THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



11 



Scattered over the summit, wherever nothing else would 

 grow, were many small plants with green, trifoliate leaves 

 notched on the broad tips. These were specimens of Potentilla 

 frigida. In "Legends of Laconia" after the death of Chocorua 

 on the mountain top, Ronsel O'Donnegan said to Captain 

 Grovenor : "After that I jist stooped down and broke me a bit 

 of the shamrock ye see here and hild it out to the ould chief as 

 a token that for one Ronsel O'Donnegan bore no ill to him." 

 This was the same little shamrock that may be found today on 

 Chocorua's rocky top. 



In all we found eighteen different species in the small 

 space at the summit, more than could be found in many spots 

 of this size in our Xew England fields and pastures. A visit 

 to the peak is well worth while at any time of the year, but it 

 is especially so in winter when we can better understand what 

 these hardy little plants have to endure. On the trip we also 

 found some old acquaintances among the plants in one of the 

 last places we would expect to find them. On the sides of the 

 dome, where it was far from moist or swampy, we found many 

 plants of the meadow sweet (Spiraea salicifoUa) and near the 

 base of the dome, not far from the Peak House, we saw hun- 

 dreds of Rhodoras with an abundance of seed pods. These 

 plants I have usually found growing not far from lakes or 

 moist ground in northern forests and often in bogs. They must 

 be very showy and beautiful here when in full bloom and we 

 left with the hope that some day we might see them at that time. 



