HOUSTONIA CŒRULEA (or _Quaker Lady_).--The fresh green grass on every hill-side is now adorned with the tufts of this beautiful wild plant. It grows, however, most luxuriantly in moist, shady situations. This plant is easily recognized by its profusion of handsome bright blue blossoms, fading to white, with a yellow eye. Fig. 2 shows the form of its leaves and flowers. Each little plant, when examined apart from the rest, presents a few forked branches an inch or two in length. The radical leaves are spatulate, the corolla monopetalous and salverform. It has four stamens and one pistil. _a_, One of the anthers opening longitudinally. _b_, Cross-section of that anther magnified. _c_, The capsule enveloped by the persistent calyx. _d_, _e_, Views of the dehiscence of the capsule. MITCHELLA REPENS (_Partridge-berry_).--This pretty little evergreen is now in flower in moist, shady woods, about the roots of trees. Its stem and branches trail along the ground, bearing opposite ovate leaves, and pairs of white, monopetalous, four cleft, and singularly villous or downy-looking flowers. After flowering, a bright scarlet berry is produced by the coalescence or engraftment of the drupes or fruit of each pair of flowers, which is crowned with the calyx teeth of each of them. This plant commemorates Dr. John Mitchell, an early correspondent of Linnæus and an excellent botanist. The berries remain over winter. EPIGŒA REPENS (_Trailing Arbutus_).--This is a favorite spring flower, especially with ladies. It is very abundant in the woods on the banks of the Wissahicon. It may be readily distinguished by its prostrate stems, which bear evergreen, reticulated, rounded, alternate leaves, and axillary clusters of rose-colored flowers, which are most delightfully fragrant. The stem and stalks of the leaves are bristly with rusty hairs. Name derived from [Greek: epi], upon, and [Greek: gê], the earth. Ten stamens and one pistil will be found within the floral envelops. CLAYTONIA VIRGINICA (_Spring Beauty_).--This plant is common in moist woods on the banks of the Schuylkill. It is named in honor of John Clayton, one of the earliest botanists of this country. It sends up in early spring from a small, deeply buried tuber, a simple stem bearing two linear lanceolate, opposite leaves, and a simple raceme of pale, rose-colored flowers. Fig. 3 is a representation of this ornament of the vernal woods. Sepals of the calyx, two, ovate, free, green, and persistent; that is, they remain after the corolla has faded as a protecting envelop to the fruit. Stamens, five, adhering to the claws of the petals. Style, three-lobed. Capsule, three-valved, three to five-seeded. _a_ Shows the persistent two-leaved calyx enveloping the capsule. _b_, A section of the dehiscing or opening capsule, with the seeds in its interior. [Illustration: Fig. 3.]