Massachusetts State Flower

Mayflower (Epigaea repens) is the Massachusetts State Flower and the provincial flower of Nova Scotia. The Mayflower also called Trailing arbutus is a creeping eastern North American plant, of the heath family. Mayflower is native throughout eastern North America, from Labrador to Manitoba and south to Florida and Mississippi. Mayflowers are terminal clusters of fragrant pink or white flowers.

Kingdom

Plantae

Division

Magnoliophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Ericales

Family

Ericaceae

Genus

Epigaea

Species

Epigaea repens - Trailing-Arbutus

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The Mayflower should not be confused with Arbutus, a related genus (including the Madrone species) also of the heath family. Mayflower is a small evergreen creeping shrub, found in sandy soil in many parts of North America, in the shade of pines. Mayflower has long been in cultivation here as an ornamental.

Mayflowers are Pale pink or white. Each Mayflower has a small tube ending in 5 flared lobes. The Mayflower lobes are about 1/2 inch long, growing in small terminal and upper axillary clusters. The Mayflower blooms are waxy, exquisitely sweet-scented flowers intensifying with age. The small, crowded clusters of Mayflower are borne in the axils of the leaves and at the tips of the stems. Mayflower blooms are often hidden from view by the leaves, especially early in the season.

The tubular corolla of the Mayflower is up to a half-inch or so long and nearly as wide at the mouth, where it expands into the 5 spreading lobes. The inside of the tube is very hairy. The Mayflower species is dioecious, having the sexes segregated on different plants. Even though they look more or less alike, the Mayflower blooms of some plants are functionally staminate (male) and of others, functionally pistillate (female). The Mayflower produces nectar and is commonly visited by early queen bumblebees of several species.

Facts About Mayflowers

• Mayflower is a belly plant, i.e, one must lie on one's stomach to catch a legitimate moment of putting eye and nose to the beauty and perfume.
• The scarcely shrubby Mayflower is a tough, slightly woody, more or less rough-hairy plant with light brown, creeping stems and alternate, olive-green leaves.
• The scientific name, Epigaea repens, coined by Linnaeus in 1753 from Greek and Latin, literally means creeping (or running) on the earth.
• Mayflower typically grows in sandy or rocky, acid soils in woods and clearings, often on hillsides and banks, including road banks, especially under oaks and pines or hemlocks with such other ericads as mountain-laurel.
• Other common names of Mayflower are: Gravel plant, shadflower, ground laurel, mountain pink, winter pink.
• Mayflower plant leaves are alternate, evergreen, leathery, Ovate or oblong, with entire margin and a rounded or heart-shaped base.
• The Mayflower has a small fleshy fruit, 5-chambered, many-seeded capsule that splits open at maturity. Ants then disperse the seeds.
• Mayflower blomms from March to May.
• The Mayflower leaves contain ericoline and ursolic acid along with arbutin, which is a urinary antiseptic.
• Unfortunately, since 1925 Mayflowers have been on the endangered list.

Facts About Massachusetts

Massachusetts was admitted into statehood on February 6, 1788 as the 6th state of the union. The capital city of Massachusetts is Boston. Massachusetts flag came into existence on November 1, 1971.

• The nickname of Massachusetts' is Bay State.
• Border States of Massachusetts are Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont.
• Total land area is 7,826 sq. mi.; 45th largest.
• Massachusetts' major industries are textiles, electronics, publishing, education, tourism, fishing.
• Massachusetts is located at 42.336N, 071.017W.
• Massachusetts' economy depends upon, Agriculture: Seafood, nursery stock, dairy products, cranberries, vegetables. Industry: Machinery, electric equipment, scientific instruments, printing and publishing, tourism.
• Massachusetts is historically the capital of American higher education.
• Some popular colleges in Massachusetts are Amherst College, at Amherst; the Univ., of Massachusetts, at Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and Worcester; Boston College, at Chestnut Hill; Boston Univ., Simmons College, and Northeastern Univ., at Boston; Brandeis Univ., at Waltham; Clark Univ., College of the Holy Cross, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, at Worcester.
• Historical Sites in Massachusetts are, Minute Man National Historical Park, Boston's National Historical Park, Old State House(Boston), Old South Meeting House(Boston), Bunker Hill Monument(Boston), Old North Churc h(Boston), Paul Revere's House(Boston), Charlestown Navy Yard
• Massachusetts' points of interest include, Cape Cod, USS Constitution, and the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.