RED WILD FLOWERS 



This feature is unusually showy and attractive. The 

 irregular greenish yellow corolla of the tubular flower 

 has a long, narrow arched upper lip, and a short 

 three-lobed lower lip, and is set in a longer, flattened, 

 tubular, two-lobed and usually green or sometimes 

 scarlet calyx. The flowers are hidden within their 

 conspicuous, three-parted, bright red or scarlet bracts. 

 They have four unequal stamens, and a long pistil set 

 within the long upper lip of the flowers, which are 

 closely grouped in a terminal leafy cluster. The 

 Painted-cup is found from May to July, in low, sandy 

 grounds, from Canada to Virginia, Tennessee, Kan- 

 sas and Texas. Rarely the bracts and calyxes are 

 yellow. This species was dedicated to a Spanish 

 botanist named Castillejo. 



WOOD BETONY. LOUSEWORT. BEEF- 

 STEAK PLANT. HIGH HEAL-ALL 



Pedicularis canadensis. Figwort Family. 



Looking directly downward upon the tousled, 

 whirligigged, floral spike of the Wood Betony, one 

 is immediately impressed with its rip-saw symmetry. 

 And, if it is plucked and twirled 'twixt the fore- 

 finger and thumb, the illusion becomes quite real and 

 amusing. As we recall frequent references to the 

 Betony of ancient history, we are apt to connect it 

 with our native species, but it is the European plant, 

 Betonica officinalis, that was frequently extolled for 

 its many physical and medicinal charms and virtues. 

 Our own curious Wood Betony has one unhappy con- 



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