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DESCRIPTION OF THE TITLE PAGE.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TITLE PAGE.
Our Artist has tastefully combined in the wreath that adorns her title page several of our native Spring Flowers. The simple blossoms of Claytonia Virginica , better known by its familiar name “ Spring Beauty ,” may easily be recognized from the right hand figure in the group of the first plate in the book. For a description of it see page 16. The tall slender flower on the left side on the title page is Potentilla Canadensis , (Var simplex ). This slender trailing plant may be found in open gra
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LIVER-LEAF. (SHARP LOBED HEPATICA.)Hepatica acutiloba.
LIVER-LEAF. (SHARP LOBED HEPATICA.)Hepatica acutiloba.
“Lodged in sunny clefts, Where the cold breeze comes not, blooms alone The little Wind-flower, whose just opened eye Is blue, as the spring heaven it gazes at.” Bryant. T HE American poet, Bryant, has many happy allusions to the Hepatica under the name of “ Wind-Flower ;” the more common name among our Canadian settlers is “ Snow-Flower ,” it being the first blossom that appears directly after the melting off of the winter snows. In the forest—in open grassy old woods, on banks and upturned r
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BELLWORT. (WOOD DAFFODIL.)Uvularia perfoliata.
BELLWORT. (WOOD DAFFODIL.)Uvularia perfoliata.
“Fair Daffodils, we weep to see Thee haste away so soon, As yet the early rising sun Has not attained his noon. Stay, stay!— Until the hasting day Has run, But to the evening song; When having prayed together we Will go with you along.” Herrick. Herrick. T HIS slender drooping flower of early spring is known by the name of Bellwort , from its pendent lily-like bells; and by some it is better known as the Wood Daffodil , to which its yellow blossoms bea
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WOOD ANEMONE. Anemone nemorosa.
WOOD ANEMONE. Anemone nemorosa.
“Within the wood, Whose young and half transparent leaves, Scarce cast a shade; gay circles of anemones, Danced on their stalks.” Bryant. T HE classical name Anemone is derived from a Greek word, which signifies the wind , because it was thought that the flower opened out its blossoms only when the wind was blowing. Whatever the habits of the Anemone of the Grecian Isles may be, assuredly in their native haunts in this country, the blossoms open alike in windy weather or in calm; in shade or
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SPRING BEAUTY. Claytonia Virginica.
SPRING BEAUTY. Claytonia Virginica.
Where the fire had smoked and smouldered Saw the earliest flower of Spring time, Saw the beauty of the Spring time, Saw the Miskodeed [1] in blossom. Hiawatha. T HIS simple delicate little plant is one of our earliest April flowers. In warm springs it is almost exclusively an April flower, but in cold and backward seasons, it often delays its blossoming time till May. Partially hidden beneath the shelter of old decaying timbers and fallen boughs, its pretty pink buds peep shyly forth. It is ofte
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ADDERS-TONGUE. (DOG-TOOTHED VIOLET.)Erythronium Americanum.
ADDERS-TONGUE. (DOG-TOOTHED VIOLET.)Erythronium Americanum.
“And spotted Adders-tongue with drooping bell, Greeting the new-born spring.” I N rich black mould, on the low banks of creeks and open woodlands, large beds of these elegant lilies may be seen piercing the softened ground in the month of April; the broad lanceolate leaves are beautifully clouded with purple or reddish brown, or sometimes with milky white. Each bulb of the second year’s growth produces two leaves, and between these rises a round naked scape, (or flower stem), terminated by a
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WHITE TRILLIUM. (DEATH FLOWER.)Trillium Grandiflorum.
WHITE TRILLIUM. (DEATH FLOWER.)Trillium Grandiflorum.
“And spotless lilies bend the head Low to the passing gale.” N ATURE has scattered with no niggardly hand these remarkable flowers over hill and dale, wide shrubby plain and shady forest glen. In deep ravines, or rocky islets, the bright snow-white blossoms of the Trilliums greet the eye and court the hand to pluck them. The old people in this part of the Province call them by the familiar name of Lily. Thus we have Asphodel Lilies , Douro Lilies , &c. In Nova Scotia they are called M
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ROCK COLUMBINE. Aquilegia Canadensis.
ROCK COLUMBINE. Aquilegia Canadensis.
