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SUMM~R
WILD
FLOW~RS BY
G. A.
L~ISMAN
THE KANSAS SCHOOL NATURALIST KANSAS STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE
Emporia, Kansas
Vol. 4
APRIL No.4
1958 The Kansas
School Naturalist Published by
The Kansas State Teachers College of ~mporia
Prepared and Issued by
The Department of Biology, with
the cooperation of the Divisions
of Education and Social Science
Acting Editor: Carl W. Prophet Department of Biology Editorial Committee: Ina M. Borman, Robert F. Clarke, Helen M. Douglass, Gilbert A. Leisman, Dixon Smith The Kansas School Naturalist is sent upon request, free of charge
to any citizen of Kansas.
The Kansas School Naturalist is published in October, December,
February and April of each year by The Kansas State Teachers Col­
lege, Emporia, Kansas. Second-class mail privileges authorized at
Emporia, Kansas.
3
The Origin of Cultivated Plants Which of the following familiar
and important cultivated plants
are native to the United States:
potato, sweet potato, corn, wheat,
beans, tomato, squash, pepper,
cabbage, kohlrabi, brussel sprouts,
broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus,
celery, parsnip, beet, turnip, rllU­
barb, watermelon, lettuce, musk­
melon, carrot, onion, pea, spinach,
radish, soybean, and sorghum? Be­
fore answering, let us find out just
how a scientist goes about determ­
ining the place of origin of these
and other plants. 'Where did our
vegetables come from, and where
and when were they first used for
food?
.
As you might suspect this is no
easy task to fulfill. Many plants
have been cultivated for so many
years that their origin is all but lost
in antiquity. Sometimes, however,
lady luck lends a helping hand.
Most of you remember David Liv­
ingstone as a famous explorer of
Africa. But did you know that he
also found, by accident, the original
home of the wild watermelon in
central Africa? This illustrates, also,
one of the best methods of tracing
the origin of cultivated plants,
namely by finding the place where
the ancestral forms are still grow­
ing naturally.
'In manv instances, however, wild
forms of 'cultivated plants are not
found anywhere. Corn is a good
example. How can a scientist find
out where such plants came from?
Well, common names are some­
times of a help. A plant which has
many different names among scat­
tered people in a primitive country
must have been there a long time.
Therefore, this country might very
well be its place of origin. When
the white man first discovered the
Indians of North and South Ameri­
ca, he also found that they had cul­
tivated beans for as long as could
be remembered. Each tribe, more­
over, had their own name for this
plant. The Indians on the St. Lawr­
ence River called it "sahe" or
"sahu"; the Hurons called it "ogar­
essa," the northern Algonquins
"tuppuhguam-ash"; the Delawares
"malachxil," the Roanoke River In­
dians "okindgier"; and the Aztecs
"a vacotli" or "etl." Thus it was
likely that the common bean was
native to the New World. With the
help of other evidence, the origin
of the common bean was eventua1ly
traced to Central America.
Archaeological findings are fre­
quently of great help also. Carv­
ings, decorated utensils, and orna­
ments frequently depict food plants
used by the people of that time.
Even seeds are occasionally found.
Such findings, of course, -indicate
ancient usage of these plants and
possibly places of origin. Wheat
and barley have been traced to
ancient Egypt by this method with
their eventual place of origin being
close by in Mesopotamia.
Recently even the microscope
has played a role. Strange as it may
seem, the shape of a plant's chrom­
osomes-those structures within
the cell which carry the hereditary
controlling genes-may also provide
certain clues. Thus, for example,
4
the chromosomes of North Ameri­
can corn more closely resemble
those of the corn in Cei1tral Amer­
ica than the corn in South America.
This indicates a direct descendenc),
from Central American forms for
North American corn rather than
from South American forms .
Now that we have examined
some of the ways by which a plant's
place of origin can be ascertained,
let us return to the original ques­
tion. As you may suspect by now,
none of those plants listed can be
traced to origins in the United
States. Isn't it strange how depend­
ent we are on "foreign" vegetables
and fruits?
'Well, you may ask, if these
plants did not 'come from the
United States, where did they come
from? Space does not permit a de­
tailed answer, but some of the
major centers of plant origin might
be mentioned. The area around the
eastern end of the Mediterranean
Sea is one of the most important.
