The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-04-24

IIult OF thc western prickly pear IL
spineless and edible. II is 10 the
plants advantage to have this fruit
eaten because the seeds are then
scattered and have a better chance
% fan on ground suitable for growth.
The fruit tastes more like an insipid
zig than any kind Of pear but as Il
r. pear shaped tine name was prob
ably given to It OF that account.
Wild flowers generally have a
reputation for willing too easily 60
be good for decorative purposes but
the large lowered tick seed. or
golden coreopsis. equals the garden
coreopsis Ia this respect Tho brill
liant yellow blossoms on their grace
ful stems are equally effective
mnssed In a Jar In my lady's draw
ing room or swayinE like golden
stars above the prairie sod From
May 10 August they bloom by the
acre IN open fields, only 10 be re-
placed by their cousins, the bur
marigolds (bidcns) that throw
wash OF yellow over whole reaches
of landscape until killed by heavy
frosta All kinds of coroopsis are
called tick seed because tho flat
two pronged seeds stick like ticks to
the hair 81 an mails and thc eliot htno
Of people. Thus they secure free
rides 20 many places where they find
plenty Of room 10 grow. Coucopsis
and biiena both belong to the com
posltc family. the largest family Of
Towering plants In the world. ono
containing over ton thousand species.
Also called composite flower Is really
n whole bouquet, the true flowers
being small and crowded together on
a central dish. while the border Of
bright colorcd, apparent petals are
each flower. Tho brisht yellow
rays Of the coreopsis mako II vis-
iblc a long way off for yellow Is tho
color that can be seen farthest by
human eyes at least
Oklahoma State Flower.
Vow a word about our state
flower which Is not a flower at all
but a berry. Probably not ono per-
son IN ten thousand has ever seen
the mistletoe flower, which is a tiny.
greenlsh yellow thing. coming in
early summer when the plant Ia
hidden hy the foliage of the Tree on
which IL grows as parasite. The
popularity OF the mistletoe berry as
n Christmas decoration IS duo not
only TO It's own beauty but - an old
custom brought from England. In
ancient times the Druids reverenc"d
the English mistletoe when found
growing on the oak as rarely hap
pcncd; for the plant. while p1raai-
tic. Is arbitrary in choice OF host.
In Oklahoma our species Is always
found on elm trees. nowhere else.
In California the western sp5 cics
grows exclusively on live oak. ana
Yvafg ahnngAg NH1
maple. Wherever It grows II Is a
plant thief, living on the stolen sap
OF the unfortunate tree It lives upon.
Space forbids the mention OF all
YOklahoma wild flowers but the fol-
| lowing list will name some Of tho
most snowy ones. besides those al
ready described. Rod vcrhena, dog
wood, white false indigo, purple falls"
| indigo, halbcrt leaved mallow, pink
mallow, dark mallow, great yellow
evening primrose, white primrose
| larkspur, gaillardia, sweet william
goats rue. purple cone-flower. yel-
/ low conc-flower, black eyed Susan
| snake root, purple, gcryngium, wild
! hyacinth, Indian paint brush, sab
/ batia, cardinal flower, blue sage
gentian. Queen Anne's lace, horse
mint, foxglove, bird foot violet, (and
n dozen other kinds OF violeD bis
purple aster, white aster, rosin weed
blue morning glory, great bind weed
willow weed. euphorbia. sensitive
briar. butterfly pea, climbing rose
| small ros. anemone, Jack-in-th IN
pulpit. columbine. ironweed. cycla
men. a number of varieties o
goldenrod, brown coryopsis, agera
tum, spring beauty yellow adde
tongue. mandrake. yellow star grass
tiger lily, thistle, button weed, hors'
nettle, clcmatis. corydalis, star Gu
cunfer. Venus looking glass, dande
lion, dog fenncl, eldcrbery, fou
o'clock, white orchid, false garlic
ssrard!a, gourd, !gp!nc, !oha!!a
looscstrife, meadow rue and so OF
to n much longer list"