Field Book of Western Wild Flowers

CHICORY FAMILY. Cicoriaceae

A large family, of wide geographic distribution, resembling the Sunflower Family and by some authors included in it. They are herbs, rarely trees, almost always with milky, acrid, or bitter juice; the leaves alternate or from the root; the flowers small and crowded in heads, with involucres, the bracts in one or several rows; the receptacle flat or flattish, sometimes naked or smooth, sometimes scaly, pitted or honeycombed; the flowers all perfect; the calyx-tube without pappus, or with pappus of scales or bristles, sometimes feathery; the corollas not of two sorts, like those of the Sunflower Family, but all with a strap-shaped border, usually five-toothed, and a short or long tube; the anthers united into a tube around the style, which is very slender and two-cleft or two-lobed; the ovary one-celled and inferior, developing into an akene.

There are several kinds of Ptiloria, of western and central North America.

Flowering-straw

Ptilòria pauciflòra (Stephanomeria runcinata)

Pink

Spring

West, etc.

In the desert this is a very strange-looking, pale plant, forming a scanty, straggling bush, about two feet high, with slender, brittle, gray stems, most of the leaves reduced to mere scales, and delicate, pale pinkish-lilac flowers, less than half an inch long. This grows on the plains, as far east as Texas, and is not always so leafless as in the picture, which is that of a desert plant, but has some coarsely-toothed leaves.

Desert Pink

Ptilòria Wrìghtii (Stephanomeria)

Pink

Summer

Ariz., New Mex.

Much like the last, but not a queer-looking plant, with pale green foliage and larger, prettier flowers, three-quarters of an inch long, giving the effect of tiny, pale pink carnations. This grows at the Grand Canyon.

Flowering-straw – Ptiloria pauciflora.

Desert Pink – Ptiloria Wrightii.

There are a good many kinds of Agoseris, natives of western and southern North America and of southern South America.

Goat Chicory, Large-flowered Agoseris

Agóseris glàuca

Yellow

Spring

Utah, Ida., Wash., etc.

A pretty perennial plant, about fourteen inches tall, with a slender, slightly woolly flower-stem, springing from a pretty cluster of smooth bluish-green leaves, sometimes toothless, and bearing a handsome bright yellow flower, from one to two inches across, the involucre often covered with white wool. This grows on dry slopes, as far east as Colorado.

There are a good many kinds of Malacothrix, natives of the western and southwestern United States.

Malácothrix glabràta

Yellow

Spring

Southwest, Nev., Utah

A very attractive plant, with several flower-stalks, from six inches to a foot tall, springing from a pretty feathery tuft of bright green root-leaves, cut into almost threadlike divisions and often tinged with deep red. The handsome flowers are nearly two inches across, clear very pale yellow, shading to brighter color towards the middle. This is common on open plains in southern California, where it passes almost gradually into M. Califórnica, which is similar, but conspicuously woolly when young, covered with very long, soft hairs.

Snake's Head

Malácothrix Còulteri

White

Spring

California

A smooth plant, with a "bloom," from five to sixteen inches high, often branching from the base, the leaves cut into wavy lobes, with no leaf-stalk. The handsome flowers are about an inch across, white, turning pink in fading, the involucres with shining, papery, green and white bracts. This is one of the most conspicuous annuals in the San Joaquin Valley. M. saxàtilis, the Cliff Aster, is a handsome perennial, common in southern California and often growing on sea-cliffs. It has a leafy branching stem, from one to four feet high, the leaves toothless, or cut into slender divisions, and often quite fleshy, and many pretty flowers at the ends of the branches. They are each about an inch across, white, changing to pink or lilac, with an involucre of many narrow bracts, running down the flower-stalk. This is common in southern California, blooming in summer and autumn.

Malacothrix glabrata.

Goat Chicory – Agoserìs glauca.

Desert Dandelion

Malácothrix Féndleri

Yellow

Spring

Arizona

An attractive little desert plant, about five inches tall, with stiffish, pale bluish-green leaves, forming a rosette, and pretty, very pale yellow flowers, nearly an inch across, like a delicate sort of Dandelion. It is a near relation of the common Dandelion and blooms early in the spring.

Salsify, Oyster Plant

Tragopògon porrifòlius

Purple

Spring, summer

West, etc.

This is the common Salsify, the root of which is used as a vegetable. It is naturalized from Europe and is now quite common in the West as a "stray" and also in the East. It has a smooth, stout, hollow stem, from two to over four feet tall, rather dark green, smooth leaves, clasping at base, and handsome flowers from two to four inches across, which are a very peculiar shade of reddish-purple, not usually seen in flowers. They open early in the morning, closing by midday and fading almost immediately when picked, and may be seen growing along the edges of fields and just outside garden fences where they are often quite conspicuous. This plant has many common names, such as Jerusalem Star, Nap-at-noon, and Vegetable Oyster.

