The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-08-25
TIL: WILD FLOWERS OF
THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
Something Of the Flaming Ornaments
of Nature which Give to Our State
its Name.

mower, the EeiiON JcSSdHAhc. CoNCiHS
tree and trellis with its own dark |
green robing leaves. Every leaf,
flower, and tendril a thing Of grace |
fitness, and sending its wonderful |
perfume that seems the fragrant |
breath OF many springtimes on the
wings of the wind.
Then the azalia, whose sturdy
branches are crowned with its wealth
of delicate feathery pink and white
blossoms that are sharing their own
dainty fragrance with all around
them.
The little Easter lilies in their pink
and white dresses that border all our
streams and are gathered in such
sheaves to help in the Easter decora-
tiOns along with their more stately
relatives, the cultivated Easter and
Gala lilies. And the blue flag, that
gladdens the eye and dwells in such
friendiiness with the little Easter
lilies and brings to the mind of every
thinking reader the many stories in
history and fiction in which this little
flower or one of its relatives under
many different names have figured.
Then there is the violet, the butter
cup, the star flower, the dogwood, as
we'll as the water, and pond lilies. and
amaryliis or scarlet lily, that each
have a beauty of their own.
And we must not forget our beau
tiful, great creamy magnolia, with its
smaller sister, the sweet bay, both
sending out their own fragrance like
special incense for the Easter time
Later comes the hibiscus that gives
the touch of briliiancy to the gray
green of the marshes. Did you ever
note the lights and shadows of the
marsh on a warm, sunny afternoon.
with its Splashes of color made by
| the hibiscus? It is an atmosphere
that would make the name of any
| artist that could eaten il. Marshes
| may be unhealthy and get in the way
of business, but they can be very
| beautiful TO the artist eye.
Then, there is the tall, proud Span
ism bayonet, whose sharp elbows al
| ways seem to say, 'Hauds off. ="
Cold and naughty. never sending out
the least little ring of good cheer
from its many little bells, never nod
ding and gossiping together like other
flowers with every passing breeze. l
wonder if it does not get lonely some
| times?
And that queer flower, the mullen
| hyacinth, with its great bunch of
gray-green downy leaves. from the
| center of which spring from ten to
twenty spikes of flowers like hya-
cinths, each little flower from the
deepest scarlet in its throat to the
palest lavender on its outer edge.
The royal poinciana, and deserved
ly called royal, for could there be
anything more stately or graceful
than this pyramid of bloom nestled
in the lacy fern-like leaves of its TO-
liage? It gives one sense of mystic
~, like the mysterious Everglades
whence it comes.
And in contrast to this is the little
sand star that grows so close to
the ground you have to take roots
and all to gather it. The first time
J ever saw this little flower it
was half covering neglected grave,
and outside of its beauty it has al
ways had warm place in my heart
ever since.
And our wayside coffee bean and
fennei. Nothing could be more dain-
tiIy graceful than the former. with
its pale green foliage and yellow and
white flowers, or the latter, with it's
gray-green veil of nodding, swaying
branches. And later comes the gol-
denrOd that makes sunshine even in
shady places. There are over thirty
varities of this flower in Florida,
am told.