Part 35

The false hellebore may be found in midsummer in the mountains. It grows along watercourses, and often covers rich, moist meadows, where its stems rise from three to seven feet, with their coarsely ribbed, boat-shaped leaves and large panicles of greenish-white flowers. When at its best it is a rather fine, showy thing, but its leaves are often perforated by some insect, and present a ragged, untidy appearance.

The mountaineers commonly call this plant "skunk cabbage," a deplorable misnomer, because it is in no sense merited; and, moreover, we have a plant to which the title more rightfully belongs. The root and young shoots are a violent poison, and are fatal to animals which are unfortunate enough to crop them.

Another species--V. fimbriatum, Gray--a smaller plant, is found upon the plains in Mendocino County. It may be distinguished from the above by its more slender leaves, its woolly flower-panicle, and its decidedly fringed flower-petals.

II. YELLOW

Described in the White Section:--

CALOCHORTUS VENUSTUS--Mariposa Lily, or Tulip. LILIUM PARRYI--Lemon-Lily. VIOLA OCELLATA--Heart's-ease.

Described in the Pink Section:--

LESSINGIA GERMANORUM--Yellow Lessingia.

Described in the Blue and Purple Section:--

FRITILLARIA PUDICA--Yellow Fritillary. IRIS MACROSIPHON--Ground-Iris. SISYRINCHIUM CALIFORNICUM--Golden-eyed Grass. TRILLIUM SESSILE--Californian Trillium.

Described in the Red Section:--

CASTILLEIA PARVIFLORA--Indian Paint-Brush. CEREUS EMORYI--Velvet Cactus. PENTSTEMON CENTRANTHIFOLIUS--Scarlet Bugler.

Described in the Miscellaneous Section:--

CYPRIPEDIUM CALIFORNICUM--Californian Lady's Slipper.]

SUN-CUPS.

OEnothera ovata, Nutt. Evening-Primrose Family.

Root.--A thick tap-root. Leaves.--All radical; oblong-lanceolate; smooth; ciliate. Flowers.--Solitary in the axils; bright golden yellow. Calyx-tube.--Filiform; one to five inches long; limb of four lanceolate, reflexed divisions. Petals.--Four; three to ten lines long. Stamens.--Eight. Ovary.--Four-celled; underground. Style filiform. Stigma capitate. Fruit.--A ribbed capsule. Hab.--Near the coast from San Francisco to Monterey.

This little evening primrose is an exceedingly interesting plant, although it is not of very wide distribution. The flat rosettes of leaves sometimes measure over a foot across, and are thickly sown with the bright golden flowers, large in proportion to the size of the plants. A flower or bud is found in the axil of every leaf, diminishing in size toward the center, one plant sometimes having a hundred blossoms and buds. These flowers are peculiarly fresh and winsome, and were they not so abundant where they grow they would doubtless be considered very beautiful.

A strange feature of the plant is its flower-stem, which is not a flower-stem at all, but a very much prolonged calyx-tube, the seed-vessel being just within the surface of the ground.

We wonder how these imprisoned seeds are going to escape and find lodgment to start new colonies elsewhere. Perhaps the moles and gophers could tell something about it if they would.

The leaves of these little plants are sometimes used for salads.

These blossoms are often erroneously called "cow-slips."

COMMON BUTTERCUP.

Ranunculus Californicus, Benth. Buttercup or Crowfoot Family.

Stems.--Slender; branching; six to eighteen inches high. Radical-leaves.--Commonly pinnately ternate; the leaflets cut into three to seven usually linear lobes. Divisions of the stem-leaves usually narrower. Flowers.--Five to ten lines in diameter; shining golden yellow. Sepals.--Green; strongly reflexed. Petals.--Ten to fourteen; obovate; each with a small scale at the base. Stamens.--Numerous. Pistils. Numerous; on a receptacle. Ovaries flattened. Stigmas recurved. Hab.--Throughout Western California into Oregon.

"The buttercup catches the sun in its chalice; And there's never a leaf nor a blade too mean To be some happy creature's palace."

The first clear, beautiful note of a lark has been heard; skies are blue and fields are green; little frogs are filling the air with their music;--and the buttercups are here. The fields are full of them, and their bright golden eyes starring the meadows, bring a gladness to the face of nature. The children wade knee-deep in their gold, filling their hands with treasure; and yonder, where their golden masses cover the slopes, King Midas may have passed, transforming the earth with his magical touch.

Because some of the buttercups grow where frogs abound, Pliny bestowed the Latin name Ranunculus, meaning "little frog."