CARDINAL FLOWER; RED LOBELIA (Lobelia cardinalis) Bellflower family

Flowers - Rich vermilion, very rarely rose or white, 1 to 1 1/2 in, long, numerous, growing in terminal, erect, green-bracted, more or less 1-sided racemes. Calyx 5-cleft; corolla tubular, split down one side, 2-lipped; the lower lip with 3 spreading lobes, the upper lip 2-lobed, erect; 5 stamens united into a tube around the style; 2 anthers with hairy tufts. Stem: 2 to 4 1/2 ft. high, rarely branched. Leaves: Oblong to lance-shaped, slightly toothed, mostly sessile. Preferred Habitat - Wet or low ground, beside streams, ditches, and meadow runnels. Flowering Season - July-September. Distribution - New Brunswick to the Gulf States, westward to the Northwest Territory and Kansas.

By the depth and brilliancy of its incomparable hue, the shade with which Vibert delighted to illumine his rich canvases, the color of the famous hat worn by seventy ecclesiastical princes of the Roman Church, but a richer red than the bird which shares the name can boast, the cardinal flower proclaims its title to all beholders. Because its vivid beauty cannot be hid, and few withstand the temptation to pick it, its extermination goes on as rapidly as its bird namesake's.

"Hast thou named all the birds without a gun? Loved the wood rose and left it on its stalk?"

The easy cultivation from seed of this peerless wildflower - and it is offered in many trade catalogues - might save it to those regions in Nature's wide garden that now know it no more. The ranks of floral missionaries need recruits.

Curious that the great blue lobelia should be the cardinal flower's twin sister! Why this difference of color? Sir John Lubbock proved by tireless experiment that the bees' favorite color is blue, and the shorter-tubed blue lobelia elected to woo them as her benefactors. Whoever has made a study of the ruby-throated hummingbird's habits must have noticed how red flowers entice him - columbines, painted cups, coral honeysuckle, Oswego tea, trumpet flower, and cardinal in Nature's garden; cannas, salvia, gladioli, pelargoniums, fuchsias, phloxes, verbenas, and nasturtiums among others in ours. How the cardinal flower's wonderful mechanism works to utilize his visits has already been told under great lobelia, in the description of the blue lobelia of similar construction. But with a bird so much greater than the ruby-throat that the jeweled-feathered atom could be concealed under one of its talons is the red lobelia forever associated:

"The cardinal, and the blood-red spots, Its double in the stream As if some wounded eagle's breast, Slow throbbing o'er the plain, Had left its airy path impressed In drops of scarlet rain."



A P P E N D I C E S

FRAGRANT FLOWERS OR LEAVES.

Baby's Breath. Large Purple-fringed Orchis. Smaller Purple-fringed Orchis. Hepatica (occasionally). Purple Marsh Clematis. English Violet. Wild Phlox. Catnip. Pennyroyal. Wild Thyme. Peppermint. Spear Mint. Wild Mint. Pasture Thistle. Pink Moccasin Flower. Showy Orchis. Rose Pogonia. Arethusa. Calopogon. Night-flowering Catchfly. Bouncing Bet. Purple-flowering Raspberry. Queen-of-the-Prairie. Wild Rose. Red Clover. Musk Mallow. Prince's Pine. Bog Wintergreen. Pink Azalea. White Azalea. Trailing Arbutus. Sabbatia. Fly-trap Dogbane. Four-leaved Milkweed. Field Bindweed. Wild Bergamot. Twin-flower. Joe-Pye Weed (slightly). Wild Spikenard (slightly). White-fringed Orchis. Ladies' Tresses. Lizard's Tail. Bladder Campion. White Water Lily. Laurel Magnolia. Squirrel Corn. White Sweet Clover. Wild Grape. Sweet White Violet. Canada Violet. Sweet-Cicely. Sweet Pepperbush. Pyrola. Shin-leaf. Wintergreen. Button-bush. Partridge Vine. Elder. Clammy Everlasting. Bellwort. Adders Tongue. Small Yellow Lady's Slipper. Spice-bush. Yellow Sweet Clover. Yellow Wood-sorrel. Evening Primrose. Horse-balm. Horned Bladderwort. Honeysuckles. Fragrant Goldenrod. Ground-nut. Pine Sap. Oswego Tea.

UNPLEASANTLY SCENTED

Purple Trillium. Black Cohosh. Mandrake. Jamestown Weed. Salt-marsh Fleabane. Camomile. Carrion-flower. Barberry. Skunk Cabbage. Hound's Tongue. Beech-drops.

