Canchalagua. Californian Centaury
Erythræa Venusta, Gray. Gentian Family
Six inches to two feet high. Leaves.—Six to twelve lines long; pale apple-green. Calyx.—Usually five-parted. Corolla.—Bright pink, with yellow or white center; an inch or so across. Stamens.—Five; anthers spirally twisted after shedding the pollen. Ovary.—One-celled. Style slender. Stigmas two. Hab.—From Plumas County southward; more abundant southward.
Just as our attention has been called afresh to the fields by the sudden appearance of the “golden stars,” or Bloomeria, in late spring, we find, as we stoop to gather them, a charming pink flower nestling close to the earth amid the grasses. Though low of stature, these firstlings of the season atone for it by brilliancy of color, and their pink blossoms have a peculiarly clean, fresh, wide-awake appearance, reminding one of a rosy-faced country wench.
While enjoying their bright beauty, we do not for a moment suspect that we are paying homage to the famous “canchalagua” of the Spanish-Californians. No well-regulated household among these people is without bundles of these herbs strung upon the rafters—for they are considered by them an indispensable remedy for fevers; also, an excellent bitter tonic, and are said to possess rare antiseptic properties.
CANCHALAGUA—Erythræa venusta.