Am.  Jour.  Phariu.l 
March,  1893.  / 
Local  Indigenous  Plants. 
pally  as  an  escape  from  gardens.  Polymnia  Uvedalia,  bear's  foot,  is  a  rough- 
looking  and  coarse  plant,  3-10  foot  high,  large  leaves  shaped  somewhat  like  a 
bear's  foot,  fleur-de-lis,  tongue  and  dart  or  almost  anything  else  your  fancy 
could  picture. 
This  and  the  P.  canadensis  are  uncommon  in  this  immediate  section. 
With  the  accession  of  Ambrosia  artemisicsfolics  to  our  category  of  useful 
plants,  we  can  hope  to  hear  as  much  good  from  our  friends  the  asters. 
These  are  the  most  abundant  fall  plants  we  have,  unless  it  be  the  Solidagos. 
They  frequent  all  places,  from  airiest  and  highest  mountain  to  sands  of  seashore, 
and  until  some  one  cares  to  use  them  they  must  remain  weeds.  But  the 
Ambrosia  arlemisiczfolia  and  A.  trifida  are  appearing  to  be  of  some  service  in 
this  world  of  disease,  and  we  trust  so  in  order  that  they  may  retrieve  their 
good  name,  for  the  application  of  the  generic  name  from  the  food  of  the  gods 
was  decidedly  inappropriate. 
The  clotburs,  Xanthium  strumarium  and  spinosum,  are  not  natives,  but  one 
would  suppose  so  from  the  frequence  of  the  former  along  our  roadways.  They 
are  not  at  all  clannish  for  foreigners,  but  adhere  to  the  material  or  neighbor 
next  to  them. 
Rudbeckia  laciniata,  cone  flower,  is  a  tall  annual  plant  found  along  streams 
and  marshy  places  and  claims  little  merit  either  for  beauty  of  growth  or  wealth 
of  constituents.  The  sunflower,  Helianthus  annuus,  is  too  well  known  to 
describe.  Swampy  regions  send  us  a  disagreeable  fellow  to  part  with  after 
passing  through  his  locality,  Bidens  bipinnata,  or  Spanish  needles,  also  too 
common  to  mention  further.  The  following  foreign  plants,  now  appearing 
here  plentifully,  may  be  noted  as  possessing  medical  virtues  :  Anthemis 
nobilis,  or  Roman  chamomile ;  Chrysanthemum  Leucanthemum,  ox-eye  daisy  of 
the  fields  and  street  side,  for  the  florists  have  found  it  valuable  in  their  line  ; 
Chrysanthemum  Parthenium,  or  feverfew  ;  Tanacetum  vulgare  from  the  road- 
sides ;  Tussilago  Farfara,  or  coltsfoot,  from  ballast  grounds  ;  Arctium  Lappa,  or 
burdock  and  its  varieties ;  Cichorium  Intybus,  or  chicory  ;  Taraxacum  offici- 
nale, our  common  dandelion  ;  Artemisia  vulgaris,  or  mugwort ;  A.  Absinthium, 
A.  Abrotanum,  old  man  or  old  woman  as  the  case  may  be  ;  Senecio  aureus,  or 
golden  ragwort,  is  a  common  plant  about  here  in  spring  and  is  rendered  quite 
attractive  by  its  bright  golden  flowers. 
Erechtites  hieracifolia,  fireweed,  is  a  very  common  plant  about  dwellings, 
and  especially  so  in  clearings,  and  is  likely  to  play  an  important  part  in  Materia 
Medica  of  the  future;  it  would  be  pleasing  to  see  this  labelled  "A  useful 
Weed." 
Erigeron  canadense  yields  an  oil  that  is  officinal,  but  the  whole  plant  was 
used  by  the  aborigines  and  found  beneficial.  Two  other  species  are  common 
with  us,  E.  ajmuus  and  E.  Philadelphia^.  Achillea  Millefolium,  yarrow,  is 
another  plant  very  common,  but  of  great  service  in  domestic  arts.  Lion's  foot, 
Prenanthes  Serpentaria,  is  abundant  in  woods,  and  also  commonly  called 
rattlesnake  root,  it  being  reputed  as  an  antidote  for  rattlesnake  bite.  On  this 
subject  a  gentleman  having  searched  the  domestic  literature  of  medicinal 
plants  wonders  how  the  bite  ever  had  a  chance  to  prove  fatal,  judging  by 
remedies  recommended  as  cures.  We  would  suggest  'tis  only  when  whiskey, 
that  extremely  subtle  fluid  Jersey  lightning,  is  absent. 
Lactuca  canadensis  is  a  common  plant  to  all  situations,  and  noteworthy  as 