PLANTS AND SHRUBS CONSPICUOUS IN FRUIT

RED AND REDDISH: Nightshade. Twisted-stalk. American Cranberry. Marsh Calla. Wild Spikenard (pale red speckled berries). Two-leaved Solomon's Seal (pale red speckled). Wake-robins. Red Baneberry. Red Raspberry. Strawberries. Red Choke-berry. June-berry. Shad-bush. Hawthorns. Harmless Sumacs. Hollies. Bittersweet. Winterberry (Black Alder). American Spikenard. Flowering Dogwood. Dwarf Cornel or Bunebberry. Wintergreen. Red Bearberry. Partridge Vine. Hobble-bush. Red-berried Elder. High Bush Cranberry. Barberry. Spice-bush. Ground Cherry. Wild Honeysuckies. Jack-in-the-Pulpit.

BLUISH AND BLACK: Deadly Nightshade. Star-flowered Solomon's Seal. True Solomon's Seal. Large-flowered Wake-robin. Black Raspberry. Bush Blackberry. Dewberry. Black Choke-berry. Wild Grapes. Virginia Creeper. Cornels. Pokeweed. Huckleberry. Blueberries. Elder. Arrow-woods. Viburnums. Nanny-berry. Blackberry Lily.

WHITE: White Baneberry (black eye). Poison Sumac. Poison Ivy. Panicled Dogwood. Snowberry.

FLUFFY: Thistles. Virginia Clematis. Milkweeds. White lettuce (cinnamon). Groundsel-bush. Spring Everlasting. Dandelions. Sow-thistle. Lettuces. Hawkweeds (brown).



PLANT FAMILIES REPRESENTED

WATER-PLANTAIN FAMILY (Alismaceae) Water-plantain. Arrow-head.

ARUM FAMILY (Araceae) Jack-in-the-pulpit. Green dragon. Arrow-arum. Water-arum. Skunk cabbage. Golden-club. Calamus-root.

SPIDERWORT FAMILY (Commelinaceae) Day-flowers. Spiderwort. Wandering Jew.

PICKEREL-WEED FAMILY (Pontederiaceae) Pickerel-weed.

BUNCH-FLOWER FAMILY (Melanthaceae) White hellebore. Bellworts.

LILY FAMILY (Liliaceae) Lilies. Adder's tongue. Hyacinths. Star-of-Bethlehem. Colic-root.

LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY FAMILY (Convallariaceae) Clintonia. Wild spikenard. Solomon's seals. False lily-of-the-valley. Twisted-stalks. Indian cucumber-root. Wake-robins. Carrion-flower. Cat-brier.

AMARYLLIS FAMILY (Amaryilidaceae) Yellow star-grass.

IRIS FAMILY (Iridaceae) Irises. Blackberry lily. Blue-eyed grass.

ORCHID FAMILY (Orchidaceae) Ladies' slippers. Orchises. Rose pogonia. Arethusa. Ladies' tresses. Rattlesnake plantains. Twayblades. Calypso. Coral-roots. Calopogon. Adam and Eve.

LIZARD'S-TAIL FAMILY (Saururaceae) Lizard's-tail.

BIRTHWORT FAMILY (Aristoltochiaceae) Wild ginger. Dutchman's pipe. Serpentary.

BUCKWHEAT FAMILY (Polygonaceae) Persicarias. Smartweed. Water pepper. Lady's thumb. Pink knotweed. Climbing false buckwheat. Tear-thumb. Coast jointweed.

POKEWEED FAMILY (Phytolaccaceae) Pokeweed.

PURSLANE FAMILY (Portulacaceae) Spring beauty. Pussley. Portulaca.

PINK FAMILY (Caryophyllaceae) Corn cockle. Campions. Catchflies. Pinks. Bouncing Bet. Chickweed.

WATER-LILY FAMILY (Nymphaeaceae) Water-shield. Pond-lilies. Lotus.

MAGNOLIA FAMILY (Magnoliaceae) Laurel magnolia.

CROWFOOT FAMILY (Ranunculaceae) Marsh-marigold. Gold-thread. Bane-berries. Black Cohosh. Columbines. Larkspurs. Anemones. Hepatica. Virgin's bower. Clematis. Water-crowfoots. Spearworts. Buttercups. Meadow-rues.

