Part 2

COROLLA LOBES SEPARATE STIGMA STAMEN PETAL SEPAL FLOWER-STALK (PEDUNCLE) COROLLA LOBES UNITED COROLLA LOBE STAMEN ANTHER (POLLEN-SAC) FILAMENT SEPAL PISTIL STIGMA STYLE OVARY CALYX-TUBE SEED STIGMA STAMEN SEPAL CALYX-TUBE CAPSULE BELL-SHAPE CALYX-TUBE TUBULAR FUNNEL FORM COMPOSITE FLOWER HEADS INVOLUCRE STIGMA STYLE STAMEN TUBE DISK COROLLA RAY COROLLA DISK FRUIT BRACT (FLORAL LEAF) FLORAL LEAF (BRACT) LEAF BLADE MIDRIB LEAF-STALK (PETIOLE) IRREGULAR LOBES FRUIT OF COMPOSITE (ACHENE) BRISTLES (PAPPUS) SEED SIMPLE LEAVES LINEAR LANCE-SHAPE OBLONG LANCE-OBLONG OVATE COMPOUND LEAVES ONCE-DIVIDED PALMATE or DIGITATE SHARPLY TOOTHED LEAFLETS LEAF-STALK (PETIOLE) STEM PINNATE TWICE-DIVIDED LEAFLET LEAF-STALK

PLANT PARTS AND PLANT NAMES

The diagram on the opposite page carries illustrations of most of the terms used in the following descriptions of plants. As it was intended that this manual should serve as a means of plant identification from illustrations, the descriptions have been made very brief. If the reader is interested in a more detailed description, technical books should be consulted. Some botanical terms are rather loosely used in the effort to avoid technical expressions; for example, the fruit of a daisy flower is known popularly as a seed but is an achene, a seed closely covered by the wall of the ovary.

The conspicuous parts of the flower commonly make up the corolla, each part being known as a petal; however, in some flowers the showy part is actually the calyx, as the outer whorl of parts around the stamens and pistil is always called. The divisions of the calyx are known as sepals. The stamens are made up of two parts—the anthers or small sacs which bear the pollen grains, a necessary part to fertilization, and the filaments or stalks which elevate the anthers so that the pollen grains can be scattered. The ovules which develop into seeds after fertilization are borne in the ovary, a part of the pistil. The pollen is deposited on the stigma and carried down the style to the ovule. Showy flower parts, nectar, and other devices attract insect visitors which aid in the transfer of pollen from one flower to another.

In order that botanists everywhere may make use of plant names and descriptions, these are written in Latin. The Latin name of the bluebonnet is Lupinus texensis, in which texensis represents the name of a species and Lupinus is the name of a genus, which is a group of closely related species. The plants making up the different species in a genus are usually so much alike in flower, fruit, and leaf characters that they can be recognized as belonging to the same group. Similar genera (plural of genus) are grouped together in families; the family name in Latin takes the ending -aceae. Thus while this book illustrates only 257 Texas plants, it is hoped that the reader will become familiar with many others which bear a close relationship.

Much effort has been expended to use scientific terminology in accordance with that preferred by experts on various plant groups, but continuing research changes many well known names. In this list the name used in the text is followed by the name now in good usage; the terms are not always synonymous. The authorities for the names are not given but can be checked in technical publications.

