Feb., 1913.] Characteristic Plants of a Typical Prairee. 69 



Among the smaller plants usually common may be mentioned : 



Juncus tenuis Willd. Slender Rush. 



Panicum — several small species. 



Antennaria campestris Rydb. Prairie Everlasting. 



Plantago purshii R. & S. Pursh's Plantain. 



Achillea lanulosa Nutt. Western Milfoil. 



Astragalus — several species. 



Oxalis violacea L. Violet Wood-sorrel. 



Linum sulcatum Ridd. Grooved Yellow Flax. 



Kuhnia glutinosa Ell. Prairie Kuhnia. 



Erigeron ramosus (Walt.) B. S. P. Daisy Fleabane. 



Mesadenia tuberosa (Nutt.) Britt. Tuberous Indian-plantain. 



Kuhnistera purpurea (Vent.) MacM. Violet Prairie-clover. 



Kuhnistera Candida (Willd.) Ktz. White Prairie-clover. 



Physalis virginiana Mill. Virginia Groundcherry. 



Asclepiodora viridis (Walt.) Gr. Oblong-leaf Milkweed. 



Among the early sprmg flowers that grow on the upland, and 



not mentioned above, the following are notable: 



Anemone caroliniana Walt. Daisy Anemony. 



Anemone decapetala Ard. This is not distinct from the preceding. 



There are a number of elementary species. The colors are white blue 



and reddish pink, the blues being of many shades. 

 Nothocalais cuspidata (Pursh) Greene. Wild-dandelion. 

 Viola pedatifida Don. Prairie Violet. 

 Sisyrinchium campestre Bickn. Prairie Blue-eyed-grass. 

 Lithospermum linearifolium Goldie. Narrow-leaf Puccoon. 

 Callirrhoe alceoides (Mx.) Gr. Light Poppy-mallow. 

 Callirrhoe involucrata (T. & G.) Gr. Purple Poppy-mallow — mostly in 



ravines and bottoms. 

 Vicia linearis (Nutt.) Greene. Narrow-leaf American Vetch. 

 Tradescantia, sp. 



The above would represent the usual plants in a prairie boquet 

 gathered in the spring, although a few additions might be made 

 to it from the ravines. 



The summer and autumn flowers include among others the 



following : 



Solidago — several species, the most beautiful being the early-blooming 



S. missouriensis Nutt., Missouri Goldenrod. 

 Aster — several species including the beautiful silky aster, A. sericeus Vent. 

 Ruellia ciliosa Pursh. Hairy Ruellia. 



Ratibida columnaris (Sims) D. Don., Long-headed Prairie-cone-flower. 

 Lacinaria punctata (Hook.) Ktz. Dotted Blazing-star. 

 Gyrostachys, two species. 

 Gerardia tenuifolia Vahl. Slender Gerardia. 

 Gentiana — a beautiful undetennined species with deep blue flowers. 



This prairie is changing rapidly through the influences brought 

 in by the settlement of the country and because of extensive 

 cultivation and pasturing. Even now it would be difficult for 

 one who has never seen the original, endless sweep of green vegeta- 

 tion as it extended over hill and plain, before the advent of the 

 early settlers who came in great numbers in 18(59-71, to form a 

 clear conception of the prairie's former grandeur or to realize the 

 important floristic changes that have already taken place and that 

 are still in progress. 



