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<br />MINT FAhiILY
<br />Interesting (acts: dfcrtrkae/din mearus mint-leaved. The
<br />leaves of this plant are used in making tea, for flavoring in
<br />cooking, and u a potherb. The antiseptic drug thymol is
<br />presen[ in the volatile oils of Afonarda. Horseminl u eaten
<br />by cattle and game but is not particularly relished 6y horxs.
<br />Skullcap (ScuvJlaria gulnicvlab L.)
<br />SYIILLCAP Scutrilaria gulniculutu L.
<br />Family: Labiatae (Mint).
<br />Other (cameo: hfarsh Skullcap.
<br />Deacripdon: This has very slender square stems l-3 ft. tall,
<br />with a single dull blue dower in sail of each of the opposite,
<br />upper leaves. Flowers almost ?, in. long, tubular, and abruptly
<br />enlarged and curved near middle; though usually blue, oc-
<br />casionally pink or white. Leaves lanes-shaped, toothed around
<br />edge, and in length may vary 1-255 in.
<br />The skullcaps are most likely to be ronfused with the pen-
<br />stemons (Pnuttmort), but Bowers of penstemons do not occur
<br />singly in arils of the ordinary leaves.
<br />Related apeciea: (1) S. anguattfdia has an entire, narrow Iraf,
<br />sometimn slightly toothed; flowers are bright blue; (2) flowers
<br />a( S. !aleriJlora occur in axillary racemes.
<br />POTATO FAMILY r65
<br />Flowering aeaaon: ]cane to Aug. Blooms about time young
<br />spotted sandpipers hatch and begin to run about.
<br />Where (ouad: Y, T, R. !n wet or boggy places, often in
<br />shallow water. Look (or Skullcap among cattails, rules, sedges,
<br />and other bog plants. Can be found from Alaska to New-
<br />foundland, south to Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Californu.
<br />There are about 100 species of SrulrGoria widely distributed
<br />over the earth; about a half down species in Rockies.
<br />Interesting facto: GdnicrdNa means helmet-like. Several of
<br />the skullcaps, including this one, contain a crystalline gluroside
<br />(stvtellarin) that has long been used in medicine. It u an
<br />antispumodic, used in cases of nervousness.
<br />HENBANE Flyotcyamus niger L. P1. l7
<br />Family: Solanaceae (Potato).
<br />Other names: Black Henbane, Hogbean, Stinking Nightshade,
<br />Insane Root.
<br />Description: The flowers are bell-shaped, about 1 in. long, and
<br />are often partially hidden by the leaves. The greenish or
<br />purplish-yellow petals are veined with deep purple. This
<br />coarse, fetid, leafy plant attains height of 1-3 (;. The numerous
<br />stallless leaves are lanceola[e or ovate in outline, irregularly
<br />lobed, and 3-g in. long. Whole plant clammy and downy to
<br />the touch. lase-shaped seed capsules with their sharp-pointed
<br />tips are quite characteristic. Stem while growing longer
<br />continues to flower near top. At the same time, old Sowers
<br />below may already have formed sends.
<br />Henbane is most likely to be ronfused with Alkanet (Anckasu
<br />offirinalir) or Hounds[ongue (Cynoglottum officinde), Plate
<br />17; smaller flowers of these seldom grow more than 55 in. long.
<br />Their fruits consist o(4 small, hard outlets; Henbane develops
<br />an urn-shaped capsule (~?~ in. long) containing numerous
<br />dark brown pitted seeds.
<br />Flowering aeaaon: latter part of hfay until well through July.
<br />Where found: 1', T. Dry roadsides and waste places from
<br />valleys well up Into rots. Henbane, a native o! Europe, has
<br />escaped cultivation in this country and is now scattered over
<br />our northern states and adjoining Canada. There are about
<br />IS species of dyorcyamur, mainly from the Mediterranean
<br />region; only 1 species in Rockies.
<br />Interesting (acre: Nign means blarJr. Henbane u very poi-
<br />sonous, but is seldom eaten because of its fetid odor and un-
<br />pleasant taste. Cattle have been poisoned by eating Nis
<br />plant, and chickens as well as children have been poisoned by
<br />eating the seeds. The alkaloids scopolamine and hyostyamine,
<br />together with the glucoside hyosrypicrin, arc extracted from
<br />Henbane. They arc used as sedatives for insomnia, mania,
<br />spasms, and pain. In some places this plant is cultivated for
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