52 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



a sort of anaesthetic in their rough surgery. The ripened 

 fruits of nearly all the species are spiny and this accounts for 

 the name of "thorn-apple" applied to the jimson weed in 

 Europe. One of the interesting features of the flower is that 

 the long tubular calyx which encloses the other parts of the 

 blossom until flowering is over is finally cut off by the plant 

 about half an inch from where it joins the stem and falls 

 with the corolla. In most cases the flowers last but a day 

 but new blossoms are always ready to take their places. 



All the species that will grow in the open in our latitude 

 are very easily cultivated. They are fond of strong sun- 

 light but have no special predilections as regards soil though 

 a sandy loam seems to suit them as well as anything. It is 

 the lack of fastidiousness in habitats that makes several of 

 the species weeds, but this family charteristic makes them ex- 

 cellent subjects for experiment in the hands of the inexperienc- 

 ed gardener. 



THE CLASSIC YARROW 



By Virginia Bai^len 

 T EGEND and history enhance plants as well as places. 

 ■*-^ Why then is the classic yarrow treated in California with 

 scant respect and little admiration? It certainly saved our 

 pioneers frow' various evils before doctors had arrived in the 

 new land. We seem to have forgotten all the old stories 

 about it. Almost we have forgotten the old fashioned name. 

 Withered old Spanish women still gather it but they call 

 it "milhojas". In the far places Indian squaws use it still 

 making great secret about its gathering, as is their manner 

 when they go herb plucking. But each tribe has a grunted 

 name for the plant that gives us no picture of yarrow ; though 

 once in a while one's nose may perhaps in a city handicraft 



