June - July 

 Roadsides 



SALSIFY (Oyster Plant) 



Tragopogon dubius Scop. 



Siilsily \\;i> plniiU'd ill gardens loiifj ai;o in the days when 

 oiilv luiropcaii <rarden seeds were known and planted in 

 jtioneer soil. But salsify didn't Inni;- remain in pirdens. 

 Its fluffy-headed seeds went ilying over the et)untryside and ]»!anted 

 themselves wherever they came to rest, wherever they could penetrate 

 the soil and start a root. The root grew fast and stout and hairy — the 

 odihle ])art of the oyster |)hmt or salsify — and sent up in s]trini:tinie the 

 long, almost grass-likt', bright green leaves. 'Vhcu in .lune tlie jjlant grew 

 taller and hoi-e long smooth stems wiili liud.- al the li])s. long, tapered, 

 graceful buds wliirli. on ;i biight sumincr morning, open as beautiful 

 yellow or purple llowers. 'i'bere are three species of salsify, Trtujop'xjon 

 porrifoJius which is pur|)le and is most commonly escaped from gardens, 

 T. diihiu-f with its yellow {lowers and a broadei- range aero.-^s the conti- 

 nent, and 7'. prdfrnsis which is sometimes called yellow goat's-heard. 

 They grow much alike except for the striking dilference in the flower 

 colors. 



A little while after a llowcr has blossomed — it opens in the morning, 

 ])V noon is closed, am 



bv next tlav is forming its fruit- 



the enclosing 



bracts open and there in the morning sunshine is a ilufF-ball many times 

 larger than that of a dandi'Iion. though ])atterned upon it. The ball is a 

 l)ale bulf color. These big pulf-balls of the salsify stand briefly along the 

 roads and railroad embankments, then break a,s the winds come and blow 

 the fluff-borne seeds into th(> sutmner air. Once again the salsify is on 

 its wav. 



152 



