PINK WILD FLOWERS 



flowers, and measures from four to seven inches broad. 

 The five large, rounded, wedge-shaped petals are a 

 pure, rosy pink in colour, sometimes entirely white, 

 and often marked with a rich, crimson blotch at the 

 base. They are strongly ribbed. The long, slender 

 pistil splits into five flat-headed tips, and for most of 

 its length, it is enclosed with a tube bearing many 

 pale yellow stamens. The five-parted calyx is sup- 

 ported with a row of ten narrow bractlets. The 

 flowers are clustered on short stems at the top of the 

 stout, leafy, cane-like stalks, several of which spring 

 from a perennial root, and rise from four to seven feet 

 in height. The large, oval leaves taper sharply to a 

 slender point, and are rounded at the base. Often 

 they have a short pointed lobe on either side. The 

 margins are indented with small, rounded teeth. The 

 surface is smooth above and the colour is full green. 

 The underside is covered with a soft, whitish down, and 

 the ribs show prominently. 



The Marsh Mallow, Althaea officinalis, is a much 

 smaller and altogether different species, which has 

 been introduced from Europe and has become natural- 

 ized in salt marshes along the coast from Massa- 

 chusetts to New Jersey and locally westward to Michi- 

 gan and Arkansas. In Europe it is raised for its 

 thick roots, from which is obtained a mucilage used 

 in making the white marshmallow candy sold at every 

 confectionery store, and also as an important ingredient 

 in preparing cough syrups. It is interesting to note 

 that another relative is the common okra, a familiar 



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