Many of our vegetables apparently
came from this area, as did Kansas'
most important harvest crop,
wheat. The Far East and India is
another i.mportant center. Both
Central and South America are the
original home of many cultivated
species. And there are other cen­
ters too.
Do we have any fruits or vege·
tables that are native to the United
States? Yes, but they are relatively
few in number. Mention the straw­
berries, raspberries, blackberries,
currants, gooseberries, cranberries,
and blueberries , and vou have al­
most exhausted the list. America 1S
a land of plenty, to be sure, but re­
member that most of this "plenty"
originally came from other lands.
REFERENCES
Camp, W. R., V. R. Boswell, and J. R. Mag­
ness. 1957. The World in Your Garden.
Na.tional Geographic Society, Washing­
ton, D.C.
Hutchinson, J., and R. Melville. 1948. The
Story of Plants. P. R. Gawthorn, Ltd.,
London.
Schery, R. W. 1952. Plants for Man .
prentice-Hall, Inc., New York.
HOW WHEAT CAME TO KANSAS In the previous article, we dis..
cussed in general the origin of many
of our cultivated plants. Since much
of the economy of Kansas is cen­
tered about one cultivated plant,
wheat, let's examine in a little more
detail the history of this, our most
valuable crop.
The history of wheat is a long one
and extends back to, or even be­
yond, the beginnings of civilization.
vVheat, along with barley, oats, and
rye, was probably among the first
of all cultivated plants. Scientists
have been able to trace the culti·
vation of wheat for food purpose~
back to the New Stone Age, ap­
proximately 15,000 years ago.
These early people apparently dis­
covered the wild wheat plants
growing in the mountains of Persia
and Afghanistan, and through some
way recognized the value of these
plants as a source of food. (Ap­
proximately 50 different kinds of
wild wheat are still found growing
in this area, a good indication that
this is the center of origin.)
In their wanderings from place
to place, they took the wheat with
them, cultivated it at each seasonal
camp site, and thus spread this
crop to many relatively distant
5
areas. By 6000 BC "'heat had be­
come well established around the
headwaters of the Tigris and Eu­
phrates rivers, the cn:;-dle of m,ul:'
ancient civilizations. Through the
rise and fall of th e Sumeri,~n and
Babylonian empires and until bib­
lical times, the culti\'ation of wheat
continued to expand over much of
the eastern and southern areas of
the iV Iediterranean region.
Just how and when wheat was
first introduced into Europe, no one
knows. Suffice it to sav that once
introduced, it quickly became one
of the basic food crops.
The New World did not become
acquainted with wheat until the
early 1500's when the Spaniards
introduced it into Mexico. Some­
what later the first English colon­
ists brought wheat with them when
the;, settled in Virginia. As man
moved westward across the Appa­
lachians , wheat moved with him.
And so as civilization gradually
pushed back the frontiers beyond
the state of Kansas, wheat came
with the early settlers who soon
found that our verdant prairies
were ideally suited for this crop.
Today Kansas is one of the leading
wheat producing states in the coun­
try with approximately 200 million
bushels produced annually. From
'Persia to Kansas! It's been a long
journey, but certainly, from our
point of viev\', very worth while.
WHAT'S YOUR FOOD I.Q.?
The following is a list of common
plants that are regularly eaten as
fruits or vegetables. Do you know
exactly what part of the plant you
are eating when it is prepared for
consumption? For example, ,,-hat
does lettuce represent? If :'ou
ans"'ered ·'lea"es.'· \'ou'i-e correct.
:\0'" tIT "our luck o'n those b elow.
_-\ns\\'el:s ~,'ill be lo und on page 16.
l. Lirna beans
Broccoli
:,
.,). Irish Potato
-1. S\\'eet Potato
.J. Cauliflo\\'er
6. Celen'
7. Peas
8. Carrots
9. Brussel sprouts
10. Tomato
.,
THE METHUSELAHS OF THE PLANT WORLD What are the oldest living things
on earth? Most people would prob­
ably answer the giant sequoias of
California. Until a year or so ago
this answer would have been ac­
cepted as correct. But within re­
cent months the discovery of even
older trees has b een announced by
dendrochronologists (people who
count and study the annual rings of
trees. )
Strange as it may seem these
trees were found growing within
100 miles or so of Sequoia National
P ark, the home of the form er cham­
pions of longevity. White Moun­
tains of California are the home of
the new champions, and their name
is bristlecone pine. More strangely
still, the grove of trees with the
most ancient members is found
growing on the most inhospitable
site of the forest. The trees are
gnarled and weatherbeaten and
seldom exceed 25 or 50 feet in
height. Perhaps only a narrow strip
6
FUTURE ISSUES OF KSN
of the trunk and one or two
Plans are still rather nebulous as
branches will be alive on any given
tree. They seem to survive because to what subjects will appear in next
year's issues of The Kansas School
of rather than in spite of adversity, Naturalist. Issues for which some
for on more favorable sites the trees work has been done are: "Fossils
do not attain anywhere near the (or perhaps "Rocks and Fossils"),
"How to do it for Elementary
age of these old timers.