Aesculaceae Hippocastanaceae Allionia grayana Mirabilis grayana Amphiachyris dracunculoides Gutierrezia dracunculoides Argemone rosea Argemone sanguinea Argemone delicatula Argemone pinnatifida Asclepiodora decumbens Asclepias capricornu Baptisia bracteata Baptisia leucophaea Batodendron arboreum Vaccinium arboreum Capnoides montanum Corydalis aurea Capnoides curvisiliquum Corydalis curvisiliqua Carduus austrinus Cirsium sp. Carduus undulatus Cirsium undulatum megacephalum Cassiaceae Leguninosae Cebatha carolina Cocculus carolinus Cercis reniormis Cercis canadensis texensis Cochranea anchusaefolia Heliotropium amplexicaule Conoclinium coelestinum Eupatorium coelestinum Delphinium albescens Delphinium virescens Dendropogon usneoides Tillandsia usneoides Dichondraceae Convolvulaceae Dracopis amplexicaulis Rudbeckia amplexicaulis Epilobiaceae Onagraceae Erythraea Centaurium Fabaceae Leguminosae Filago prolifera Evax prolifera Filago nivea Evax multicaulis Geoprumnon mexicanum Astragalus caryocarpus pachycarpus Greggia camporum Nerisyrenia camporum Hamosa nuttalliana Astragalus Nuttallianus Hartmannia tetraptera Oenothera speciosa Hypoxis erecta Hypoxis hirsuta Ibidium gracile Spiranthes gracilis Jussiaea diffusa Jussiaea repens Keerlia bellidiflora Chaetopappa bellidifolia Krameriaceae Leguminosae Laciniaria punctata Liatris punctata Lepidium alyssoides Lepidium montanum alyssoides Leptoglottis uncinata Schrankia Nuttallii Leucophyllum texanum Leucophyllum frutescens Limodorum tuberosum Calopogon pulchellus Lithospermum linearifolium Lithospermum incisum Lithospermum gmelinii Lithospermum carolinense Megapterium missouriense Oenothera missouriensis Meriolix spinulosa Oenothera serrulata Drummondii Mimosaceae Leguminosae Nemastylis acuta Nemastylis geminiflora Nama ovatum Hydrolea ovata Nemastylis texana Nemastylis sp. Neopieris mariana Lyonia mariana Nuphar advena Nuphar advenum Oxytropis lamberti Astragalus Lambertii Parosela aurea Dalea aurea Parosela pogonathera Dalea pogonathera Pentstemon Penstemon Persicaria longistyla Polygonum longistylum Persicaria punctata Polygonum punctatum Phlox drummondii (purple variety) Phlox Goldsmithii (left, p. 107) Phlox drummondii (purple variety) Phlox McAllisteri (right, p. 107) Phlox helleri Phlox littoralis Phytolacca decandra Phytolacca americana Pleiotaenia nuttallii Polytaenia Nuttallii Ptiloria pauciflora Stephanomeria pauciflora Quamasia hyacinthina Camassia scilloides Rosa woodsii Rosa foliolosa Sabbatia Sabatia Senecio filifolius Senecio longilobus Sisyrinchium thurowi Sisyrinchium exile Sitilias multicaulis Pyrrhopappus sp. Sophia pinnata Descurainea pinnata Stenorrhyncus cinnabarinus Spiranthes cinnabarina Thrysanthema nutans Chaptalia nutans Thymophylla polychaeta Dyssodia polychaeta Thymophylla pentachaeta Dyssodia pentachaeta Toxicoscordion nuttallii Zygadenus Nuttallii Tradescantia bracteata Tradescantia ohiensis Verbena plicata Verbena Cloveri Vicia texana Vicia ludoviciana Yucca radiosa Yucca elata Yucca glauca Yucca campestris

PLANT DISTRIBUTION

The above map gives the larger natural areas of the state. The prairie regions afford the most profuse display of wild flowers. In the wooded area of East Texas, the shortleaf pine is abundant in the northern part, the loblolly in the southwestern part, and the longleaf pine in the southeastern part of the area, while hardwoods are found in the river bottoms. The chief trees in the post oak strip are post oak and black jack oak. Among the mountain cedars, live oaks and Spanish oaks, so common in the limestone hill region, may be found scattered trees and shrubs of the chaparral. The chaparral region is often broken by prairies but in some places is densely covered with shrubs and small trees which are usually thorny. The mesquite is abundant in this region and is more or less scattered throughout the prairie regions.

TEXAS FLOWERS

Author’s Note: The family characteristics are placed immediately below the illustrations at the beginning of each family group and set in smaller type to distinguish them from the individual group descriptions.

DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIES

WATER-PLANTAIN FAMILY (Alismaceae)

Marsh or water plants; leaves mostly basal; sepals 3; petals 3, white or pink, tender; stamens 6 or more; pistils many, free; fruit a head of achenes.

