ORNAMENTAL PLANTS 



485 



hardy plant with basal leaves and orange, red or white flowers. 

 The Oriental poppy, native of Persia and the Mediterranean 

 region, has stiff" hairy stems and large scarlet flowers, each petal 

 marked with black at its base. The corn poppy of Europe, with 

 finely lobed leaves, produces smaller red, white or purple flowers. 

 The opium poppy of Greece and the Orient is a tall plant with 

 white, pink or red flowers. 



Fig. 300. — Ornamental poppies include corn (A) and Iceland (B) poppies 



The Mustard Family consists of plants typically with small 

 flowers with a characteristic arrangement of four petals in the 

 form of a cross (see p. 440). Yet this family has contributed to 

 our gardens sweet alyssum, stock, candytuft and wallflower 

 (fig. 301). Sweet alyssum is a low growing European plant with 

 grayish green leaves and clusters of small white or yellowish 

 flowers. Stock, a taller plant native to the Old World, has 

 terminal clusters of white or purple flowers. Wallflower, of 

 which there are several native western species, is a stout plant 

 with flowers in terminal clusters; ornamental varieties with 



