DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERS. 133 
flowers are of a brilliant yellow, and open to the sun, but 
close at night. There is a succession of flowers through 
the season, which makes it a desirable border-plant. 
ARGEMONE,—Pricety Porry. 
[From agema, the name by which the cataract of the eye was known, and 
was thought to be cured by this plant.] 
Argeméne Mexicdna, is a troublesome weed in the 
West Indies, with a fig-shaped capsule, armed with 
prickles, and thence by the Spaniards, called Figo del in- 
Jerno. The whole plant abounds with a milky juice, 
which turns in the air to a fine bright yellow. It has 
handsome poppy-shaped yellow flowers. It is some- 
times found inthe garden, but that is not a proper place 
for it, for one cannot touch it without being wounded 
with the spines which are upon the Jeaves as well as the 
capsules; nor break it. without soiling the hand, and 
when the flower is gathered it is not suitable for the 
bouquet. A. grandiflora, like the last, is an annual in our 
climate, but the thick fleshy roots may be taken up in 
the fall, kept in the cellar, and planted out in the spring. 
It has a very large, showy white flower, with numerous 
yellow stamens and quite ornamental; but, like A. 
Mexicana is only to be looked at and not meddled 
with. A. ochrolewca, has pale-yellow flowers. The 
leaves, capsules, and the whole plant are armed with 
formidable spines; having had the hands or any part 
of the body in contact with the plant, it will be forever 
after viewed with feelings far from pleasureable. A. Bar- 
clayana is equal to the others in its powers of annoy- 
ance, but its more showy, brilliant yellow flowers, will, 
in some measure, make amends for its repulsiveness. I 
cannot recommend this genus of plants, only where 
large collections are desired. 
