A small family of small shrubs or herbs, having regular flowers with three or five petals and five sepals, the two external ones being small and bractlike.

Frostweed; Rockrose (Helianthemum Can-Adense)

This little perennial is very remarkable and unique, because late in autumn, crystals of ice form about the cracked bark of the root. It is also remarkable for the fact that it has two sets of flowers, the first ones in June and later ones in July or August. The first flowers are large and solitary, about one inch across, with five showy yellow petals; these are very delicate and the petals soon fall.

A. Rock Rose; Frost-weed.

Helianthemum canadense.

B. Hudsonia.

Hudsonia tomentosa.

Continuing its growth the plant developes several short branches near the top, on each of which will appear from one to four smaller flowers, some with yellow petals and some without any.

The leaves are small, oblong-lanceolate, hoary with white hairs on the under side, alternating along the stem that rises from 10 to 18 inches high. Both the early and late flowers are fertile, the seed pods of the former are about a quarter inch long, those of the latter, less than half as long. Frostweed grows in sandy, dry soil from Me. to Minn, and southwards.

Hudsonia (Hudsonia Tomentosa)

Hudsonia (Hudsonia Tomentosa) is a low branching, little shrub rising only 5 or 10 inches above ground. Its branching stems are closely crowded with tiny, scale-like, oval leaves about one-half inch long. These are set as closely about the stem as possible and hug closely to it, instead of spreading.

The small, yellow flowers that are crowded along the ends of the branches, open only in sunshine; the five tiny yellow petals surround numerous stamens and a long, slender style. Hudsonia is found on sandy shores from N. B. to Va. and along the Great Lakes.