Plant Gardens 101

Poppy family
Papaveraceae
Pap-a’ver. The true poppies comprise a genus of about 50 species of herbs found mostly in the temperate regions of Europe and Asia and a few in w. North America.

Description
Leaves basal, generally many, usually deeply segmented and hairy. Flowers solitary, on a long slender stalk, nodding when in bud, but straightening as the flower opens. Calyx of 2 sepals, which fall when the petals open. Corolla of 5 petals, vividly colored red, violet, yellow, or white, sometimes blotched at the base. Stamens numerous. If cut or broken, plant exudes a milky substance.

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Mustard family
Cruciferae
Loo-nay’ri-a. Two Eurasian herbs cultivated for the satiny, parchmentlike divisions of their pods, used in dried bouquets.

Description
Leaves usually alternate, ovalish, and stalked. Flowers violet-purple or white, in a showy terminal raceme. Petals 4, long-clawed.

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Waterleaf family
Hydrophyllaceae
Nem-off’i-la. A North American genus comprising 11 species of annual herbs, only a few of garden interest.

Description
Some species are climbing, others are dwarf or trailing plants. All are hairy. Leaves usually much cut, alternate or opposite. Flowers showy, growing at the tips of the branches in clusters. Corolla bell-shaped, blue, white, purple, or spotted. Calyx of 5 spreading sepals alternating with additional leafy growths.

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Borage family
Boraginaceae
Sir-rin’the. A small group of Eurasian herbs, one an annual flower garden plant cultivated for its showy bloom.

Description
Leaves alternate, often red or white-spotted. Flowers in 1-sided clusters, yellow, borne among numerous purple bracts. Corolla nearly regular, tubular.

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Mallow family
Malvaceae
Mal’va. Mallow . About 30 species of widely distributed herbs, several grown for ornament, but some rather weedy.

Description
Leaves alternate, usually angled, lobed, or dissected. Flowers mostly in the leaf axils, solitary or clustered, most with 2 or 3 involucre-like bracts beneath them. Calyx united, but 5-cleft. Petals 5, with a notch at the tip, mostly pink or white.

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Phlox family
Polemoniaceae
Ip-po-mop’sis. Herbs mostly native in w. North America, with one species in Argentina.

Description
Leaves to 2 in. (5 cm) long, dissected into linear segments, on erect stems. Corolla generally tubular; calyx 5-lobed.

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False mermaid family
Limnanthaceae
Lim-nan’theez. A genus of 7 species of w. North American herbs, one of which is cultivated in the flower garden.

Description
Leaves alternate, dissected. Flowers solitary, sepals and petals 3-5 each, usually notched at tip.

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Gentian family
Gentianaceae
Sen-tor’ree-um. A genus made up of about 30 herbs, most of them annual or biennial, widely distributed, mostly throughout the northern hemisphere.

Description
Leaves opposite, simple. Flowers pale pink to rose or red, in clusters.

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Pink family
Caryophyllaceae
Jip-sof’fill-a. A genus of 125 handsome, small-flowered herbs, chiefly Eurasian, known generally as baby’s-breath for the profusion of mostly small flowers.

Description
Leaves small, bluish green, opposite. Joints slightly swollen. Flowers numerous, usually in profuse branched panicles. Calyx 5-toothed. Petals 5, sometimes toothed, usually with a minute claw. Stamens 10.

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Geranium family
Geraniaceae
Ee-ro’di-um. Nearly 60 species of widely distributed herbs, a few grown for ornament, some weedy, a few planted for forage in dry regions, and 2 important as bee plants in Calif. Commonly called stork’s-bill or heron’s-bill.

Description
Leaves generally divided or compound, feather-fashion. Flowers in auxillary umbels; sepals and petals 5 each.

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Borage family
Boraginaceae
Sin-o-gloss’um. A genus of 90 species of widely distributed herbs, most of them weedy.

Description
Leaves alternate, undivided, often rough. Flowers small, often in arching, one-sided racemes. Corolla funnel-shaped, with 5 rounded lobes.

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Borage family
Boraginaceae
Bore-ray’go. A small genus of European herbs, much liked by bees; also planted in herb gardens.

Description
They usually have stiff-hairy foliage. Leaves alternate. Flowers blue, wheel-shaped, in a loose, leafy cluster.

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Pink family
Caryophyllaceae
Sy-lee’ne. Catchfly ; Campion . About 500 species of herbs distributed throughout the world. The species below useful for rock gardens or borders.

Description
Erect, tufted or spreading plants, the stems or calyx sometimes sticky. Leaves opposite, simple, without teeth. Flowers solitary or in loose-branching clusters, white, pink, or red. Calyx tubular, its 5 lobes teethlike. Corolla of 5 separate petals. Stamens 10.

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Daisy family
Compositae
Sen-tor’ree-a. A genus of chiefly Eurasian herbs comprising over 400 species.

Description
Leaves basal or alternate on stems, entire to divided, not spiny. Flowerheads contain tubular flowers; along the edge, they are often expanded and raylike. Below the head is a series of overlapping bracts.

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Mallow family
Malvaceae
Ma-lo’pe. A genus of 3 smooth or hairy herbs found in the Mediterranean region.

Description
Leaves alternate, without marginal teeth, occasionally 3-parted. Flowers showy, white, violet, or pink, surrounded by 3 bracts.

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Daisy family
Compositae
Kat-a-nann’ke. Of the 5 known species of this genus, only the Cupid’s Dart is grown in the garden for its showy blue heads.

Description
Leaves mostly basal and narrow. Flowers in long-stalked heads, the rays flat and toothed.

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Primrose family
Primulaceae
An-dros’a-see. Rock Jasmine . A large genus of herbs, many grown in rock gardens.

Description
They are low, often tufted, plants, nearly all with small basal leaves, often in rosettes. Flowers resemble a miniature primrose, but the corolla constricted at the throat.

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Mustard family
Cruciferae
Mal-col’mi-a. A small genus of low, grayish herbs.

Description
Stems branching profusely, making a compact plant. Leaves simple, alternate, slightly cut. Flowers white, purple, or reddish, in loose clusters at end of branches, the petals 4, long and narrow.

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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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Mustard family
Cruciferae
Eye-on-op-sid’i-um. A few species of annual herbs, related to Aethionema and Iberis .

Description
Leaves basal, in rosettes, nearly round. Inflorescence leafy at the base; 4 sepals and 4 petals.

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