Both science and art play a part in documenting the Providence of yesteryear and bringing it to life. Peckham’s paintings remind us of the beauty and fragility of the natural landscape. Bailey’s notes convey the diversity of a distinct but steadily shrinking ecology amid growing urban sprawl. Together, they help us construct a more complete picture of the city we share and how it came to be.
Lysimachia quadrifolia L.
whorled yellow-loosestrife, Myrsinaceae (marlberry family)
Found throughout New England, except for the far northern areas, and across northeastern parts of the United States and south to Georgia and Alabama. Whorled yellow loosestrife grows in meadows and woodlands and the edges of wetlands. This species was used by Native Americans to treat kidney and urinary tract problems.
The genus name, Lysimachia, derives from Lysimachus (361–281 BCE), the king of Thrace (southeastern Europe). The species name, quadrifolia, means “four leaves,” which is typically (but not always) the number of leaves in each whorl.
Below: “The Old Time Flora of Providence,” 1890 | William Whitman Bailey (1843–1914) | Brown University Archives
