666 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Oxalis Acetosella L. 



The wood sorrel is one of the abundant plants of the Adirondacks. 



Its pretty trifoliate leaves supported on slender petioles may be seen 



almost everywhere in the woods. Their pleasant acid flavor is quite 



refreshing to the thirsty tourist when in his long tramps through the 



woods he fails to find potable water. The flowers are attractive by 



their white petals striped with red or purplish lines. The ripened seeds 



are thrown to some distance by the sudden elastic bursting of the mature 



seed vessel. 



Rubus strigosus Mx. 



The red raspberry ascends to the open mountain summit, but rarely if 

 ever bears fruit there. Once only have I seen it in flower in this elevated 

 station. This was in August and but {^"^ flowers were seen. A single 

 fruit composed of only three drupelets had begun to develop. The plant 

 making this efl"ort to bear fruit was far away from the summit and near 

 the tree limit. The lack of vigor in the plants, the prevailing low tem- 

 perature and the lateness in flowering, together with the probable 

 absence of the insects suitable for the proper poUenizing of the flowers 

 must make fruit bearing diflicult and uncertain. 



Cornus Canadensis L. 



The bunchben*}'-, also called dwarf cornel and sugarberry, is one of the 

 very common plants of the Adirondack region. It is found almost every- 

 where, growing on the mountains, in the valleys and passes, in woods 

 and marshes and open places. To the superficial observer it may appear 

 to have a single cluster of leaves and a single flower with four broad 

 white petals, opening just above the leaves. A closer observation would 

 show that the supposed pet-ds are involucral bracts which surround a 

 cluster of several very small flowers. These are succeeded by a cluster 

 of beautiful bright red fruits which when fully ripe are edible. 



Lonicera coerulea L. 



The mountain fly honeysuckle a>cends almost to the very top of the 

 mountain. It occurs behind the sheltering rocks but a short distance 

 south or southeast of the signal station. It is one of the early flowering 

 shrubs. Its leaves bear some resemblance to those of the bog bilberry, 

 Vacciniiim uligmosum L. 



Solidago alpestris W. &^ K. 

 Two goldenrods inhabit this bleak place and in August give a cheerful 

 aspect to it by the presence of their large heads of attractive golden yel- 

 low flowers. The alpine goldenrod is sm iller than the mountain goldenrod, 