BARBERRY FAMILY (Berberidaceae) Barberries. Twin-leaf. Wild mandrake.

LAUREL FAMILY (Lauraceae) Spice-bush.

POPPY FAMILY (Papaveraceae) Bloodroot. Celandine poppies. California poppy. Dutchman's breeches. Squirrel corn. Bleeding-heart. Climbing fumitory. Pink and Golden corydalis.

MUSTARD FAMILY (Cruciferae) Mustards. Charlock. Cresses. Rocket. Radish. Ladies' smock. Toothworts. Shepherd's purse. Vernal whitlow grass.

PITCHER-PLANT FAMILY (Sarraceniaceae) Pitcher-plant. Sundew.

ORPINE FAMILY (Crassulaceae) Live-forever.

SAXIFRAGE FAMILY (Saxifragaceae) Early saxifrage. Foam-flower. Mitrewort. Grass-of-Parnassus. Hydrangea.

WITCH-HAZEL FAMILY (Hamamelidaceae) Witch-hazel.

ROSE FAMILY (Rosaceae) Ninebark. Meadow-sweet. Steeplebush. Goat's beard. Indian physic. Ipecac. Raspberries. Blackberries. Dalibarda. Strawberries. Cinquefoils. Avens. Queen-of-the-prairie. Agrimony. Roses.

APPLE FAMILY (Pomaceae) Chokeberries. June-berry. Shadbush. Hawthorns.

SENNA FAMILY (Caesalpinaceae) Sensitive Pea. Partridge pea. Wild senna.

PEA FAMILY (Papilionaceae) Wild indigo. Rattle-box. Wild lupine. Clovers. Sweet clovers. Goat's rue. Tick-trefoils. Bush-clovers. Blue vetches. Pea vine. Seaside pea. Butterfly-pea. Hog peanut. Milk-pea. Wild bean.

GERANIUM FAMILY (Geraniaceae) Wild geranium. Herb Robert. Cranesbill.

WOOD-SORREL FAMILY (Oxalidaceae) Wood-sorrels.

FLAX FAMILY (Linaceae) Flax. Slender yellow and Ridged flax.

MILKWORT FAMILY (Polygalaceae) Milkworts. Fringed polygala.

SPURGE FAMILY (Euphorbiaceae) Flowering spurge.

SUMAC FAMILY (Anacardiaceae) Sumacs. Poison ivy. Smoke bush.

HOLLY FAMILY (Ilicaceae) Hollies. Winter-berry (black alder).

STAFF-TREE FAMILY (Celastraceae) Climbing bitter-sweet.

JEWEL-WEED FAMILY (Balsaminaceae) Jewel-weed. Pale touch-me-not.

BUCKTHORN FAMILY (Rhamnaceae) New Jersey tea.

GRAPE FAMILY (Vitaceae) Wild grapes. Virginia creeper. Ampelopsis.

MALLOW FAMILY (Malvaceae) Mallows. Velvet leaf. Althaea.

ST. JOHNS-WORT FAMILY (Hypericaceae) St. Peter's-wort. St. Andrew's cross. St. John's-worts.

ROCK-ROSE FAMILY (Cistaceae) Frost-flowers. Poverty grass.

VIOLET FAMILY (Violaceae) Violets. Pansies.

CACTUS FAMILY (Cactaceae) Prickly pears.

LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY (Lythraceae) Purple loosestrife. Blue wax-weed.

MEADOW-BEAUTY FAMILY (Melastomaceae) Meadow-beauty. Deer-grass.

EVENING-PRIMROSE FAMILY (Onagraceae) Fire-weed. Willow-herbs. Evening-primrose. Sundrops. Enchanter's nightshade.

GINSENG FAMILY (Ariliaceae) American spikenard. Wild sarsaparilla. Ginsings.

CARROT FAMILY (Umbelliferae) Wild carrot. Cowbane. Parsnips. Parsley. Sanicle. Fennel. Pimpernel. Water-hemlock. Sweet-Cicely. Poison hemlock. Water-parsnip.

DOGWOOD FAMILY (Cornaceae) Cornels or Dogwoods.

WHITE-ALDER FAMILY (Clethraceae) Sweet pepperbush.

WINTERGREEN FAMILY (Pyrolaceae) Wintergreens. Shin-leaf. Prince's pine.

INDIAN-PIPE FAMILY (Monotrotaceae) Indian-pipe. Pine sap.

