PHYTOLOGY. 



THE ALTITUDES ATTAINED BY CERTAIN PLANTS. 



By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D. 



"DOTANY in general, and British botany in particular, owes 

 much to the labours of Mr. Cottrell Watson, whose 

 "Cybe/e" and its "Compendium" are, we imagine, known to, and 

 frequently referred to by, every botanist who is not a mere 

 collector. Not the least interesting part of the ic Cybe/e," es- 

 pecially to the botanist in the Highlands, are the statistics of 

 the vertical range of plants; and the object of the present paper 

 is to call attention to the fact, that certain plants have a higher 

 (or lower) vertical range than is indicated in the "Cybele' or its 

 "Compendium" When we consider, however, the extent of the 

 rocks and corries which, on the hills, are the especial habitats of 

 many plants, and the various circumstances — such as heat and 

 moisture — required for the growth of such plants, it is not sur- 

 prising that some sheltered ledge, concealed perhaps by neigh- 

 bouring rocks, and not very accessible, should have escaped the 

 notice of botanists accumulating statistics on altitude. Such a 

 ledge was shown to me on Lochnagar by Mr. Roy, where, amidst 

 many plants of the rare Mulgedium alpimwi, several species 

 were growing luxuriantly at a far higher altitude than that in- 

 dicated by Mr. Watson. There are some other plants, however, 

 that cannot come under this category, and which either grow in 

 localities readily accessible and easily examined, or which have 

 had their altitudes ascertained and published at a date prior to 

 the publication of the " Competidium? We especially refer to 

 Professor Dickie's "Botanist's Guide," published in i860 — a 

 work which might well be taken as a model for all Local Floras. 

 In several cases Mr. Watson might well have availed himself 

 of Dr. Dickie's observations. 



