Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 365 



spring- — some noted in blossom near the Assembly grounds May 

 25, and it has often been noted in blossom earlier than this — and 

 it continues blossoming until severe frosts. Some was noted in 

 flower October 27 west of the depot. In common with several 

 other plants of the family, the seeds and green fruit are notably 

 mucilaginous. 



515. EUROPEAN MALLOW 



MALVA ALCEA L. 



A favorite in old-fashioned gardens, resembling a hollyhock 

 with small single blossoms like a larger edition of the M. rotundi- 

 folia, but red or pink. A few plants which had escaped from seed 

 of some old garden near Culver. 



516. PRICKLY SIDA; INDIAN OR FALSE MALLOW 



SIDA SPINOSA L. 



A rather slender, inconspicuous weed with pale yellow flowers, 

 rather common in grassy places along walks on Long Point near 

 Scovell's and neighboring cottages. 



517. VELVET LEAF; BUTTER-PRINT 



ABUTILON ABUTILON (L.) Rusby 



Not abundant west of the lake ; evidently brought in by the rail- 

 road as most of the plants were found along the railroad by the 

 ice-houses. Exceedingly abundant. 1904, in a field northeast of the 

 lake. This native of India has found congenial soil in many parts 

 of our country and in some places has become one of the worst of 

 our weeds. It seems queer to think of this rank weed with rather 

 inconspicuous yellow flowers as once thought of as ornamental ; it 

 is from gardens that it, like its pestiferous but much prettier rela- 

 tive, the ten o'clock, has spread. It prefers rich black loam. It is 

 an annual but bears an immense crop of seeds and these will germi- 

 nate any time during the summer when the ground is stirred, and 

 in places whole fields become a mass of these plants. It is mark- 

 edly heliotropic, and a densely grown field from a few inches to 

 knee high or higher, all pointing eastward with one accord in the 

 morning, and nodding heavily westward toward the setting sun in 

 the evening, makes a striking sight. Young plants can spring up 

 late in summer and hurry through the life cycle soon enough to 

 leave plenty of seeds by autumn. The velvet-leaf has a rather 

 strong shreddy bark when dead, but not strong enough to make it 

 of any value as a fiber plant. 



