NATIVE WILD FLOWERS 
CistusS—RocKk-rosE—Helianthemuin Canadense (Michx.). 
We find the yellow Cistus growing on gravelly hills 
and sunny banks. It is a pretty delicate-fiowered plant of 
slender upright growth and hoary foliage, beset with silvery- 
gray hairs. The flowers, rarely more than two opening at 
a time, are about an inch wide; the petals slightly notched 
at the upper edge, of a pale brimstone color; the many 
stamens and anthers reddish-orange. The flowers open at 
sunrise but fall before night; they are so slight in texture 
that the least touch affects them. There is a peculiarity 
in this plant that is very singular, the tendency to produce 
an abundance of abortive flowers along the lower portion 
of the stem. These never open, and give a scaly look to 
the plant. The Cistus is also known by the name of 
“Frost Plant”; this name may have been given, to it from * 
the hoary appearance of the leaves, though a less obvious 
cause has been assigned for the name. It is said that ice- 
crystals are formed on the bark in the autumnal frosts; 
but most likely some crystallized substance from the juices 
of the plant has been mistaken for ice. 
YELLOW FLax—WILD FLax—Linum sulcatwm (Riddell). 
This is a delicate little plant, mostly found on dry 
sunny banks during the hot summer months. The blossoms 
resemble the common blue Flax, but are smaller; the 
narrow leaves are harder in texture and the plant not more 
than one foot in height; the flower falls very soon.* I do 
not know if the stem possesses the thready flax fibre of the 
cultivated species; its only recommendation is the pretty 
pale yellow blossom. 
* This is so marked that after picking many and finding the flower fallen befcre I got 
home, I had to take my materials and sit on the side of the bank and sketch it as it 
grew. A.D.OC. 
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