CALIFORNIA PLANTS IN THEIR HOMEb 



plants from grazing animals, is agreeable to most people; 

 that is, we use mustard, water cress, radishes and horse- 

 radish as relishes. The original wild cabbage has been 

 cultivated into not only various kinds of cabbage, but also 

 kail, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and other garden vege- 

 tables. All kinds of turnips are supposed to be cultivated 

 forms of a common weed known as the smooth-leaved 

 mustard. 



One of the highest families in this group is the malva. 

 The flowers of the common weed, malva, are easily missed 

 because they are so small and close to the stem, but the 

 fruits are well known; the children call them "cheeses", 

 and like to eat them because of their peculiar gummy or 

 mucilaginous juice. But small flowers are by no means the 

 rule in this family; it includes the hollyhock, hibiscus, 

 flowering-maple, and many showy wild flowers, some of 

 them growing on shrubs or even trees. Find any of these 

 you can, and look for family traits; what is always true of 

 the stamens ? How many have mucilaginous juice ? Have 

 you never used the juice of the hibiscus flowers to polish 

 your shoes ? Perhaps you are fond of the vegetable okra, or 

 gumbo. Can you guess why it belongs to the malva family? 

 The most useful member of this family is the cotton plant. 

 It is quite possible to grow cotton in California, and you 

 may be able to find out many interesting things about it. 



This group of dicotyledons contains also many plants 

 that you are not likely to meet, though they are noted for 

 beauty or use, or have some peculiar interest; the water- 

 lily, for instance, the tea plant, the chocolate tree and the 

 curious pitcher plants and sundews, which thrive on animal 

 food. Interesting stories have been written about them all. 



The next group of dicotyledons contains families whose 

 kinship is not easily seen. The flowers, of course, count 

 most in determining relationship; their parts are nearly 

 always in fives, the stamens never more than twice five; the 



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