CISTACE^E ROCKROSE FAMILY 



Helianthemum majus, BSP. 



Yellow Rockrose, Frostweed, 



Ice Plant, Frostwort, 



July-September Canadian Rockrose, Scrofula Plant. 



Helianthemum: from Greek for sun and flower, in allusion 

 to the fact that the flowers open mostly in the sunlight. 

 Majus: Latin for larger. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons. 



THE PLANT: erect, eight to fourteen inches high; the stem 

 of young plants simple, later having numerous stout 

 branches, clothed with hoary short hairs. 



THE LEAVES: alternate, or the lower opposite; generally 

 lanceolate; with hoary hairs beneath, darker above; acute 

 or obtuse at the apex; short-petioled. 



THE FLOWERS: the first blossoms clustered on peduncles 

 at the top of the stem, sometimes nearly an inch broad, 

 but generally smaller; the sepals with hoary hairs; the 

 later blossoms clustered along slender branches in the axils 

 of the leaves, very tiny; all flowers open only in sunshine. 



THE FRUIT: capsules; the second fruiting minute. 



A low and much branched, but delicately built plant 

 that when out of bloom seems inconspicuous. But when 

 the open "yellow roses" are hanging under the numerous 

 narrow leaves, it is very attractive. In mid-summer it is 

 recognizable by its pinkish seed-vessels. Still later, comes 

 the second bloom of much smaller blossoms and tiny 

 seed-vessels, the size of pin-heads. Late in autumn 

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