Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 261 



LOGANIA FAMILY (Loganiaceae) 



A small family of herbs, shrubs or trees with en- 

 tire-edged, opposite leaves, usually with stipules, 

 and with regular, perfect, four or five-parted flowers; 

 forming a connecting link between the Gentian, Dog- 

 bane and Rose Families. 



YELLOW FALSE JESSAMINE (Gelsemium sem- 

 pervirens.) This beautiful vine is very common in 

 the Southern States where it may be found climb- 

 ing the trunks of trees, trailing over bushes or even 

 creeping over the ground. During March and April, 

 large, handsome yellow flowers appear in one-sid- 

 ed spikes. The blossoms are tubular-funnel-form and 

 range from one to two inches in length; the opening 

 is spreading and divided into five lobes. The five 

 stamens are tipped with saggittate anthers and the 

 two slender pistils have two-parted stigmas. 



The ovate-pointed leaves, that grow oppositely on 

 short petioles, are evergreen; the short flower spikes 

 grow from their axils. Tha stem is smooth, woody and 

 twining. This species ranges from Va. to Fla. and 

 Texas. 



INDIAN PINK; PINK-ROOT (Spigelia marilan- 

 dica) is an erect herb found in rich woods from Ohio 

 and Ky. to Fla. and Texas. It is a perennial with 

 a simple stem rising from 1 to 2 feet high. The 

 pointed, ovate-lanceolate leaves are seated opposite- 

 ly on the stem, united by stipules. The flowers grow 

 in a short, one-sided spike; the corolla is tubular-fun- 

 nel-form, 5-lobed at the end and about one or two 

 inches in length. The inside of the tube is a bright 

 yellow and the outside a dull red. The five stamens, 

 with their linear anthers, are long and appear be- 

 yond the end of the tube. The single style is slender 

 and hairy above. 



The roots have a pink juice that may be used for 

 coloring, a property instrumental in giving the plant 

 its common names. 



