482 



PLANTS AND MAN 



United States. Woodbine or Virginia creeper is a genus found 

 in eastern United States, with compound leaves divided into 

 five leaflets, and clusters of small green flowers which give rise 

 to blue berries (fig. 297). English ivy, an Eurasian member of the 

 Ginseng Family, is the most frequently used 

 ornamental vine; among the lobed leaves 

 appear clusters of small greenish flowers which 

 produce black berries. English ivy forms an 

 effective wall cover because of the aerial roots 

 which are adapted to fasten themselves to 

 smooth surfaces. 



The Honeysuckle Family, which includes 

 our native elderberries and viburnums, com- 

 prises a variety of woody vines from China 

 and Japan commonly used as porch and trellis 

 plants. The showy flowers, usually white or 

 creamy yellow in color, have a tubular corolla. 

 Native species of honeysuckles are common 

 shrubs in our central and eastern woodlands. 

 BouGAiNViLLEA is a bushy vine which 

 thrives in our southern states, where it has 

 been introduced from its South American 

 home. The inconspicuous individual flowers 

 are surrounded by showy purplish red bracts 

 which are frequently mistaken for petals. 

 Likewise common in the warmer portions of 

 the country is the trumpet creeper native of tropical America 

 with pinnately compound leaves and large yellow flowers. 



Ornamental Dicot Flowers 



The countless variety of garden and house plants which are 

 grown for their flowers originate in a number of Dicot and 

 Monocot families, with by far the greater number belonging 

 to the Dicot group. Such ornamental Dicots are found chiefly in 

 the Pink, Buttercup, Poppy, Mustard, Violet, Pea, Rose, Mallow 

 and Thistle Families. 



Common wild flowers in the Pink Family are the chickweeds, 

 sandworts and catchflies; this family also includes, however, one 



Fig. 296.— Wis- 

 taria bears drooping 

 clusters of white or 

 blue flowers. 



