New-York tribune., 1907-07-14
CHAMPIONS COLUMBINE,
n Sargent Urges Its Appropriate
ness for National FIOzc6r.

Il, p, = letter signed ''Botanist" published
= sundays Tribune, attacking the claims oe
- .,,-,ll,a tor adoption as the national flower
- ,-ocs+ng the eoIdenrod, a letter has been
S-- = .-or Frederick lie Roy Sargent. Of
,ssg. Mass. president Of the CoIumbine As
NJ Sargent Joins issue at the outset
toc.a'.s 80 statement by 'Botanst
win t-s t-s.,io,al flower should lie. as far as pos
ol' zti.-+inctively American. The cournbine is
SIDE - two KINDS Of 1t are generally known in
not. -.-5 states One is the AQuilegia vulgars-
~ ~ common garden variety II is purely Of
ne toelar origin. The other IS the wild columbine
..I,ilsgis cansdensis. II would be appropriate
9 +-ss,a5s but not for US All the other varieties
10 'I tberA are several Of then-are local in their
.st+s+s and are not generally known
49, botanist'' Mr. Sargent says, would know
,.ter than 70 say that coIumbines are not as dis
,inrtiveIy American as the strctest standards OF
S+ness in q national flower would require The
covers which have served as distinctive emblems
Of other nations, as. for example, the rose for
FnCIand and the chrysanthemum for Japan. must
t4 our guide in this matter If are TO enjoy such
benefits as they have derived from national
eower. The columaine would stand for the United
states quite as distinctively as any flower STANDS
foT any nation.
again 10 botanist would commit himself 20 the
ratemeut that only two kinds Of columbne
generally known in this country one has only to
lteud flower shows when columbines are in bloom,
or observe the floral displays at national exposi-
thai large proportion OF our thirteen natiNe
speciss Of aquilegia very widely and enthuSi
ssticaly enjoyed every year by flower loving
Americans
As regards the extent Of territory over which
some q these species grow wild. Grays 'Synopjcal
Flora Of North America says Of Aquiegia coerulea
that 4 ranges from Montana 10 the borders Of
New Mckee; Of AGuilegia formcsa, Alaska and
T2-rish Columbia 10 Northern California, mountains
q Nevada and Southwestern Utah and oc Aqui-
legia truncata, common throughout CALI
when a species covers such an enormous territory
as any one Of those mentioned botanists do not
snesk OF is habitat local
"a ~ Callad@VSiS. hOfaniSt
Know that It's specific name does not refer to the
canada Of to-day but 10 that vast region extend
,rg from the ST. Lawreuce River 70 the mouth Of
tbe Mississippi, which was known Canada when
fhe rlzrr received its name from Lnu#us Tie
Fsther Of botany about century and half ago.
'Bo,anist further insists that our national
eov4r should be- # not single in type, at least
reasonably uniform, so that the mention Of II
,ror1 rrfatuEly suggest q standard OF form and
color AFTER mentioning several kinds of aqueEia
AZ different Coiors. tie question Is asked 'Which
q these of the various others. is 10 be adopted
hioh n +re !rruuerabIe kinds of rose IS the ma
,ousI TYNE Of England or which clrysanthemum
e Japau's. i is ar easy to tell p colunbine Of
whaefer type or color as Il is rose or chrysan-
themunl.
~Another curious Inconsistency appears in the
,,f1-.5-- e-a--rvanrs Of ISotanst'-eaCh II should
te ohsar,ed alike unsupported by evidence. In one
mace il is said Of the columbne: 1t is excepting
n special localities. a. the least familiar or
cur wild flowers. In z large part Of the country
Il IS entirely unknown IN the next paragraph
ue find in reference 10 this flower and 70 the
Is-oi7e Of rantornirle: It j. undeniable. however
,bsr the ruo are and probably always VIII be, In
ssrarablv associated in the popular mind, a cir
rrrns,ance doubtless fUrthered by the fact Of the
s+are cclurnhiue's wearing cap, and, indeed, gen
s-aIr an entire costume modelled after the flower
and Il is 70 be feared. despite all academic dis-
rlsirrers If t-e columbine were adopted as our
-sflonsl flower 4 large majority Of people would
-e-s,st in thinking had borrowed our emblem
from the mimic stage
i for one should welcome any evidence that the
costume of any stage columbine was ever in any
respect modelled after the flower whose name she
hears L is always interesting 70 see how the
4aVers of ? country affect the popular irnaglna-
80, and gain q place IN folklore and IL becomes
esnefs,- interesting when that flower is becoming
ar Increasingly popular candidate 10 represent en-
tlar7sr;-al7v Z great people. There would he such
srr-rnrfsreress in having ColGmbine dressed ike
3 colurtine that have wondered at finding no
trace Of such cosruuing IN any OF the sources Of
Information I have been able TO consult
The roldenrod has evoked some enthusiasm. but
that xas short lived for lis advocates found that
thev could not decorate with II or MeTnoria! Day
Or On tie Fourth Of July (as may be done WIN
eolunbines3 because goldenrods are not aYalla Die
III August or September.
Wien artists have tried n use II IN decorative
designs nreclu5tnE color, they have been CON
strained "a add 2 label. p-ociaiming; This IS a
eolderrod' lest its resemblance 70 other more ot
Jess rodlke OF indefinite masses OF bloom sAol-d
raise embarrassing questions
Even is strongest advocates came 10 see that Il
wouldn't DO a. al. and the feeling grew that
cheap disuav. arrogant aggression and tie false
liberty which Is -urnlndful Of the rights OF others
would be z most Eeplorable emblem for our b.
oyedc