KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 55 



And now we come to the crowning glory of the season — the prairie rose. 

 Other flowers may be more brilliant, others more fragrant, others more in- 

 teresting ; but there is no flower that combines the beauty, the fragrance, the 

 sweetness, the homelikeness of the rose, or anything to equal it. 



Many of the flowers of May are worthy of cultivation. As best adapted 

 to this purpose, I would recommend the scarlet and crimson mallows, the 

 pentstemons, the spiderwort, the little gaura, the pyrrhopappus, the showy 

 evening primrose, the shrubby evening primrose, the round cactuses, the 

 yucca, and the rose. They will all bear cultivation, and will amply repay 

 any pains bestowed upon them. 



Early in June, in sandy spots, may be found in abundance the very inter- 

 esting day-flower (^Commelyna angustifolia), growing on low, grass-like plants, 

 with beautiful deep-blue flowers, with two petals only, the third being sup- 

 pressed, having a mere rudiment just visible. Curiously enough, the three 

 stamens opposite the perfect petals are barren, and furnished with yellow 

 cruciform glands instead of anthers, while the three stamens opposite the 

 abortive petal are fully developed, and have large purple anthers. The long 

 style bends down to meet the purple stamens. The "flowers are very delicate 

 and short-lived. 



The wild gourd {Cucurhita perennis) is frequently found. The root is a 

 large inverted cone, sometimes eight to twelve inches, or more, across, and 

 throwing out numerous vines each year from the margin of the crown. The 

 leaves are large, rough, cordately triangular, lamina carinate, rising from 

 the vine right and left alternately, and pointing outward. The fruit is 

 globose, one at each leaf nearly, about the size of an orange, and striped yel- 

 low and green. It is intensely bitter. 



In Stafford county, in barren alkaline lands among the sand-hills, may be 

 found abundance of Portulaca pilosa, resembling in every respect the portu- 

 laca of our gardens, except that the rose-colored flowers are quite small. 



In similar lands may be found a very rough, small, brittle species of 

 Opuntia, with very wicked spines. These plants almost cover the ground in 

 spots, and are a terror to horses. The joints when touched break ofi", and 

 cling like a burr, and when stepped on, the spines penetrate a horse's hoof or 

 a man's boot. I have not seen them in bloom. 



The blossoms of the ordinary prickly pear (0. vulgaris) have very sensi- 

 tive and irritable stamens. When touched, they spring suddenly against the 

 pistil. 



A morning glory {Ipomea leptophylld) , with red blossoms four inches deep 

 and three broad, is frequent. The plant has a large fusiform root, four to 

 six inches thick and very tough, so that a plow cannot penetrate it. 



The thistle poppy (^Argemone Mexicana), with its large white flowers, four 

 inches across, and yellow stamens, is very noticeable. 



On dry prairies may be seen a species of wild four-o'clock (^Oxyhaphus 

 ungustifolius) , tall and slender, with very narrow leaves and pretty pink 



