[Illustration: PRAIRIE-LILY STIFF NUTTALLIA]
Usually herbs which are clothed with rough, bristly hairs; sepals
usually 5, calyx tube joined to ovary; petals usually 5; stamens
numerous, the outer petal-like; ovary inferior.
Prairie-Lily. Showy Mentzelia (_Mentzelia decapetala_) is a
handsome-flowered plant which ranges from the Panhandle to Southern
Canada. The large flowers, 3-5 inches across, greatly resemble those of
the cactus group and have the same tendency to open in the afternoon.
The stout, branching plant grows 2-2½ feet high. The stems are quite
conspicuous, as they soon become white and shining; the leaves are
noticeable because they cling very closely to the clothing by means of
barbed hairs. This clinging characteristic is responsible for the
Mexican name of “buena mujer” (good woman), applied to this and other
similar species.
Stiff Nuttallia (_Mentzelia stricta_) has smaller, paler flowers, but
otherwise it is very much like the showy mentzelia except for the small
leaves on the seed capsule. It grows in sandy soil, blooming in the
summer and fall. Other common names include stick-leaf, poor-man’s
patches, star flower, and good woman. _Bartonia aurea_ of garden culture
is a member of the group which was introduced from California.
[Illustration: LOW PRICKLY PEAR TEXAS PRICKLY PEAR]