NATIVE WILD FLOWEKS 



. 

 CISTUS KOCK-ROSE Helianthemum Canadense (Michx.). 



We find the yellow Cistus growing on gravelly hills 

 and sunny banks. It is a pretty delicate-flowered plant of 

 slender upright growth and hoary foliage, beset with silvery- 

 gray hairs. The flowers, rarely more than two opening at 

 a time, are about an inch wide; the petals slightly notched 

 at the upper edge, of a pale brimstone color; the many 

 stamens and anthers reddish-orange. The flowers open at 

 sunrise but fall before night; they are so slight in texture 

 that the least touch affects them. There is a peculiarity 

 in this plant that is very singular, the tendency to produce 

 an abundance of abortive flowers along the lower portion 

 of the stem. These never open, and give a scaly look to 

 the plant. The Cistus is also known by the name of 

 " Frost Plant " ; this name may have been given to it from 

 the hoary appearance of the leaves, though a less obvious 

 cause has been assigned for the name. It is said that ice- 

 crystals are formed on the bark in the autumnal frosts; 

 but most likely some crystallized substance from the juices 

 of the plant has been mistaken for ice. 



YELLOW FLAX WILD FLAX Linum sulcatum (Eiddell). 



.. 

 This is a delicate little plant, mostly found on dry 



sunny banks during the hot summer months. The blossoms 

 resemble the common blue Flax, but are smaller; the 

 narrow leaves are harder in texture and the plant not more 

 than one foot in height; the flower falls very soon.* I do 

 not know if the stem possesses the thready flax fibre of the 

 cultivated species; its only recommendation is the pretty 

 pale yellow blossom. 



* This is so marked that after picking many and finding the flower fallen before I got 

 home, I had to take my materials and sit on the side of the bank and sketch it as it 

 grew. A. D. C. 



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