Part 4

1 Prairie Goldenrod: Solidago missouriensis 2 Pussy’s Toes: Antennaria dioeca 3 Daisy: Erigeron macranthus 4 Purple Aster: Machaeranthera Bigelovii 5 Leafy Aster: Aster foliaceus 6 Gold-top: Gutierrezia sarothrae 7 Golden Eye: Chrysopsis villosa 8 Gum Weed: Grindelia squarrosa]

Pussy’s Toes Antennaria dioeca

Plate 38, fig. 2

The soft fuzzy balls that give this plant its name are the pistillate or seed-bearing flowers, while the staminate or pollen-bearing ones grow in heads on other stems. The botanical name for the genus refers to the fact that the protruded brown anthers of the staminate heads sometimes resemble the antennae of insects. The heads are creamy white with rose-colored bracts enclosing them at the base, and bloom in spring and early summer. The plants are 2-15 in. tall and grow on prairies and in meadows and aspen woodland at 3000-10000 ft. The leaves are gray from the white woolly hairs covering them, and grow in clusters at the base of the flowering stems. These clusters usually form dense mats, the leaves of which are sometimes chewed by children as Indian Tobacco or Ladies’ Tobacco.

Daisy Erigeron macranthus

Plate 38, fig. 3

This Daisy has yellow disks surrounded by blue-purple rays. The name is a corruption of Day’s Eye which refers to the resemblance of the yellow center and its rays to the sun and its rays. The plants grow 1-3 ft. tall in meadows, fir forests, aspen woodlands and on gravel-slides at 5000-10000 ft. and bloom in midsummer. They are beautiful enough to be given a place in the garden.

Purple Aster Machaeranthera Bigelovii

Plate 38, fig. 4

The Aster differs from the Daisy in having fewer and broader ray-flowers. This Aster has purple rays and yellow disks. It grows 1-4 ft. tall in meadows and on gravel-slides at 6000-10000 ft. and blooms in midsummer.

Leafy Aster Aster foliaceus

Plate 38, fig. 5

The heads of the Leafy Aster have yellow disk-flowers and red-purple rays. They bloom from midsummer to autumn. The plants grow 6 in.-2 ft. tall in meadows and aspen woodlands at 7000-11000 ft. The word “aster” comes from the Latin for “star” and refers to the rays surrounding the yellow center.

Gold-top Gutierrezia sarothrae

Plate 38, fig. 6

The slender yellow heads of Gold-top grow in dense clusters on plants 1-3 ft. high. They bloom from midsummer to autumn and may be found on prairies and plains at 3000-8000 ft. They are especially typical of pastures and over-grazed areas.

Golden Eye Chrysopsis villosa

Plate 38, fig. 7

The name “Golden Eye” is a direct translation of the scientific name of the genus. The flower-heads are entirely golden-yellow, ray-flowers as well as disk-flowers, and they bloom in midsummer. The plants are low-growing, 1-2 ft. high, and occur on prairies and gravel-slides and in aspen woodlands at 3000-10000 ft.

Gum Weed Grindella squarrosa

Plate 38, fig. 8

The foliage of the Gum Weed oozes a sticky substance that gives the plant its name. The flower-heads are golden-yellow and bloom from midsummer to autumn. The plants are branched and grow 2-4 ft. tall, along roadsides and in pastures at 3000-7000 ft. The entire plant is used in medicine for certain lung troubles, and a salve is made from it that is helpful in poison-ivy poisoning.

Cone Flower Ratibida columnaris

Plate 39, figs. 1, 6

The fertile flowers of the Cone Flower are grouped in cone-shaped heads, which give the plant its name. The broad ray-flowers vary in color through shades of pure yellow to brilliant orange-red, and this form is sometimes cultivated in home gardens. The plants grow 1-3 ft. tall on prairies and plains at 3000-7000 ft., and bear flowers all summer.

Golden Glow Rudbeckia laciniata

Plate 39, fig. 2

The native Golden Glow is related to the popular Golden Glow of the garden. It is a striking plant, 3-6 ft. tall and bears many large flower-heads with long, spreading or drooping yellow rays. They bloom in midsummer and are found in meadows and along brook-banks in aspen and fir forests at 5000-8000 ft.

Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta

Plate 39, fig. 4

Black-eyed Susan, unlike its near relative Golden Glow, has a reddish-brown, almost black, center and orange-yellow rays. It is cultivated also, but occurs naturally in meadows and bogs and along brook-banks at 5000-11000 ft. The plants are 1-4 ft. tall and bloom all summer.

Rayless Thelesperma Thelesperma gracile

Plate 39, fig. 3

As the name indicates, the Rayless Thelesperma has heads of fertile flowers only, ray-flowers being lacking. The heads are grouped in graceful clusters on slender stems, 2-4 ft. tall, and bloom all summer. The plants occur on prairies and plains at 3000-8000 ft.

Rayed Thelesperma Thelesperma trifidum

Plate 39, fig. 8

The Rayed Thelesperma, in contrast to the one above, has broad yellow ray-flowers around a yellow center. It is a relative of Coreopsis and should also be cultivated in home gardens. The plants are 1-3 ft. tall and are found along roadsides and in pastures and fields at 3000-7000 ft., blooming all summer.

Sun Spots Gymnolomia multiflora

Plate 39, fig. 5

The heads of Sun Spots are yellow throughout and bloom all summer. The plants are 2-5 ft. tall and grow on prairies and foothills at 5000-7000 ft.

Sunflower Helianthus petiolaris

Plate 39, fig. 7

One scarcely needs an introduction to the cheery Sunflower which overruns roadsides and fallow fields everywhere at 3000-8000 ft. The plants are 2-5 ft. tall and bear flowers all summer. This species is the western form of the common sunflower, _Helianthus annuus_. The latter was held in high veneration by the ancient Peruvians and Mexicans, being used by them as a sacred and artistic emblem. It also figures in Greek mythology. The farmer of today, however, regards it quite otherwise when it invades his cultivated fields. It is, nevertheless, the state flower of Kansas. The name Sunflower was given this plant under the impression that the heads turn their faces always towards the sun and follow it in its daily course. This is not the case, however, for though the heads of a field of sunflowers are usually turned in the same direction, this is due to the effect of the prevailing wind rather than to sunlight.

The common sunflower is cultivated for the sake of the honey and wax which are obtained from the flowers by the bees, and also for its seeds which are used in various ways. They furnish feed for domestic and farm animals, or are ground and made into cakes, or roasted and used as coffee. In Russia they are sold in the streets and eaten as nuts. An oil also is obtained from them that is said to be equal to olive oil.

Bur Marigold Bidens levis

Plate 40, fig. 1

The bright yellow heads of the Bur Marigold may be found blooming all summer in marshes and ditches at 3000-6000 ft. The plants are 1-4 ft. tall. The names, both common and botanical, refer to the tooth-like spines on the end of the seed-like fruits.

Mountain Arnica Arnica cordifolia

Plate 40, fig. 2

This native Arnica is a close relative of _Arnica montana_, which furnishes the well-known tincture that is applied to bruises and sprains. It has been employed as a stimulant in low fevers, but does not appear to have any value when used internally. The Mountain Arnica occurs in fir, spruce and aspen forests at 7000-12000 ft. The heads are yellow-centered and yellow-rayed, and bloom all summer on plants 1-2 ft. high.

Gaillardia Gaillardia aristata

Plate 40, fig. 3

Gaillardia bears very large heads with reddish-brown centers and many yellow or orange rays. They bloom all summer. The plants grow 1-3 ft. tall and may be found on prairies, and in meadows and aspen woodlands at 7000-10000 ft. The Gaillardias are frequently cultivated in gardens.

Butterweed Senecio Fendleri

Plate 40, fig. 4

The yellow heads of the Butterweed are quite small but are grouped in large clusters on stems 6 in.-2 ft. tall. They bloom in midsummer and are found on foothills and gravel-slides at 7000-10000 ft.

Goldweed Ximenesia encelioides

Plate 40, fig. 5

The heads of the Goldweed have yellow centers and yellow, toothed rays, and they bloom all summer. The plants are 2-5 ft. tall, growing along roadsides and in fallow fields at 3000-7000 ft.

Actinella Actinella Richardsonii

Plate 40, fig. 6

The yellow heads of Actinella are small and grouped in open clusters on stems 6 in.-2 ft. tall. They bloom in early and midsummer and are found on plains and foothills at 5000-8000 ft. This species of Actinella is sometimes called the “Colorado Rubber Plant,” but it does not produce rubber in sufficient quantities to be commercially valuable.

