8 
THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
RUDBECKIA HIRTA. 
The cone flower, (^Rudbeckm hirta,) is said to be an introduced 
plant in this part of the country, but it springs up so spontaneous- 
ly in the meadows, tits in so naturally with its usual environments,' 
and is so thoroughly at home wherever it obtains a foothold that 
it is hard to realize it was not always found here. 
Though classed as a "pestiferous weed'' in some parts of the 
West, from which it is said to have come to us, it has never be- 
come so plentiful here as to be troublesome. Growing usually in 
the meadows, which are occasionally plowed up, it is exterminated 
before there is any danger of its becoming too plentiful. 
If we might ascribe to a plant the power of being able to select 
an environment best adapted to set it off, surely we would have to 
admit that the Rudbeckia displays rare talent in that way, for the 
green grass of the meadows forms the most beautiful setting pos- 
sible for the gorgeous yellow blossoms. If the Rudbeckia was a 
shade-loving plant, fems would make a pretty background, but 
it loves the sunshine and the swaying grasses are its fitting ac- 
companiment. 
The name Rudbeckia was given in honor of the Swedish bot- 
anists Rudbeck. father and son, and the specific name hirta aptly 
describes the plant, as the leaves bristle with stiff hairs on both 
upper and under sides, and the stem and calyx as well. 
The common name cone flower is also apposite. \Mien the 
blossoms first open, the receptacle on which the small, purplish- 
brown disk flowers appear is almost flat and button-like, but as the 
blossoms grow older this receptacle expands into a very promin- 
ent cone-like structure, which gives a unique personality to the 
large, showy blooms. 
Black-eyed Susan is another common name, the origin of which 
it might be interesting, but probably impossible, to trace. It must 
have been given by one who admired the black eyes of some lively 
Susan of the past. Common names are so apt to be circumscrib- 
ed to limited localities, the wonder is how this particular one could 
have become so generally adopted. 
Yellow daisy is another quite common name, but the use of 
this should be discouraged for the simple reason that the Rudbeck- 
