Part 25

SPIDERWORT FAMILY

2 Spider Lily: Tradescantia virginiana]

Wand Lily Zygadenus elegans

Plate 42, fig. 5

The cream-colored blossoms of the Wand Lily are grouped in open spikes on straight slender stems 4 in.-2-1/2 ft. tall. They bloom in midsummer in meadows and spruce and aspen woods at 7000-12000 ft. The Wand Lily is related to the poisonous Death Camas, and is probably poisonous also.

Mariposa Lily Calochortus Gunnisonii

Plate 42, fig. 6

This Mariposa Lily is usually white, though delicate lilac blossoms are sometimes found. The petals are ornamented with various markings which give point to the common name of the genus which means “butterfly.” The plants grow 1-4 ft. tall in foothills, meadows and aspen forests at 4000-11000 ft. and bear flowers all summer long. The genus is widely distributed and contains many beautiful species and varieties of striking colors, which should be more generally cultivated.

SPIDERWORT FAMILY

Spider Lily Tradescantia virginiana

Plate 42, fig. 2

The pink or blue-purple flowers of the Spider Lily open in the morning and wither soon afterwards. They are grouped in open clusters on stiff stems with long, grass-like leaves, and bloom from spring to midsummer. The plants grow in clumps, 1-5 ft. tall, on prairies and foot-hills at 3000-7000 ft. The common name refers to the cobwebby hairs on the stamens. The Spider Lily should certainly be cultivated in home gardens.

IRIS FAMILY

Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium

Plate 43, fig. 1

The Blue-eyed Grass is not a grass at all, but is so called on account of the grass-like leaves. The blue-purple, starry blossoms grow in loose clusters on stiff stems, and bloom from spring to midsummer. They remain open but a few hours in the morning withering as the day advances. The plants are 6-18 in. tall and are found on prairies, and foothills and in mountain meadows at 3000-10000 ft.

Iris, Blue Flag Iris missouriensis

Plate 43, fig. 5

The large, pale blue to purple blossoms of the Iris bloom in spring and summer, on brook-banks and in meadows at 3000-10000 ft. The plants grow in masses, 1-3 ft. tall, and sometimes carpet the floor of a mountain meadow. The botanical name for the Blue Flag is from the Greek for “rainbow” and refers to the many colors of the different species and varieties. These are cultivated and furnish some of our most beautiful garden plants. The earliest illustration of the Iris was made about the beginning of the sixth century A.D. in a work by Dioscorides. In this work, it was considered valuable as a source of drugs rather than as a garden plant, and the number of ailments for which iris preparations were prescribed is truly astonishing. At present, however, its medicinal value consists merely of an extract from the root, which is used as an emetic and cathartic. The seeds of some species are sometimes roasted and used in Great Britain as a substitute for coffee. The orris root of commerce is supplied by Iris florentina which has a fragrant root. The Iris is the Fleur-de-lis of France, which was for long the royal emblem.

ORCHID FAMILY

Coral Root Corallorhiza multiflora

Plate 43, fig. 2

The Coral Root receives its name from the white branching roots that resemble coral. The plant is a saprophyte, that is, it gets its food ready-made from decaying matter, and this accounts for the lack of green foliage. The plants are entirely reddish-purple, though the flower-petals are white with purple dots. They grow 6 in.-1 ft. tall, in spruce and fir woods at 7000-10000 ft. and bloom all summer.

Yellow Ladies’ Slipper Cypripedium pubescens

Plate 43, fig. 3

The botanical name for the Ladies’ Slipper comes from the Greek for “sock” or “buskin,” so that the fanciful resemblance of the flower to dainty footwear is indicated by both names. Though the sack-like lower petal of Yellow Ladies’ Slipper is a bright yellow, the other two petals and the sepals are yellow-green with reddish markings. The flowers occur singly on stems 8-20 in. tall, and bloom in early summer. They are found in meadows and aspen woodlands at 6000-9000 ft.

Rattlesnake Plantain Peramium repens

Plate 43, fig. 4