Part 21

The Rose Thistle is so named on account of the bright rose-purple flower-heads, which bloom in summer and autumn. The plants are 2-5 ft. tall and grow on plains, prairies and foothills at 5000-7000 ft. The gray-green foliage is very spiny, but when bruised to destroy the spines forms good food for cattle. Donkeys eat the plants, spines and all, and seem to relish them. The Thistle is the badge of Scotland.

Hawksbeard Crepis runcinata

Plate 37, fig. 7

The Hawksbeard has dandelion-like flower-heads of a golden yellow, which bloom in midsummer. The plants grow 1-2 ft. tall in mountain meadows and bogs at 8000-11000 ft.

Prairie Goldenrod Solidago missouriensis

Plate 38, fig. 1

The flower clusters of the goldenrods vary from rather slender, stiff spikes, which give the name to the group, to large, spreading, feathery panicles. The Prairie Goldenrod belongs to the latter class and is only medium-sized, both as to flower-clusters and plants, which are 8 in.-2 ft. tall. It blooms from midsummer to autumn and is most at home on the prairies, though it also occurs in meadows and on gravel-slides at 3000-10000 ft. The Goldenrod is the state flower of Nebraska. The botanical name for the genus comes from the Greek “to make whole” which refers to the healing properties formerly attributed to the plant.

ASTER FAMILY

1 Prairie Goldenrod: Solidago missouriensis 2 Pussy’s Toes: Antennaria dioeca 3 Daisy: Erigeron macranthus 4 Purple Aster: Machaeranthera Bigelovii 5 Leafy Aster: Aster foliaceus 6 Gold-top: Gutierrezia sarothrae 7 Golden Eye: Chrysopsis villosa 8 Gum Weed: Grindelia squarrosa]

Pussy’s Toes Antennaria dioeca

Plate 38, fig. 2

The soft fuzzy balls that give this plant its name are the pistillate or seed-bearing flowers, while the staminate or pollen-bearing ones grow in heads on other stems. The botanical name for the genus refers to the fact that the protruded brown anthers of the staminate heads sometimes resemble the antennae of insects. The heads are creamy white with rose-colored bracts enclosing them at the base, and bloom in spring and early summer. The plants are 2-15 in. tall and grow on prairies and in meadows and aspen woodland at 3000-10000 ft. The leaves are gray from the white woolly hairs covering them, and grow in clusters at the base of the flowering stems. These clusters usually form dense mats, the leaves of which are sometimes chewed by children as Indian Tobacco or Ladies’ Tobacco.

Daisy Erigeron macranthus

Plate 38, fig. 3

This Daisy has yellow disks surrounded by blue-purple rays. The name is a corruption of Day’s Eye which refers to the resemblance of the yellow center and its rays to the sun and its rays. The plants grow 1-3 ft. tall in meadows, fir forests, aspen woodlands and on gravel-slides at 5000-10000 ft. and bloom in midsummer. They are beautiful enough to be given a place in the garden.

Purple Aster Machaeranthera Bigelovii

Plate 38, fig. 4

The Aster differs from the Daisy in having fewer and broader ray-flowers. This Aster has purple rays and yellow disks. It grows 1-4 ft. tall in meadows and on gravel-slides at 6000-10000 ft. and blooms in midsummer.

Leafy Aster Aster foliaceus

Plate 38, fig. 5

The heads of the Leafy Aster have yellow disk-flowers and red-purple rays. They bloom from midsummer to autumn. The plants grow 6 in.-2 ft. tall in meadows and aspen woodlands at 7000-11000 ft. The word “aster” comes from the Latin for “star” and refers to the rays surrounding the yellow center.

Gold-top Gutierrezia sarothrae

Plate 38, fig. 6

The slender yellow heads of Gold-top grow in dense clusters on plants 1-3 ft. high. They bloom from midsummer to autumn and may be found on prairies and plains at 3000-8000 ft. They are especially typical of pastures and over-grazed areas.

Golden Eye Chrysopsis villosa

Plate 38, fig. 7

The name “Golden Eye” is a direct translation of the scientific name of the genus. The flower-heads are entirely golden-yellow, ray-flowers as well as disk-flowers, and they bloom in midsummer. The plants are low-growing, 1-2 ft. high, and occur on prairies and gravel-slides and in aspen woodlands at 3000-10000 ft.

Gum Weed Grindella squarrosa