WILD HOLLYHOCK.
Sidalcea malvæflora, Gray. Mallow Family.
Stems.—Several; eight inches to two feet long. Leaves.—Round in outline; variously lobed and cut. Flowers.—Pink; in terminal racemes. Calyx.—Five-cleft; without bractlets. Petals.—Five; united at base; one inch long. Stamens.—United in a column; in two series. Anthers one-celled. Ovaries.—Three to ten in a ring; separating at maturity. Styles as many; filiform. Hab.—The Coast from San Diego to Mendocino County.
In early spring the graceful sprays of the Sidalcea bend over our meadows everywhere, making them bright with their pink blossoms, which the children call "wild hollyhocks." The stamens of these flowers are especially pretty and interesting if examined with a glass. By a careful dissection, the stamen-column is found to be double, its outer part bearing five bunches of stamens. The anthers are one-celled and of a beautiful rose-pink. They may be seen best by pulling apart one of the unopened buds.
There are two kinds of these plants, one having large pale-pink flowers, which are perfect; the other bearing smaller deep rose-pink blossoms, in which the anthers are only rudimentary.
There are quite a number of species of Sidalcea in California, but they are very difficult of determination for the non-botanist.
REDBUD. JUDAS-TREE.
Cercis occidentalis, Torr. Pea Family.
Small trees or shrubs. Leaves.—Alternate; slender-petioled; round-cordate; palmately veined; smooth; about two inches in diameter. Flowers.—Rose-color; papilionaceous; clustered in the axils. Petals.—Four lines long; the standard smaller and inclosed by the wings. Stamens.—Ten; all distinct. Ovary.—One-celled. Pods.—Two or three inches long; thin. Hab.—Mt. Shasta to San Diego.
By April, or earlier, our interior hills and valleys begin to show the rosy blossoms of the Judas-tree. The leafless branches are wreathed with the abundant flowers, which gives the shrub the appearance of a garden fruit-tree. When seen later, in its full summer foliage, it is almost equally attractive. Its shapely leaves are then diversified by the clusters of long purple pods, which hang gracefully among them.