COMPOSITE 349 



scarious involucral bracts, and consequently preserved 

 like Everlastings. In male individuals the capitule is 

 rounded and short, in female narrow and elongate. May- 

 July. It is a popular plant with gardeners who employ 

 it for artificial border-work and even for the abomi- 

 nations known as carpet-bedding. Swiss mountaineers call 

 it popularly cat's-foot, and gather it for use as a vulnerary 

 and as a cure for coughs. 



G. carpathicum. Stem not stoloniferous; leaves not 

 unlike those of Edelweiss, but green above andtomentose 

 below; stem 2-6 in., simple, cottony, with 3-6 heads of 

 dingy white in a compact corymb. Alpine escarpments 

 (i8oo-23oo m.) in non-calcareous soil. 



G. supinum is the very minute, grey-green herb, with 

 dingy white flowers in a small, short, close raceme, 

 whose densely caespitose sheets are so abundant in 

 the snowy pastures of the granitic Alps. (i5oo- 

 2200 m.). 



Leontopodium 



L. alpinum (PI. LIU). It is unnecessary here to 

 describe the Edelweiss, the most familiar of our alpine 

 flora. It is sufficient to say that the flowers are 

 insignificant and yellowish, the whole secret of its 

 beauty being the star-like collarette or involucre which 

 supports the flower as though in a silver cup. Thanks 

 to the densely tomentose character of this involucre the 

 flower does not wither and furnishes an alpine everlast- 

 ing dear to the tourist's heart. Since French tongues 

 mangle the German name I suggested twenty four years 

 ago fie Jardin, 1887, p. 16) "Etoile d'argent" or "du 

 glacier" as a French name for this flower. My neologism 

 appears to have become common, and it were desirable 

 that it should continue. Swiss mountaineers call it 

 -Belle Etoile". 



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