New-York tribune., 1907-06-23
FOR NATIONAL FLOWER.
Special Appropriateness Of Colum-
binc Urged by Prof. Sargent.

The growing interest in the question of a
tionai flower has been intensified by the recent
publication in The Tribune of an account of the
Columbine Association, the object of which is To
bring about the official adoption of the colum-
bine as the national flower of the United States
and which comprises among its thousands of
members many representative Americans, in
Guiding artists, writers, horticuturists and bot
anists. in various parts of the country
The story has called forth several letters on
the subject TO The Tribune and one of the
writers, Gertrude Leslie makes certain state
ments to which exceptions are taken by Fred
erick lie Roy Sargent, president of the Column
bine Association. formerly teacher in the sum
mer course in botany, Harvard University and
instructor in botany at the University Of Wis
consn
In letter received here YESTERDAY Mr. Sar-
gent says:
In the issue Of The Tribune of June 10 appears a
letter, signed Gertrude Leslie, which raises an
interesting question regarding the common name
OF a flower viewed by many thousands of Arneri-
cans as most Mt to represent our country The
writer has made however some ,nisstatan,.rts
"hlch she VIII doubtless be glad to have set right
as well as 10 modify some seemingly hastv opinions
expressed In her letter She says: The proper
lame or the coiumbine is Aquilegia Under that
ie IL is placed In ali seed and plant catalogues
The writer Of the article 1 read imag1nes il was
csled columbine from the word also meaning
dove Not at all II was named colIrnbine after
Columbine wife Of Harlequin on account of i,s
shape resembling in miniature the cap and bells
worn by that gay person"
Inc advocates OF the columbine as the national
, ,lo~er welcome the evidence here given that its
botanical name. AQuilega. IS widely known among
lovers OF MOWERS; for, however the name may have
aiiseh' IL mas Deen associated by generations Of
those who have used II with the Latin aouila an
eagle symbolic Of high qualities for which we
lee our country stands. If, however. any one sup
poses mat Aquilegia is common or more
proper name for this plant than columbine let bi,o
,,' ee s1, @inost any English encyclopedia. and he
VIII nnd under Aquilegia merely See CoIumbina
as 10 the Idea that there is only an Imaginary
connection between the name columbne and the
Latin columbia, meaning dove. II must he said that
tne eerlyation OF columbine from colum,a ,hrogt,
eolum5inus. dovelike is given without question IN
the following dictionaries: Century" Hunters
Imperial" 'IAttrs's' .'Nurrav:s ..prior,s,,
skeats," Standard "webster's" and ..Worces
ters" Are we TO suppose that all these exnerts on
the history OF words merely ina gined what the,
sac a tor fact? What proof have we OF any
other derivation: Is IL probable that the plant de-
slNed ITS name from Harlequins sweetheart be-
cause she wore cap resembling the flower? Did
tolumbne. indeed, wear such a can bafora 10
colum5ine received its name? II So this must have
been several hundred years ago for we knovv tba
mower 10 have been thus called for several centu-
old records. M
In Broadbent's History of Pantomime'' the curl
oss may IND some very old descriptions OF Courn-
olnes costume. but mention Of any can AMI
bells. one French account of the conventional cos
tune describes { simple. jaunty cap with not the
slisatest suggestion OF what q persoailcation os
toIS would wear. Nor should we expect such
Jesters headgear worn by one intending Ia exnress
the oewllcbng charms of loveness We shouId
remember that in the typical pantoniime Hareo,n
is IA love with coumbine-is her ardent suitor not
he1 husband. as sometimes appears in later French
versions. Her place in the early pantonme as I'm
tNe 'hVSt afuSLc iater deyelopments. was 10 serve
as the occasion for various tricks which Harenuin
pays upon his rivals and upon others who oppose
me match and at the same time AZ a foil to their
.uaoonefy. We may be sure that whatever has
been Intended 10 be most beautiful and loyoI,, =;
.Hs pailtonlfnes Of all ages about the love
'hesb OF 1oIufnbine although. OF course we should
Dot eSect TO ma Its best expression IN Degenerate
examples. Consequently until we have some ey1-
oshce that the Hover derived its name from a
Ntaref OF cap and bells, the explanation which ali
the only reasona BILE one -
40" then are we TO account for the colainline's a
HNH.s tne same name as the heroine of panto-
miner Was the character named after .ha s.o