Dwarf Sunflower Helianthella Parryi

Plate 40, fig. 7

The heads of the Dwarf Sunflower are entirely yellow. They are borne on slender stems 1-3 ft. tall and bloom in midsummer. They may be found in spruce and aspen forests at 7000-10000 ft.

Bahia Bahia dissecta

Plate 41, fig. 1

The heads of Bahia have large yellow centers and very short yellow rays. They grow on branching stems 1-4 ft. high and bloom in midsummer. The plants may be found on foothills and gravel-slides at 5000-9000 ft.

Actinella Actinella acaulis

Plate 41, fig. 2

Actinella, like Bahia, has large yellow centers and short yellow rays. The plants are unbranched and grow 6-18 in. tall. They bear flowers in early summer and occur on prairies, plains and foothills at 3000-8000 ft.

Sneezeweed Helenium Hoopesii

Plate 41, fig. 3

The heads of the Sneezeweed are large and orange-yellow. They grow on stiff stems 2-6 ft. tall and bloom all summer. The plants are found in spruce forests, aspen woodlands and subalpine meadows at 9000-12000 ft. They are poisonous to stock. The common name has reference to the effect that the strong odor of the flowers have on some people.

Cream Tips Hymenopappus tenuifolius

Plate 41, fig. 4

The yellow heads of the Cream Tips are without ray-flowers. They grow on slender stems 1-4 ft. tall and bloom in spring and midsummer. The plants have very finely cut leaves and are found on prairies, plains and foothills at 3000-7000 ft.

Taper Leaf Pericome caudata

Plate 41, fig. 5

The Taper Leaf is a bushy ornamental plant covered in midsummer and autumn with open clusters of fragment yellow flower-heads. The tips of the leaves are narrowed to a long, slender point and this character is expressed in both the botanical and common names. The bushes grow 3-6 ft. high, and 3-8 ft. wide and occur on foothills and gravel-slides at 6000-8000 ft.

Marigold Dysodia papposa

Plate 41, fig. 6

The wild Marigold looks like a tiny form of the garden Marigold and has a similar spicy fragrance. It grows 1 in.-l ft. tall and is abundant along roadsides and in fallow fields and pastures at 3000-8000 ft.

Alpine Kobold Rydbergia grandiflora

Plate 41, fig. 7

This shaggy, gray-green little plant with its huge, hanging yellow head, often as broad as the stem is tall, is weirdly suggestive of fairy-folk. The stems grow 2-15 in. tall and bear flowers in midsummer. They are to be found only in alpine meadows at 10000-14000 ft.

LILY FAMILY

Wild Onion Allium cernuum

Plate 42, fig. 1

The Wild Onion bears open clusters of rose-purple flowers that droop in the bud, but rise gradually as they bloom, until the fruits are erect. They blossom in midsummer and are found in foothills, meadows, and aspen and spruce woods at 5000-10000 ft. The plants grow 1-2 ft. tall, and the bruised foliage and bulbs have the characteristic onion odor. The genus is widely cultivated and furnishes several varieties of onion, chives, leek, garlic and shallot.

Spring Lily Erythronium parviflorum

Plate 42, fig. 3

The yellow flower of the Spring Lily droops from a slender stem, 6-15 in. tall and blooms in the spring. The plant consists merely of two broad but pointed leaves, besides the flowering-stalk, and is found in meadows and spruce woods at 8000-12000 ft. It certainly deserves a place among cultivated plants.

Red Lily Lilium philadelphicum

Plate 42, fig. 4

The scarlet petals of the Red Lily are ornamented at their bases with dark reddish-brown spots that serve to direct visiting insects to the honey. The blossoms are large and conspicuous and occur singly at the tips of stiff stems, 2-4 ft. tall. They come into bloom in early summer and midsummer, and are found in bogs and along brook-banks at 7000-11000 ft. The Red Lily is very like the Tiger Lily of the garden and should be given a place there also, though it is not as yet widely cultivated.

Wand Lily Zygadenus elegans

Plate 42, fig. 5

The cream-colored blossoms of the Wand Lily are grouped in open spikes on straight slender stems 4 in.-2-1/2 ft. tall. They bloom in midsummer in meadows and spruce and aspen woods at 7000-12000 ft. The Wand Lily is related to the poisonous Death Camas, and is probably poisonous also.

