MOUNTAIN FLOWERS 73 



WHITE EVERLASTING 



Antcfuiaria racemosa. Composite Family 



Freely surculose by long, slender, sparsely-leafy stolons, lightly woolly. 

 Stems: bearing numerous racemosely-disposed heads. Leaves: broadly 

 oval, acute at each end, densely tomentose beneath, green and glabrous 

 above ; involucre campanulate ; bracts green. Flowers : staminate and 

 pistillate heads white-tipped. 



Every traveller will recognize the Everlastings at a glance, 

 with their dry, crackling little flowers and partially, if not 

 entirely, silky whitish leaves ; the only difficulty lies in decid- 

 ing to what species any particular plant belongs. 



The easiest way to distinguish the White Everlasting is by 

 the loose separate fashion in which its flower-heads grow, 

 just a few on each little stalk and none of them bunched 

 together ; whereas the A. Howellii^ or Mouse-ear Everlasting, 

 has very closely clustered flower-heads and much more silky 

 leaves. The leaves of both these plants are woolly and white 

 underneath and smooth and green on the top. The fertile 

 plants are taller than the sterile plants, and the Httle heads 

 of fertile florets are set in green cups, their snow-white silky 

 tufts gleaming in the sunshine, while the staminate florets 

 have rounder, whiter scales. 



A. parvifolia^ or Mountain Everlasting, has leaves that are 

 white and woolly on both sides, and its florets are perfectly 

 round in shape. 



For A. paj'vifolia var. rosea see the Pink to Red Section. 



A. lanata, or Alpine Everlasting, is a dwarf species growing 

 close to perpetual snow, and is found at the great altitude of 

 8000 feet. It has very white and woolly stalks and many tiny 

 leaves that are white and woolly also. 



This plant somewhat resembles the Edelweiss of the Alps, 

 and is the nearest approach to that famous flower to be found 

 on this continent. The name Antennaria refers to the long 

 brown anthers, which resemble the antennas of some insect. 