Small Arrowhead (Sagittaria papillosa) is a common pond dweller in Texas and Louisiana. Like other arrowheads the flowers are borne in whorls, the upper having many stamens and the lower producing the seeds. It may be distinguished from other narrow-leaved forms by the rough (papillose) surface of the floral leaves.

Plains or Long-Lobed Arrowhead (Sagittaria longiloba) is common in shallow water on the plains from Nebraska to Mexico from April to October. The shape of the leaf of this and other species has given the common names of arrowhead and arrowleaf to this group. Like the water-plantain and bur-head the flowers have 3 tender white petals. The wapato duck potato (S. latifolia) may be found in East Texas. Growing in great abundance along the coast, the water potato or scythe-fruited arrowhead (S. falcata) is a showy plant 2-4 feet high with large lance-shaped leaves. The tubers and young shoots of both of these are considered excellent foods for ducks. Indians also valued the starchy tubers for food, and it was the duty of the women to grub in the mud for them.

PINEAPPLE FAMILY (Bromeliaceae)

Chiefly air-plants, some rigid-leaved land plants; floral leaves often conspicuous; 3 sepals; 3 petals; stamens 3-6; pistil 3-celled.

Spanish Moss (Dendropogon usneoides) has long zig-zag stems hanging in gray masses from the branches of many trees, especially live oaks, from the Coastal Plain of the United States to South America. Sometimes called Florida-moss, wool crape, crape-moss, and long moss, it has long been renowned in literature and industry. Indians and pioneers found many uses for it, and it is still used for padding, fodder for cattle, decoration, and the making of mattresses. The short leaves are scattered on the slender stem, which may be 1-6 yards long. The fragrant flowers are small and inconspicuous, being about ¼ inch long, blooming in early summer. The name means “tree-beard.”

Ball Moss. Bunch Moss (Tillandsia recurvata) has small and inconspicuous purple flowers which appear in the summer. Like the Spanish moss, it gets its nourishment from the air but may injure trees by crowding out the leaves. Both mosses bear no relation to the true mosses but belong to the same family as the pineapple. The ball moss is found on trees, wires, rocks, and other places. Bailey’s bunch moss is a large-flowered form growing in the lower Rio Grande Valley.

SPIDERWORT FAMILY (Commelinaceae)

Mostly succulent herbs with tuberous or fibrous roots; flowers arising from a cluster of leaf-like bracts; sepals 3; petals 3; stamens 6; ovary 3-celled; fruit capsular.

Giant Spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea) grows in clumps of stout stems 2-3 feet high. The numerous flowers on short slender stalks hang out of a cluster of 2-3 upper leaves which have sac-like bases, velvety with soft hairs. The 3-petaled flowers vary in color from purplish-blue to rose or white and close at noon. The 6 stamens are adorned with lovely violet hairs. It is found in Central Texas in April and May.

The spiderwort group was named for Tradescant, gardener to Charles I. It is well represented in Texas, all of the many different species being easy to transplant and making attractive garden plants. The wandering jew, a well-known spiderwort in cultivation, is a native of South America.

Prairie Spiderwort (T. bracteata) is a smaller plant with bluer flowers. Ranging from Minnesota to Texas, it has its blooming season in Texas in April and May.

Curly-Leaved Dayflower. Widow’s Tears (Commelina crispa) has two large blue petals and a third, minute, white, and inconspicuous. The upper three stamens are 4-lobed and sterile, quite different from the 3 lower pollen-producing stamens, one of which is larger than the others. The petals are very tender and last only one morning. This dayflower may be distinguished from several others in the state by its crisped leaf-margins. It is very common on the South Central Plains from May to September. The name is given in honor of early Dutch botanists by the name of Commelyn.

Texas Dayflower (Commelinantia anomala) has two large petals like the dayflowers, but may be distinguished from them by their lavender color and by having the leaf around the flower-cluster more like the lower leaves in shape. The three upper stamens are bearded with violet hairs like those of spiderworts. It grows in rich moist soil in the limestone hills of the southern part of the state and the adjoining part of Mexico.

PICKEREL-WEED FAMILY (Pontederiaceae)