YELLOW 



catus is of a lower growth, with opposite, widely spreading leaves 

 and larger flower-heads. H. annum is the garden species famil- 

 iar to all j this is said to be a native of Peru. Mr. Ellwanger 

 writes regarding it : "In the mythology of the ancient Peruvi- 

 ans it occupied an important place, and was employed as a 

 mystic decoration in ancient Mexican sculpture. Like the lotus 

 of the East, it is equally a sacred and an artistic emblem, figur- 

 ing in the symbolism of Mexico and Peru, where the Spaniards 

 found it rearing its aspiring stalk in the fields, and serving in 

 the temples as a sign and a decoration, the sun-god's officiating 

 handmaidens wearing upon their breasts representations of the 

 sacred flower in beaten gold." 



Gerarde describes it as follows: "The Indian Sun or the 

 golden floure of Peru is a plant of such stature and talnesse that 

 in one Sommer, being sowne of a seede in April, it hath risen up 

 to the height of fourteen foot in my garden, where one floure 

 was in weight three pound and two ounces, and crosse over- 

 thwart the floure by measure sixteen inches broad." 



The generic name is from helios the sun, and anthos a 

 flower. 



SNEEZEWEED. SWAMP SUNFLOWER. 



Helenium autumnale. Composite Family (p. 13). 



One to six feet high. Stem. Angled, erect, branching. Leaves. Al- 

 ternate, lance-shaped. Flower-heads. Yellow, composed of both ray and 

 disk-flowers, the rays being somewhat cleft. 



As far north as Connecticut we see masses of these bright 

 flowers bordering the streams and swamps in September. 



STICK-TIGHT. BUR MARIGOLD, BEGGAR-TICKS. 



Bidens frondosa. Composite Family (p. 13). 



Two to six feet high. Stem. Branching. Leaves. Opposite, three to 

 five-divided. Flower-heads. Consisting of brownish -yellow tubular flowers, 

 with a leaf -like involucre beneath. 



If one were only describing the attractive wild flowers, the 

 stick-tight would certainly be omitted, as its appearance is not 

 prepossessing, and the small barbed seed-vessels so cleverly fulfil 



166 



