Plate 25, fig. 2
The Potentillas may easily be mistaken for buttercups, though they actually belong to the Rose Family. The scientific name of the genus comes from a Latin word meaning powerful, and refers to the former use of the plants in medicine. This species, called Gold Cup on account of the shape and color of the blossoms, is bright yellow with an orange spot at the base of each petal. The flowers grow on graceful stems 6 in.-3 ft. high and bloom in midsummer. The plants grow in meadows and open woodlands at 5000-10000 ft.
Plate 25, fig. 3
The Golden Avens also looks like a buttercup with its cup-like, yellow flowers that bloom in midsummer. The plants grow 4-20 in. high and are found on the higher peaks at 10000-14000 ft.
Plate 25, fig. 4
The brilliant rose to purple coloring of this flower is found in the sepals, the petals being rather inconspicuous and cream-colored with rose veins. The nodding blossoms of Pink Plumes occur on graceful rose-colored stems 4-18 in. tall and bloom in early summer. They are found on hills at 8000-12000 ft. The fruits form feathery clusters after the petals have fallen.
Plate 25, fig. 6
The flowers of the Creamy Cinquefoil vary from pale cream to a pure yellow. They grow on erect stems 6 in.-4 ft. tall and blossom in early summer. They are widely distributed on prairies, plains, meadows and hillsides at 3000-12000 ft.
Plate 25
ROSE FAMILY
1Wild Rose: Rosa acicularis2Gold Cup, Potentilla: Potentilla gracilis3Golden Avens: Sieversia turbinata4Pink Plumes: Sieversia ciliata5Shrubby Cinquefoil: Dasyphora fruticosa6Creamy Cinquefoil: Drymocallis arguta
Plate 25, fig. 5
The Cinquefoils receive this name from the French and it refers to the five-parted leaves. The Shrubby Cinquefoil has yellow blossoms on erect shrubby stems that form good-sized bushes, or may be only a few inches tall at high elevations. They occur in meadows, along brooks and on gravel-slides at 6000-12000 ft., and bear flowers all summer.
Plate 27, fig. 1
The bright yellow flowers of the Golden Banner occur in open spikes on plants 1-3 ft. high, and bloom in late spring. They may be found in meadows at 3000-11000 ft. The plants are supposed to poison stock, and several cases of the poisoning of children who have eaten the seeds are also reported.
Plate 27, fig. 2
The Silvery Lupine, so named on account of the foliage, has blue to purple flowers arranged in open spikes which bloom in early summer. The plants are somewhat spreading and bush-like and grow 1-3 ft. high on prairies and in meadows at 5000-9000 ft.
Plate 27, fig. 3
The Prairie Clover bears tiny rose-pink to purple blossoms in small but crowded heads. An albino form is occasionally found. The stems grow 6 in.-3 ft. tall on plains and prairies at 4000-7000 ft. and the flowers bloom all summer.
Plate 27
PEA FAMILY
1Golden Banner: Thermopsis montana2Silvery Lupine: Lupinus argenteus3Prairie Clover: Petalostemon purpureus4Wild Sweet Pea: Lathyrus ornatus5Purple Vetch: Vicia americana
Plate 27, fig. 4
The flowers of the Wild Sweet Pea are purple and white and blossom in the spring and early summer. The stems are low, 4-12 in., and occur on plains and prairies at 4000-8000 ft.
Plate 27, fig. 5
The Purple Vetch bears blue to purple flowers in loose clusters on climbing or scrambling stems 1-1/2-3-1/2 ft. long. They bloom in spring and early summer and may be found on prairies and in rich river valleys at 4000-10000 ft.
Plate 28, fig. 1
The flowers of the Loco are deep red-purple or white, often turning blue with age. They occur in open spikes on stems 4-12 in. tall and bloom in spring and summer. The plants occur on plains, prairies, hills and table-lands at 4000-9000 ft. The Loco is very poisonous to stock. After acquiring a taste for the plant they will eat nothing else and die from the effects in a few months or one or two years. In this way, millions of dollars of stock are lost annually. A cure for the disease has been found recently.
