BORAGINACE^— BORAGE FAMILY 



MERTENSIA. VIRGINIAN COWSLIP. BLUEBELLS 



Mertlnsia virginica. 



Named in honor of Franz Karl Mertens, a German botanist. 



A well-known perennial herb, growing in alluvial soil from New 

 York, west and south. Is one of the favorite, early, spring flowers of 

 the Middle West. April, May. 



Stem. — Smooth, leafy, one to two feet high. 



Leaves. — Alternate, obovate, entire; the lower, large, rounded, and 

 long-petioled; veins conspicuous. 



Flowers. — Slender trumpet-shaped bells about an inch long; at first 

 red-purple, later bright-blue, on slender pedicels in loose, raceme-like 

 clusters. 



Calyx. — Short, five-cleft. 



Corolla-tube. — Cylindric; border bell-like; throat open and naked; 

 red-purple in bud, blue when mature. 



Stamens. — ^Five, inserted on the corolla-tube; filaments protruding. 



Ovary. — Four-cleft; style arising from the centre. 



Fruit. — Four rough akenes. 



Mertensia virginica has three common names, Virginia Cow- 

 slip, Bluebells, Smooth Lungwort. 



In a family noted for hairy stems and rough leaves Merten- 

 sia is conspicuously smooth, and its foliage tender. The blos- 

 soms in early spring are especially attractive because their color 

 varies from red-purple to brilliant blue, and the plants naturally 

 growing in clumps and the flowers in clusters, so that massed effects 

 are easily obtained. 