Desert Chicory

Nemosèris Neo-Mexicàna (Rafinesquia)

White

Spring

Ariz., New Mex.

A straggling desert plant, from a few inches to a foot and a half high, with smooth branching stems and smooth, very pale bluish-green leaves, rather thick in texture. The pretty flowers are from one to two inches across, white, tinged with pink or cream-color and a little yellow in the middle, often striped with magenta on the outside, and the bracts of the involucre tinged with pink and bordered with white. N. Califórnica is a branching plant, from one to five feet tall, with a stout stem and smooth oblong leaves, lobed, toothed, or almost toothless, and quite pretty flowers at the ends of the branches. They are about an inch across, white, often tinged with magenta on the outside. This grows in California and Oregon, usually in shady or moist places.

There are several kinds of Cichorium, natives of the Old World. The name is from the Arabic.

Salsify – Tragopogon porrifolius.

Desert Chicory – Nemoseris Neo-Mexicana.

Desert Dandelion – Malacothrix Fendleri.

Chicory, Blue Sailors

Cichòrium Íntybus

Blue

Summer, autumn

Northwest, etc.

This is a straggling plant, from one to three feet tall, a perennial, with a long, deep tap-root, stiff, branching stems, and leaves irregularly slashed into toothed lobes and chiefly from the root. The pretty flowers are from an inch to an inch and a half across, much like those of Desert Chicory, but very brilliant blue, occasionally white. This plant has escaped from cultivation and is now very common in waste places and along roadsides in the East and often found in the West. The ground-up root is used as a substitute for coffee. There is a picture in Mathews' Field Book.

There are several kinds of Microseris, rather difficult to distinguish.

Silver-puffs

Microsèris linearifòlia

Yellow

Spring

Southwest, Nev.

This is about a foot tall, with smooth, hollow flower-stems, smooth leaves, and rather small yellow flowers, not particularly pretty. The "gone-to-seed" flower-heads are, however, very conspicuous, for they are nearly an inch and a half across, and each seed is tipped by a little silvery paper star, the effect before the wind carries them away being exceedingly pretty, a good deal like a Dandelion puff. This grows in the Grand Canyon on the plateau.

There are many kinds of Sonchus, natives of the Old World.

Sow Thistle

Sónchus oleràceus

YellowAll seasons

West, etc.

A common weed, from Europe, found across the continent, coarse but decorative in form, with a stout leafy stem, from one to four feet tall, and smooth leaves, with some soft prickles on the edges, the upper ones clasping the stem and the lower ones with leaf-stalks. The pale yellow flowers are three-quarters of an inch or more across.

There are several kinds of Taraxacum, natives of the northern hemisphere and southern South America.

Dandelion

Taráxacum Taráxacum

Yellow

All seasons

U. S., etc.

This is a weed in all civilized parts of the world, growing in meadows, fields, and waste places. It has a thick, deep, bitter root, a tuft of root-leaves, slashed into toothed lobes, and several hollow flower-stalks, from two to eighteen inches tall, each bearing a single, handsome, bright yellow flower, from one to two inches across, which is succeeded by a beautiful silvery seed puff. This plant has many common names, such as Blow-ball, Monk's-head, Lion's-tooth, etc.

Sow Thistle – Sonchus oleraceus.

Silver-puffs – Microseris linearifolia.

There are a great many kinds of Crepis, natives of the northern hemisphere.

Gray Hawksbeard

Crèpis occidentàlis

Yellow

Spring, summer

West, etc.

This is a pretty plant, for the gray-green foliage sets off the yellow flowers. It is from six to eighteen inches high, more or less hairy or downy all over, with one or several, stout, branching, leafy stems, and thickish leaves, variously cut, mostly jagged like Dandelion leaves, with crisp margins, dark bluish-green in color and often covered on the under side with obscure white down, the root-leaves narrowed to leaf-stalks at the base. The flower-heads are about an inch across, with bright yellow rays, the involucre sprinkled with short, dark hairs. This grows on dry plains, as far east as Colorado.

Smooth Hawksbeard

Crèpis vìrens

Yellow

Summer

Cal., Oreg., etc.

This is a weed from Europe, growing in fields and waste places, in the East and on the Pacific Coast. It is a smooth plant, from one to two feet tall, with green leaves the shape of Dandelion leaves, chiefly in a bunch at the root. The many, small, yellow flowers, each about a quarter of an inch long, are in a loose cluster at the top of the stem. This is very variable.

Hawksbeard

Crèpis acuminàta

Yellow

Spring, summer

West, except Ariz.

A handsome and conspicuous plant, often forming large clumps, from one to three feet tall, with dull green, downy, rather leathery leaves, irregularly slashed and cut, and large clusters of light bright yellow flowers, each about three-quarters of an inch across. This grows on hillsides and on high dry mesas.

Gray Hawksbeard – C. occidentalis.

Hawksbeard – Crepis acuminata.