MINT FAMILY. Labiatae. 



There are only a few kinds of Sphacele. 



This is a rather handsome shrubby 

 Wood-balm ' plant, from two to five feet high, woody at 

 sph&cele calydna base, with many stout, leafy, woolly or 

 White hairy stems, and rather coarse leaves, 



Spring, summer ha{ more Qr legs wrinkled and toothed, 

 California 



and rather dark green. The flowers are 



over an inch long, in pairs along the upper stem, something 

 the shape of a Monkey-flower, with a five-toothed calyx 

 and a corolla with four, short, spreading lobes and the 

 fifth lobe much longer and erect, the tube broad and dull- 

 white, with a hairy ring at the base inside, the lobes tinged 

 with pink or purple; the stamens four, one pair shorter. 

 After the flowers have faded the large, pale green, inflated 

 calyxes, veined with dull purple, become conspicuous. 

 If the flowers were brighter in color this would be very 

 handsome. It is strongly but rather pleasantly aromatic 

 and grows on dry hills in southern California. The nar 

 is from the Greek, meaning "sage," as these plants ha 

 sage-like foliage and smell, but the flowers are qtu 

 different. 



There are several kinds of Salvia, widely distribute 

 herbs or shrubs; flowers usually in whorls, with brae 

 upper lip of the corolla erect, seldom two-lobed, lower '. 

 spreading and three-lobed; resembling Ramona, exce 

 that the two stamens have filaments which are apparen 

 two-forked, one fork bearing an anther cell and the othe 

 only the mere rudiment of an anther; the smooth nutlet 

 are mucilaginous when wet. The Latin name means "t 

 save," as some kinds are medicinal. 



,, . . _ A fantastically beautiful and decorativ 

 Thistle Sage, 



Persian Prince plant, very individual in character. 



Sdlvia carduhcea stout purplish stem, a foot or two tall an 



Lilac covered with white wool, springs from 



Spring, summer rosette of thistle-like leaves of pale 



California . . , , .. . i1 



green, so thickly covered with cushio 



of white wool that they appear to be inflated, their tee 

 tipped with brown spines. The stem bears a series 

 flower-clusters, resembling large, round, pale balls of wcc 

 pierced here and there by long prickles and encircled t 

 lovely flowers, so etherial that they appear almost to hov 

 in the air. They are each about an inch long, the corol 

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