BLUE AND PURPLE 



found in rocky places in summer. This is a near relative of 

 the Oswego tea, which it closely resembles in its manner of 

 growth. 



DAY-FLOWER. 



Commelina Virginica. Spiderwort Family. 



Stem. — Slender ; branching. Leaves. — Lance-shaped to linear ; the floral 

 ones heart-shaped and claspinj^, folding so as to enclose the flowers. Flow- 

 ers.— V>\\x^. Calyx. — Of three unequal somewhat colored sepals; the two 

 lateral ones partly united. Corolla. — Of three petals ; two large, rounded, 

 pale blue ; one small, whitish, and inconspicuous. Stamens. — Six ; unequal 

 in size; three small and sterile, with yellow cross-shaped anthers ; three fer- 

 tile, one of which is bent inward. Pistil. — One. 



The odd day-flower is so named because its delicate blossoms 

 expand only for a single morning. At the first glance there seem 

 to be but two petals which are large, rounded, and of a delicate 

 shade of blue. A closer examination, however, discovers still 

 another, so inconspicuous in form and color as to escape the 

 notice of the casual observer. This inequality recalls the quaint 

 tradition as to the origin of the plant's generic name. There 

 were three brothers Commelin, natives of Holland. Two of 

 them were botanists of repute, while the tastes of the third had 

 a less marked botanical tendency. The genus was dedicated to 

 the trio : the two large bright petals commemorating the brother 

 botanists, while the small and unpretentious one perpetuates the 

 memory of him who was so unwise as to take little or no inter- 

 est in so noble a science. These flowers appear throughout the 

 summer in cool woods and on moist banks. 



HIGH MALLOW. 



Malva sylvestris. Mallow Family. 



Stem. — Two to three feet high; erect; branched. Leaves. — Five to 

 seven-lobed. Floivers. — Purple or pink ; rather large. Calyx. — Of five se- 

 pals, with three bracts below. Corolla.— Oi five somewhat heart-shaped 

 petals. Stamens. — United in a column. Pistils. — Several. 



The high mallow is an emigrant from Europe, which we en- 

 counter frequently along our roadsides in summer. 



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