Martynia family
Martyniaceae
Pro-bos-sid’i-a. Nine species of curiously fruited, clammy or sticky American herbs. Grown for ornament or edible seed pods.
Description
Leaves large, with long stems. Flowers in a loose raceme, the corolla 5-lobed, stamens 4. Sepals fused in a tubelike structure.
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Four O’Clock family
Nyctaginaceae
A-bro’ni-a. Sand Verbena . About 30 species of annual and perennial plants mostly from w. North America.
Description
Stems erect or prostrate, leaves opposite, stalked, all usually sticky-hairy. Flowers tubular, in a loose, stalked head, below which are 5 or more colored bracts. Calyx petal-like.
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Four-O’Clock family
Nyctaginaceae
Mi-ra’bil-is. Sixty species of tropical American herbs, only the species below commonly in cultivation.
Description
Roots thickened or tuberous. Leaves opposite, generally stalked. Flowers solitary, or a few from a calyxlike involucre, the true calyx corolla-like, tubular, and red, yellow, or white. Petals none. Stamens 5-6.
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Daisy family
Compositae
San-vi-tal’i-a. North American tender herbaceous annuals comprising about 7 species.
Description
Leaves simple, opposite, ovalish. Flowers in small terminal heads. Ray flowers yellow or white, the disk flowers brown or purplish black.
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Lobelia family
Lobeliaceae
Lo-bee’li-a. Showy-flowered herbs comprising about 375 species, popular for borders, wild gardens, and edging.
Description
Leaves alternate and simple. Flowers in terminal clusters, mostly spikes or racemes that are sometimes leafy, nearly always bracted. Corolla irregular, more or less tubular below, but split to the base, 3 of the lobes forming a lip, the other 2 erect or turned backward. Stamens united by their anthers into a ring around the style.
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Snapdragon family
Scrophulariaceae
Kal-see-o-lay’ri-a. A very large genus of tropical American herbs or shrubby plants, called slipperworts.
Description
Leaves opposite or in whorls, simple or pinnately divided; leafstalk often winged. Flowers in irregular, often 1-sided, clusters, generally yellow, but often spotted with orange-brown. Corolla very irregular and 2-lipped, the upper lip small, the lower one large, inflated, and slipperlike. Stamens 2.
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Daisy family
Compositae
Hell-lip’ter-rum. An important group of more than 60 species of garden everlastings from South Africa and Australia, widely grown for dried bouquets.
Description
Leaves alternate, often white-felty, without marginal teeth. Flowerheads wholly of disk flowers, generally yellow, chaffy, and maintaining their color for long periods. Bracts of the involucre below the flowerhead are green or petal-like and white, yellow, or rose-pink.
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Phlox family
Polemoniaceae
Gil’li-a. A genus of nearly 30 species of herbs, most from the w. U.S., a few rather showy garden flowers.
Description
Leaves alternate or opposite, usually without marginal teeth, sometimes dissected or divided. Flowers varied, mostly in clusters. Corolla more or less bell- or funnel-shaped, the stamens attached to the tube of the corolla.
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Daisy family
Compositae
Kal-lis’tee-fuss. A single, very variable Asiatic herb, known as the China, or Garden, Aster. Not closely related to the true genus Aster. Good for cutting.
Description
Leaves broadly oval, deeply and irregularly toothed. Flowerheads solitary, at the ends of relatively long stalks.
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Grass family
Gramineae
Bry’za. A group of slender grasses, usually called quaking grass.
Description
Leaf blades flat, the spikelets suggesting small, flattened hops, often nodding on threadlike stalks.
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Carrot family
Umbelliferae
Ak-ti-no’tus. A group of about 15 herbs, native to Australia and New Zealand.
Description
Leaves alternate, twice- or thrice-compound, hairy or woolly. Flowers very small and numerous, in dense umbels that are surrounded by raylike bracts.
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Daisy family
Compositae
Tay-gee’teez. Marigold . A group of about 30 species of annual herbs, all native from N. Mex. to Argentina, not from Africa or France as implied by the common names African Marigold and French Marigold. The name “marigold” is commonly applied to several different kinds of plants in addition to Tagetes . The best known are the Pot Marigold ( Calendula ), the Cape Marigold ( Dimorphotheca ), and the Sea Marigold ( Mesembryanthemum ).
