THE HIGH ALPINE FLORA OF BRITAIN 247 



"English Fl." i. 253, says that the plant is "plentiful on the 

 summit of Ben Lawers and other lofty Highland mountains," where 

 it was found growing by G. Don and J. Mackay. In Scotland the 

 plant is not found beyond the Breadalbane district of Perthshire. 

 I have compared Perthshire specimens of Myosotis alpestris with 

 specimens of M. pyrefia'ica from the French side of the Pyrenees, 

 and, in spite of the trifling differences alleged by Grenier and 

 Godron, I fail to see any points of distinction between them. The 

 solitary flower in the fork of the two terminal flowering branches, 

 which is given as a distinctive character of M. pyrejidica^ is present 

 in Perthshire specimens, and the nucules are exactly alike in both. 

 The alleged difference of their being slightly keeled on the face in 

 one plant, and not keeled at all in the other, is not apparent to the 

 eye. A source of error is that Reichenbach figures both M, alpestris 

 2ind M. pyrendica (" Ic. fl. Germ. Helv." xviii. t. 121, f. 2, and t. 

 123, f. 2), and though the differences on the plate are quite apparent, 

 the latter does not really represent the plant cited, but agrees rather 

 with M. Olympica, Boiss. { = M. nana, Smith). In " Fl. Scotica," 

 Borrer and Hooker report it from Schiehallion and Meall Ghaordie, 

 but it has not been found recently on these two mountains. 



Fam. 7. SCROFULARIACE/E. 



26. Veronica friiiicans, Jacq. — First recorded as a British plant 

 "in rupibus, Ben Lawers" (James Dickson, fasc. ii. 29 [1790]; 

 "Trans. Linn. Soc," ii. 288 [1794]). Ascends to iioo m. on 

 alpine rock ledges on Ben Lawers ("Fl. Perthsh." 231). Rocks 

 above the loch on Ben Lawers (R. Brown, 1793, in Herb. Brit.). 



27. Veronica alpina, L. — First recorded as a British plant "in 

 montibus prope Garway Moor et in Ben Nevis." (James Dickson, 

 fasc. ii. 29 [1790]; "Trans. Linn. Soc." ii. 287 [1794]. Ascends 

 to 1 160 m. on damp alpine places in the Breadalbane district 

 ("Fl. Perthsh." 230). 



28. Vero7iica serpyllifolia, L. — Ascends to 1070 m. in the 

 Breadalbane district ("Fl. Perthsh." 230). Descends to sea-level 

 in Cork. 



Var. tenella, All. (sp.). — Ben Nevis, between the upper end of 

 the ravine and the spring, at 1026 m. (J. Sadler in "Trans. Proc. 

 Bot. Soc. Edinb." xii. 50-54 [1878]). On the northern side of 

 Braeriach, at 1160 m. (G. C. Druce in "Journ. Bot." 1889, 203). 

 Syn. — V. hu77iifiisa, Dickson, in "Trans. Linn. Soc." ii., 288 (1794). 

 — I have compared the plant of the Italian Alps with Dickson's 

 authentic Scottish specimens, and find them alike, hair for hair. 

 Allioni's name is nine years earlier. 



29. Euphrasia offici?ialis, L. — Ascends to the summit of Ben 

 Lawers (" Fl. Perthsh." 234); and to 1146 m. on Loch-na-gar 



