366 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1215 



is large and rendered especially difficult be- 

 cause many plants liave eacli their h.ost of 

 earnest admirers and advocates. In the mind 

 of the writer, a national flower should have 

 certain definite characteristics which are here 

 outlined. 



First, it should not be a troublesome weed 

 in any sense of the word. A plant symbolic 

 of our national glory should not be one that 

 pesters and troubles the farmer; such a plant 

 would fall far short of attaining the desired 

 object. 



Second, the plant should be native and fairly 

 common in all parts of the country. 



Third, a national flower should be easy of 

 cultivation in all regions of the United 

 States. 



Fourth, such a plant should possess grace 

 and beauty of both flower and leaf. 



One flower, in the opinion of the vrriter, 

 stands out preeminently as meeting all of these 

 conditions very closely; that flower is the wild 

 columbine. Our native flora can boast of no 

 more handsome or more graceful member than 

 the beautiful columbine. It has much to 

 commend itself strongly to the advocate of a 

 national flower; its graceful, nodding flower 

 and exquisite foliage presents an eloquent 

 plea for the adoption of this gem of nature as 

 a symbol of American ideals. The colum- 

 bine is native, has never been known as a 

 weed and exists in every state in the Union. 

 In all altitudes may this plant be found, from 

 the peaks of the Eocky Mountains and the 

 highest altitudes of Virginia, to the low 

 lands of the coast. The columbine is easy of 

 cultivation in all parts of the country — ^thus 

 it fulfils the conditions for the ideal national 

 flower. 



And as though to further fulfil require- 

 ments, the columbine flowers from April to 

 July, being thus present in its greatest glory 

 on the two occasions when a national floral 

 emblem is most desired. Memorial Day and 

 the Fourth of July. 



Again, the American eagle holds a place in 

 the affection of America not shared by any 

 other fowl or beast. The generic part of the 

 scientific name of columbine, AquUegia cana- 



densis, was applied by the great Linnseus be- 

 cause of the resemblance of the spurs of the 

 flower to the talons of an eagle; the Latin 

 name for eagle is aquila. The conspicuous 

 floral color is red, one of the three national 

 colors, although the throat of the flower is 

 yellow. The Colorado columbine is blue. 



The columbine possesses five petals, a char- 

 acter which could readily be considered as 

 corresponding to the five points of the star 

 on the national ensign. Furthermore, the five 

 spurs of the petals are grouped around a cen- 

 tral floral shaft, suggestive of the relation of 

 the states to the central government. The 

 leaves are usually thrice-divided, which could 

 be considered commemorative of our three 

 martyred presidents, Lincoln, Garfield and 

 McKinley. 



In order that any plant be universally rec- 

 ognized as the emblem of the nation, it is 

 necessary that the national government take 

 action and render the selection official. Many 

 of the states have already adopted state flow- 

 ers, and who will say that these states have 

 not been benefited by their actions? One 

 state, Colorado, has already selected the col- 

 umbine as the floral emblem of the common- 

 wealth. In the advent of action by the na- 

 tional government, a word of warning should 

 be heeded. When a plant becomes well known, 

 there is created a tendency toward the extinc- 

 tion of that species because of the abnormal 

 demand thus created. When Bryant eulogized 

 the fringed gentian, little did he realize that 

 his words would cause such interest in the 

 beautiful flower, that eager misguided collect- 

 ors would practically exterminate the fringed 

 gentian in many regions. The adoption of 

 the Oregon grape as the state flower of Oregon 

 resulted in its practical extermination in the 

 vicinities of the large cities and the plant be- 

 came increasingly scarce all over the state. 

 The adoption of a national flower would cre- 

 ate demands that should be met in a sane and 

 reasonable manner, or the selection might 

 spell the doom of the favored plant. 



A native plant of undoubted grace and 

 beauty, the columbine seems to be the natural 

 selection as an emblem of all that is noble. 



