SAXIFRAGE FAMILY. 



SAXIFRAGACE^. 



Early Saxifrage. Saxifraga Virginienais. 



Rock-Breaker. 



Found blossoming in April and May, in rocky grounds and 

 hillsides. 



The leaves and flowering stems, from 4 to 9 inches in height, rise 

 from the root. 



The small oval leaves have rounded tips, short broad foot-stems, 

 and scalloped edges ; their texture is thick and smooth, and their color 

 a vigorous green. They form a close round tuffet upon the ground. 



The small flovpers have 5 long vphite petals and 10 yellow stamens 

 apiece ; their light green calices are 5-parted ; and they grow in open 

 clusters on the summit of a thick, round, and downy stem, which rises 

 from the middle of the leafy rosette. 



The buds appear already formed, early in the spring ; as soon as 

 the snow leaves the ground they appear as a small, round green ball 

 well settled down in the middle of the leaf-tuffet ; this bunch of buds 

 pushes itself boldly up, on its thick stem, which is still quite shoi:t 

 when the flowers begin to open. As the stem lengthens the clustered 

 flowers become less dense until, finally, it reaches its full height, and 

 the blossoms, fully expanded, spread loosely apart ; they remain in 

 perfection a long time — two or three weeks. The roots of this hardy 

 plant, pushing in among the crevices of the rocks, fracture them by 

 their vigorous growth; this gives if the name of Saxifrage or Rock- 

 Breaker. 



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