412 



Minnesota Plant Life. 



colts'foots are the arnicas, flrcweeds and Indian plantains. 

 Three varieties of the latter occur in Minnesota. In one of 

 these the leaves are similar to those of the dooryard plantain, 

 while the small flowering heads are borne in large flat-topped 

 clusters at a height of from two to six feet. In another form 



the leaves are kidney- 

 shaped, while in still 

 another they are trian- 

 gular, deeply toothed 

 and provided with a 

 white bloom on the un- 

 der side. The ground- 

 sel, ragworts, squaw- 

 weeds and butterweeds 

 or Sciiccios, are rela- 

 tives of the Indian 

 plantains. The eight 

 or nine varieties which 

 are found in Minnesota 

 have somewhat the ap- 

 pearance of y e 1 1 o w- 

 flowered asters. I n 

 most of them there are, 

 as in mustards, rosettes 

 or root-leaves different 

 in shape and appear- 

 ance from the stem- 

 lca\cs, and the flowers 

 are commonly borne in 

 flat-topped clusters. 

 These plants cannot be 

 mistaken for the hawk- 

 weeds and their allies, 

 because they have no 

 milkv juice. ( )ne variety, the marsh fleawort, or marsh 

 groundsel, is an abundant swani]) plant with a beautiful flat- 

 top])ed cluster of vcllow heads borne on a very stout, hollow 

 stem from six inches to two feet in height. In some of the 

 groundsels the leaves are deeiily pinnately (li\i(led, while ii\ 



Fig. 20". Coiie-fl<j\vcrs. After pliotograph by 

 Williams, 



