Texas Almanac, 1945-1946 Page: 153
[610] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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TEXAS PLANT LIFE.
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rBluebonnet ticld near ,Autin. Capitol do no in distance. the bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas.
on the Staked Plains and throughout the mid-
dle western Texas sections in considerable
numbers.
Cacti in Texas may generally be classified
relative to size and form as follows: (a) Col-
umnar, one to six feet in height; (b) colum-
nar, branching at the base or clusters, less
than one foot high; (c) globose, one to three
feet in diameter; (d) globose, one to twelve
or more inches in diameter; (e) Opuntias
(commonly designated as "prickly pears") of
tall, medium and low or decumbent forms,
and (f) climbing or clambering forms, shrubs
and small tree types.
Texas' cacti have a wide range in size and
color of blossoms. The blooming period,
according to the species, ranges from early
spring to late fall. From minute blossoms of
less than one-quarter inch in diameter to
giant ones, often measuring up to seven or
more inches in diameter, these unusual flow-
ers represent all colors of the spectrum.
Blossoms of some species have a life of less
than three hours, while some retain their
beauty for from one to five consecutive days
and for even longer periods.
Texas Wild Flowers
The varied soils, bright sunshine and open
spaces of Texas are responsible for its repu-
tation as a *wild flower paradise. About 4,000
different native flowers thrive in Texas soils.
This includes many with inconspicuous flow-
ers, such as sedges, rushes and grasses, the
latter family containing about 500 species.
Among the plants with showy flowers, the
largest family is that of the composites, rep-
resenting nearly 1,000 species. This family
includes the daisies, asters, goldenrods and
sunflowers. The pea family is the second
largest group with showy flowers and has
about 300 representatives. Some species, or
others closely related, are widely scattered
over the state, but most plants are limited in
their distribution by certain soil and moisture
conditions.
The most noteworthy of Texas wild flowers
is the legally adopted state flower (by act of
Legislature, March 7, 1901), the bluebonnet,
also known as buffalo clover, wolf flower and
el conejo (Lupinus texensis), an annual which
*In the Texas Almanac of 1936, pp. 207-219,
inclusive, is as more comprehensive description of
Texas wild flowers by Miss Eula Whitehuse of
the University of Texas, author of Texas Flowers
in Natural Colors, and Mrs. Mlary Daggett Lake,
Fort Worth.grows on the limestone hillsides in North
Central, Central and Southwest Texas. It
blooms in erect clusters of blue, bonnet-
shaped flowers splotched with red or white
on the upper petals. A slightly different spe-
cies, Lupinus subcarnosus, grows on the
sandy areas of Central Texas. It is also con-
sidered as the state flower since the distinc-
tion between the two was not considered at
time of the adoption of the resolution by the
Legislature.
Roadside Beauty.
Among the flowers that are likely to attract
the attention of the highway traveler is the
Texas mountain laurel, also known as mescal
bean, and frijolito (Sophora secundiflora), a
shrub with a blue flower of the autumn sea-
son which is found on the limestone hills of
Central and Southwest Texas. The wild ver-
bena (Verbena bipinnatifida) is found from
spring until fall over large areas, also the
pink evening primrose or buttercup (Hart-
mannia tetraptera) in the prairie regions, the
Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) and the
Indian paint brush (Castilleja indivisa). One
of the most famous of Texas wild flowers is
the Drummond's phlox (Phlox drummondli),
a showy, brilliant red annual of South Cen-
tral and Southeast Texas. This flower was
first discovered in Texas by the Scot botanist,
Thomas Drummond, who visited the state in
1833-34, collected the seeds and propagated
and distributed this variety of phlox. It is
now a familiar garden flower in many parts
of the world. Another Texas wild flower
discovered and classified by Drummond is the
coreopsis or golden wave (Coreopsis drum-
mondii) of South Texas, a yellow and brown
flower having kinflowers of several species in
Central and West Texas.
Flowering Shrubs.
There are many beautiful flowering shrubs,
of which the redbud (Cercis reniformis),
growing on the hills of Central and West
Texas, is the best known. Its brilliant pink
and red flowers appear early in spring in
amazing profusion. The mimosa (Mimosa
borealis) and several members of the acacia
family, the huisache (Acacia farnesiana), the
catclaw (Acacia greggii) and others are found
principally in West and Southwest Texas.
MIany of these flowers, notably the catclaw
and the huajillo of Southwest Texas, furnish
honey for the bee industry of the state.
Among the most beautiful flowers of the
state are the flowering shrubs and trees of.5
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Texas Almanac, 1945-1946, book, 1945; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117166/m1/155/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.