286 Blue to Purple Flowers 



the jealous Proserpine changed into a flower so' that she 

 might not win the admiration of Pluto, her lord and master. 

 At least the memory of the ill-fated beauty is kept forever 

 green and fragrant, for the leaves of the Mint contain 

 numerous tiny glands in which is secreted a volatile oil that 

 has an excessively strong odour and flavour. 



The flowers, which are either pinkish-purple or purplish- 

 pink, and very occasionally white, grow in dense little clus- 

 ters in the axils of the leaves. 



Mentha canadensis var. lanata, or Hairy Mint, closely re- 

 sembles the preceding species, but has densely tomentose or 

 lanate stems and under surfaces of leaves. 



BLUE-EYED MARY 



Collinsia tenella. Figwort Family 



Stems: very slender and weak. Leaves: oblong or lanceolate, mostly 

 obtuse at the apex and narrowed at the base, entire or sparingly toothed, 

 the lower ones opposite, the upper ones in whorls. Flowers: on long 

 pedicels ; corolla variegated blue and white, the throat longer than the 

 limb, which is two-lipped, the upper lip two-cleft, its lobes recurved, the 

 lower lip larger and three-lobed. 



A pretty, fragile, little plant, with numerous variegated 

 blue and white blossoms. It grows thickly in moist places, 

 seldom attaining more than eight inches in height. It is not 

 unlike a very tiny Lobelia. 



LARGE PURPLE BEARD-TONGUE 



Penstemon fruticosus. Figwort Family 



Stems: decumbent, defusely spreading, woody at the base. Leaves: 

 ovate or lanceolate, serrulate or entire. Flowers: in glandular hairy 

 terminal racemes, calyx five-parted, corolla tubular, moderately bilabiate, 

 the upper lip two-lobed, the lower lip three-lobed and bearded within. 

 Fruit: seeds numerous, angled but not winged. 