How old is the oldest of these Science," "Snakes in Kansas," "Liz­
ards in Kansas," "Nature Hobbies,"
bristlecone pines? As of the mom­ "Watersheds in Kansas," "Wildlife
ent, the oldest one studied is over Refuges ," and an issue on birds.
4,600 years old! In contrast, the Every attempt is being made to
General Sherman tree of Sequoia cover subjects in which readers of
National Park is estimated to be The Kansas School N atumlist are
3,500 years old, a mere youngster interested, so send your suggestions
to the editor. Among the many
by comparison.
suggestions which have been made
You may well ask how it is pos­ but upon which no work has been
sible for a tree to be almost 50 cen­ done as yet are : "Galls" or "Insect
turies old and yet be less than 50 Homes" and an issue dealing with
feet in height. Growth of these pa­ the nature study of The Sunflower
trim'chs is exceedingly slow, so slow State.
in fact that over 100 annual rings
can be counted in an inch of wood.
SUMMER WILDFLOWERS
In many cases the tops and upper­
The October, 1955, issue of The
most branches die from starvation, Kansas School Naturalist was de­
and onlv a few of the lower limbs voted to fall wildflowers and the
survive.' Thus if you think a turtle February, 1956, issue to spring
or snail is slow, remember the \vildflowers . Now we'll fill in the
bristlecone pine!
gap. The plants described and pic­
In terms of living in the future, tured are those that bloom during
/
however, the sequoias appear to the months of June, July, and Aug­
have the best chance, since most ust.
1. SCARLET GLOBEMALLOW
of the oldest bristlecones appear to
Here is one of the most familiar
be dying back. It is estimated that
within 5 centuries these ancient roadside plants of western Kansas .
dwarfs will have perished. The These drought-resistant, pubescent
oldest sequoias, on the other hand, plants frequently form a solid car­
give no indication of slowing down pet along right-of-ways during early
with old age. With continued pro­ summer. The leaves are 3-lobed
tection they could still be living with each lobe being divided fur­
3000 years from now. Unfortunate­ ther. If you have a hand lens or
ly for you and me with our puny magnifying glass examine the hairs
life span, we will not be around to on the leaves more closely. Note
find out.
how each hair has a star-like ap­
7
pearance, being flat-topped with many radiating branches. Like all members of the mallow familv, the flower of the scarlet globenlallow has a central column of united sta­
mens. The color of the .5 petals has been variously calleel vellowish-red or scarlet, but orange or salmon would seem to be more appropriate adjectives. It is one of the few nat­
ive plants in Kansas that has this flower color. 2. SHOWY
EVENING PRIMROSE We have many different species of evening primroses in Kansas, but this one is easily recognized by its white-petaled flowers . All the others have yellow flowers. The showy evening primrose is a common roadside and prairie perennial in central and eastern Kansas. The 4 white petals, 4 sepals, and inferior ovary are distinctive floral charac­
teristics. Upon fading, the petals turn a delicate shade of pink. Like most of the evening primroses, the flowers usually close during the heat of the afternoon. The showy even­
ing primrose is easily grown from seed. Another handsome evening prim­
rose is the Missouri evening prim­
rose, or Ozark sundrops, with its huge yellow flowers. The four·­
winged seed pods, green at first , turn vello,,- and ma\' be seen on the grou~d all ,,-inter. ­
3, RUELLL\
.
This lo,,--!;!yo\\'ing perennial is found in pastures ,-n .- -rairies in the eastern half of 1:' 1 . Beci:1llse
of its rather do:>
III la c-e to
the common pduni-., i i often l1b ­
named '\vild pet ' ;1, " Till:' _ .litary
purplish flo\w'fs are bome in th
8
leaf axil forming a funnel much like
that of the petunia. They are ex­
tremely short-lived, with the corolla
falling off within 24 hours. Hence
this is hardlv a flower for the wild
flower boug~et. Leave it in nature
where it belongs. The leaves have
a very short petiole and are pub­
escent.
