MALLOW FAMILY 



Rooted deep in river slime, secret, hidden long, 

 Give them light, and air, and time, then they bloom to song. 

 Leaves of maple, copper stems, buds of emerald lustre, 

 Like a branch of rose-lit gems how the blossoms cluster. 

 See the silken petals lift, pink as baby's fingers. 

 Crimson heart, where still a drift of silver pollen lingers. 

 Lads, let's leave them at their best, in their stately growing, 

 Where the marsh-wren builds her nest, by the river flowing. 

 Let no wanton fingers harsh those sweet branches sever, 

 Then will mallows of the marsh grow in memory ever." 



RUNNING MALLOW. CHEESE FLOWER. 

 BUTTONWEED 



Mdlva rotundifolia 



A common winter annual or biennial weed found 

 throughout the north, and blooming from May to Decem- 

 ber. Introduced, native to Europe and Asia; forming 

 mats in cultivated grounds — a pest. 



Root. — White, spreading, tap and strongly fibrous, 

 deeply rooted. 



Stem. — Procumbent, spreading and sprawling, one to 

 two feet long. 



Leaves. — Round kidney-shaped, one to two inches 

 across; cordate, with five to seven shallow, dentate-crenate 

 lobes, with finely toothed margin; long-petioled. 



Flowers. — Small, Hollyhock-shape, on short pedicels 

 in the axils of the leaves, pale pinkish blue; one-half to 

 three-fourths of an inch across. 



Calyx. — Five-cleft; subtended by three to five bract- 

 lets; lobes ovate, acute. 



Corolla. — Petals five, convolute in bud, notched at 

 the tips, thin. 



Stamens. — Many, forming a central column around the 

 pistil; united with the bases of the petals; filaments and 

 anthers white; anthers one-celled. 

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