DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERS. 133 



flowers are of a brilliant yellow, and open to the sun, but 

 close at night. There is a succession of flowers through 

 the season, which makes it a desirable border-plant. 



ARGEMONE.— Prickly Poppy. 



fFrorn agema, the name by which the cataract of the eye was known, and 

 was thought to be cured by this plant.] 



Ar^emone Mexicana^ is a troublesome weed in the 

 West Indies, with a fig-shaped capsule, armed with 

 prickles, and thence by the Spaniards, called JFigo del in- 

 ferno. The whole plant abounds with a milky juice, 

 which turns in the air to a fine bright yellow. It has 

 handsome j^oppy-shaped yellow flowers. It is some- 

 times found inthe garden, but that is not a proper place 

 for it, for one cannot touch it without being wounded 

 with the spines which are upon the leaves as well as the 

 capsules ; nor break it without soiling the hand, and 

 when the flower is gathered it is not suitable for the 

 bouquet. A. grandiflora^ like the last, is an annual in our 

 climate, but the thick fleshy roots may be taken up in 

 the fall, kept in the cellar, and planted out in the spring. 

 It has a very large, showy white flower, with numerous 

 yellow stamens and quite ornamental ; but, like A. 

 Mexicana is only to be looked at and not meddled 

 with. A. ochroleuca^ has pale-yellow flowers. The 

 leaves, capsules, and the whole plant are armed with 

 formidable spines ; having had the hands or any part 

 of the body in contact with the plant, it will be forever 

 after viewed with feelings far from pleasureable. A. Bar- 

 clayana is equal to the others in its poAvers of annoy- 

 ance, but its more showy, brilliant yellow flowers, will, 

 in some measure, make amends for its repulsiveness. I 

 cannot recommend this genus of plants, only where 

 large collections are desired. 



