PLANTS OF SUTHERLAND AND CAITHNESS 39 



PLANTS OF SUTHERLAND AND CAITHNESS. 

 By G. CLARIDGE DRUCE, M.A., F.L.S. 



IN the July of 1907 I spent a short time in the delightful 

 air of the north, first working the neighbourhood of Invershin, 

 in East Sutherland, then that of Inchnadamph, in the 

 western division of the county, with its splendid range of 

 limestone cliffs. Here many alpines come much lower 

 down than we are accustomed to see them, for instance 

 Carex capillaris, a variety (alpina] of Festuca ovina, and Dry as 

 octopetala being characteristic plants as low as 250 feet. 

 The Wych Elm and the Holly, as well as the White Beam, 

 appear thoroughly native. The physical features, especially 

 from a geologic point of view, are extremely interesting. 

 The season was too backward to allow of any critical study 

 of many species, the Hawthorn being in full bloom on the 

 1 4th July ; and this perhaps prevented my success in finding 

 Gentiana nivalis, which has been recorded for this neighbour- 

 hood. The beauty of the mountain masses of Suilven, 

 Canisp, and Ouinag adds much to the delight of the district. 

 I then worked the ground round Altnaharra and the rocks of 

 Ben Hope, and spent a short time at Tongue. At Bettyhill 

 the abundance of Oxytropis uralensis is a great pleasure ; and 

 a curious feature is presented by the drifting sand being 

 thrown up so as to cover a sloping cliff, to the height of at 

 least 200 feet. On such a place a little farther inland the 

 sand is covered with masses of Dryas octopetala from base 

 nearly to the summit. The sand is a glistening micaceous- 

 looking substance, which, however, we were told burns 

 to lime, thus explaining the occurrence of such a typical 

 gypsophile as Dryas on an arenaceous soil. The same stone, 

 locally called whinstone, from which the sand is derived is 

 common on Ben Hope, thus accounting for the prevalence of 

 Galinm sylvestre, Draba incana, etc., on that hill. On the 

 grass-covered cliff-tops, in full exposure, occurred a new 

 form of Kcsleria britannica ; and in slightly moister places 

 Primula scotica abounded. 



The pleurostichous Thrift, S. linearifolia, was the only 

 form observed. On the less accessible cliff-tops where the 



