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208 FLOWERS OF FIELD, HILL, AND SWAMP 



69 



Z. spicata is a slender, straight-stemmed, light-blue species, 

 I to 4 feet high, with small flowers in long, thin spikes. The 

 root leaves are broad; upper bract-like. Calyx not inflated. 



70. Purple Milkweed 



Asclepias purpurdscens (named for Aesculapius, the phy- 

 sician). — Family, Milkweed. Color, deep rose-purple. Leaves, 

 opposite, broad, tapering to a point, the upper velvety, the 

 lower hard and smooth. Time, July. 



A very handsome milkweed, with dark-green leaves, whose 

 veins are raised, pointed upwards, and prominent on the 

 under side. Floivers, a purplish crimson, the round buds 

 darker than the open flower, in umbels, 3 or 4 umbels termi- 

 nating the leafy stem. From i to 3 feet high. Not much 

 milky juice. 



New England to Tennessee and southward. 



71. Common Milkweed 

 A. Corniiti is a taller and coarser species. Leaves 6 to 8 

 inches long. The corolla is a reddish or brownish pink or 

 purple, with some white. The large pod, when ripe, is full to 

 bursting of hairy, tufted seeds, beautiful, silky things which fly 

 on the lightest breeze. 



^l\\ 72. Butterfly -weed 



A. tuberhsa is the only yellow species. It grows freely in 

 clumps, with rough and hairy stem and leaves, i to 2 feet tall. 

 Brilliant and beautiful, it dots the fields, especially southward, 

 with orange. Its juice is not milky. 



73. Viper's-bugloss. Blueweed 

 Echium vulgare. — Fatnily, Borage. Color, blue first, red- 