Plate 28, fig. 2
The small blue to purple blossoms of Alfalfa grow in loose, small heads on branching plants that attain a height of 1-2 ft. They bloom all summer long. The plant has escaped from cultivation and grows thriftily at 5000-6000 ft. Alfalfa forms a most nourishing fodder for horses and cattle and has been cultivated for ages in Southern Europe. When sown in deep, rich soils, few plants yield so heavy a crop. During the World War, meal was made from the dried and ground plants and used as a substitute for flour.
Plate 28
PEA FAMILY
1Loco: Aragalus Lamberti2Alfalfa: Medicago sativa3Alpine Clover: Trifolium dasyphyllum4Psoralea: Psoralea tenuiflora5Dwarf Clover: Trifolium nanum6Prairie Pea: Astragalus hypoglottis7Rose Locust: Robinia neo-mexicana
Plate 28, fig. 3
The flowers of the Alpine Clover have a cream-white standard and rose-purple wings and keel. They are clustered in heads on stemless plants which form mats or cushions 4-20 in. across and grow only on alpine peaks at 12000-14000 ft. They bloom in midsummer. The name “Clover” comes from the Latin word meaning “club” and refers to the resemblance between the leaf and the 3-headed club of Hercules. The clubs of playing-cards are also no doubt an imitation of the cloverleaf. The 3-parted leaves of the clovers fold together and “sleep” at night. The cultivated clovers are valuable as fodder and the white-flowered species makes beautiful lawns.
Plate 28, fig. 4
Psoralea bears its small blue to purplish flowers in open spikes on branching plants 1-4 ft. tall. They bloom in early summer and are found on dry plains and hills at 4000-8000 ft. Some species of this genus are used in medicine and one,Psoralea esculenta, has a tuberous root that is edible.
Plate 28, fig. 5
The pink to rose-purple flowers of the Dwarf Clover occur usually in pairs on prostrate or spreading stems in the high mountains. They bloom in midsummer and are found only at 9000-14000 ft. The Latin name for the genus means “three-leaves,” and the 3-parted leaf is characteristic of practically all clovers.
Plate 28, fig. 6
The flowers of the Prairie Pea are usually blue to purple, rarely whitish or yellowish. They occur in dense heads on procumbent or ascending stems 4-8 in. long and bloom in midsummer. The plants are found in meadows and river valleys at 4000-9000 ft.
Plate 28, fig. 7
The Rose Locust is a shrub or tree 3-15 ft. tall, which grows along streams at 4000-7000 ft. The flowers are white to rose-colored with a touch of yellow on the standard and keel, and their large showy clusters come into bloom in spring and early summer. It is the handsomest of the locusts, and should be cultivated wherever winters are not too severe.
Plate 30, fig. 1
The rose-pink to nearly white flowers of the Rose Crown are crowded into heads at the ends of stiff stems 4-20 in. tall. They bloom in midsummer and may be found in meadows and bogs and along streams at high altitudes, 10000-13000 ft.
Plate 30, fig. 3
The tiny deep red-purple flowers of the King’s Crown are crowded into dense roundish heads at the ends of unbranched stems 4-12 in. high. They bloom in midsummer and are found only on alpine peaksat 9000-14000 ft. The plant is used in Greenland as a salad, and the leaves in poultices for headache. The root has a pleasant rose-like odor, which gives rise to the name Roseroot, sometimes used for this species.
Plate 30, fig. 8
The yellow flowers of the Stonecrop occur in loose clusters at the ends of stems 1-8 in. high. The plants possess succulent leaves which store water and thus enable them to grow in dry, rocky or gravelly situations. They are found at 4000-12000 ft. and bloom all summer.
Plate 30, fig. 2
The dainty little Fairy Saxifrage grows but 1-3 in. high from a cluster of tiny leaves, and bears at the end of a slender stem a single yellow blossom. The lower half of the petal is dotted with many orange spots. The flowers bloom in midsummer. They are alpine dwellers only and are found among rocks at 11000-14000 ft. The name “saxifrage” is from the Latin meaning “rock-breaker” and refers to the habit some saxifrages have of living on rocks.
