48 AUTUMN NOTES IN IOWA 



coneflowers, yarrow, arrowhead, sneezeweed, even- 

 ing primrose, blue vervain, lousewort, ironweed, 

 Indian mallow, lobelias, loosestrife, gerardia, and 

 trumpet weed. Some are at the height of inflor- 

 escence, others long past their prime. The iron- 

 weed now ranges from the royal purple of vigor- 

 ous bloom to the dull brown of faded heads, in a 

 series of delicatel}^ graduated shades. Interest in 

 autumnal colors among herbs is not limited to blos- 

 soms. The chocolate-brown tints of dock foliage 

 are familiar and welcome at this time of year ; the 

 masses of smartweed in the swamps are often al- 

 most purple; the open involucres of aster heads 

 have a silvery shine. Today in these fields the 

 fruit of several species of milkweed hang un- 

 opened, still green, but a little later the silken 

 coma and the bright linings of the pods will bring 

 pleasure to many eyes. Last year at this date, the 

 pods were already opening in the northern part of 

 the state. 



Flagg writes in 1838 of the prairie goldenrod 

 *' spreading out into a Afield of the cloth of gold,' " 

 and among other flowers of the season mentions 

 asters, arrowhead, blazing star, "all species" 

 of lobelia, eupatorkini, gentians, including the 

 fringed, and sunflowers ' ' in rich variety. ' ' Woods 

 writing of Illinois in 1822 mentions dock, fennel, 

 goldenrod, snakeroot, gentians, balm, horehound, 

 sage, coriander, peppermint, and pennyroyal — 



