154 
Local  Indigenous  Plants. 
Am.  Jonr.  Pharrru 
March,  1893. 
flowering  and  smallest  plant  of  the  genus  we  have  here  and  its  deep  blue  beauty- 
is  only  approached  by  G.  crinita  or  fringed  gentian,  which  is  found  in  remote 
situations  in  both  states.  G.  Andrewsii,  or  closed  gentian,  is  not  only  a  beau- 
tiful plant  but  one  very  trying  to  the  patience  of  the  novice  in  botany  when  he 
undertakes  to  await  the  opening  of  the  flower  for  purpose  of  analysis.  As  he 
is  about  abandoning  the  idea,  a  bee  comes  along  and  enters  the  flower  without 
any  hesitation  whatever,  proving  that  it  has  been  open  for  days  and  only  for 
such  meddlers  as  belong  to  the  bee  tribe.    To  others  it  is  quite  exclusive. 
Polemonium  reptans,  order  Polemoniaceae,  is  found  within  the  city  limits 
abundantly  near  watercourses,  a  very  graceful  plant  of  low  growth  and  hand- 
some light  blue  flowers  in  early  spring.  Hydrophyllum  Virginicum,  order 
Hydrophyllaceae,  is  found  in  company  with  above  and  is  noted  as  a  remedial 
agent. 
The  order  Boraginacese  has  no  native  representatives  of  importance  in 
Materia  Medica.  Though  we  have  good  authority  that  the  Indians  made  use 
of  several  genera  to  aid  them  in  relieving  distress,  notably,  lungwort,  Mertensia 
virginica,  and  puccoon,  Lithospermum  canescens.  We  have  the  introduced 
species  Symphytum  officinale,  comfrey,  and  Cynoglossum  officinale  or  hound's 
tongue,  chiefly  found  about  gardens  and  roadsides.  An  order  for  hound's  tongue 
caused  some  confusion  in  this  city  some  months  ago  ;  rib  grass,  Plantago 
lanceolata,  had  been  sent  under  label  of  hound's  tongue  and  the  party  per- 
sisted that  they  were  right,  but  would  give  no  authority,  while  we  had  for  ours 
any  manual  of  plants  published  in  this  country.  Cynoglossum  was  the  desired 
article,  and  the  consumer  wanted  it  in  green  condition  ;  we  sent  him  the  plant. 
Ipomcea  pandurata,  man  of-the-earth,  order  Convolvulaceae,  is  a  common 
native  and  a  troublesome  weed  to  many  farmers  by  its  extensive  running 
vines  and  its  monstrous  root  stocks,  which  often  weigh  upwards  of  20  pounds. 
As  it  has  been  put  upon  our  list  for  medicinal  purposes,  why  should  it  lack 
investigation  when  so  much  material  is  at  hand  ? 
From  the  order  Solanacese,  we  have  Solanum  Dulcamara  in  many  places 
and  Solanum  Carolinense,  a  rough  species,  prickly  in  fact,  found  in  sandy  and 
waste  places.  Hyoscyamus  niger  has  been  found  in  this  country  on  ballast 
grounds  only.  Datura  Stramonium,  or  jimson  weed,  is  another  foreigner  of 
great  value  to  us  in  Materia  Medica  and  found  without  much  trouble  even 
here  in  the  City  Parks  (!). 
In  the  order  Scrophulariaceae  we  have  two  genera  represented  by  European 
plants  that  have  become  weeds  here  now,  Verbascum  Thapsus,  or  mullein,  a 
familiar  family  medicine,  and  Linaria  vulgaris,  or  toadflax,'which  is  restricted 
to  certain  schools  of  medicine.  The  toadflax  is  a  beautiful  plant  and  flower, 
and  would  rank  well  among  our  ornamental  plants,  for  which  purpose  it  was 
sent  many  years  ago  to  this  city,  but  listen  to  what  John  Bartram  says  of  it  in 
Troublesome  Plants:  "The  most  mischievous  of  these  is  the  stinking  yellow 
Ivinaria.  It  is  the  most  hurtful  plant  to  our  pastures  that  can  grow  in  our 
northern  climate.  Neither  the  spade,  plough  nor  hoe  can  eradicate  it  when  it 
is  spread  in  pasture,  ....  and  the  cattle  can't  abide  it."  This  redeem- 
ing feature  it  has  though,  as  a  fine  illustration  for  study  of  morphology. 
Figwort,  Scrophularia  nodosa,  Gray's  variety  Marilandica,  is  a  rank  plant,  4 
or  5  feet  high,  growing  in  moist,  shady  places,  very  common  in  this  state  ;  also 
interesting  in  morphology.    Chelone  glabra  is  another  scrophulariacea  found 
