lOO 



Minnesota Plant Life. 



Rather closely connected with the clovers are the little herbs 

 known as lotuses — no relatives, however, of the water-lily 

 lotuses, for this is an instance w^here common names are con- 

 fusing. In these ])lants the ])0{ls are more elong-ated. They 

 occur singiy and hang- down in a lini]) position when mature, 

 while the flowers are small, rose colored and with darker stand- 

 ard. The leaves are for the most part made up of three leaflets. 

 A lotus may be known by its solitary drooping pods. 



Indian turnips. The pormnc dc fcrrc, or prairie-turnip, or 

 Indian turnij), is an herb somewhat branched, of robust habit, 

 and arising from a tuberous root. The flowers are in hairy 

 ovoid spikes and the leaves arc 

 made up of five radiating leaf- 

 lets. The pod is oblong, 

 smooth and inclosed in the 

 calyx. Two other plants of 

 this genus are abundant in the 

 state. One is conspicuous for 

 its silvery leaves and is known 

 as the silver-leafed prairie- 

 clover. The silvery appear- 

 ance, as in the bufl^aIo-l)erries, 

 is given by hairs on the sur- 

 face of the leaves. There are 

 from three to five leaflets to 

 each leaf and the flowers are 

 of a blue color, sessile and in small clusters. Another variety, 

 the many-flowered prairie-clover, has lea\-es similar in form to 

 the silver-leafed variety, but without the hairs which gi\e them 

 the metallic lustre. In this \ariety there are a nnnfl)er of small 

 blue flowers aggregated in loose racemes. 



Shrubby false indigos. The shrubby false indigos occur in 

 Minnesota in three varieties. These plants are remarkable for 

 the modification of the bullcrfly-shaped flower, for all of the 

 five petals. c.\cc])t ihe standard, have disa])])eared, so thai the 

 flower has but one ])clal. This is of a purplish, \iolct or blue 

 color. The leax'es are pinnate with from twcni\ lo lifiy leaflets, 

 arranged oppt)site each other on their common nndrib. The 

 large false indigo is from ll\e to twent\' feel in height, with 



Kk;. 14S, Wliite clover. .-Mttr pliolojjraph 

 bv Williams. 



