The American Midland Naturalist 
PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BY THE UNIVERSITY 
F NOTRE DAME, NOTRE DAME, INDIANA. 
Vol. I. JUNE, 1910. No. 8,* 
Early Spring Plants of Central North Dakota. . 
J. LUNELL. 
It would be rather deceptive to determine the arrival of 
spring in North Dakota by the almanac. Sometimes it com- 
mences in March, but as a rule not until April. It does not 
set in promptly, as in the far north, where the Snowdrop, Ga- 
lanthus nivalis springs up well- nigh from the bosom of a snow 
drift, and the Narcissus, Crocus; Tulipa and Hyacinthus fol- 
low just as soon as the ground is bare. On the contrary, Na- 
ture awakens very slowly here, and its progress is lingering, 
and it is timid and careful, afraid of being taken by surprise, 
the weather becomes slowly and imperceptibly warmer, and 
the first spring flower, Pulsatilla Pls tabi dares at last to 
burst forth, after two weeks of hesitation. Invariably it re- 
ceives its punishment, as the frost reaps millions of these flow- 
ers every spring. But another succession of flowers appears, 
the As i: styles and the leaves grow out, and late flowers 
are borne contemporaneously with the fully developed leaves 
in June dud. even July. The common name of this plant here 
is Crocus, probably because its sepals have the same size and 
Shape of this offspring of the celebrated family IriGaceae, be- 
cause both are children of the earliest spring, and because this, 
as we have no real Crocus, is the best "Crocus" available. 
even Sanguinaria canadensis, a plant growing in the extreme 
eastern part of the state, reaches this territory. The first day 
I found the Pulsatilla this year was on the 24th of March. 
After this day comes a period of slow and tedious expecta- 
tion, until by April 10th Ranunculus ovalis enters the stage 
now just as tiny and tender as it is rank and exuberant foie 
weeks later. Acer fraxinifolium, Populus balsamifera candi- 
cans, deltoides and tremuloides, Ulmus fulva and americana 
and Celtis crassifolia bring forth their flowers in advance of 
the leaves by this time, followed two weeks later by Prunus 
* June 15, 1910.—Pages 197 to 228. 
