Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1896-07-16
PRAIRIE FLOWERS,
Some Aids in Their Identifi-
cation Offered by
G. C. Schmidt.
Names Given to q Few of the
More Common
Plants.

There is to me
has oacss aSe hess ss ey Sw out
With such simple lOveliness among
The common herbs Of pasture, and they breathe
Their II sdr lives yes 60 unobtrusyeiy, IKE hearts
As the gay flower gsrdens are seen
daily into which nature has converted
many vacant lots in the olty, q we'll as
the wide pralries around 10, eulogy for
the purpose of exciting interest therein
is quite needless. The descriptions
given herewith by Supt. G. @. Schmidt,
will aid observers in determining the
right name Of our native plants without
going to the trouble of making botsni-
cal analysis OF them. As vii! be noticed
many of the names are unfamiliar. The
fact is that many Of our flowers are not
common in the states east Of us. Some
Of them belong to the fora Of the west
ern plains and Rocky Mountain region,
and do not grow at all east OF the Mis-
sissippi river.
The Prairie Mallow or False Mallow,
(malvastrum coccineum, Gray. The
flowers are bright fire red, very snowy
and fragrant; are half the size OF rose
and grow in dense cluster along the
upper end Of the stem. In this vicinity
it is sometimes, but falsely, called
"wlld Reranium." It resembles geran-
lum only in the shape Of ito Leaf, while
botanical cIassifications depends princi-
pslly upon the structure Of flower and
fruit. The Red river is the eastern limit
OF this flower
The Gsurs (Gsurs cocclnea, Nutt.)
flowers are small and rose-color,
turning scarlet with age; quite delicate
and possess spicy odor. 1t belongs to
the evening primrose family; and has
petals turned upward and eight
stamens turned downward as is also the
long style. The stems are six to twelve
inches high, not standing erect, but
branching at the base. The flowers
grow along the upper end Of these stems,
the lower part OF which bear numerous
leaves. This does not grow east OF the
Mississippi river and. 60 far as known,
has no local name.
The Troxlmon CIroximon glsucum,
Nutt) flower has the appearance Of
dsndelion and is often mistaken for it.
But these differences are easily seen:
the flower stalk 10 longer, more slender
and rougher than IN the dsndellon, the
flower itself is not 60 thick, and the
lesves-found at the base Of the flower
stslk-are fewer and smaller. This is
also q western flower.
The Wolfberry (symphorioarpus oo-
c,dentalis, r Brown)-locslly known ss
''buok brush"-is closely related to the
snowberry which is common in oultiva-
tion IN the older states. It sometimes
receives that name and Q number Of
others here. The plant is low shrub,
and 10 very common at the edge Of groves
% we'll a. on the prairles. The howers-
now in full bloom-grow in clusters at
the end Of the branches and in the sxils
OF the leaves. They are white, tlnged
with rose color, much bearded within,
fragrant. Later in the season the
branches are covered with small, round,
green;sh white berries.
The Golden Aster (chrysopsis villosa,
Nutt.) These flowers are light, golden
yellow. showy, half as large as dands-
lion, terminating the numerous branches
which do not stand erect but lean upon
the ground. The whole plant is rough
and hairy and is most frequent in dry,
sandy soil.
The Purple Cone-aower (Echinsces
sugustifolia, D. o. like the preceding,
is found only in certain localities; but it
is not rare, and is sure to attract atten-
tion. In shape it is somewhat like q
small sunfiower; but It's marginal petals
(rays) are rose color, and narrow, while
the center (dlsk) is rounded and not fiat
as in the sunfower. This disk IS dark
brownish purple, and is sharp to the
touch (spiny.) The stem is erect and
rough, from one to three feet high, bears
but few leaves, and Is commonly termi-
mated by one flower, though sometimes
by two or three.
The Lepachys-pronounced lep-a-kus
-(Lepachys columnar,s, Torr & Grsy,)
is also compound" flower with margi-
nal petals yellow, and quite fragrant;
only FIVE to eight of them, broad and
short. The center disk is columnsr, an
inch long, grayish green. The stem is one
or two feet high and bears several
flowers which terminate it's branches.
The leaves are "pinnately divided This
is also western flower that extends but
a short way into Minnesota.
The Azure Larkspur (Delphinium
azureum, Michx,) is one Of the hand
praire flowers. The lark