“The graceful Columbine all blushing red, Bends to the earth her crown Of honey-laden bells.” T HIS graceful flower enlivens us all through the months of May and June by its brilliant blossoms of deep red and golden yellow. In general outline the Wild Columbine resembles its cultivated sisters of the garden, but is more light and airy from its nodding habit. The plant throws up many tall slender stalks from its centre, furnished with leafy bracts, from which spring other light stems terminat
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SQUIRREL CORN. Dicentra Canadensis.
SQUIRREL CORN. Dicentra Canadensis.
T HIS graceful plant belongs to the fumitory family, of which we have many cultivated varieties in Britain and elsewhere. Here our lovely flower grows wild in rich black mould in the forest, and in recently cleared spots within its protecting shadow, where its drooping bells and rich scent have gained for it the not very inappropriate name of “ Wild Hyacinth .” The common name of “Squirrel-Corn” is derived from the round orange tubers at the roots, resembling in size and colour grains of Indian-
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PURPLE TRILLIUM. (DEATH-FLOWER.—BIRTH-ROOT.)Trillium erectum.
PURPLE TRILLIUM. (DEATH-FLOWER.—BIRTH-ROOT.)Trillium erectum.
“Bring flowers, bring flowers o’er the bier to shed A crown for the brow of the early dead. Though they smile in vain for what once was ours, They are love’s last gift, bring flowers, bring flowers.” Hemans. G RAY and other botanical writers call this striking flower ( T. erectum ) the “ Purple Trillium ;” it should rather be called Red , its hue being decidedly more red than purple, and in the New England States it is called by the country folks, “The Red Death-Flower,” in contrast to the la
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WOOD GERANIUM. (CRANES-BILL.)Geranium maculatum.
WOOD GERANIUM. (CRANES-BILL.)Geranium maculatum.
T HERE are but few flowers of the Cranes-bill family in Canada. The one most worthy of notice is the Wood Geranium ( Geranium maculatum ). This is a very ornamental plant: its favourite locality is open grassy thickets among low bushes, especially those tracts of country known as Oak-openings, where it often reaches to the height of from 2° to 3°, throwing out many branches adorned with deep lilac flowers; the half-opened buds are very lovely. The blossom consists of five petals, obtuse and slig
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CHICKWEED WINTERGREEN. Trientalis Americana.
CHICKWEED WINTERGREEN. Trientalis Americana.
T HIS pretty starry-flowered little plant is remarkable for the occurrence of the number seven in its several parts, and was for some time regarded by botanists of the old school as the representative of the Class Heptandria. The calyx is seven parted; the divisions of the delicate white corolla also seven; and the stamens seven. The leaves form a whorl at the upper part of the stem, mostly from five to seven, or eight; the leaves are narrow, tapering at both ends, of a delicate light-green, thi
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SWEET WINTERGREEN. Pyrola elliptica.
SWEET WINTERGREEN. Pyrola elliptica.
T HE familiar name “Wintergreen” is applied by the Canadians to many species of dwarf evergreen plants without any reference to their natural affinities. The beautiful family of Pyrolas share this name in common with many other charming forest flowers in reference to their evergreen habit. Every member of this interesting family is worthy of special notice. Elegant in form and colouring, of a delicate fragrance and enduring verdure, they add to their many attractions the merit of being almost th
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ONE FLOWERED PYROLA. Moneses uniflora.
ONE FLOWERED PYROLA. Moneses uniflora.
T HIS exquisitely scented flower is only found in the shade of the forest, in rich black leaf mould, where, like P. elliptica , it forms considerable beds; it is of evergreen habit. The leaves are of a dark green and smooth surface, clustered at the base of the running root-stalk and sending up from the centre one simple scape, bearing a gracefully nodding flower; each milk-white petal is elegantly scalloped; the stamens, 8 to 10, are set close to the base of the petal; the anthers are of a brig
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FLOWERING RASPBERRY. Rubus Odoratus.
FLOWERING RASPBERRY. Rubus Odoratus.
I N English gardens our beautiful Red-Flowered, Sweet-Scented Raspberry is deemed worthy of a place in the shrubberies, but in its native country it is passed by because it is not an exotic, and therefore regarded as of little worth.—Like a prophet it has no honour in its own country.—Yet what can be more lovely than its rose-shaped blossoms, from the deep purplish-crimson bud wrapped in its odorous mossy calyx, to the unfolded flower of various shades of deep rose and paler reddish lilac. The f
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SPEEDWELL. (AMERICAN BROOKLIME.)Veronica Americana.