Mariposa Lily Calochortus Gunnisonii

Plate 42, fig. 6

This Mariposa Lily is usually white, though delicate lilac blossoms are sometimes found. The petals are ornamented with various markings which give point to the common name of the genus which means “butterfly.” The plants grow 1-4 ft. tall in foothills, meadows and aspen forests at 4000-11000 ft. and bear flowers all summer long. The genus is widely distributed and contains many beautiful species and varieties of striking colors, which should be more generally cultivated.

SPIDERWORT FAMILY

Spider Lily Tradescantia virginiana

Plate 42, fig. 2

The pink or blue-purple flowers of the Spider Lily open in the morning and wither soon afterwards. They are grouped in open clusters on stiff stems with long, grass-like leaves, and bloom from spring to midsummer. The plants grow in clumps, 1-5 ft. tall, on prairies and foot-hills at 3000-7000 ft. The common name refers to the cobwebby hairs on the stamens. The Spider Lily should certainly be cultivated in home gardens.

IRIS FAMILY

Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium

Plate 43, fig. 1

The Blue-eyed Grass is not a grass at all, but is so called on account of the grass-like leaves. The blue-purple, starry blossoms grow in loose clusters on stiff stems, and bloom from spring to midsummer. They remain open but a few hours in the morning withering as the day advances. The plants are 6-18 in. tall and are found on prairies, and foothills and in mountain meadows at 3000-10000 ft.

Iris, Blue Flag Iris missouriensis

Plate 43, fig. 5

The large, pale blue to purple blossoms of the Iris bloom in spring and summer, on brook-banks and in meadows at 3000-10000 ft. The plants grow in masses, 1-3 ft. tall, and sometimes carpet the floor of a mountain meadow. The botanical name for the Blue Flag is from the Greek for “rainbow” and refers to the many colors of the different species and varieties. These are cultivated and furnish some of our most beautiful garden plants. The earliest illustration of the Iris was made about the beginning of the sixth century A.D. in a work by Dioscorides. In this work, it was considered valuable as a source of drugs rather than as a garden plant, and the number of ailments for which iris preparations were prescribed is truly astonishing. At present, however, its medicinal value consists merely of an extract from the root, which is used as an emetic and cathartic. The seeds of some species are sometimes roasted and used in Great Britain as a substitute for coffee. The orris root of commerce is supplied by Iris florentina which has a fragrant root. The Iris is the Fleur-de-lis of France, which was for long the royal emblem.

ORCHID FAMILY

Coral Root Corallorhiza multiflora

Plate 43, fig. 2

The Coral Root receives its name from the white branching roots that resemble coral. The plant is a saprophyte, that is, it gets its food ready-made from decaying matter, and this accounts for the lack of green foliage. The plants are entirely reddish-purple, though the flower-petals are white with purple dots. They grow 6 in.-1 ft. tall, in spruce and fir woods at 7000-10000 ft. and bloom all summer.

Yellow Ladies’ Slipper Cypripedium pubescens

Plate 43, fig. 3

The botanical name for the Ladies’ Slipper comes from the Greek for “sock” or “buskin,” so that the fanciful resemblance of the flower to dainty footwear is indicated by both names. Though the sack-like lower petal of Yellow Ladies’ Slipper is a bright yellow, the other two petals and the sepals are yellow-green with reddish markings. The flowers occur singly on stems 8-20 in. tall, and bloom in early summer. They are found in meadows and aspen woodlands at 6000-9000 ft.

Rattlesnake Plantain Peramium repens

Plate 43, fig. 4

The Rattlesnake Plantain receives this name because of its peculiarly mottled leaves which resemble those of a plantain in shape, but which have markings very like those of a snake. The tiny white blossoms occur in crowded spikes on stems 2-8 in. tall and bloom in midsummer. The plants grow in fir and spruce woods at 9000-10000 ft.

Fairy Slipper, Calypso Calypso borealis

Plate 43, fig. 6

The fairy-like rose-purple blossoms of Calypso appear in early spring. They occur singly on stems 4-8 in. tall, in fir and spruce woods at 7000-10000 ft. The name “Calypso” is that of a nymph of Grecian legend, and seems well fitted to this dainty plant.

Transcriber’s Notes

--Silently corrected a few palpable typos.

--In the text versions only, delimited _italicized_ text in underscores.

--Collated plate captions against species headings, and eliminated some inconsistencies.

End of Project Gutenberg's Flowers of Mountain and Plain, by Edith S. Clements