468 



Minnesota Plant Life. 



rocks and there pas> into a dry. (lonnant condition, except wlien 

 the rock is wet with rain. In Minnes(jta a nnnil)er of ])inks, 

 rock-roses, i)tn-slanes and Canterl)ury-bells make their lionie 

 upon rocky ledges or shores. Here, too, there are to be met 

 with a variety of ferns, such as the cHfT-l)rakes, the polypody 

 and others. \\'ith them may be found numerous grasses, plan- 

 tains, verbenas, evening--i)rimroses, ragweeds, capers, and saxi- 

 frages. Upon such rocky ledges may also be discovered, espe- 

 cially in the northern ])art of the state, the juniper bushes and 

 the ground-hemlock. Kock-succulents are not conuuon in 



Fig. '£ii). — Growlli of liiirdwood lives iijiou ;i rocky islaiul. Nurlhucsl aii.uk. I.akc of llic Wuoil.-^. 

 .•\flcr pliotojiiaph li>- tlif autlior. 



Minnesota; but the prickly-pear cactus of Pijiestone and the 

 rock purslane of the Minnesota \alle\-, are examples. More 

 often grasses with rolled up lea\es. junipers with needle-shaped 

 or scaly lea\es, saxifrages with hairy leaves and other ad.apla- 

 tional ty])es will be i)resent. The larger rock ])laiUs. needing 

 more soil lor iheir root areas, grow in cre\ices and mav be 

 foiuid ai)undaully where\er the rocks ha\e been split ;uid soil 

 lias formed in the clefts. 



Moss heaths. Another class of xeroplutic \egetation in- 

 cltides the moss heaths. These are drw moss-C(»\ ered stretches. 