SPEEDWELL. (AMERICAN BROOKLIME.)Veronica Americana.
“Flowers spring up and die ungathered.” I N the language of flowers the blossoms of the Veronica or Speedwell are said to mean undying love, or constancy, but the blossoms of the Speedwell are fugacious, falling quickly, and therefore, one would say, not a good emblem of endurance. Sweet simple flowers are the wild Veronicas, chiefly inhabiting damp overflowed ground, the borders of weedy ponds and brooks, from whence the names of “Brooklime” and “Marsh Speedwell,” “Water Speedwell,” and the lik
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YELLOW LADY’S SLIPPERS. Cypripedium parviflorum and Cypripedium pubescens.
YELLOW LADY’S SLIPPERS. Cypripedium parviflorum and Cypripedium pubescens.
“And golden slippers meet for Fairies’ feet.” T HIS ornamental family are remarkable alike for the singular beauty of their flowers, and the peculiar arrangement of the internal organs. In the Linnæan classification they were included in common, with all the Orchis tribe, in the class Gynandria, but in the Natural Order of Jussieu, which we have followed, the “Lady’s Slipper” ( Cypripedium ), forms one of the sub-orders in the general Order Orchidaceæ . Of the two species represented in our Arti
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LARGE BLUE FLAG. Iris Versicolor.Fleur-de-luce.
LARGE BLUE FLAG. Iris Versicolor.Fleur-de-luce.
Lilies of all kinds, The fleur-de-luce being one. Winter’s Tale. T HIS beautiful flower, the blue Iris, which forms the right hand figure in the group of Moccasin flowers, abounds all through Canada, and forms one of the ornaments of our low sandy flats, marshy meadows and over-flowed lake shores; it delights in wet muddy soil, and often forms large clumps of verdure in half-dried up ponds and similar localities. Early in spring, as soon as the sun has warmed the waters after the melting of the
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SMALL CRANBERRY. Vaccinium Oxycoccus.
SMALL CRANBERRY. Vaccinium Oxycoccus.
There’s not a flower but shews some touch In freckle, freck or stain, Of His unrivalled pencil. Hemans. T HERE is scarcely to be found a lovelier little plant than the common marsh Cranberry. It is of a trailing habit, creeping along the ground, rooting at every joint, and sending up little leafy upright stems, from which spring long slender thready pedicels, each terminated by a delicate peach-blossom tinted flower, nodding on the stalk, so as to throw the narrow pointed petals upward. The leav
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WILD ORANGE LILY. Lilium Philadelphicum.
WILD ORANGE LILY. Lilium Philadelphicum.
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” T HE word Lily is derived from the Celtic, li , which signifies whiteness; also from the Greek, lirion . Probably the stately Lily of the garden, Lilium candidum , was the flower to which the name was first given, from its ivory whiteness and the exquisite polish of its petals. However that may be, the name Lily is ever a
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CANADIAN HAREBELL. Campanula Rotundifolia.
CANADIAN HAREBELL. Campanula Rotundifolia.
“With drooping bells, of purest blue Thou didst attract my childish view, Almost resembling The azure butterflies that flew, Where ’mid the heath thy blossoms grew, So lightly trembling.” T HE same charming writer has also called the Harebell “the Flower of Memory,” and truly the sight of these fair flowers, when found in lonely spots in Canada, has carried one back in thought to the wild heathery moors or sylvan lanes of the mother country. “I think upon the heathery
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SHOWY LADY’S SLIPPER. (MOCCASIN FLOWER.)Cypripedium spectabile.
SHOWY LADY’S SLIPPER. (MOCCASIN FLOWER.)Cypripedium spectabile.
But ye have lovely leaves, where we May see how soon things have Their end, tho’ n’er so brave; And after they have bloomed awhile, Like us, they sink Into the grave. Herrick. A MONG the many rare and beautiful flowers that adorn our native woods and wilds, few, if any, can compare with the lovely plants belonging to the family to which the central flower of our Artist’s group belongs. Where all are so worthy of notice it was difficult to make a choice; happily there is no rivalry to c
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EARLY WILD ROSE. Rosa Blanda.
EARLY WILD ROSE. Rosa Blanda.
