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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XhYll. No. 1225 



6. It should leud itself readily to floral decora- 

 tion by variety and purity of color and distinctive- 

 ness of form. 



7. The features characteristic of its form should 

 combine such simplicity and gracefulness that, 

 when used conventionally in decorative design, the 

 flower may be readily recognized independently of 

 its color. 



8. It should be a flower which has never been 

 used by any other people as their emblem, and not 

 resemble such a flower in general form. 



9. It should possess, if possible, patriotic asso- 

 ciations plainly connecting it with the best for 

 which our country stands among the nations of 

 the world. 



Wliile the convention deemed it inexpedient 

 to make any recommendation of a special 

 flower at that time it was evidently the sense 

 of a majority of the delegates present, as 

 shown by an informal vote, that the colum- 

 bine, or aquilegia (sometimes known as wild 

 honeysuckle) is the only flower which meets 

 the requirements set forth in the above res- 

 olution. 



Beside the columbine's qualifications ad- 

 vanced by Mr. Hansen, the following are note- 

 worthy. Short-spurred forms of the flower, 

 native to our Eocky Mountains and to the 

 home of Columbus, resemble so closely a group 

 of doves that the flower's name — like that of 

 the great discoverer, and our national title 

 Columbia — is derived from the Latin columha, 

 a dove. Thus, the same flower which rides 

 our mountain storms like an American 

 eagle becomes in quiet valleys a dove-flower 

 symbolizing peace. One of its short-spurred 

 nectaries bears remarkable resemblance to a 

 liberty-cap ; those of moderate length are min- 

 iature horns of plenty; and the longest are 

 golden trumpets proclaiming Columbia's ideal 

 of liberty, whence comes the peace that makes 

 for plenty, the plenty that makes for power, 

 and the power that makes for peace. A colum- 

 bine leaf with its many leaflets in organic 

 union, the leader among them having thirteen 

 lobes, aptly recalls that mutual loyalty which 

 the founders of our thirteen original states 

 implied in their motto e pluribus unum. 



Peederick LeEoy Sargent 

 CAMBRroGE, Mass. 



The article on the above subject in the 

 April 12 number of Science is timely, inas- 

 much as, if we do not hurry, all the best 

 flowers will be selected ahead of the nation. 

 Even the one Mr. Albert A. Hansen proposes 

 has already been preempted by Colorado. 



The Aquilegia canadensis is a charming 

 spring flower, well worthy the compliment he 

 pays it, but I will mention a few objections. 

 In the first place, it would be a trespass upon 

 that state's rights to select their flower, espe- 

 cially when there are so many others to choose 

 from. Then its name, canadensis^ indicates 

 that is was first made known from Canada, 

 which is no part of America, as we wish it to 

 be known, the U. S. A. The chief objection 

 to the wild columbine is that it falls to pieces 

 so readily. This prevents it from being a 

 valuable addition to a bouquet, or for decora- 

 tion. After the petals have fallen, only the 

 ragged follicles remain. Nor is it extremely 

 common in this part of the country, the speci- 

 mens I have growing in my garden coming 

 from a start procured with some difficulty. 



Some years ago, the goldenrod was proposed 

 for the national flower of America and I have 

 often wished that it might be adopted. There 

 are 47 distinct species of this plant mentioned 

 in Britton and Brown's " Flora," almost as 

 many as the states in the Union. Perhaps 

 one or two more may be discovered to make 

 the num.ber exact. All are of the same color, 

 yellow, like sunshine, symbolic of cheerfulness. 

 The goldenrod belongs to the Composites, the 

 "many in one" family of flowers; and its bo- 

 tanical name, Bolidago, means to make whole. 

 It is a universal plant in this country, and one 

 species, Solidago juncea, blooms from June 

 into November. This is a handsome variety 

 and bears cultivation, as do most of them. 



Columbia's flower, the goldenrod, on hill and val- 

 ley grows; 



The gold is for the one who earns, the rod is for 

 her foes. KATHARINE DOORIS ShAEP 



London, Ohio 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 



Plants, Seeds and Currents in the West Indies 

 and Azores. By H. B. Guppy. London, 

 1917. 