Description
Leaves strong-scented, mostly opposite and usually finely dissected. Flowerheads showy, solitary, or clustered. Below each head is a series of involucral bracts, united into a cuplike base.
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Mint family
Labiatae
Sat-you-ree’a. Savory . About 30 species of aromatic herbs or small shrubs, distributed through the temperate regions of the world. The species below is used as an herb. Sometimes spelled Satureia .
Description
Stems usually square. Leaves opposite, ovalish or lance-shaped, the margins sometimes toothed. Flowers pink, white, or purplish, in whorls, in axillary or terminal racemes. Calyx 5-lobed, usually tubular. Corolla a narrow tube opening into 2 lips, upper lip 2-lobed and flat, lower lip 3-lobed and widely flaring. Stamens 4, in pairs.
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Primrose family
Primulaceae
Prim’you-la. Primrose . A large genus of over 400 species of low-growing, herbaceous plants of the northern hemisphere, found mostly in alpine and cool localities.
Description
Stems short or none. Leaves crowded, stalked, long and narrow, or roundish or tufted, the midrib generally prominent on underside. Flowers on leafless stalks, sometimes with leafy bracts, solitary, or in loose umbels, in whorled tiers, or in rounded heads. Flowers yellow, white, red, blue, pink, or purple. Calyx of 5 sepals, joined halfway, usually slightly inflated, generally pale green. Corolla of 5 lobes, tubular at the base. Stamens 5, not protruding.
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Daisy family
Compositae
A-jur-a’tum. A group of nearly 30 species of chiefly tropical American annual herbs, one of which is perhaps the most popular of all edging plants.
Description
Leaves opposite, generally oval, the margins with rounded teeth. Flowers blue, pink, or white in some horticultural forms, in compact, clustered heads, without rays.
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Daisy family
Compositae
Ka-len’dew-la. A genus of 15 species of herbs, chiefly from the Mediterranean region.
Description
Leaves undivided, alternate, simple, and faintly toothed. Flowerheads large, the rays yellow, orange, or cream.
How to Grow
Calendulas grown to flower in spring are tall with small blossoms, while winter-grown plants are small with immense blossoms. For spring bloom, start seeds very early indoors and set out as soon as soil can be worked. For fall or winter bloom in warm regions, direct seed and transplant 12 in. (30 cm) apart. Prefers cool weather.
Calendula officinalis
Pot Marigold . 12-18 in. (30-45 cm) high. Flowerheads solitary, stalked, 1-3 in. (2.5-7.5 cm) wide, the day-blooming and night-closing rays flattish and orange, yellow, or cream. S. Europe. Many cultivars are available. Plants prey to slugs. Long-lasting flowers good for cutting. Blooms spring to frost. Hardy annual.
Mint family
Labiatae
Mol-lew-sell’a. Two species of aromatic Old World annual herbs, both found in old-fashioned gardens, the one below widely cultivated for fresh and dried flowers.
Description
Leaves opposite, stalked, generously toothed. Flowers very small, in whorls in the leaf axils. Corolla tiny, irregular, white or pinkish, scarcely or not exceeding the bristly or prickly calyx.
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Pea family
Leguminosae
Loo-pine’us. Lupine . A genus of many species found in North America, South America, and around the Mediterranean; all annuals or perennials except for a tree.
Description
Herbaceous stems, with leaves compound and finger-shaped. Flowers pealike, produced in dense terminal racemes.
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Pink family
Caryophyllaceae
A-gro-stem’ma. A small genus containing 3 species of annual herbs, native to the Mediterranean region. The seeds are poisonous, and the plants grow as weeds in grain fields.
Description
Leaves opposite and entire. Flowers solitary, with 5 petals.
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Mallow family
Malvaceae
Hy-bis’kus. An important genus of over 250 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees, with many popular garden annuals.
Description
Leaves alternate, with veins arranged finger-fashion, sometimes lobed or parted. Flowers usually large, generally bell-shaped, with 5 petals and sepals, or sometimes the sepals united to form a 5-toothed calyx. Stamens united in a tubular structure that surrounds the style. Often a series of bracts beneath the calyx.
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