194 ANNUAL REPORT 



and rigid leaves, rough on both sides oblong, lanceolate, slightly- 

 serrate, flays twenty to twenty-five; stem rough, simple and 

 sparingly branched, often purplish; grows in dry sandy places. 

 There is another species that abounds in Minnesota, not well de- 

 scribed, probably between H. decapetalus and H. strumosus. 

 Grows five or six feet high; flowers large, with rays one or two 

 inches long; stem branching considerably, rather rough; leaves 

 ovate lanceolate, serrate, rough above, whitish and somewhat downy 

 beneath. Common along fences and edges of cultivated ground. 



Helenium ''False sunflower." Sometimes called American 

 sneezewort. There is but one species, H. Autumnale. It is dis- 

 tinguished by the stem and branches being strongly winged, by the 

 decurrent leaves and numerous yellow flowers with drooping rays. 

 Named from the celebrated Helen, of Troy, who is said to have 

 used the plant as a cosmetic. 



Cirsium. — Thistle. There are three indigenous species common 

 in the state. Cirsium discolor has leaves green above and woolly 

 white beneath, and pale, purple flowers. Grows three to six feet 

 high, in meadows and copses. C. miiiicum, or swamp thistle, has 

 naked heads, white, loose, webby hair beneath the leaves when 

 young. The involucre is webby glutinous, scales closely appressed, 

 almost pointless. Flowers purple. Very tall, three to eight feet 

 high. C pumilam, or pasture thistle, is low and stout, one to two 

 feethigh, bearing one to three large heads, one an I one-half inches 

 broad. Leaves have very pretty, margined lobes, shining green 

 above, and green beneath. Outer scales of involucre prickly pointed; 

 flowers purple and fragrant. 



"We will turn, now, from the Compositae, to notice a few other 

 families. For beauty scarcely any of our common flowers exceed 

 the 



Gentians. — These are distinguished by having opposite, sessile 

 and entire leaves, a bitter, colorless juice, regular flowers, often 

 furnished with intermediate plicate folds — blue, or whitish. There 

 are five species. 1. Gentiana alba or "White Gentian," whitish 

 flowers. 2. G. Andrewsii, "closed gentian" — grows more common 

 than the alba. The flowers are*always closed. 3. G. orinita, the 

 renowned "fringed gentian," a most beautiful flower with bright 

 blue-fringed petals. 4. G detonsa is the ' smaller fringed gen- 

 tian" and has very narrow linear leaves and a shorter fiinge 

 than the G. criniia. 5. G. pubervla in ft ui d on eai dy exjostd 

 prairies. Leaves are stiff linear lanceolate, stem rough, flowtrs 

 open with lobes prominent; color, sky blue. 



GERAEDIA. 



Gerardia. — There are many beautiful flowers in this genus 

 They bloom in July and continue until frost. They are found in 

 marshes, on prairies, and on high lands. The flowers are some- 

 what bill-shaped, with five, more or less, unequal spreading lobes. 

 The calyx is fine cleft, stamens four — two long and two short, flow- 

 ers purple or yellow, quite showy. There are several species in Min- 

 nesota. Although the flowers are scarcely Autumnal, yet they con- 

 tinue to bloom from July to October. The flowers expand in the 