4. SCURFPEA
As the name suggests, this plant
belongs to the pea or legume family.
The leaves are palmately divided
into 3 or 5 leaflets and are usually
pubescent. In its general growth
form and habit and its cluster of
tiny blue or lavender pea-like
flowers, scurfpea closely resembles
the cultivated alfalfa. Because of
this it is often called "wild alfalfa."
The silvery or grayish pubescence
of the leaves, however, usually dis­
tinguish it from alfalfa. A familiar
prairie and roadside plant, the
scurfpea adorns most every land­
scape throughout the state being
especia lly common north and east.
.5. SENSITIVE
BRIER
This shrubby, low-growing per­
·ennial is easily recognized by its
spherical heads of attractive rose­
colored flowers, its compound
leaves divided into many tiny leaf­
lets, and its long, linear, and spine­
covered pods following the bloom­
ing period. The lovely flowers in­
vite picking but watch out for the
many sharp spines covering the
stems. Like other members of the
Mimosa family, the leaflets have
the peculiar ability to fold together
at night, or in stormy weather, or
when the plant is handled roughly.
The sensitive brier is found nearly
throughout the state and makes a
handsom e addition to he roadside
and prairie \eg ta tiOll.
6.
PHAIRIE cLo'. · n~
Also a member of tJie pea or le­
gume bmit:-. the prairie clover is
one of our most handsome prairie
plants. Tlle compact spike or spher­
ical head of tin:- purple or white
flowers makes the prairie clover
readih - identifiable. We have at
least 6 different species in Kansas,
4 with white flowers and 2 with
purple. All are perennial and have a
long taproot. They grow in prairies
and meadows throughout the state
and are very attractive to insects.
7. QUEEN ANNE'S LACE
This plant is also called "wild car­
rot" and our domesticated carrot
was derived from this plant. Queen
Anne's Lace is not native to our
country having been brought here
from the Mediterranean region. It
is easily recognized by the finely
divided, fern-like leaves and thc
loose cluster or umbels of tiny white
flowers. After flowering, the flower
stalks turn inward into a compact
ball somewhat resembling a bird's
nest. As the fruits ripen, however,
the stalks bend outward again to
form a flat-topped cluster. Queen
Anne's lace is a biennial and is
found along roadsides and waste
places chiefl;' in the eastern half
of the state.
8.
WOOLY cnOTOc(
A familiar roadside allnual
throughout central and eastern
Kansas. this plant is e<isi!:- identified
bv its o\"ate le<1\'e 5 a11d ft \yook
p~ besct'llce. Lik the s 'arlet globe­
mallo\\' mentioned
efore. the
leaves are co\-ered \\ith tho. e UJl­
9
usual stellate hairs which show up
so nicely under magnification. The
flowers are tiny and very incon­
spicuous and are either staminate
(male) or pistillate (female). Both
flower types, however, are borne in
the same cluster. \Vhen crushed ,
the plant gives off a very strong
odor. Other species of Croton are
also quite common in Kansas.
9. FOUR 0' CLOCK
The four 0' clock is found in
waste places, roadsides, and other
disturbed areas throughout th e
state. Though sometimes called a
"weed," it nevertheless is an at­
tractive one. The upright, man~'­
branched stems grow to a height of
2-3 feet and bear opposite, more or
less heart-shaped leaves. The flo\\­
ering habit is rather unique for 2-.3
flowers are borne in a cluster en­
closed by a 5-10bed involucre or
bract. Each flower has a bell-shaped
calyx, colored purplish-pink, but no
corolla.
Following pollination and fertili­
za tion, the calyx tube drops off lea v­
ing the expanded involucre to sur­
round and protect the developing
fruits and seeds. This plant is some­
times called "umbrellawort" be­
cause of this unusual feature. It is
closely related to our common gar­
den four 0' clock and the exotic
tropical vine often seen in our
southenl states, Bougainvillea.
