Descriptive Flora 



203 



united in a central column. Pistillate flowers solitary on a short 

 peduncle in the axil of the subtending leaf with the staminate 

 flower. Fruit a spiny ovoid fruit about 1" long. April to late 

 summer. Ravines and shaded moist ground. Eare. 



Sicyos angulata L. Star Cucumber. Nimble Kate. 



Vine climbing by forked tendrils and bearing clusters of 

 small white flowers. Leaves simple, alternate. Blades thin, 2 

 to 6 inches across, as broad as or broader than long, 3 to 5-veined, 

 heart-shaped at base, 3 to 5 lobed, the petioles % as long or as 

 long as the blades. Flowers staminate and pistillate on separate 

 axillary peduncles. Staminate flowers 5-lobed, 10-12 mm across, 

 clustered on long peduncles. Pistillate flowers on shorter 

 peduncles. Fruits clusters of hairy and bristly ovoid berries, % 

 to %" long. April to fall. In rich, shaded soil. 



CAMPANULACEAE. Bellflower Family. 

 Specularia perfoliate (L.) A. DC. Venus' Looking-glass. 



Leafy, simple, angular-stemmed plants with fine hairs on the 

 angles and alternate, veiny, clasping leaves that are broader (y 2 

 to % inch broad) than long. Flowers violet, star-shaped, usually 

 solitary in the axils of the upper leaves, blossoming one or two at 

 a time at or near the tips of the simple stem. Stamens 5. Pod 

 oblong, about, y± long, tipped with the 3 to 5 calyx lobes and 

 having an oblong yellowish spot near the middle of each of the 

 two opposite sides. These valves later drop out and the seeds 

 sift out of the openings. The lower seed pods bear 3 to 4 calyx 

 lobes at their tips. These are interesting plants because you 

 see new seed pods forming up the stem but never see the purple 

 corollas until the plant is 10 to 12 inches high. This is due to 

 the early flowers having undeveloped corollas. Widespread. 

 Pastures and waste ground. 



Specularia coloradoensis Buckl. Venus' Looking-glass. 



Tall, slender, usually simple and angular stemmed plants, 

 1 to 2i/o feet high, with fine hairs or minute spine-like teeth on 



