14 FLOWERS OF FIELD, HILL, AND SWAMP 



i6. Coltsfoot 



Tussil'ago Fdrfara. — Family, Composite. Color, yellow. 

 Leaves, of two sorts, the earlier, accompanying the flower, 

 merely scales. These are followed by angled or toothed 

 leaves, with heart-shaped bases, woolly when young. I'ime, 

 spring. 



A low plant, springing from a rootstock. The small flowers 

 have both disk and ray flowers, the former sterile, the latter, in 

 three or four rows, fertile. The plant is used as a cough rem- 

 edy. Dr. Gray says, "thoroughly wild." 



K \ )Ltu^^ • ) 17- Cardinal Flower 



Lobelia cardinalis. — Family, Lobelia. Color, deep, velvety 

 red. Leaves, alternate, 2 or 3 inches long, ovate to lance- 

 shaped, toothed ; among the flowers, bract-like. Time, August. 



Flowers in a raceme. The calyx is divided into 5 long, 

 narrow points, united below. The corolla, a long and narrow 

 tube, breaks above and spreads into 5 divisions. Three of 

 these are more united and stand apart from the other two, 

 which, one on each side, are quite narrow. Through a split 

 down the entire length of the corolla the stamens stand, tall 

 and stiff, their red filaments and blue-gray anthers united into 

 a tube. The anthers are slightly fringed with white. Over- 

 topping all, peeping through the stamens' tube, and hanging 

 down, is the red double stigma, tipping a long style. There 

 is a touch of brown on the base of the middle petal lobes, 

 otherwise the color of the flower is an intense, vivid scarlet. 

 2 to 4 feet high. 



This queenly flower is fortunately quite common. It loves the 

 shady banks of rivers, crouching under bridges. Or it comes out 

 boldly and rears its splendid spikes on broad and sunny banks, 

 where the cows come to drink, among bur-reeds, sagittarias, tali 

 rushes, and brookweeds. It cannot hide, if it would, any more 

 than the scarlet tanager can conceal itself in the trees. It is i^ 