10. CONEFLOWER
The many species of this group
all have one thing in common, the
type of floral structure. Each head
has a central cone, either elongated
or rounded, of disk flowers and
drooping ray flowers around the
base of the cone. "\l o:- t . t ~ ) cie...
have vello\\' 1'<1\' flo\\·er~. The (:0 Ull­
nar p;'airie conefiower picturedh re
is one of the mo. t common p j "
and is found ne. r ~' hrol.l ~hou the
entire state.
. 0;
11. TO.-\DFL\X
The bright :'e11o\\' and orange
flowers of this attmctin' perennial
gives rise to its other common name,
"butter-and-eggs." The flowers look
very much like miniature snapdrag­
ons except for a rather prominent
spur which extends from the lower
portion of the corolla. Its leaves are
long and very narrow, growing on
a stem about 2 feet tall. It is found
scattered throughout the state in
waste places, along roadsides, and
in cultivated areas.
12. BLACK SAMPSON
This rather sinister-sounding
name is applied to one of our more
attractive composites. The long,
linear leaves are chiefly basal in
position and are covered with coarse
rough hairs. The terminal head of
flowers consists of a central cone
or mound of brownish-colored disk
flowers and a marginal array of
purplish-colored ray flowers. This
stately perennial is found in prairies
and meadows nearly throughout
the state. The Indians used the
roots of this plant for medicinal
purposes, and even today certain
tinctures are still prepared from the
black Sampson.
l..
13. DAYFLO\\' EH
The chl\-flo\\-er
belonp's
to the
.
0
same famil: - as the familiar spiderwort of earh- spring and the com­
mon house plarlL ZC;briila or wand­
12
ering Jew. It is found in waste
places, along roadsides and alley­
ways and seems to prefer partial
shade. The small, rather inconspic­
uous flowers are actually quite at­
tractive upon close examination. Of
the 3 petals, the 2 upper ones are
colored blue and the lower white.
Not a native of the United States,
since its home is in Asia, the day­
flower is found scattered through­
out the eastern third of Kansas.
14. PRICKLY POppy
An attractive, yet formidable,
species, the prickly POPP)' is found
throughout central and western
Kansas in pastures and waste places.
Its flower is large and showy, bear­
ing 5 rather flimsy white petals.
The center bears a conspicuous
cone of bright yellow stamens. Al­
though one may be tempted to
gather the flowers for a bouquet,
this thought is quickly discouraged
by the very sharp prickles which
cover both leaves and stem. Like
other members of the poppy family,
it has a sticky juice or latex.
15. ERIOGONUM
This plant is found throughout
central and western Kansas and is
very drought resistant, a charac··
teristic imparted by its deep tap­
root system, sparse foliage, and
whitish pubescence on both stems
and leaves. In one species the flow­
ers are greenish-yellow, in another
they are white. In either case, how­
eve;', thev are very small and un­
attractiv~. The spi'eading inflores­
cences at the top of the plant give
it a somewhat flat-topped appear··
ance, hence the sometimes-used
common name of "umbrella plant."
16. WILD ROSE
Certainly here we have a plant
that could scarcely be mistaken for
any other kind. Although we have
a number of different species in
Kansas, everyone can recognize
them as roses. The thorny stems,
the compound leaves, the pink 5­
petaled flower with many stamens,
and the bright red fruit are all dis­
tinctive characteristics. The fruits,
or "hips" as they are called, are ed­
ible and are readily eaten by birds
and mammals. Wild roses are found
throughout the entire state and cer­
tain of the species are amazingly
drough t -resistan t.
17. PITCHER CLEMATIS
Of the many different kinds of
vines that one is likely to encounter
growing on and along roadside
fences in eastern Kansas, the pitcher
clematis is one of the most common.
It is readily identified by its com­
pound leaves (3 to 9 leaflets) and
urn-shaped, brownish-purple flow­
ers borne singly on the ends of long
flower stalks. This vine might very
\,,"ell make a handsome addition to
the garden and is readily propa­
gated by seed. It does require, how­
ever, a deep, rich soil. Incidentally
this flower has no petals, the deep
bro\vnish-purple color being im­
parted by the sepals alone.
18. JIMSON WEED
A familiar weed around barn­
yards and feed lots in the eastern
half of Kansas, the Jimson weed is
one of our largest annual species,
attaining a height of up to 5 feet
by the end of the growing season.
It is eaSily recognized by its thick
greenish or purp1ish stems, coarsely
14
toothed leaves, and large, trumpet­
like flowers. The white or violet
colored flowers open in the evening
and emit a rather sweet odor which
attracts night-flying moths. The en­
tire plant is poisonous to animals,
including man.
