46 



THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



fairly seem to pop out of the ground and burst into bloom. 

 And their beauty is quite as entrancing as their sudden emerg- 

 ence. The rock-rose as it is perhaps more fittingly called, 

 clearly shows its relation to our garden portulaca in its leaves. 

 These form an irregular rosette of round, juicy looking fila- 



The Bitterroot — one-half natural size. 



ments of a reddish green color with a markedly grainy surface. 

 Below the leaves lies an irregularly forked root. This has 

 usually several Jialf-inch thick main branches and then a few 

 thin fibers coming from these. The roots are brownish black in 

 color. Each little plant bears a few flowers ; flowers so dainty 



