Part 12

5 Bladderwort: Utricularia vulgaris

BROOM-RAPE FAMILY

6 Broom-rape: Thalesia uniflora]

Lousewort, Turtle Head Pedicularis canadensis

Plate 22, fig. 9

The flowers of this Lousewort are yellowish and occur in crowded heads on low spreading stems, 4-6 in. high. They occur in mountain meadows at 6000-9000 ft. and bloom in spring and early summer. The name Lousewort is derived from the Latin one which was bestowed upon it, because once upon a time farmers believed that when their flocks fed upon the flowers the sheep were liable to be attacked by certain tiny lice or “pediculi.” The name Turtle Head is from a fancied resemblance of the flower to the protruded head of a turtle. The plants are supposed to be poisonous to sheep.

Butter-and-Eggs Linaria vulgaris

Plate 22, fig. 10

The flowers of Butter-and-Eggs are yellow and orange, and the common name refers to these two shades of yellow. They bloom throughout the summer and fall and are common in waste places and fields at 3000-7000 ft. The plants are persistent deep-rooted perennial weeds, 8-20 in. tall, and may be eradicated whenever desired by short rotation of crops and thorough cultivation in spring and fall. They are regarded with suspicion as being poisonous and the juice mingled with milk constitutes a fly poison. At one time, however, the plants yielded what was considered a valuable skin lotion.

Little Elephant Elephantella groenlandica

Plate 22, fig. 11

The flowers of the Little Elephant are pinkish-purple, and the elongated curved tube of the upper petal has a comical resemblance to an elephant’s trunk. The stems grow 4-24 in. tall and are found in swamps and wet meadows at 8000-12000 ft. The flowers are arranged in open spikes and bloom all summer long.

BLADDERWORT FAMILY

Bladderwort Utricularia vulgaris

Plate 22, fig. 5

The yellow flowers of the Bladderwort grow on erect branches from submerged stems 1-4 ft. long, and are found in lakes, ponds, etc. at 3000-12000 ft. The Bladderwort receives its name from the tiny black bladders which grow on the submerged, finely divided leaves. These little bladders serve as traps and absorptive organs for tiny animals in the water, and the plants thus live partly on insects, larvae, etc.

BROOM-RAPE FAMILY

Broom-rape Thalesia uniflora

Plate 22, fig. 6

The Broom-rape is a parasite and absorbs its food from the roots of its neighbors. This habit accounts for the pale color of both plants and blossoms, since all such robber-plants lose their green food-making matter through disuse. The flowers are violet-tinged and bloom in early summer. The plants may be found in damp woods at 5000-10000 ft.

SNAPDRAGON FAMILY

Pink Beard-tongue Pentstemon secundiflorus

Plate 23, fig. 1

The Pentstemons or Beard-tongues receive both the scientific name of the genus and the common name from the sterile fifth stamen, which is characteristically very hairy in the Beard-tongues. They are closely related to the Foxglove of the garden, though few of the American species are as yet cultivated. The flowers of the Pink Beard-tongue are rose-purple or pink and grow on stiff stems 1-2 ft. high. They may be found on dry plains, foothills, hills and mountains at 5000-9000 ft. blooming in early summer.

Dark Pentstemon Pentstemon glaucus

Plate 23, fig. 2

The Dark Pentstemon usually bears wine-colored to nearly black flowers, though sometimes pale yellowish or whitish ones occur. They are ornamented with darker longitudinal stripes and bloom in midsummer in the mountains at 8000-12000 ft. At the higher altitudes the stems are dwarfed and attain no more than 4 in. in height, while ordinarily they grow to 3 ft.

Blue Pentstemon Pentstemon gracilis