264 DR. GUSTAV RADDE ON THE VERTICAL RANGE 
ANEMONE NARCISSIFLORA, Linn., var. CHRYSANTHA, Fisch. & 
Mey.  Kerigo, at 10,000 ft., 8/20 July, 1876. Elbruz, over 
9000 ft., 11/23 August, 1865.  Archotis-mta, 10,000 ft., 26 
June/10 July, 1876. Azunta, up to 10,000 ft., abundant, 11/23 
August, 1876. 
In its typical, free-flowering form this species covers most of 
the lower subalpine meadows about 9000 ft. and descends thence 
to 4000 ft. That form which is generally recognized by most 
botanists as only a variety has yellow flowers, is slender in habit, 
and usually one-flowered. Ruprecht, Fl. Cauc., separated this 
variety from NARCISSIFLORA, and described it as A. sPECIOSA; he 
found it in the Chewsur Alps at 10,500 ft. 
*RANUNCULUS ARACHNOIDEUS, C. A. Mey. This beautiful 
Ranunculus is a true denizen of the high alpine region, and 
seems to be almost entirely confined to the eastern Caucasus: 
East of Kasbek, it is very general at heights of 10,000-11,000 ft., as 
far as Schah-dagh. Ruprecht, Fl. Cauc. p. 17, cites as stations 
in this district, Dschulti-dagh and Artschi-kala, from 11,600- 
11,850 ft. I have collected this species in the Kurwa Pass at 
11,200 ft., the Iohe Pass at 10,600 ft., the Nussa Pass at nearly 
12,000, and in the Ketz Pass at 11,400 ft. Up to the present 
time, only one station in the western Caucasus is known to me, 
namely on the west side of Elbruz, at 9000 ft. The plant is 
peculiar in its place of growth; it avoids firm ground, and roots 
often six to eight inches deep in dry slaty fragments, which 
have to be removed before the roots can be got at. Both in its 
form of leaf and spider-web pubescence, the plant is extraordi- 
narily constant from its various places of growth. 
Ranvncvnus Vizrarst, DO. (syn. R. oreophilus, Bieb., fide 
Boissier). This fine species possesses a great range in altitude. 
The lowest station is about 3000 ft. above sea-level, and the 
highest fully 10,500 ft. The alpine forms which I gathered came 
from Borbalo, Kapudschich, and Sawalan, at fully 10,000 ft., 
and these specimens are only 7-9 centim. [23-33 in.] high. At 
lower elevations the plant attains a height of 30-35 centim, 
[114-131 in.]. Ruprecht’s highest station (Fl. Cauc. p. 18) 
agrees well enough with those given by me; they are Dindi- 
dagh, 10,500 ft., and Diklos 10,200 ft. 
RANUNCULUS CAUCASICUS, Bieb. This species has almost as 
great a vertical range as the last one, namely from 3600 ft. to 
