Botanical Notices f7'om Spain. 



to be regarded as a distinct species, especially as we find various 

 forms of transition at different heights. 



Among the most interesting points of the snow-region and the 

 whole primitive rocks is the Corral de Veleta, a deep and frightful 

 basin situated on the northern declivity of the Picacho de Veleta, 

 whose rocky sides are perpetually filled with snow, and on which 

 are the sources of the principal branch of the Jenil, which flows down 

 hence through the deep Barranco de Guelnon, and afterwards unites 

 with the two other small rivulets proceeding from the Barranco del 

 Real and the Barranco de Vicares. A narrow steep path, partly 

 over loose masses of rock, partly over snow and ice, leads from the 

 lofty precipice, above 10,000 feet in height, down into the rocky 

 basin, whose highest patches of meadow are about 9000 feet high. 

 Around the margin of the Corral de Veleta I found especially beau- 

 tiful the Artemisia granatensis, Sempervivum tectorum, Ptilotrichum 

 purpureum, and Gentiana verna : on the descent, the Brassica Chei- 

 ranthus, VilL, var. montana, DeC. ; Ranunculus acetosellafolius, Le- 

 pidium sty latum : on dripping mossy perpendicular sides of rock, be- 

 tween masses of ice, the Montia fontana, L. ; Stellaria cerastioides ; 

 Veronica alpina : but on the level meadows, the Gentiana verna, with 

 G. alpina, L., Plantago nivalis, Pinguicula leptoceras, Lotus cornicu- 

 latus, var. glacialis, Luzula spicata, Phleum pratense, &c. 



The cryptogamous flora of the primitive rocks is, as respects the 

 ferns and mosses, far richer than that of the limestone alps, but as 

 regards the lichens, poorer. Of ferns I found Ceterach officinarum, 

 "W., very sparingly; most frequent, especially on the shores of the 

 Laguna de Dilar, a species similar to the Aspidium falcatum, in com- 

 pany with Cystopteris fragilis and Cheilanthes odora ; besides these 

 are iound Asplenium Trichomanes, A. Filixfosmina, Aspidium Filix mas 

 and A. nevadense. Of the Ly cop odiacece I have hitherto found no 

 trace in the entire Sierra ; on the other hand, the Equisetum sylvati- 

 cum is frequent on the banks of the Jenil in the upper warm region. 

 The alpine rivulets of the Borreguiles are filled in parts with several 

 liverworts, especially a species belonging to Nees von Esenbeck's 

 genus Chiloscyphus ; but I have hitherto not seen any in fructification, 

 which is the case also with a large number of mosses. Algae are 

 rare, and of the Fungi I have hitherto observed only a few Coniomy- 

 cetes on the leaves of the Quercus Ilex and the stems of Reseda com- 

 plicata, Bory. Of lichens there are scarcely any, except stone lichens, 

 amongst others especially a reddish -yellow, but little-fructifying 

 Parmelia, up to tiie highest rocks of the Picacho de Veleta, Mule- 

 hacen and Cerro Alcasana. 



I have now, as far as time permitted, gone through the portion of 

 the northern side of the Sierra Nevada which lies between the rivers 

 Agua blanca, Maydena, Jenil, Monachil and Dilar; and I purpose 

 now to explore the south side of the range, in the district known by 

 the name of the Alpujarras. 



