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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1982)
'f Focus, The Battalion XO Friday, April 2, 1982 These bluebonnets grow along Texas highways, with a little help from state officers. Picking the Texas state flower, and most other wildflowers in the state, is illegal and can result in fines up to $400. Texas' annual blues By Colette Hutchings Battalion Staff You probably noticed them on the roadsides while driving back to school from spring break. And if you're a newcommer to Texas — are you in for a treat. Texas wildflowers are making their annual appearance, and although the flowers haven't all bloomed, highway roadsides are promising to be as breathtak ing as ever. Indian paintbrushes, wild violets, buttercups and the ever- popular bluebonnets, grow along freeways, ditches and country roads all over the state. Wildflowers are a part of Texas heritage. One flower — the bluebonnet — has acheived statewide acclaim as the Texas state flower. Known as "buffalo clover," "wolf flower," and "el conejo," the bluebonnet was named for the head coverings worn by ear ly Texas pioneer women. Although five types of bluebonnets exist in Texas, the scientific name of the bluebon nets most common in the Bryan- College Station area are the "lupinus subcarnosus," which is a light blue color and the "lupinus texensis," a dark blue flower. If you look closely, you may even find mutant bluebon nets, or albinos, which are white. In efforts to keep wildflowers around, the Texas Highway De partment plants and protect the wildflowers along Texas road sides. During the blooming sea son, the department halts mow ing operations; when mowing is resumed, part of the seed crop, called "wildflower hay," is gathered and scattered in en- bankments along the highways. Nick Turnham, public affairs officer for the Texas Highway Department, said the depart ment will mow a 15-ft. wide strip if it is hazardous to the pub lic, but that is the only excep tion. About ten years ago. Lady Bird Johnson established an award for the Texas Highway Department, for outstanding maintenance of the wildflowers. Various divisions compete for the award and the maintenance foreman, who is judged as doing the most to promote the growth and protection of wild flowers, is choosen from state wide divisions in the depart ment. He receives an engraved plaque and a $1,000 personal check from Johnson. Although Texas wildflowers are pretty to look at — don't touch. It's a Class C misde meanor to pick bluebonnets and wildflowers maintained and planted by the Texas High way Department, and is pun ishable by fines of up to $400. 1 he law is hard to enforce and most enforcement officers tend to rely on the honor system, but you never know. Mike Kasper, a horticulture graduate student at Texas A&M, is writing his thesis on bluebon nets. When doing research he goes out on roadsides and ex amines the flowers, and, he said, he's been stopped several times by Highway Patrol offic ers. However, Kasper said, most complaints come from pas ser sby. "I've had a lot of people driv ing by who yell at me to get away from tneir flowers," he said. Since wildflowers are so sen timental in the hearts of many Texans, the Texas Legislature proclaimed "Texas Wildflower Day" to be celebrated the fourth Saturday in April. State celebrates bluebonnet month By Colette Hutchings Battalion Staff the help of lectures and books. Ever since the Texas State Legislature declared the fourth Sunday in April as Texas Wild flower Day, the beauty of the flowers have been celebrated thoughout the state. And for local wildflower en thusiasts, that means plenty of tours are available so the beauti ful array of wildflowers won't be missed. Below are activities sponsored by local orgainzations: .Brenham-W^,,,^ The Brazos Valley Museum, Brazos Center — A wildflower tour will be held every Sunday during April. The cost for the tour is $6 and it will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Participants should meet at the museum and transporta tion will be provided. Guides will be touring the Wellborn and Benchley areas. Tour guides are Dr. Fred Smeins, a range science profes sor; Dr. Ed McWilliams, a horti culture professor; Barron Re ctor, a range specialist from the Texas A&M extension service and Dr. Greg Brown, a biology professor. McWilliams said the tour will consist of helping others iden tify the various wildflowers with The ~**i-»vashir County Chamber of Commerce — are sponsoring Bluebonnet trails all weekends in April. De signated bluebonnet trails will be on all country and farm roads leading into the < rea. The Chamber of Commerce office will be open Saturdays from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. and a trailer booth will be open from 12 to 4 p.m, on Sundays. Volunteers will be there give out maps which out line the best sightings for flow ers along with a complementary token of seeds. Margret Gim, secretary for the Chamber of Comerce, said the best crop should be out in about three weeks. The Brazos Valley Museum, Brazos Center — will hold a wildflower exhibit featuring paintings, dried flowers, wild flower books artwork and va rious other items will wildflow ers on them. The museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 1 p.m. through 5 p.m. on Sundays. Texas Womens' University will hold a wildflower sium April 24. sympo- M I yci® TICKETS NCW AVimNCE TICKETS /HSC ECX CEE1CE MAE. 29 - AERIE ICi RERECR/MANCE ARRIIL IE Students $2.50 Non-students $3.50 ^ftlemcHual Student Centen