State

Februory 23, 1935 THE STATE The Rarest Flower In North Carolina ТПЕКЕ i« a" rarer nor more beautiful wiH dower found in North Carolina than the .horti*. in fact il it known >i "the one spot flower," being found in no other port of the world. In thi. "mystery flow пч it hits come to bo called. North Carolina hu* stored another "(ifst" of fnr-ftuuod botanical nature. The romantic and interesting hi»- tory of thi* flower date» back to 17H7, when Andre Michnux, the famous French botanist, was tent to America by the French government to collect and cultivate shrubs, flower-, plant* and trees which might late» be trans¬ planted to France. It is an interesting fact that long before the people of North Carolina bad learned to appreciate the beautiful plants with which our mountains are so richly endowed. they were u-l and highly valued in European gardens English estates were beautifi-l with the aristocrats of our plant life- -the rhododendrons, iulcn and laurel- e hail Irornol to value IT is the shortia. and so far as is known, it grows nowhere else in the world except in certain parts of the mountainous districts of \orlh Caro¬ lina. By M AJEI. IV KY SHAY them for cultivation. Mirbaux, in his search through the high mountains of North Carolina for rare wildflowers to take back with him to Europe, found a plant unknown to him and to the other botanist- to w hom This charming little blossom Micb лих referred to as "having the habit of pyrol* and the foliage of galnx.” Othors described it as being “a shrub that seldom reaches more than two or time foil in height, with a thick heavy growth of -lark green leave» at its base nitd a heavy pro¬ fusion of wax-like white or pink flow¬ ers which continue in brilliant bloom during most of the summer aenson.'' When Miehnux returned to France, be took uith him a specimen of thi- unnamed mystery plant, whirh l>r. Asa Gray, the American bot*ni-t, dis¬ covered 'in his collection while on а visit to Paris. The specimen was im¬ perfect, consisting of only the leaves and one fruit— the leaves but not the fruit of the g.Ux The plant bom— the objeet of а vain search on the part of l*r. Gray. Hi» desire to tic-1 it was greatly in- Л mountain view near Lenoir, Catawba County. creased by the fact that be found an almost identical specimen in n collec¬ tion of Japanese plants. He named it ".borti» gabcifolia,” in honor of Professor Short ->f Ken¬ tucky and hccau-c of the fact that it heiotsg. to the botanical family of the galax. There are only two species, the American gabcifolia ami the Japanese uniflora. In 1$77. M. J. Hyams, -•arching for novelties for firm, came upon a -t range flower in the upper Catawba valley in North Carolina which Mae authorities claimed to l« "the lost flower of Miehaux.” Ilyams' discovery gave impetus to renewed interest in the •enroll, but no other specie* were found in that vicinity. Year* later,' Professor C. .4. Snr- gcant and Frank lloynton. in cxplor- ing the Sapphire Country, that section of North Carolina so rich in beautiful natural growths, found aero* of the flower growing in its natural habitat in a narrow strip of mountain region in Jackson County. This romantic 'little flower, with it. «ingle large and Ы white or pink blossom gracefully jioisod on a -lender stem above shiny clustered leaves, ii the only plant of its genus. The two plants found in Japan in the middle of the last century were the only plant* of even a related genu*. Through centuries of storm and sun¬ shine, the shortia ha* thrived in it* own peculiar beauty iu the Carolina WHO KILLED NELLIE? (CWinac-f from 1 seven) nc« ever suffered a mere scathing Fearing. Hi* -|ue*tions were for th-- purpose of convincing the jury that tlm girl could have committed suicide by drowning. Hut, the jury took the view of the State, nn-l without much •Way brought ill n verdict of guilty, as charged. Wilcox did not take the •tnn-l. and until thi* -lay iiolmdv know, what ho knew or thought. Speculation a> to the cause of tlu> di and the death -if Nellie Cropscy will continue no long ns those who leat-l the iMlimonv live. Manv doubt if the liody lay in the water from November iQ to December S 7, although it could have done ao as the weather was cold. The lody was >,..t down, and when di‘- floated. Hostility toward Wile, was so great that about oumfourth of the men ami wo— n iu the court bevr го», as if by concert, and left -hen — .f hi. the closing argo- thi- ami Other a new trial was grant¬ ed. During the -rcois-l trial, Judgr W. B. Council, of Hickory, preri