108 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



tremely evanescent. They open only to close and disappear. 

 The term "flower-of-an-hour" is altogether too complimen- 

 tary though fairly appropriate. It is also known as "modes- 

 ty" and "shoo-fly." The dark centers of the flowers make 

 the name of "black-eyed Susan" significant while "bladder 

 ketmia" alludes to the inflated calyx and the fact that Kctniia 

 was once used as the name of a section in the Hibiscus genus. 

 "Venice mallow" may refer to the place where the species is 

 abundant or, perhaps, like "devil's-head-in-a-bush" it may 

 h.ave no special significance. 



The Indian mallow or velvet-leaf (Abittiloii Thcophras- 

 ti) is a ubicjuitous weed in fields and waste gnounds. The 

 yellow flowers are small and inconspicuous but the seed-pod 

 is a curious affair with radiating points at the top and is well 

 known to many by sight at least. From the appearance of 

 this pod has come such names as "piemarker," "pie-print," 

 "butter print," and "butter weed." Probably "button-weed" 

 also alludes to the form of the capsule though it sounds like 

 a mispronunciation of butter-weed. "Velvet-weed" like 

 "velvet-leaf" refers to the very soft-downy leaves while 

 "wild okra" is given for the resemblance of the plant to the 

 "okra" or "gumbo" (Hibiscus esciilentus) . The plant yields 

 a fair quantity of fiber from which circumstance it is call- 

 ed "American hemp," "American jute" and perhaps "cotton- 

 weed." The plant came originally from India, hence "Indian 

 hemp" and "Indian mallow." We are at a loss to know the 

 origin of "sheep-weed" or of "Mormon-weed" also applied 

 to our plant. 



The poppy mallows are low half -vinelike spreading 

 perennials and are familiar from being cultivated in gardens. 

 The "fringed poppy maliow" {Callirhoc digiiaia) is also 

 known as "wine-cup" and "wild hollyhock," both names being 

 self-explanatory. Callirhoc involucrata is the "purple poppy 



