2 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



the windy season. Pasque flower refers to its habit of bloom- 

 ing at Easter-tide. 



This is the same plant that blooms on the prairies as far 

 east as Wisconsin, where it is occasionally known as rock 

 flower. It is the State flower of South Dakota. The children 

 often call it the gosling plant because of the thickness of its 

 soft silky down. This soft fuzziness is to protect it from 

 dryness and from pilfering insects, rather than from the cold 

 of the inclement March weather. Pliny declared that only 

 the wind caused anemones to open but we have learned that 

 like other plants which spring up so quickly from the roots in 

 early spring, they are stimulated to development by the 

 moisture that reaches their rootlets; hence they will sometimes 

 bloom after rainy weather in the fall, especially if abundant 

 showers follow a long drouth. I have several times found 

 perfect long stemmed pasque flowers in the Colorado moun- 

 tains in September. The five to eight petal-like sepals are 

 blue or purplish on the outside but almost white within and 

 open only far enough to expose the ring of many golden 

 stamens. 



Mrs. Henshow tells us that the legend of the birth of the 

 anemone was that Venus in her grief over the death of Adonis 

 shed "tears amain" from which sprung "gentle Rowers." 



"Where streams his blood, there blushing springs the rose 

 And where a tear has dropped, the windflower blows." 



Pasque flowers are as dear to the hearts of the children 

 and nature lovers of the Mountain States as the first spring 

 blossoms of any other part of the country are to its inhabitants. 

 They are a favorite subject for artistic efforts also, and photo- 

 graphs and paintings of them arc almost as abundant as the 

 blossoms themselves. Plaques and plates are adorned with 

 them oftener than with any other flowers, except the blue colum- 

 bine, and their soft blues and grays are so beautiful that even 

 the efforts of the novice are creditable. 



