The American Botanist 



VOL. XXVI. . NOVEMBER, 1920. No. 4. 



November Woods are bare and still, 



November days are clear and bright; 



Each noon burns up the morning's chill LIBRARY 



The m.orning's snow is gone by night. JuKK 



Each da\) my steps grow slow, grow light •wTA^NICaL 



As through the Woods I reverent cretp UAKl>cn 



Watching all things lie down to sletp. 



— Helen Hunt Jackson 



THE ALPINE SPRING BEAUTY 



By Mrs. Bi^anche H. Soth. 



nr^HK alpine spring beauty {Claytoiiia viegarrhiza) is one 

 -■■ of the few plants that bloom among the rocks on the very 

 tops of the highest peaks of the Rockies. It often appears to be 

 spread f)iit in mats upon the bare rocks but closer examina- 

 tion shows that the large tap-roots are growing in the crevices 

 and pockets through which they writhe and twist to great 

 depths. The fleshy, long-petioled, root-leaves are rounded in 

 outline and they spread out from the crown in large rosettes 

 from which ascend many one-sided racemes of delicate white, 

 pink-veined flowers. 



This plant is remarkable among Claytonias from the fact 

 that the two linear stem-leaves are alternate instead of opposite. 

 The blossoms are large and look much like the spring beauties 

 of the Mississippi valley. In spite of the delicate appearanre of 

 the flowers and the succulent character of the plant, snow and 

 frost do not harm it. It is often in full bloom close to the 

 melting snow and emerges from the occasional summer bliz- 

 zard even brighter than it was before. ' 



