Yellow to Orange Flowers 317 



MARSH-MARIGOLD 



Caltha palustris. Crowfoot Family 



Stems: erect, one-to-two flowered, the lower flower subtended by a 

 petaloid lanceolate bract. Leaves: roundish to oblong-cordate, longer 

 than wide, irregularly crenate-toothed. Flowers: yellow; sepals petal- 

 oid, lanceolate, acute ; petals none ; stamens and pistils numerous. 



This is a splendid-looking marsh plant, with large round- 

 ish glossy leaves of a deep bright green, and fine yellow 

 blossoms that are tinged with purple on the outside. It re- 

 sembles a large Buttercup. The name Marigold is a cor- 

 ruption of " Mary's gold," for this flower was dedicated to 

 the Holy Virgin in the Middle Ages, a fact to which Shake- 

 speare refers in Cymbcline, when he causes the musicians 

 to sing: 



" Hark, hark ! the lark at heaven's gate sings, 



And Phcebus 'gins arise, 

 His steeds to water at those springs 



On chalic'd flowers that lies ; 

 And winking Mary-buds begin 



To ope their golden eyes." 



The Marsh-marigold has no petals, but its five cr more 

 petaloid sepals do duty instead. The leaves of this ex- 

 tremely succulent plant are mostly heart-shaped at the base, 

 and just below the flower is borne a petal -like long-shaped 

 bract. 



Ofttimes amid the mountains you will see flat moist 

 meadows literally ablaze with these showy blossoms, which 

 turn the marshes into a veritable Field of the Cloth of Gold. 



YELLOW COLUMBINE 

 Aquilegia Hai'cscens. Crowfoot Family 



Stems: smooth. Leaves: ternate; leaflets round-cordate, three- 

 parted, the segments coarsely toothed. Flowers: yellow, pendulous; 



