Hudson but hidden from it
by the steep hill called Bare Rock. there arc
acres Of laurel that bloom unseen by any
save the woodland creatures. Many New
Workers who know and love the laurel 60
over to the Orange Mountains and other
nearby Jersey hills for it every June. but
the supply there is scanty compared with
the great thickets Of the shrub in many
parts Of the Hudson Highlands.
Few New Workers seem to know Of its
profusion in these hills. 1t isn't seen by
the crowds that go up the river every pleas
ant summer day; it is too far from the rail-
road stations and steamboat landings, and
the hills are too steep and the woods too
wet and briery for them to seek it in ita
finest beauty.
One ann wear glad rags in hunting
It,. There 10 a fendish creeper appro-
priately called the devils hop vine which
seems often to take an impish delight in
planting itself about the finest oopses Of
laurel and it's murderous thorns are a strong
defence. But the laurel blooms to the dis
corning are worth all the trouble involved
in seeking them.
In each Of these two valleys there is q
brook starting from near the highest points
OF the hills and running south, interrupted
by occasional pretty hemlock shaded falls
and pausing in pools and ponds to the larger
Popolopen Creek, which enters the Hudson
at Fort Montgomery. Both valleys are
hidden from the country around except
FOR narrow openings at the south and
their existence from the river is unsus-
200 feet. that fence them in, All owe the
slopes Of these valleys, which are three or
four miles long. the thickets are glorihed
this week with the laurel blooms.
III DdGkWdIu etdbOu Hdh Ild1o IuO
laurel blossoms a week or two late this year.
In many parts OF the Middle and New Eng
land States in normal years the blossoms
are expected to add TO Memorial Day deco
rations. In places where there are laurel
thickets less difficult Of access than these
~ravines OF the Highlands the bushes are
often sadly mangled by ruthless gathererS
OF the blooms.
But this year the blossoms are long past
Decoration Day demands. Ten days g
Nha AAurar HtUIu sttgt h4xEnl &tnH nhAUn
their stiff, gummy chalices. and the fresh
bronze new leaves oontrasted ~attractively
against the shining dark green relics OF last
year. Now the laurel is in its prime.
In dark, deep shaded damp thickets the
hemispherical corymbs of blossoms may
be found Of a vivid rose pink. In drier
ground. up among the boulders on the hill
side where it is SUMMER, the flowers are
paler, often pure white, except for the
angle on the outside of the corolla. and the
stamen pouches, which remain pinkish.
These stamen pouches are a remarkable
oddity of the plant When the five sided
blossoms open. like quantity designed
saucers Of the most delicate china, the
the anthers at their tips in these tiny de-
pressions on the inside OF the oorolla.
The flaments Of the stamens are thus
held like a bent spring, at high tension,
for such delicate c~ontrivances. When the
flower has been open a few hours and the
pollen grains in the anthers are ripe for
their Office Of fertilization these tant
stamens are ready To spring out OF their
pouches at the slightest touch.
When a bumblebee comes booming
along geeking the nectar glands at the
bottom of the corolla n may see a beau
tiful and wonderful operation as it alights
on a flower. The flaments instantly re-
lease themselves from their attachments
and the golden pollen grains are scattered
from the split anther cells over the hair
the bumblebee's back.
When it has robbed the nectar glands and
flies on to the next flower the pollen grains
are busted off its back on to the moist re-
stigma Of the other flower and the
marvellous process Of cross fertilization Is
Aside from the marvel Of this
operation in which the bumblebee assists
IN the life economy OF the laurel the com.
agayL% the white or pink aucer corolla
makes a beautiful picture.
Two other species Of Kalmia, smaller
but handsome in their way, are
The more common is Kslmia angustifolia;
he detested sheep laurel, or lambdll Of
he farmers, whose caves are poisonous
20 cattle. 1t has pretty crimson blossoms,
OF the size Of the mountain laurel,
and is usually found in dryer soil.
The other, which is rare in this latitude
md commoner in Newfoundland and
labrador, is Kalmia g~lAuca, a dwarf va
-iety, little more than a foot high. It 10
sometimes found on the highest submits
II the Highlands andl Catskills, in wet
ola ces, with lilac purple blossoms nearly
he size of the mountain laurel flowers.
The American laurel was scientifically
discovered and classified by Peter Kahn;
PUPIL and friend OF the great Linneun
nd afterward professor OF botany in the
University Of 400, Sweden. He explored
forests OF the A~lleghanies and found
he mountain laurel in the middle of the
Eighteenth century.
Linneus gave Ralm's name In a Latin
zed form TO the shrub, and thus the old
botanist has a memorial that any
might be proud Of. Other monu-
nents may decay, but every June the laurel
Till keep the memory Of old Peter Kahn
ra grant in glowing pink and white.