CROWFOOT FAMILY 



THE PLANT: from underground stems; the flowering stem 

 four inches to nine inches high, simple, nearly hairless. 



THE LEAVES: basal; five-parted, the divisions oblong or 

 wedge-shaped, long-petioled; the upper leaves three to 

 five-parted, the divisions variously cut and lobed, acute. 



THE FLOWERS: solitary, one inch broad; sepals four to 

 seven, obovate or oval, tinged with purple outside, resem- 

 bling petals, which in reality are lacking. 



THE FRUIT: achenes. 



It hardly seems as if the delicate, white flowers and 

 slender stems of this dainty plant were sufficiently robust 

 to cope with the rigours o/ early spring. But, in truth, 

 such early-comers need no strong qualities of resistance, 

 for cold is easier to withstand than evaporation in strong 

 heat; there are but few plant enemies then about and in 

 the absence of many rivals, white is sufficiently strong to 

 attract the bees. 



Eight other members of the Crowfoot Family have been 

 reported. 



104 



