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THE FLOWER FAMILY ALBUM This page intentionally left blank THE jkwenamty AIBUM FAMILY HISTORIES BY HELEN FIELD FISCHER AND Radio Garden Consultant PORTRAITS BY GRETGHEN FISCHER HARSHBARGER Landscape Architect and Horticultural Illustrator Published by the University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis Copyright 1941 by the UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. Permission is hereby granted to reviewers to quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper. Table of Contents WE WROTE THIS BOOK FOR YOU HOW FLOWERS DEVELOPED AND GOT THEIR NAMES HOW TO USE THIS BOOK THE ARUM OR CALLA FAMILY SPIDERWORTS AND ORCHIDS WHAT IS A LILY? MOSTLY SPRING-FLOWERING BULBS WILD COUSINS OF THE LILIES LESS KNOWN LILY FOLK THE AMARYLLIS FAMILY THE "POOR MAN'S ORCHID" IRIS RELATIVES TWO NOTORIOUS WEEDS, AND THE LOOSESTRIFES SMARTWEEDS WITH MANY KNEES THE EVERLASTING PIGWEEDS PART-TIME FLOWERS THE FRAGRANT PINKS MORE MEMBERS OF THE PINK FAMILY BUTTERCUPS ANEMONES WITH COLLARS BUTTERCUPS IN DEEP DISGUISE CLEMATIS AND PEONY THE POPPIES PARADE OF HEARTS THE PEPPERY MUSTARDS SUCCULENTS THE ROSE FAMILY THE "ROCK BREAKERS" 1 3 4 6 8 1O 12 14 l6 18 2O 22 24 26 28 gO 32 34 36 38 4O 42 44 46 48 50 52 THE PEAS 54 CLIMBING PEAS AND SOME PRAIRIE FLOWERS 56 FLAX, GERANIUM, AND OXALIS 58 SPURGES WITH FLOWER-LIKE LEAVES 60 SNAPWEED, NASTURTIUM, AND BEGONIA 62 THE SHOWY MALLOWS 64 VIOLETS AND PANSIES 66 FLOWERS THAT COUNT THEIR PARTS BY FOURS 68 THE CUT-LEAVED CARROTS 7O THE PRIMROSES 72 GENTIANS AND SOME WINTER BOUQUET MATERIAL 74 THE GLOSSY-LEAVED DOGBANES MILKWEEDS WITH DOWN-FILLED PODS MORNING-GLORIES THE AMERICAN-BORN PHLOXES FORGET-ME-NOTS AND OTHER BLUE BORAGES VERBENA AND WATER-LEAF FLAVORSOME MINTS MINTS WITH CONSPICUOUS FLOWERS NIGHTSHADES, SOME EDIBLE, SOME POISONOUS HANDSOME COUSINS OF THE EARTHY POTATO FLOWERS WITH JAWS MORE ODD FACES WINDOW GARDEN FAVORITES AND THE LOBELIAS THE BELLFLOWERS SOME INTERESTING STRAYS COOPERATIVE FLOWERS TRUMPETS THAT GET TOGETHER ASTERS DAISIES ARE CHRYSANTHEMUMS FRAGRANT-FOLIAGED CHRYSANTHEMUM KIN FOR THOSE WHO LIKE YELLOW CONE-FLOWERS SOME TOUGH CUSTOMERS FLOSSFLOWERS LETTUCE AND OTHER PAINTBRUSH FLOWERS INDEX 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 QO 92 94 96 08 +J 1OO 1O2 104 1O6 1O8 HO 112 114 1 16 1 18 12O 122 124 126 We Wrote This Book for You Did you know that the Pigweed and the Cockscomb are brothers? The Purslane and the Rose Moss? The Potato and the Petunia? It's an old story to the botanists, but to those who know their flowers not as specimens but as pleasant companions, there is a big thrill in learning more of their family trees. All too often the scientific language that tells about them seems too difficult for beginners to understand. This book is a short cut by a pleasant road. We think it will soon have you figuring out flower family resemblances as easily as you can guess to which neighbor belong the children who pass your door. There are not many flower families represented in our gardens. It is rather a disgrace not to know them when you consider that they feed us, clothe us, and provide our shelter. In fact, any one of several plant families could take care of the world alone, if need be, as you will discover in this book. We have brought together, family by family, the weeds, flowers, and vegetables that you know best. We could not show them all of course, so we selected a representative sampling. With each group we have given you a key flower that shows strongly the "family look," and have added a few clues th