The American Botanist 



VOL. XXV. 



FEBRUARY 1919. 



No. 1. 



'C/ie seasons come, the seasons go, 



fright autumn fades to winter drear, 



^ut flitting light above the snoip 



'^he bluebird warbles "Spring is near." 



THE CUSHION PINK 



By Mrs. Bi^anche; H. Soth. 



MOSS campion is another name for this characteristic 

 matted plant of the alpine zone, Silciic acaiilis. The 

 stems, with their numerous tiny pointed leaves, interlace and 

 form dense, dark green tufts that are firmly fastened in the 

 loose gravelly soil hy their long, strong tap-roots. The 

 flowers vary in color, from pink and rose or purple to almost 

 white. They occur singly and are set close down among 

 the leaves, so that they look like stars "spangling a cushion 

 green, like moss." 



The plant is abundant upon the high mountains of 

 Kurope as well as upon those of our own country. It is a 

 true "Arctic-alpine" plant abounding on the Arctic continent 

 and islands almost to the extreme northern limit of vegeta- 

 tion. In these far northern latitudes it grows at sea level, so 

 that we know it is not altitude that makes plants small and 

 matted. Sucii plants grow upon the high peaks because their 

 nature permits them to exist under the trying conditions that 

 prevail there. Poor soil, fierce winds, long dry and cold sea- 

 sons and sudden and extreme changes of temperature have 

 no terrors for the dainty little cushion pink. 