Plate 30, fig. 5
The Brook Saxifrage takes its name from its love of springy places and stream banks. The flowers are white and delicate and bloom in early summer. The plants are 1-3 ft. tall and occur at 8000-12000 ft.
Plate 30, fig. 7
The Dotted Saxifrage has white or pale pink flowers with orange and purple dots on the petals. They bloom all summer. The plants are small and slender, 3-8 in. high and occur on rocks and gravel-slides at 6000-13000 ft.
Plate 30
STONECROP FAMILY
1Rose Crown: Clementsia rhodantha3King’s Crown, Roseroot: Rhodiola rosea8Stonecrop: Sedum stenopetalum
SAXIFRAGE FAMILY
2Fairy Saxifrage: Saxifraga chrysantha4Gooseberry: Ribes lacustre5Brook Saxifrage: Saxifraga punctata6Gooseberry: Ribes leptanthum7Dotted Saxifrage: Saxifraga bronchialis9Purple Saxifrage: Saxifraga Jamesii10Whiplash Saxifrage: Saxifraga flagellaris
Plate 30, fig. 9
The pale to deep rose-purple flowers of the Purple Saxifrage grow in crowded spikes and form bright spots of color in rock-clefts and on rocks at 8000-13000 ft. The stems are 4-8 in. tall and the flowers bloom in early summer.
Plate 30, fig. 10
This small plant with its yellow blossoms receives its name from the presence of little whip-like runners at the base. The plants are only 1-8 in. tall and occur on alpine peaks among the rocks at 10000-14000 ft. They bloom all summer.
Plate 30, fig. 4
This pink-flowered Gooseberry blooms in spring and early summer. It is a shrubby plant about 1-3 ft. high and occurs in the mountains at 7000-12000 ft. The berry is red and covered with prickles.
Plate 30, fig. 6
The yellow-flowered Gooseberry blooms in early summer. It is a shrub about 1-3 ft. in height and grows in the mountains at 6000-10000 ft. The berry is black when ripe, and edible. The wild gooseberries are related to the cultivated one and to the currant.
Plate 32
EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY
1Fireweed: Chamaenerium angustifolium2Scarlet Gaura: Gaura coccinea3Meriolix: Meriolix serrulata4Evening Primrose: Onagra biennis
MENTZELIA FAMILY
5Evening Star: Mentzelia multiflora
CACTUS FAMILY
6Prickly Pear: Opuntia humifusa7Purple Cactus: Cactus viviparus
Plate 32, fig. 1
The Fireweed, as the name indicates, is found on burnt areas especially, though it also occurs in meadows and open woods and copses. The flowers are pale pink to deep rose-purple and bloom all summer long. The plants are widely distributed over the continent up to 10000 ft. and grow as tall as 5 ft. The name “Willow Herb” is sometimes given on account of the resemblance of the leaves to those of the willow. The Fireweed is cultivated as an ornamental plant in England, where the leaves are also used as an adulterant of tea. The foliage forms a wholesome vegetable when boiled, and the young shoots or suckers make a good substitute for asparagus. Beer and vinegar are made in Kamchatka by fermenting the shoots and pith. The down on the seeds resembles cotton, but possesses little tenacity, and the fibres are too brittle and short to be of any value except in the adulteration of other material.
Plate 32, fig. 2
The pinkish or red flowers of the Scarlet Gaura grow on slender plants 6 in.-2 ft. tall and bloom in spring and summer. They may be found on plains and prairies at 4000-5500 ft.
Plate 32, fig. 3
Meriolix grows 6-15 in. tall and bears yellow flowers that bloom in spring and summer. They are found on plains and hills at 4000-8000 ft.
