The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-15
DR.. Cora King, Noted
Botanist, Has Plants !
From Highest Rockies
1900 Specimens Gathered
From Peaks Among Local
Woman's Possessions.

Some persons collect stamps.
Others spend their leisure moments
collecting odd coins and bring out
rafting boxes to show friends. Nearly
everybody has q hobby.
Probably the most unusual hobby
and surely the largest private col.
lection to be foune in Washington II
the botanical collection Of DR.. Cora
Smith King, organizer Of the Noun.
taineers' Club Of America. and noted
Washington physician.
This collection comprises 1.S0o
specimens gathered from an altitude
Of 5000 feet on the Rocky mountains,
the Cascades, Mt. Olympia. and our
own little picturesque hills OF Mary
land and Virginia. It was got to-
gether in ten years.
when the word botany In mentioned
. picture In Immediately conjured up
of dried leaves and flowers pasted be-
tween the folds Of thick. worn book
and q very scrutinizing person with
q microscope leaning over.
This Ia not botany. says DR.. King.
To her botany II the thrill OF climb
ing . mountain. q cluster OF violets
against q rock, venture into the
flower world, q nsw flower disoov-
cred, ascension into the bluedeep Of
q mountain sky. And then there are
the charming little mountain goats.
Discovers New Violet.
Az a matter Of record. DR.. King has
preserved many specimens and keeps
the entire collection in q cabinet called
q herbarium. The specimens are
pasted between the pages of q folder.
with q notation at the bottom of it,
name, genus, the date, and place col.
lected.
One Of the most interesting speci-
mems IL q newly discovered violet with
a red heart-shaped leaf. Little spraw.
~. airy and delicate flowers, which
In many cases have preserved their
color, I'LL the book.
1T carried what We call q 'dunnage
Rag to put the specimens in" DR.. King
eA planned, In describing how she gath.
cred the flowers from the dizzy
heights. ct picked flowers clear up
to the snow-line on my upward climb,
end found that the flower that grows
highest is the little mustard seed. The
jacobs ladder grew not far from It.
1--WE travelled in parties and made
OF cursions into the density of the
mountains forests and high peaks
which lasted from two to four weeks.
The pack train carrying provisions.
went on ahead" DR.. King explained { ,
the reporter who went out to view thu
collection. "At night time we unload
ed the dog tents and slept on tho
mountains.
"It Is interesting to note that the
flowers at the top of the mountains
often have fur. Like the little animals
In cold climates, nature has thus pro-
tccted them. The flowers of the
Eastern mountains, I have observed,
are larger, coarser, and more sprangly
than those of the Western. Then, toe,
tie higher one goes, the shorter and
more delicate are the flowers.
CLUB Has Three Lodges.
DIR. King sent the flowers to Smith
sonian institution, where they were
identified by Mrs. Agnes Chase, AMI
to the Bureau Of Plant Industry,
where G. v. Piper determined them.
The Mountaineer Club Of America,
which she organized, has three lodges,
one at Chico, WASH; one in the deep
forests of the Cascade mountains, and
one called Klahane lodge in the Olym-
pic mountains.
"Some people chase the elusive golf
BALL" said DR.. King, In commenting on
her hobby, "but I chase the will
flowers"