PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 293 



which is specially marked in the Gentians, and to the Alpine 

 botanist by the frequency with which he meets it, in varied form, 

 in all districts in the hio-her ransjes of mountain work. The Alpine 

 Gentians vary much in size and colour, some being three or four 

 feet in height, while others are so minute as to be only noticeable 

 by the bright-blue colour peeping through the grass of the pasture- 

 slopes. The situation in which they are found is from 3,000 feet 

 high to the edges of the snow-fields ; on the level meadows of the 

 mountains, sometimes in the marsh, but more frequently on the 

 comparatively dry parts ; on the steep mountain sides, amongst 

 the short grass, and on the ledges of rocks where little beds of 

 soil have accumulated ; but, most of all, where the melting snow 

 trickles down amidst the soft rocky detritus, or on the sloping 

 mountain ridges where the soft soil is kept saturated with moisture 

 from the ice-fields. 



In most Alpine Gentians the stem is one-flowered, especially in 

 those found in the highest elevations, but to this there are some 

 marked exceptions. In the tall Gentians the plants are many- 

 flowered, and these are either arranged in whorls in the axils of 

 the leaves, or form dense masses at the apex of the stem. 



A distinguishing characteristic amongst the Alpine Gentians is 

 the presence or absence of beard-like fringes in the throat of the 

 corolla. Those possessing this bearded throat are small-flowered, 

 the corolla being four or five-cleft, and blue, violet, or lilac in 

 colour. Gentiana campestris, Linn., a familiar British plant, is 

 a good example of this class. The beardless or fringeless Gentians 

 are well known through their representative, G. acaulis, Linn. 

 This group has large campanulate-shaped flowers, which only open, 

 to be clearly seen, under the direct rays of the sun. Dr. Brown 

 stated that he had been unable to diflferentiate as distinct in any 

 permanent characters either G. excisa, PresL, or G. Clusii, Perr. 

 & Song., from their prototype, G. acaulis, Linn. He had 

 examined large numbers of plants from different districts, but had 

 entirely failed to satisfy himself as to their being distinct ; such 

 variations as exist are inconstant, and no permanency exists in 

 any sufficient degree to justify separation. Dr. Brown further 

 referred to the section whose flowers are rotate with a long tube, 

 in which G. havarica is best known, and to the section in which 

 the corolla may be campanulate or rotate, but all of which possess 