19. PUNCTURE VINE
The puncture vine is one of our
most familiar, and occasionallv
painful, weeds. A prostrate pLu{t
which creeps along the surface of
the ground, it will frequently form
a very dense mat in waste places
and along roadsides. Its fruit is its
most conspicuous feature, as many
a barefoot boy can testify, being
sharply angled and armed with
short pointed spines. The flowers
borne from July through September
are small with 5 separate yellow
petals. Puncture vine has opposite,
compound leaves consisting of 10
to 14 leaflets. Unfortunately this
plant is disseminated rather' eaSily
and is rapidly becoming a pest in
many parts of our country.
20. YUCCA
This is a plant familiar to prac­
tically everyone in central and
western Kansas. The large rosette
Of bayonet-like, evergreen leaves is
a very distinctive feature. In late
May and June the inflorescence
b earing large, white cup-shaped
flowers is produced. The life his­
tory of Yucca, or soapweed as it is
sometimes called, is very unusual,
since pollination and resiIltant pro­
duction of seeds is dependent en­
tirely upon one species of moth
(see page 5 of the October, 1955,
issue of The Kansas School Natuml­
·i st). Did you know that the Span­
ish bayonet and Joshua tree of
southwestern United States were
also species of Yucca?
2l. CINQUEFOIL
We have 11 different species of
this plant growing in Kansas, but
most of them can be recognized by
their yellow, strawberry-like flower,
and palmately foliate leaves, the
number of leaflets usually being 5.
Because of this characteristic
cinquefOil is sometimes called "five­
finger. " They are found chiefly in
the eastern half of Kansas growing
in meadows and open woods.
22. PRICKLY PEAR (cover picture)
Almost everyone knows this
plant, our most familiar representa­
tive of the cactus family . A peren­
nial and extremely drought-resist­
ant, the prickly pear is found nearly
throughout Kansas, though more
common in the western half. The
large yellow flowers are very at­
tractive, a saving characteristic of
most cacti. The reddish, cIub­
shaped fruits are edible and are
occasionally made into candy or
ielly. The large, succulent so-called
leaves are in actualitv modified
stems specially adapted for water
storage. The true leaves, which are
seen only on young shoots, are small
and narrow. During periods of ex­
treme drought when nothing else
is available, ranchers in western
Kansas will sometimes singe off the
spines of growing prickly pears thus
making the plants edible for their
cattle. The next time vou visit a
dry pasture look for a close relative
of the prickly pear, the smaller and
rarer pin cushion Or ball cactus with
reddish or yellOWish flowers.
15
PRESERVING FLO\iVERS
School will be out before the
flowers listed in this issue are in
bloom. Nevertheless, ,ye hope that
this issue will aid the teacher and
student alike in learning to identify
some of our common summer wild­
flowers. Dming these vacation
months, the teacher does many
things in preparing for school. A
good project would be to identify,
collect, press, and mount some of
the summer flO\.\,ers for use during
the school year.
In collecting plants for pressing
and mounting, one must remember
to get as much of the plant as pos­
sible. Of course if the plant is large,
it is not practical to coHect all of it.
In that case, get enough of the root
to show its type, enough of the
stem and leaves to show their char­
acteristics, and, of course, be sure
to get the flower.
To press these plants place them
in a folded sheet of newspaper and
evenly apply pressure. It is possible
to press more than one plant at the
same time, but several sheets of
papers should be placed between
speciments to absorb the moisture.
These papers must be changed
daily in order to dry the plants
quickly, and large roots should be
split lengthwise to facilitate drying.
Too much heat will brown the
plants, so do not place them in an
'oven.
The pressure necessary for press­
ing these plants can be supplied in
a number of ways such as using
books, rocks, or any other heavy ob­
ject. A good plant press can easily
be constructed from the sides of an
apple or orange crate. The plants
and their newspapers are placed on
one of the boards and then the other
board is placed on top. By using a
strap at each end of the press, the
boards can be drawn tightly to­
gether, and the plants will be even­
ly and neatly pressed.
The dried plants should be
mounted on good stiff white paper.
