BLAZING STAR; BUTTON SNAKEROOT 



Liatris scariosa Willd. 

 THISTLE FAMILY 



Common names of plants are oft-times curious and sometim< 

 inappropriate, but whoever called this one Blazing Star had a 

 pretty fancy. The plant grows on dry plains and hills amonj 

 short grasses above which the flowers shine brilliantly. On 

 nearer view, the overlapping bracts of the involucre the scale 

 surrounding the flower-head are seen to be dark red in color. 

 As the florets open, long style-branches of a vivid rose-purpk 

 are thrust out, as if from the dull smoldering glow of the bud 

 had erupted darting tongues of flame. 



As to its other name, Button Snakeroot, the button is th< 

 globular corm, or rootstock, an inch or so in diameter, at the 

 of the stem, and it is reputed to be a remedy for snake bites. 



The plants vary in height from six to eighteen inches, depending 

 upon the fertility of the soil and the amount of moisture it contains. 

 They are in bloom about the first of August. The flowers are 

 interesting and unusual for this reason: In most flowers the 

 style is rather inconspicuous, its function being to connect the 

 stigma and ovary, and to hold the stigma in the proper position 

 to receive pollen according to the special method adopted by each 

 plant. But in the case of the Blazing Star, although the style- 

 branches are stigmatose only at the base, there is a remarkable 

 development carried to such a degree that it is the styles that make 

 the flowers showy, not the usual gaily-colored corollas. 



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