CAROLINA WHITLOW GRASS 



Draba reptans (Lam.) Fern. 



Early spring .M(uc ili;iniati(. perhaps, than the frreatest sunflower or 

 Stony fields the most clcuaiit rose, are these three little plants of 

 whitlow gra.ss. The photograph was staged deliberately 

 to bring out that (juality of niiniature drama, lighted to emphasize the 

 smallness of the plants, their white llowcrs set off by the dark and inde- 

 terminate background. The small stems, the delicate flowers, the small 

 hairy leaves all are proof that even such may have strength to push 

 through a stony place and grow, and blossom, and make fruit. 



Whitlow grass comes (>arly and its blossoming is not announced in 

 the press or talked about with the delight of those finding violets. Few 

 people know when the whitlow grass blooms; few know when its time is 

 over. But in the stony fields and rooky places of Illinois, the Carolina 

 whitlow grass, in tiny majesty, fullills its annual meeting with the spring. 



It comes in March. The little rosettes of small, grey-green, fum- 

 leaves remained there all winter among the stones, and now quickly in 

 the damp chill days ot March the thin little downy stems push up, ]»er- 

 haps to the enonnous height of two or three inehes, seldom or never more 

 than that, open their four-peta,led white flowers and hastily make seeds 

 in pods reminiscent of radish pods. AVhitlow grass and radishes are both 

 in llie ^lustard family. 



Whitlow grass is not an important })lant. not an especially beautiful 

 one except for the beauty of any small, jx^fect thing successfully and 

 efficiently perfonning its life cycle. It is there as part of the verj- early 

 spring, often before the more conspicuous wild flowers bloom, and that 

 is enough. 



