The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-01-04
COUNTERFEIT BLOSSOMS.

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When the dog wood is in bloom il
the spring woods that would be very
unobservant traveller who did MOI
know it; yet it is questionable if ONT
cut of fifty Of the multitude of peopl,
who come home from their countr,
walks with arms full of the snowy
branches has ever seen the real flow
srs of this beautiful little tree. As a
matter of fact, what are commonly
regarded as the petals OF the dogwood
are no part of the floral structure a,
all. but merely four large white leaves
which during the winter served al
protective wrappers to the flower buds
The real flowers are about the size o
shoe-pegs, Of a greenish color and are
punched several together in a small
cluster in the midst OF the four white
leaves, and if noticed. At. all the
average Wild flower gatherer are mis-
taken for stamens.
So, too, with the flowers of the pret.
ty "painted cup" which when in bios
som in May frequently make whole
meadows rosy with brilliant color:
Plucking one, We may think we are
looking at spike Of gorgeous, flame
colored flowers, while the fact is that
the: striking effect is produced entire.
ly by numerous Redeemed leaves inter.
mingled With the real flowers, which
are as plain As Ciaderella's sisters and
practically hidden from sight.
Iadeed, so fond is Mother Nature OF
befoollng her unobservant devotees
that she has caused one whole family
of plants to be given over to this
make.believe habit Of Towering. To
it belong that favorite little preacher
Of the April woods-Jack.in-the.
pulpit; the arrow srum that shares
muddy margins Of shallow streams;
the skunk, cabbage, and that aristo.
erat of the greenhouse the Immaculate
Gala lily. or all these the flowers
are unacceptable in themselves as
such except by the initiated, being
minute and crowded on = fleshy spike
which is more or less closely swathed
about by a funnel-shaped leaf, and
this, being graceful in. shape and pro.
nounced in color, naturally passes for
the flower itself.
Another gay deceiver is the poin-
settia Of the hothouse. In this case it
is circlet of scarlet leaves which
popular estimation rates ~ the flower,
while the poor little real blossom clus.
tered in the midst Of these robbers OF
their good name live and die unap.
preciated by all but select few. Rela.
tives of the .poinsettia ere.the wild
spurges of our sandy fields. The
flowers of many of these, inconspicu-
Gus in themselves, are similarly pro:
vided with relatively snowy appen.
dages, deceiving all but students.
Some particularly interested exam.
pies of counterfeit towering are fur
nished by the ferns. These graceful
plants never prodsce genuine flowers,
but some species develop their spores
in clusters that bear superficial re.
semblance to bunches Of tiny flowers.
Best known Of these are the speeies OF
the genus called by botanists the
osmundas. One Of them is popularity
known as the towering fern and is
common in wet woods and shady
swamps. The mock flowers are borne
in paniclss at the summit of the leaves
and. turn gradually in color from a
rich green to brown. In = kindred
species the "foweriag" takes place
not at the tips, but in the middle OF
of the friend; while another variety,
the cinnamon fern, equally common,
sends mp from it's roots separate fronds
devoted exclusively to spore bearing
and. resembling slender spires of warm
reddish brown blossoms. They afe to
be looked for in May just before the
appearance of the ordinary green
trends.o this fern. They wither and
disappear within 4 few weeks.-Phila.
.delphia Record. l.: :.:-
Norman Hapgood, was discussing
American newspapers. 1T is not
onouoh thaf Aur ne moro shonl6 toll