Notebook size is fine, but a larger
size is better if it is available. The
plants may be glued to the paper
or attached with small strips of
transparent tape. Mice and insects
will eat these dried plants so they
should be kept in boxes containing
moth balls. It is a good idea to spray
the pressed specimens occasionally
with a bug bomb. Students will en­
joy building a collection of pressed
plants, and projects such as this will
add interest to the school science
table.
ABOUT THIS ISSUE
Most of this issue of The Kansas
School Natumlist was prepared by
Dr. G. A. Leisman of the E-State
Biology Department. The article on
preserving flowers was written by
Mr. Homer Stephens of the For­
estry, Fish, and Game Commission.
This is the third issue of a series
dealing with some of the wild­
flowers of Kansas. "Fall Wild­
flowers" (Oct. 1955) , and "Spring
Wildflowers" (Feb. 1956), the
other two issues of this series, are
now out of print and therefore are
no longer available.
AUDUBON SCREEN TOURS
The Biology Department of the
Kansas State Teachers College in
Emporia will present another
Screen Tour Series next year.
16
THE 1958 WORKSHOP IN
ANSWERS TO FOOD QUIZ
CONSERVATION
(page 5)
First Section - Three Weeks
1. Lima beans are large seeds.
June 2 to June 20, 1958
2. Broccoli actuallv com bines two
Credit - three semester hours
Graduate or Undergraduate
two parts of tbe' plant, the stem
soil, grassland, and vvildlife
vVater,
and many unexpanded flower
conservation,
with emphasis throughout
buds.
on conservation education. Such topics
·3. The Irish potao is a tuber or as geography and climate of Kansas,
special kind of underground w<lter resources, soil erosion problems and
stem.
c:ontrol, grass as a resource, bird banding,
4. Sweet potatoes are true roots.
wildflowers of Kansas, conservation cJubs,
.5. Three cheers if you get this and conservation teaching at various
one. A head of cauliflower is levels. Lectures, demonstrations, dis­
nothing more than a large mass cussion groups, films, slides, models, field
trips, projects, and individual and group
of undeveloped flowers.
reports. Open to any interested person .
6. A celery stalk is a lar.g e and
Second Session - Three Weeks
fleshv petiole or leaf stalk.
June 23 to July 11, 1958
7. Peas' like beans are nothing
Credit - 1, 2, or 3 hours for
1, 2, or 3 weeks.
more:. than seeds.
Graduate or Und ergraduate
8. This is easy. A carrot is, of
This section will be devoted to the
course, a root.
production
of teaching aids for con­
9. Each head of brussel sprouts
servation and to other subjects depend­
represents a miniature struc­
ing upon the needs, interests, and ex­
ture like a cabbage bead. In periences of the participants. Topics
either case they are nothing covered last year were lizzards, wildlife
more than leafy buds.
refuges, roadside nature study, and a
10. One of our 'familiar "vege­ suggested guide to teaching conserva­
tables ," the tomato is actually tion in the elementary schools. Some of
a fruit.
. the materials developed by the 1958
workshop will probably be used in fu­
If you got more than 7 right, you ture issues of The Kansa.~ School Nafumlr
know vour onions ( these are ist.
bulbs). Congratulations!
Several scholarships, awarded by vari­
LIGHT AND TIME
Everyone has noticed that light comes
through a window, but you may not real­
ize that this light can be used to tell the
time of. day. Select a window on the sunny
side of the building and paste on the glass
a piece of paper abou t the size of a half
dollar. See where the shadow of this spot
is, on the fiool' or perhaps on the opposite
wall. Mark the place where the shadow is
at, say 8:30 A. M. Mark it. again at 9:00
A. M. and at intervals for several hOUl·S.
Notice next day whether the shadows are
a t the same places at the same times. Does
this provide you with a clock? Does this
sun clock keep pace with the room clock?
A record kept through the school year will
provide the answers to these and many
other questions.
ous Soil Conservation Districts and other
interested onranizations, are available to
people enrolled in the Workshop. Per­
sons interested in apniyinQ: for a scholar­
,hip are ur~ed to contact their local Soil
Conservation Service Office. There will
also be a limited number of scholarships
awarded bv the Emporia State Teachers
College. For additional infOlmation and
anplication blanks. write C. F. Gladfelter,
Kansas State Teachers ColI<.>ge, Emnoria.
'Vorkshops in Conservation will also
be conducted at Fort Hays State and
Sterling Colle.ge. Persons attending these
workshops are also eligible for the Soil
Conservation District Scholarships.