8 CALLIRRHOE INVOLUCRATA. PURPLE POPPV-MALLOW. 



Stansbury, as recorded in his account of the expedition to Great 

 Salt Lake, in 1849. He says: " The valley of the Little Blue 

 has not presented any great novelty in the way of flowers ; but 

 a splendid variety of the Mallow, of a bright carmine color, its 

 trailing stems sending up flowers in little patches a few yards 

 square, presented a rich and beautiful appearance, enlivening 

 the monotony of the prairies by its brilliant hues." In the 

 valley of the Platte, he again speaks of meeting the "Purple 

 Mallow," and adds that " the root resembles the parsnip, and 

 is eaten by the Indians." It is singular that Fremont, who 

 passed over the same ground a few years before, and gave 

 great attention to the roots eaten by the Indians, makes no 

 mention of those of our species, although he seems to have 

 met with the plant on the Little Blue River of Kansas, 

 the place where Stansbury first saw it. It appears, indeed, to 

 have often been seen by the early explorers. Lindheimer found 

 it "in oak-openings on the Pierdenales," in Texas, and Wright 

 collected it " on the San Pedro and Pecos Rivers," in the same 

 State. Fremont and Stansbury found it, as before stated, on 

 the Little Blue River of Kansas, although the latter speaks 

 of it chiefly as located on the " upper waters of the Platte." 

 Whipple's Pacific Railroad Expedition saw it " on the Cana- 

 dian," and the writer of this found it on the ridge dividing the 

 Arkansas from the Platte regions. Prof. Porter, in his " Flora 

 of Colorado," reports it on Purgatory River, and it is included in 

 the collections made in the Rocky Mountains by Dr. Parry^ in 

 1 86 1. Mr. Ruffner, finally, finds it in Northern Texas, while 

 Prof. Snow says it occurs in Kansas, but doubts whether it is 

 distinct from Callirrhde Papaver. 



These separate locations very well represent the whole dis- 

 trict in which it has so far been found. 



Explanation of the Plate — i. The terminal portion of a long trailing branch. — 2. The 

 three involucral bracts, in addition to the usual five sepals. — 3 Separate flower, show- 

 thc monadelphous column of stamens. — 4. Immature fruit, showing position of the minute 

 beak in the centre of the carpels. — 5 Leaf-blade, with chief portion of the petiole. 



