File:Birds and nature (1900) (14564609940).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature731900chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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e petals are white or a pale pinkcolor in the wild-growing plants. Thefruit is a large capsule, one to threeinches in diameter, of a depressed glob-ular form. The seeds are small andvery numerous, filling the compart-ments of the capsule. In spite of thegeneral attractiveness of the plant, thesize of the flowers and the delicatecoloring of its petals, it is not a favor- ite at close range because of a heavy,nauseating odor which emanates fromall parts of the plant, the flowers inparticular. The petals furthermorehave only a very temporary exist-ence, dropping off at the slightesttouch. The wild ancestor of our familiargarden poppy is supposed to be a na-tive of Corsica, Cyprus, and the Pelo-ponnesian islands. At the present timeit is extensively cultivated everywhere,both as an ornamental plant and forits seeds, pods, and yield of opium.It has proven a great nuisance as aweed in the grain fields of England,India, and other countries—somethinglike mustard in the oat fields of the 128
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central states. There are a numberof forms or varieties of the cultivatedpoppy. The red poppy, corn poppy,or rose poppy (Papaver R/ioeas) is veryabundant in southern and centralEurope and in western Asia. It hasdeep red or scarlet petals and is a veryshow) plant. The long headed poppy(P. dubmm) has smaller flowers of alighter red color and elongated cap-sules, hence the name. The Orientalpoppy (P. orientate^ has very large,deep red flowers on a tall flower-stalk. Various plants belonging to othergenera of the poppy-family (Papave-racece) are designated as poppy. TheCalifornia poppy i^EschscJioltzia Cali-fornica) is a very common garden plant.It has showy yellow flowers and muchdivided leaves. Horn poppy (Glaii-cium luteuni) is a rather small seasideplant, with long curved pods and soli-tary yellow flowers. The Mexicanprickly poppy (Argemone Mexicana) iswidely distributed. The pods andleaves are prickly, flowers yellow orwhite; the seeds yield an oil which isused as a cathartic. Spitli

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