io8 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



THE HIGH ALPINE FLORA OF BRITAIN. 



BEING A LIST OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS AND 

 FERNS FOUND AT A THOUSAND METRES AND 

 UPWARDS ON THE MOUNTAINS OF THE BRITISH 

 ISLES, WITH AUTHENTIC REFERENCES AND CRITI- 

 CAL NOTES. 



By FREDERIC N. WILLIAMS, F.L.S. 

 (Continued from p. 36.) 



Fam. 22. SAXIFRAGACE/E Continued. 



70. Saxifraga cernua, L. First recorded as a British plant by 

 R. Townson, who found it on alpine rocks on the summit of Ben 

 Lawers, in 1790 (Hooker, " Fl. Scotica"); but the earliest printed 

 record is in 1794, "amongst the rocks on the summit of Ben 

 Lawers" (J. Dickson in "Trans. Linn. Soc." ii. 290); from which 

 elevation there are also examples in herb. Smith (^.v herb. A. Bruce, 

 1805) and in Herb. Brit. (R. Brown, 1793, J. Carroll, 1864), 

 and from the same mountain, height not stated (G. Don, 1794, 

 G. Horn, 1876, G. F. Hampson, 1893). Recorded also from Ben 

 Lawers on the authority of J. Dickson (Smith, " Fl. Britannica," 

 453 [1800]). "It is to be hoped that botanists, when taking 

 specimens, will bear in mind that the limited station on Ben Lawers 

 is the only place in Britain for this plant" (" Fl. Perthsh." 141). 

 Rock-soil schistose. In considerable quantity near the top of Ben 

 Lawers, in 1905 (E. Cleminshaw, in Rep. Watson Bot. Exch. Club, 

 ii. 52) ; previous observers stating that the plant is almost extinct. 



71. Saxifraga hirta, J. Dorm (1809). Near the summit of 

 Macgillicuddy's Reeks (J. T. Mackay in "Trans. Roy. Irish Acad." 

 xiv. [1825], where it was found in 1805. The figure in Smith's 

 "English Botany," t. 2291, was published two years afterwards, on 

 June i, i Si i ; and was drawn from a garden specimen supplied by 

 Joseph Woods. 



Syn. 6". Sfernbergii, W. (1809), S. kypno'ides, var. Sternbergii, 

 "Cyb. Hib." ed. 2, 131. 



S. hirta, Haworth, "Syn. Plant. Succ." (1812) = .5". sponhemica. 



72. Saxifraga rivularis, L. Alpine streams and wet rocks. 

 Earliest record as a British plant on Ben Nevis, where it was found 

 by R. Townson in 1790 (J. E. Smith, in Linn. " Fl. Lapponica," 

 ed. 2, 143 [1792]; and in herb. Smith, Townson, 1790, also 

 Turner and Hooker, 1807. Ascends to 1067 m. on Ben Lawers; 

 "it is still there, but in very small quantity" (" Fl. Perthsh." 141). 

 Ben Nevis ; gathered at an elevation of 1006 m. " in a spot irrigated, 



