Part 3

Later in the season, the young leaves expand just before the flowers drop off. The white flowered is the most common among our Hepaticas, but varieties may be seen of many hues: waxen-pink, pale blue and azure blue with intermediate shades and tints.

The Hepatica belongs to the Nat. Ord. Ranunculaceæ, the crow-foot family, but possesses none of the acrid and poisonous qualities of the Ranunculus proper, being used in medicine, as a mild tonic, by the American herb doctors in fevers and disorders of the liver.

It is very probable that its healing virtues in complaints of the liver gave rise to its common name in old times; some assign the name to the form of the lobed leaf.

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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.

THIS 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 bear some remote resemblance.

The flowers of the Bellwort are of a pale greenish-yellow; the divisions of the petal-like sepals are six, deeply divided, pointed and slightly twisted or waved, drooping from slender thready pedicels terminating the branches; the stem of the plant is divided into two portions, one of which is barren of flowers. The leaves are of a pale green, smooth, and in the largest species perfoliate, clasping the stem.

The root (or rhizome) is white, fleshy and tuberous. The Bellwort is common in rich shady woods and grassy thickets, and on moist alluvial soil on the banks of streams, where it attains to the height of 18 or 20 inches. It is an elegant, but not very showy flower—remarkable more for its graceful pendent straw-coloured or pale yellow blossoms, than for its brilliancy. It belongs to a sub-order of the Lily Tribe. There are three species in Canada—the large Bellwort—Uvularia grandiflora and U. perfoliata—we also possess the third, enumerated by Dr. Gray, U. sessilifolia.

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NAT. ORD. RANUNCULACEÆ.

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.

THE 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 in sunshine. It is more likely that the wind acting upon the downy seeds of some species and dispersing them abroad, has been the origin of the idea, and has given birth to the popular name which poets have made familiar to the ear with many sweet lines. Bryant, who is the American poet of nature, for he seems to revel in all that is fair among the flowers and streams and rocks and forest shades, has also given the name of “wind flower” to the blue hepatica.

The subject of our plate, the little white pink-edged flower at the left hand corner of the group, is Anemone nemorosa, the smaller “WOOD ANEMONE.”

This pretty delicate species loves the moderate shade of groves and thickets, it is often found in open pinelands of second growth, and evidently prefers a light and somewhat sandy soil to any other, with glimpses of sunshine stealing down upon it.

The Wood Anemone is from 4 to 9 inches in height, but seldom taller, the five rounded sepals which form the flower are white, tinged with a purplish-red or dull pink on the outside. The leaves are three parted, divided again in three, toothed and sharply cut and somewhat coarse in texture; the three upper stem leaves form an involucre about midway between the root and the flower-cup.

Our Wood Anemone is a cheerful little flower gladdening us with its blossoms early in the month of May. It is very abundant in the neighbourhood of Toronto, on the grassy banks and piny-dells at Dover Court, and elsewhere.

“There thickly strewn in woodland bowers, Anemones their stars unfold.”

A somewhat taller species, with very white starry flowers, is found on gravelly banks under the shade of shrubs near the small lakes formed by the Otonabee river, N. Douro, where also, we find the downy seeded species known as “Thimble-weed,” Anemone cylindrica, from the cylindrical heads of fruit. The “Thimble-weed” is not very attractive for beauty of colour; the flower is greenish-white, small, two of the sepals being shorter and less conspicuous than the others; the plant is from 1 to 2 ft. high; the leaves of the cut and pointed involucre are coarse, of a dull green, surrounding the several long flower-stalks. The soft cottony seeds remain in close heads through the winter, till the spring breezes disperse them.

The largest species of our native Anemones is A. Virginiana, “TALL ANEMONE.” This handsome plant loves the shores of lakes and streams; damp rich ground suits it well, as it grows freely in such soil, and under moderate shade when transferred to the garden.

The foliage of the tall Anemone is coarse, growing in whorls round the stem, divisions of the leaf three parted, sharply pointed and toothed. In this, as in all the species, the coloured sepals, (or calyx leaves) form the flower. The outer surface of the flower is covered with minute silky hairs, the round flattened silky buds rise singly on tall naked stems, the upper series are supplied with two small leaflets embracing the stalk. The central and largest flowers open first, the lateral or outer ones as these fade away; thus a succession of blossoms is produced, which continue to bloom for several weeks. The flowers of this sort, under cultivation, become larger and handsomer than in their wild state, ivory white, tinged with purple. The Anemone is always a favourite flower wherever it may be seen, whether in British woods, on Alpine heights, or in Canadian wilds; on banks of lonely lakes and forest streams; or in the garden parterre, where it is rivalled by few other flowers in grace of form or splendour of colour.

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NAT. ORD. PORTULACACEÆ.

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 in blossom. HIAWATHA.

THIS 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 often found in partially cleared beech-woods, and in rich moist meadows.