Herbaceous plants. 281 



and lakes. They may tie planted in special beds as recom- 

 mended for water-lilies or in tubs sunk in the bottom. As 

 they increase rapidly, they must be kept in check in small 

 ponds, which would otherwise soon be filled with decaying 

 vegetable matter and the luxuriant growth of the lotus. It 

 is always desirable to keep the greater part of the water 

 surface intact, no matter how beautiful the plants may be. 



THE PIT( IIEP.-PLANT FAMILY. 



Purple Pitcher-Plant, Sarracenia purpurea. — A curious 

 plant growing in mossy swamps, with hollow, pitcher-like 

 leaves and unique, deep purple flowers, solitary on slender 

 scapes. May be introduced in moist places in a rockery, 

 and planted in peaty soil. Many of the so-called trumpet- 

 leaves of the South (.s'. rubra, flava, and Drummondii) may 

 lie grown with ecpual success. All are easy-growing weeds 

 and need no special culture. 



THE POPPY FAMILY. 



Poppy, Papaver. — Very showy and ornamental annual 

 or perenuial herbs, with more or less cut foliage; natives of 

 field> and roadsides. The oriental poppy (P. orientalii) is 

 the most beautiful and useful of all known species. It 

 forms a broad plant with ample, piunatifid, sharply cut 

 and hairy leaves. Flowers six or eight inches across, deep 

 scarlet, on somewhat leafy stems. The variety bracteaturn 

 is a still more showy plant with rather large, bright red 

 flowers. The flowers of this species have each petal 

 marked by a black spot. Very fine in the outskirts of 

 shrubberries or as specimeu plants on the lawn, or in beds 



