224 



ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



.NOTE.S FROM IMtKKESfOiNItKiXTK. 



Field and JHeadow mosses.— The species afifect- 

 ins tliese localities, and often by their abumtance doing 

 great dara;i.:;e to meadows, are Bnjum anjenteum, Lin., 

 'ihirhiila „,„i„;,;,!ata. Red. , ArMdium Okioense, Sch., 

 /'/,./-,„;„ ,-„,p;,l„tiim. Schr., Phaacum altevnifoUum, ijrid., 

 Miicl /'/,,/,.■•.,,„ mlhtiilum, Schirnp. Several others are 

 '>" ii"n:ill\ [miiii.I in certain localities in li>~s iiiiiiil>crs. 

 // yhiim on clay lands i> ^nnniinic- i|iiite 



■■'^•■.'- iiiurious. Phascumt,;.,' 'h' ,!• i- lar.-r. 



hI /////./ 



:.ln!a 



udov 



and in very low swampy places, Hypnum riparivm and 

 //^joawm mdiVaZe frequently abound; but excepting the 

 first six species little damage is sustained to the grasses 

 by their presence. Bryam argenteum und Barhula un- 

 guiculata are specially obnoxious not alone in these 

 situations, but in gardens and house-grounds vrhere 

 weeds are kept down, having the advantage of growing 

 without much heat; in tact, flourishing most luxuri- 

 antly wlieii phenogamous plants are entirely at rest in 

 the winter, they soon possess themselves of the whole 

 territory, and finally choke out many lierbaceus plants, 

 and do great mischief to garden shrubbery and even 

 trees. Underdraining would to some extent diminish 

 the evil, but as all mosses grow chiefly during the win- 

 ter and spring months, when moisture almost continu- 

 ally abounds, no satisfiictory remedy will probably ever 

 be applied for this particular evil to agriculture and 

 horticulture. E. Hall. 



Velvet-leaf (AhutiliDi Ame/M.c, Gaert.)— Tin- In- 

 dian Mallow, or Velvet-leaf, often so called, and also 

 locally Stamp-weed, from a use formerly of printing 

 butter with its pods, is an annual East Indian plant ot 

 the Mallow family. It is a vile weed, already well 

 established in nunirroiis loivilitics ill ilir Wc<t, as well 

 as in the older purtiun- ,.r this .■c.iiiili\ I'lil.lir aii.u- 

 tion,ifnotlegalen;irniiriiis. >li..ul,l l„. ,liiv.ir,l wiilimit 



confining it to its pir-iiu arias; I radical inn h lierc 

 established is not prarti,-al,lr. thr str.l- lirini; appar- 

 ently imperishable iiihIii- all roiiditioiis lo uliieli lime 

 can expose them. The writer having carefully attiaulcd 

 a small locality for sixteen years, finds the seeds that 

 ripcneil probably sixteen years ago from a single plant 

 aiii)Hall> maKiiii;- their appearance. The spread of the 

 plaiii is iioi iiicessarily rapid, nor diflBcidt to check. An 

 iii-laiiiT ,>,-,iiis here, where the plant has grown for 



.nd 



eld. 



in the rich eidtivated lands all over the West. Farmers 

 are not aware of the pernicious character of the weed 

 or the detriment their farms are subjected to from its 

 presence on them. Fifty per cent, depreciation in in- 

 trinsic value would probably be below rather than aliove 

 the average loss in worth of farms stockeil with it. I 

 have seen farms in Central Illinois .^llnllll..|ll■d ai)pareiul\ 



tunate as to \ et l>e free from it, cannot use too much 

 watelitiiln, s- |,, k. rp it oft'. The plant, like most tropi- 

 cal or siiMiopi.al plants, has a wonderful capacity of 

 atlaptiii.^ itsilt to the situation. It only germinates 

 with a high temperattu-e. and when this and mol.sture, 

 and other requisite conditions are provided, It C(mi- 

 menees operations without regard to time or seasons, 

 but is never caught Suiting itself to thi' cireiunstances 

 surrounding it, it invariably aecoraplishe.s the olyeet of 

 its existence, /. <-., matures seeds. It is a rapid grower. 

 and apii:ii-eiitly an exliaiisth e Hi-der, and no foreign or 

 ii.alive Weed i- d. --lined Im w i.rk liall' the evil til agricul- 

 liiie itpeiiiiiiird lo ::eiH rally di->eiiiiiuite itself through 

 tlie lieli praiiies ofthe North and West. 

 Athens. Ills. E. Halt,. 



.'VNSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Plants to Name. — Mrs. B. S. Lake^ Colorado. — 

 More of those nicely prepared specimens of Rocky 

 Mountain plants. Ho. *i\s Petitftemon glaher.Vh. The 

 genus Peiitsiemon is represented by only three species 

 east of the Mississippi; but westward the species be- 

 come very numerous, and many of them have large and 

 conspicuous flowers. This species is very ornamental, 

 and may lie cultivated with perfect success . It is nearly 

 related to the Fox-glove family. No. 7 is the Rocky 

 Mountain Flax (L!ii,n„ ,.ei,nne. L.) This, a.? its name 

 indieaie-. is a i)rirnnial -pedes of flax, growing from 

 Missouii i.>ilie I'ariiir, and also in Eiu'ope and Asia. 

 It has a sleiidef, hi-uueliiug stem, two to three feet high, 

 and rather large, bright-blue flowers. No. 8 is Gilia 

 aggregata, Spreng. The Gilias belong to the .same 

 Natural Order as the I'hlox, and are closely related to 

 that genus. Many of them are very showy. This species 

 has narrow, trumpet-like flowers, one and a half inches 

 long, in loose clusters along a tall, slender stalk. They 



eolor fi-<- 



v-hite 



rlet. Nr 



^7^^ 



lights up the 

 there join \ 

 scenery. Ni 

 L.), a verv 

 borders of .- 



11 \^ Pnt.ntillu i.,i,n>Nlr,n,;.<i. I.. Tlo- oreiii-s under a 



valleys, and with its ^layisli-w liiti- leave- and yellow 

 flowers lias a pleasing appeiiranee. It is doubtful about 

 its ever having been found in Pennsylvania, as would 

 be inferred from the specific name, but it oceiu-s in a 

 few places in New England. 



Cha« E. BUhn. Phihiileljd.iu.—Yonr plants are as fol- 

 lows: No. 1, ail iwolie .spii-ea; we have not the means 

 of determining the -]Haiis No. -2 is our beautiful native 

 Yellow Lily (LiliuM canaJtnse, L.) No. 3 is called 

 Knawel {Sderanthus annuits, L.), a weed introduced 

 from Europe. No. 4 is the Buflerfly-weed, or Pleurisy- 

 root {Afclepia.^ tu1>ernm,\..) No. .") is a kind of Jlilkwort 



Will preserved, but some of them are 

 scale, not fully representing the species. 