Plate 32, fig. 4
The fragrant yellow flowers of the Evening Primrose open in the evening and wither the next morning. They bloom all summer andare visited frequently by the pink night moth in search of nectar. The plants grow 1-3 ft. high and are found in valleys and on plains at 4000-10000 ft. They were formerly cultivated in kitchen gardens in England for their edible roots. When boiled these are very nutritious and wholesome, but they have been eaten very little as a table vegetable since the use of the potato became general. They are sweet to the taste, somewhat resembling parsnips. A drug made from the Evening Primrose is used for coughs, colds and asthmatic troubles, and an ointment for skin affections is also obtained.
Plate 32, fig. 5
As the name indicates, the yellow flowers of the Evening Star open in the evening and close in the morning. They bloom all summer and are found on branching plants 8 in.-2 ft. high. These occur on dry plains and gravel-slides at 7000-9000 ft.
Plate 32, fig. 6
The Prickly Pear bears yellow flowers on low branching spiny stems. As in all the members of the cactus family, the plants are leafless, the stems having been modified into food-making and water-storing organs that take the place of foliage. The flowers bloom in midsummer on prairies and plains at 4000-7000 ft. The fruit of the Prickly Pear is sometimes used as food, being collected and sold in the markets in some localities. The juice is used for coloring confectionery, and in Mexico a drink called “Colinche” is prepared from it. The old, fibrous parts of the joints are made into commercial articles when hard and firm.Opuntia cochinelliferais extensively cultivated in Mexico for the purpose of breeding the cochineal insect from which the finest crimson dye is produced.
Plate 32, fig. 7
The many-petalled, starry blossoms of the Purple Cactus grow in groups on ball-like fleshy stems which are but a few inches tall and covered with radiating brown and yellow spines. They dot the prairies and foothills at 3000-7000 ft. and bloom in midsummer.
Plate 36, fig. 7
The tiny yellow flowers of the Mountain Parsley are grouped, as in all the parsleys, in flat-topped clusters at the tip of the stem. They bloom in early and midsummer. In alpine meadows the flowers are burnt orange in color. The plants grow 1-2 ft. tall and may be found in forests, woodlands and meadows at 7000-12000 ft. The Mountain Parsley is related to the common parsley of kitchen gardens and also to Sweet Anise which is used to flavor confectionery.
Plate 36, fig. 4
As indicated by the name, the Twin Flowers grow in pairs. They are drooping, bell-shaped pink blossoms with a delicate fragrance and bloom in midsummer. The fragile stems are but 3-8 in. tall and are found in the moist shade of pine and spruce forests at 8000-12000 ft. The botanical name commemorates Linnaeus, the Father of Botany.
Plate 36
PARSLEY FAMILY
7Mountain Parsley: Pseudocymopterus montanus
HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY
4Twin Flower: Linnaea borealis5Snowberry: Symphoricarpus occidentalis
BLUEBELL FAMILY
1Purple Bellflower: Campanula Parryi2Bluebell, Harebell: Campanula rotundifolia6Alpine Bluebell: Campanula uniflora
VALERIAN FAMILY
3Valerian: Valeriana silvatica
Plate 36, fig. 5
The Snowberry bears its pale pink flowers in drooping clusters on the spreading branches of bushes, which grow 2-5 ft. tall. They bloom in midsummer and may be found in meadows and thickets at 3000-7000 ft. The name refers to the snow-white berries which form the fruits.
Plate 36, fig. 1
The blossoms of the Purple Bellflower grow singly at the tips of slender stems and bloom in midsummer. They do not droop, as do many of the bluebells. They are found in mountain meadows at 7000-10000 ft. The plants are unbranched and small, growing but 4-12 in. tall. The name of the genus,Campanula, means “little bell.”
Plate 36, fig. 2
The purple-blue flowers of the Bluebell droop gracefully at intervals along their slender stems and bloom all summer long. The plants grow but a few inches tall in the alpine regions where each bears but a single blossom, but they are sometimes 3 ft. high at lower altitudes, especially in the shade. They are found on foothills and in mountain meadows and aspen woodlands at 6000-13000 ft. This species is the true Bluebell of Scotland.
