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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1963)
r Bright yellow buttercups grow thick in the fields and meadows of southern Oregon, and their blossoms are a sure sign of spring. To the botanist and wild flower expert, these are known as occi dentalis buttercups, and are in the ranunculus family. Medford Tribune if a$ . ""I - ' : -:Vc - MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, MARCH 31. 1963 IVIicn Spring Unlocks the Flowers .Reginald Heber The March wind was, cold and a spatter of rain was falling, but the two little girls didn't mind. They went wild flower picking on a hill near Jacksonville just as little girls have been doing every March for years and years. "J 1 1 c if ' t ' 1 V 1 V:-.; . i1 : r ' per-" v Ule'sl ' j 1 t . - ,L ( 'f l J 'S K ' J Theresa Jean McBelh, 5, and Michele Foran, 2, didn't find many flowers, but that didn't matter either. Theresa, whose parents are Mr. and Mrs. C. lind McBeth, 403 Oak street,: Jacksonville, and Michele, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard A.' Foran, IIS North C street. Eagle Point, know that few flowers are ever bit as pretty as a basketful. One of the most beautiful of Oregon wild flowers Is the erythronium, known In Jackson county as lamb's tongue. This is the deep cream citrinum but the lavender petaled ones are more common here. Another early spring flower of this region is the bird bill, or shooting star. This rose purple flower with back turn ing petals is listed by the botanists as dodecatheon hen-dersonii. ; i . .VJ Ji-r r7iUT &5lLi 1 . . ..iilMltr-ri'S taiiwofcaMMW:utau,u.i Id & j4t One of the most familiar wild flowers of the far western states Is the white trillium; it is to be found in cool, moist spots and ther ire a number of variations. This variety, trilljum ovatum, is common to ihe Rogue valley. U I "It's my turn to hold them now," said little Michele, called Shelley by her family, buf Theresa Jr! 'ft-,1 in find out first if the flowers smelled good. To be able to pick wild flowers on a hillside in the spring it wv-..,v10 adventure which all little girls should have; those who love Oregon's native flowers hope that everyon? vn picks or digs them . will be careful arjd remember to be a good neighbor and conservation. i
