Part 65

Calochortus Maweanus, Leichtlein. Lily Family.

Hab.--The Coast Ranges and Sierras, from San Francisco and Butte County to the Willamette Valley.

This is an exceedingly pretty little Calochortus, much resembling C. Benthami in form, but having pure-white or purplish-blue flowers, which are also covered with hairs and delicately fringed with hairs on the margin. Its stems are low, slender, and graceful, without bulblets at the base; and the gland upon the petals has a transverse scale covering its upper portion.

This plant belongs to the section of Calochortus whose species are known as "star-tulips." In the Coast Ranges, in early spring, the blossoms are found in moist meadows near the sea, where they nestle amid the grasses.

The children are specially fond of them, and know them as "cat's-ears" and "pussy's-ears."

C. uniflorus, Hook. and Arn., found in wet meadows from San Francisco northward, has lilac to rose-purple flowers. Its petals are hairy on the lower third, and its stems bear small bulblets at the base underground.

C. umbellatus, Wood., is very similar to C. Maweanus; but its pure-white petals are almost without hairs, and its stem is without bulblets. This is found blooming in March and April on the low mountains of Contra Costa and Marin Counties.

PURPLE NEMOPHILA.

Nemophila aurita, Lindl. Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family.

Stems.--One to three feet long; square; angled; weak; very brittle; with backward-pointing, hooked bristles. Leaves.--All with a dilated, clasping, eared base or winged petiole; above deeply pinnatifid into five to nine oblong or lanceolate, downward-pointing lobes. Corolla.--Violet; an inch or so across. (Otherwise as Nemophila insignis.) Hab.--From San Francisco to San Diego.

The purple Nemophila is most abundant in the south, growing everywhere in early springtime upon hillsides partially shaded. Its long, coarse, hispid stems run riot over small undershrubs or dead or unsightly brushwood, often completely covering them with a mound of foliage thickly sown with the dull-purple flowers.

At first it is difficult to realize that this plant of coarse habit belongs to the sisterhood of baby-eyes, those delicate, ethereal favorites of the springtime. In fact, one's first impression of it is that it is some new species of nightshade. One learns, however, to have a fondness for these blossoms and a growing desire to gather them; but their tangling, quarrelsome habit forbids one, if any other flowers are in question.

It is said that the dark-eyed señoritas of early days decked their ball-dresses with sprays of this flower, which clung gracefully to the thin fabrics.

GROUND-IRIS.

Iris macrosiphon, Torr. Iris Family.

Almost stemless plants, often forming mats. Rhizome.--Slender. Radical-leaves.--Grasslike; six to fifteen inches long. Buds.--One or two; borne in sheathing bracts. Flowers.--On short pedicels; deep purple-blue, marked with white. Perianth.--With slender tube one to three inches long. Stamens.--Three; borne under the petaloid divisions of the style. Ovary.--Three-celled. Capsule.--Oblong-ovoid; shortly acute at each end; one inch long. Seeds in two rows in each cell; compressed and angled. Hab.--The Coast Ranges, from San Mateo to Trinity County.

When spring is at its height, this charming little Iris may be found upon sunny, open hillsides among the unrolling crosiers of the common brake. There is something peculiarly captivating about these blossoms, with their satisfying richness of hue and perfect symmetry of form, added to which is a sweet, delicate perfume, an ideal exhalation of the springtime.

As the buds unfold beautifully in water, it is better to gather buds than flowers, as the latter are too fragile to carry without breaking.

I. longipetala, Herb., is the common bog-iris of our central coast. It grows in large clumps in wet places, and while not a delicate flower, it has a certain brave, hardy look as it stands out upon the wind-swept downs of the Coast. Its stems are rather stout, a foot or two high, and have from three to five large lilac flowers. The sepals are veined with deeper lilac and blotched with orange.

WILD HELIOTROPE. VERVENIA.

Phacelia tanacetifolia, Benth. Baby-eyes or Waterleaf Family.

Stems.--One to three feet high; rough and hairy. Leaves.--Much divided. Flowers.--Bright violet to blue; in clustered, scorpioid racemes. Calyx-lobes.--Linear or linear-spatulate. Corolla.--Six lines long. Style two-cleft. (See Phacelia.) Hab.--Throughout the western part of the State.

The wild heliotrope is one of the most abundant flowers of midspring, especially in the south. It affects the gravelly banks of streams or the sandy soil of mesas; or grows all along the railroad embankments, making great mounds of foliage, thickly sown with the bright violet-blue blossoms; or it may often be seen clambering up through small shrubs, seeming to seek the support of their stiff branches. It is needless to say that this is not a true heliotrope, but belongs to the closely allied genus, Phacelia.

The specific name, tanacetifolia, meaning with tansy-like leaves, is more applicable to the var. tenuifolia, Thurber. Among the Spanish-Californians it is known as "vervenía."

It is a very important honey-plant.

P. Douglasii, Torr., is a species with lavender corolla with much the aspect of the baby-blue-eyes. This is common in the western part of the State, south of Monterey, and is found sparingly north of that point.

BLUE-EYED GRASS. AZULEA. VILLELA.

Sisyrinchium bellum, Wats. Iris Family.