Plate 36, fig. 6
The Alpine Bluebell is a tiny plant, growing but 2-5 in. tall on account of the effect of the high altitudes at which it lives. Thesingle blossom is a deep purple-blue and hangs from the tip of the fragile stem. The botanical name of the species means “one-flowered.” The plants bloom in early summer and must be sought in alpine meadows at 11000-14000 ft.
Plate 36, fig. 3
The tiny pale pink flowers of the Valerian grow in flat-topped clusters at the tips of straight stiff stems, 1-3 ft. tall. They bloom in early summer in fir and spruce forests at 8000-11000 ft. The botanical name of this species refers to the fact that the plants are forest-lovers. Some species of Valerian are used in medicine as a sedative and for various nervous troubles, and one has an edible root. They have a strong unpleasant odor which cats and rats like. The leaves are efficacious in healing wounds.
Plate 37, fig. 1
The Blazing Star receives its name from the dense spikes of brilliant red-purple blossoms. These bloom in late summer and autumn and are found on prairies, plains and foothills at 3000-6000 ft. The plants are unbranched and grow 6-18 in. tall. This species is the least beautiful of several native blazing stars that deserve a place in the wild garden.
Plate 37, fig. 2
The pale blue-lavender flowers of the Blue Lettuce grow in clusters on plants 3-6 ft. high. They bloom in midsummer and are found along roadsides and in meadows at 3000-6000 ft. Several varieties of lettuce have narcotic properties, while the value of the garden lettuce is too well-known to need comment.
Plate 37, fig. 3
The pale yellow blossoms of the Sheath Flower hang from their stalks like inverted thimbles and bloom in midsummer. The name refers to the tiny bracts that sheathe the flower-heads closely and turn reddish brown with age. The plants are much branched, 1-4 ft. tall, and occur in meadows and thickets at 5000-9000 ft.
Plate 37, fig. 4
The golden-yellow heads of the False Dandelion look very like those of its namesake. They bloom in midsummer and are found on plants 1-3 ft. tall, in mountain meadows and along brook-banks at 8000-11000 ft.
Plate 37, fig. 5
The Goatsbeard or Salsify bears large purple flower-heads with yellow centers at the tips of stiff, straight stems, 2-4 ft. tall. The plants have escaped from cultivation and may be found blooming all summer, along roadsides and in meadows at 4000-7000 ft. The roots of the Salsify are edible and are marketed under the name of “Oyster Plant.” The name “Goatsbeard” refer to the clusters of stiff hairy fruits.
Plate 37
ASTER FAMILY
1Blazing Star: Laciniaria punctata2Blue Lettuce: Lactuca pulchella3Sheath Flower: Coleanthus grandiflorus4False Dandelion: Agoseris glauca5Goatsbeard, Salsify: Tragopogon porrifolius6Rose Thistle: Carduus undulatus7Hawksbeard: Crepis runcinata
Plate 37, fig. 6
The Rose Thistle is so named on account of the bright rose-purple flower-heads, which bloom in summer and autumn. The plants are 2-5 ft. tall and grow on plains, prairies and foothills at 5000-7000 ft. The gray-green foliage is very spiny, but when bruised to destroy the spines forms good food for cattle. Donkeys eat the plants, spines and all, and seem to relish them. The Thistle is the badge of Scotland.
Plate 37, fig. 7
The Hawksbeard has dandelion-like flower-heads of a golden yellow, which bloom in midsummer. The plants grow 1-2 ft. tall in mountain meadows and bogs at 8000-11000 ft.
Plate 38, fig. 1
The flower clusters of the goldenrods vary from rather slender, stiff spikes, which give the name to the group, to large, spreading, feathery panicles. The Prairie Goldenrod belongs to the latter class and is only medium-sized, both as to flower-clusters and plants, which are 8 in.-2 ft. tall. It blooms from midsummer to autumn and is most at home on the prairies, though it also occurs in meadows and on gravel-slides at 3000-10000 ft. The Goldenrod is the state flower of Nebraska. The botanical name for the genus comes from the Greek “to make whole” which refers to the healing properties formerly attributed to the plant.