546 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Giant Hyssop and the Horse Mint and Sages, Nettles, 

 and so on. Among this very interesting assemblage we 

 find a modest little plant widely known as Self-Heal 

 (Prunella vulgaris). This flower is not only found in 

 the woods and open fields, but it grows abundantly along 

 the roadsides in the country districts. Here it is often 

 thickly powdered with dust, and appears to be but a 

 shabby, good-for-nothing weed ; but a summer shower 

 soon washes off the dust of the roadway, and a most 

 beautiful little plant is at hand for study and admira- 

 tion. Upon referring to Figure 6 we can appreciate 

 what Gray says of Prunella: "Low ])erennials, with 

 nearly simple stems, and three-flowered clusters of flow 

 ers sessile in the axils of round and bract-like membra- 

 naceous floral leaves, imbricated in a close spike or head." 

 As will be noticed, the leaves are ovate oblong in out- 

 line, and their margins may be either entire or toothed, 

 petioled, pubescent or somewhat smooth. The two- 

 lipped flowers are very rarely white, but most often 

 violent or creamish flesh color, being almost twice the 



length of the caly.x, which latter is of a pur[)lish color. 

 The flowers are well shown in the accompanving cut, 

 and by its aid the jjlant can be easily identified when 

 taken in connection with the above description. 



Prunella was formerly written Brunella, from the old 

 German word braiine, which means quinsy, and all the 

 old herbalists believed that Self-Heal would unfailingly 

 cure that disease, or indeed any other malady affecting 

 the throat. It was also employed for many other ills, 

 and may still be so employed in the country districts. 

 Originally the i)lant came from England, and after its 

 introduction here the flowers gradually became a much 

 paler shade of ])uriile. In England it is also known as 

 "carpenters' herb" for the reason that, when carpenters 

 bruised themselves in any way while at work, they re- 

 lied entirely upon a decoction of Prunella to cure the 

 resulting inflammation. It was also used by the French, 

 and the country people of that nation still have the say- 

 ing tliat "No one wants a surgeon who keeps Prunelle." 



Fig. 98, the parts of an average Hower, 

 showing the five petals in its corolla ; the 

 five sepals composing its calyx ; the pistil 

 rising from the center, the enlarged base 

 being the ovary, followed by the slender 

 style and surmounted by the stigma. There 

 are also four stamens shown, each spring- 

 ing from the base of the pistil, and each 

 bearing at its upper free end an anther. 

 Fig. 99 shows a stamen detached, with its 

 double anther on top, from which the dust- 

 like pollen is falling. Fig. 100 is the ri'^t'' 

 cut in two transversely, showing the seeds 

 within, while Fig. 101 gives the same sliced 

 longitudinally, exhibiting the arrangement 



THE FLOWER AND ITS PARTS 



of the seeds. Fig 102 is an average flower 

 sliced vertically through its center, and it 

 shows three petals of its corolla ; the sec- 

 tion of the sepals of the calyx; the ovary 

 containing two seeds, with the multiple 

 styles of the pistil, and the stamens. Fig. 

 103: Some flowers are incomplete in that 

 they have no petals (apctalotis), and the 

 one here shown is the flower of the 

 Anemone pennsyhanica. Fig. 104: A 

 flower may also be naked and yet perfect, 

 as in the case of tlie Lizard's-tail, here 

 shown. Fig. lO.S: Here is the flower of 

 the Common Flax ; it is not only sym- 

 metrical, but likewise perfect, regular, and 



complete, having all of its parts in fives; 

 it is shown bisected in Fig. 102. Fig. 106, 

 anterior view of a common Violet and 

 Fig. 107, it= five petals and five sepals dis- 

 sociated. Fig. 108: An ovule or seed, when 

 it is said to be suspended in the ovary, — 

 that is, hangin,g perpendicularly from the 

 summit of the ovarian cell. When situated 

 as in Fig. 109, it is said to be erect, and 

 in Fig. 110, ascending. Taken in the ordei 

 given, these are the ovaries of the .\ncnione, 

 the Buckwheat, and the Buttercup. Fig. Ill 

 gives a cruciform flower (Mustard), and 

 Fig. 112 its pistil and stamens removed and 

 much magnified. 



