The primrose family is represented in horticulture by many primroses from Asia, cyclamens from Greece to Syria, and the cowslip from Europe. The scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) is found on sandy prairies in South Texas in the spring.
EBONY FAMILY (Ebenaceae)
MEXICAN PERSIMMON
Trees or shrubs; leaves usually leathery; calyx 3-11-lobed; petals united, 3-7; stamens 6-14, or more; ovary superior.
Mexican Persimmon (Diospyros texana) is also called ’possum plum, “chapote,” and black persimmon. It is a shrub or small tree found in river-valleys and on limestone hills from Central Texas to Mexico. It may be easily recognized by its smooth, light-gray bark, small leaves, and creamy heath-like flowers. The bell-shaped flowers are in dense clusters on the tree which has pollen-bearing flowers, whereas the seed-bearing flowers, which grow on a separate tree, are larger and fewer in number. The black fruits ripen in August, when the pulp becomes juicy but somewhat insipid.
The black wood is hard and, like other species of ebony, takes an excellent polish. It is used for making tools. The Mexicans use a black dye obtained from the fruits in dyeing sheep-skins. The common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is found wild from Connecticut to East Texas, where the sprouts are vicious pests in plowed lands.
GENTIAN FAMILY (Gentianaceae)
MOUNTAIN PINK