220 



THE AMERICAN 



styles. Tlie outer pair of glumes is sometimes 

 wanting, and in some cases one of the inner 

 pair is either absent or imperfect. 



It is well to begin the study of grasses by 

 examining first the structure of some of those 

 having large flowers, as the common Oat (ylveiia 

 mtira, L.) Here if we take one of the smallest 

 spikelets, we find first a pair of large husks or 

 glumes, one of them at the hottom rather folds 

 over the other, and is affixed to the stem or 

 rachis a little below it, hence it is called the 

 lower glume; the other is called the upper 

 glume. Just within these glumes will be seen 

 two or three flowers, in each of which we may 

 observe the two palets, and, if the specimen is 

 collected in flower, we will find the stamens 

 and styles, but if the ripe oat is examined we 

 shall find within the palets only a grain ; or, in- 

 deed, one of the two or three flowers may be 

 sterile or imperfect. 



A wild grass {Stipa spartea, Trin.) growing 

 on the native prairies and plains of the West, 

 and sometimes called Wild Oats, or Porcupine 

 grass, on account of the slender, twisted awn or 

 bristle, four to six inches long, which encloses 

 the seed, has very conspicuous glumes, one and 

 a half or two inches long; but very few of our 

 grasses have flowers of such magnitude, while 

 in some species the flowers are less than one line 

 in length. 



After acquiring familiarity with the floral 

 organs in some of the larger specimens, the 

 learner will have little trouble, with the aid of a 

 common lens, and of the excellent figures in 

 Gray's Manual, in getting an acquaintance with 

 any of the common grasses. We trust our 

 readers will improve the coming season in an 

 investigation of this subject. 



soon went into violent (;onvulsions, and died in 

 half an liour. Mrs. Bvriu-s, when apiiriscd hv 

 hcrlitll,' s,ni tliat liiMvas si,k. (■..iisiilf,',! lii'r luis- 



B.'inu- askeil wliaF he had cati'iiT li,' saiil. -Oiilv 

 two iitll,' r.Mils ali,.ut as bi;;- as mv fiii'irr.' The 

 chilli ,-,,iitimi,',l to gn.w W..IS,.. ■inid'in a short 

 time was s,'i/,(',l with ,',)iiviilsi(iiis. and, despite 

 all remedies, ,lie,l at iiii,liii-lif ."— />rt<v'/,y'or^ 

 Gazette, April 20. 



It is now an apiiropriat,' tiiii,' l,i give a wiinl 

 of warning r,'s]i,',-tiiig ]i,iis,iii,iiis ]ilaii!s. K\-,'i-y 

 siu-iiig w,' tiiiil su.'li a,-,-,,iiiils as 111,. abov,' in llie 

 ]illhli,' pi-inls. ,,|-,-as,'. ,,r |»,is,niiii,i; IV,. in 111,' ii.se 

 of roots which are mistak,'ii lor tli,>s,' ,.!' ,'s,-iil,'iit 

 vegetables. 



A few years ago, we kii,'W a sln.ng. la'aliliy 

 young Norwegian, who, having foun,l soini' r,i,.ts 

 just beginning to develop leaves, ad' !«,. or 

 three of them, under the belief that tli.y wiiv 

 parsnips. In an hour or two lie was s,'iz,'il with 

 pain and vomiting, and betbre in,',li,al ai,l was 

 in-ocnred lie was dead. The roots nmt,' I hose of 

 the Spotted Cowbane (C'icuta macnJnta, L.). a 

 plant which occurs all over the country in low 

 moist gnmnds, and has been the occasion of 

 many cases of poisoning. 



Two years ago, several childri'ii iieartVnIralia, 

 111., were poisoned from eating the roots of an- 

 other plant, which grows in the southern part of 

 the States of Ohio, Indiana and lUinois. in 

 similar situations with the preceding, and is 

 botanically called Eulophus Americanus, Nutt. 

 It has no definite common name so far as we 

 know. 



These two plants belong to the Natural Order 

 Umbelliferm, or to the same family as the Cara- 

 way, Parsley, Carrot, Parsnip, &c. It embi-aces 

 many poisonous plants, among them tlw l',>isoii 

 Hemlock (Conium mamilatum. L.). tli,' jiii,-,' of 

 which, it is supposed, was emplo\-e,l by the 

 aii,-ients in the execution of criminals. 



Children should be cautioned against eating 

 any wild roots without the sanction of those who 

 ai-,' aecinainted with them and know what tliey 

 ai,'. We shall hereafter give some illustration's 

 of these poisonous plants. 



Western Botany. — A large portion of the 

 native vegetation of the States west of (he Mis- 

 sissippi, and particularly of the great Plains of 

 Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado, is not described 

 in the common Text-books of Botany. Hence 

 our friends in those sections will meet with di'f- 

 ticulty in becoming acquainted with the plants 

 they meet with there. The names and descrip- 

 tions of such plants are contained in Pacific 

 I'ailroad Reports, and in published proceedings 

 of various scientific societies. 