“Nor did I wonder at the lilies white, Nor praise the deep vermillion of the rose.” Shakespeare. “The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem, For that sweet odour which in it doth live.” Shakespeare. O UR Artist has given us in the present plate a charming specimen of one of our native roses. The early flowering Rose ( Rosa blanda ) is hardly so deeply tinted as our dwarf wild rose, rosa lucida , but both possess attractions of colour and fragrance; qualities that have made the rose to be the
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PENTSTEMON BEARD-TONGUE. Pentstemon pubescens.
PENTSTEMON BEARD-TONGUE. Pentstemon pubescens.
“Flowers spring up and die ungathered.” T HE wild Pentstemon is a slender, elegant branching plant, not unlike in outline to the fox-glove. The flowers are delicately shaded from white to pale azure-blue, sometimes varying to deeper blue. The corolla is an inflated slender tube, somewhat flattened on the upper side, with a rigid line passing from the base of the tube to the upper lip. There are also two bearded lines within. The lower lip is three-cleft and slightly projecting beyond the two-lob
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SWEET SCENTED WATER LILY. Nymphæa Odorata.
SWEET SCENTED WATER LILY. Nymphæa Odorata.
“Rocked gently there the beautiful Nymphæa Pillows her bright head.” Calender of Flowers. P OND-LILY is the popular name by which this beautiful aquatic plant is known, nor can we find it in our hearts to reject, the name of Lily for this ornament of our lakes. The White Nymphæa might indeed be termed “Queen of the Lakes,” for truly she sits in regal pride upon her watery throne, a very queen among flowers. Very lovely are the Water Lilies of England, but their fair sisters of the New World exc
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YELLOW POND LILY. (SPATTER DOCK.)Nuphar advena.
YELLOW POND LILY. (SPATTER DOCK.)Nuphar advena.
And there the bright Nymphæa loves to lave, And spreads her golden orbs along the dimpling wave. T HE Yellow Pond Lily is often found growing in extensive beds, mingled with the White, and though it is less graceful in form, there is yet much to admire in its rich orange-coloured flowers, which appear at a little distance like balls of gold floating on the still waters. The large hollow petal-like sepals that surround the flower are finely clouded with dark red on the outer side, but of a deep
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PITCHER PLANT. (SOLDIER’S DRINKING CUP.)Sarracenia purpurea.
PITCHER PLANT. (SOLDIER’S DRINKING CUP.)Sarracenia purpurea.
E VEN the most casual observer can hardly pass a bed of these most remarkable plants without being struck by their appearance, indeed, from root to flower, it is every way worthy of our notice and admiration. The Pitcher Plant is by no means one of those flowers found singly and in inaccessible bogs and dense cedar-swamps, as are some of our rare and lovely Orchids. In almost any grassy swamp, at the borders of low lying lakes, and beaver-meadows, often in wet spongy meadows, it may be found for
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PAINTED CUP, SCARLET CUP. Castilleia coccinea.
PAINTED CUP, SCARLET CUP. Castilleia coccinea.
Scarlet tufts Are glowing in the green like flakes of fire; The wanderers of the prairie know them well, And call that brilliant flower the Painted Cup. Bryant. T HIS splendidly-coloured plant is the glory and ornament of the plain-lands of Canada. The whole plant is a glow of scarlet, varying from pale flame-colour to the most vivid vermillion, rivalling in brilliancy of hues the scarlet geranium of the greenhouse. The Painted Cup owes its gay appearance not to
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SHOWY ORCHIS. Orchis spectabilis.
SHOWY ORCHIS. Orchis spectabilis.
“Full many a gem of purest ray serene, The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear; Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air.” Gray. D EEP hidden in the damp recesses of the leafy woods, many a rare and precious flower of the Orchis family blooms, flourishes, and decays, unseen by human eye, unsought by human hand, until some curious, flower-loving botanist plunges amid the rank, tangled vegetation, and brings beauties to the light. One of these beauti
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INDIAN TURNIP. (Arum family.)Arum triphyllum
INDIAN TURNIP. (Arum family.)Arum triphyllum
“Or peers the Arum from its spotted veil.” Bryant. T HERE are two species of Arums common to Canada, the larger of which is known as Green-dragon ( Arum Dracontium ); the other, which forms the central figure in the plate, is the most common to our soil, and is known by the familiar name of Indian Turnip ( Arum triphyllum or A. purpureum ). These moisture-loving plants are chiefly to be found in rich black, swampy mould, beneath the shade of trees and rank herbage, near creeks and damp places, i
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