HEATH FAMILY (Ericaceae) Labrador tea. Azaleas. Laurels. Rhodora. Rhododendrons. Leucothoe. Wild rosemary. Fetter-bush, Stagger-bush. Andromeda. Cassandra. Sourwood. Trailing arbutus. Creeping wintergreen. Bearberries.

HUCKLEBERRY FAMILY (Vacciniaceae) Huckleberries. Blueberries. Squaw huckleberry. Creeping snowberry. Cranberry.

DIAPENSIA FAMILY (Diapensiaceae) Pyxie.

PRIMROSE FAMILY (Primulaceae) Loosestrifes. Moneywort. Star-flower. Scarlet pimpernel. Shooting star.

PLUMBAGO FAMILY (Plumbaginaceae) Marsh rosemary.

GENTIAN FAMILY (Gentianaceae) Sabbatia. Sea-pink. Marsh pink. Gentians.

DOGBANE FAMILY (Apocynaceae) Dogbane. Indian hemp.

MILKWEED FAMILY (Asclepiadaceae) Miikweeds. Butterfly weed.

MORNING-GLORY FAMILY (Convolvulaceae) Wild potato vine. Bindweeds.

DODDER FAMILY (Cascutaceae) Gronovius' dodder.

PHLOX FAMILY (Polemoniaceae) Phloxes. Moss pink.

WATER-LEAF FAMILY (Hydrophyllaceae) Virginia water-leaf.

BORAGE FAMILY (Boraginaceae) Hound's tongue. Comfrey. Stick-seeds. Virginia cowslip. Lungwort. Forget-me-not. Viper's bugloss. Vervains. Verbena.

MINT FAMILY (Labiatae) Blue curls. Skullcaps. Catnip. Gill-over-the-ground. Self-heal. Obedient plant. Motherwort. Oswego tea. Wild bergamot. Pennyroyal. Sweet basil. Hyssop. Mints. Wild thyme. Dittany. Peppermint. Citronella.

POTATO FAMILY (Solanaceae) Ground cherry. Nightshades. Thorn apples. (Jamestown weed.)

FIGWORT FAMILY (Scrophulariaceae) Mulleins. Butter-and-eggs. Blue toad-flax. Figwort. Turtle-head. Beard tongues. Blue-eyed Mary. Monkey-flower. Speedwells. Brooklime. Culver's-root. False foxgloves. Gerardias. Scarlet painted cup. Wood betony.

BLADDERWORT FAMILY (Lentibulariaceae) Bladderworts.

BROOM-RAPE FAMILY (Orobanchaceae) Broom-rape. Beech-drops.

TRUMPET-CREEPER FAMILY (Bignoniaceae) Trumpet-flower.

ACANTHUS FAMILY (Acanthaceae) Hairy ruellia.

MADDER FAMILY (Rubiaceae) Bluets. Button-bush. Partridge-vine. Cleavers. Bedstraw.

HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY (Caprifoliaceae) Elder bushes. Hobble-bush. Bush cranberry. Arrow-woods. Withe-rod. Sweet viburnum. Black haw. Twin-flower. Snowberry. Honeysuckles. Fly-honeysuckles. Bush-honeysuckles.

TEASEL FAMILY (Dipsacaceae) Card teasel.

GOURD FAMILY (Cucurbitaceae) Star-cucumber.

BELL-FLOWER FAMILY (Campanulaceae) Harebell. Bellflowers. Venus' looking-glass. Cardinal flower. Lobelias. Indian tobacco.

CHICORY FAMILY (Cichoriaceae) Chicory. Cynthia. Dwarf goat's beard. Fall dandelion. Dandelions. Sow-thistles. Wild lettuces. Hawk-weeds. Rattlesnake-weed. White lettuce.

THISTLE FAMILY (Compositae) Iron-weed. Joe-Pye weed. Boneset or Thoroughwort. White sanicle. Climbing hempweed. Blazing-star. Button snake-root. Golden aster. Goldenrods. Asters. Robin's plantain. Flea-banes. Sweet scabious. Groundsel-bush. Everlastings. Elecampane. Cup-plant. Compass-plant. Ox-eyes. Cone-flowers. Black-eyed Susan. Sunflowers. Jerusalem artichoke. Tickseeds. Bur-marigolds. Beggar-ticks. Sneezeweed. Yarrow. Camomiles. Daisy. Tansy. Ragwort. Burdock. Thistles.

THE END