J. W. REED ON PLANTS COLLECTED IN THE I'YRENEES. 109 



mountains of islets, however lofty, present few Alpine or sub- 

 Alpine species. 



Perhaps the plant which most attracted our attention in the 

 Pyrenees was the Ramondia pyrenaica. Its hairy, primrose-like 

 leaves and purple blossoms profusely adorned the rocks all around 

 Gavarnie. Although largely cultivated in the rockeries of English 

 gardens, the Ramondia has no near ally in our flora. Indeed, the 

 order to which it belongs — the Gesneracea? of Bentham and Hooker 

 — although extensively represented by about 700 species, widely 

 dispersed throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of both 

 hemispheres, has only four species in Europe, three of the four 

 being Ramondias. One species is Pyrenean, one Servian, and one 

 Greek. The Greek species introduced into this country has not, 

 up to the present, been successfully cultivated. It was introduced 

 by Max Leichtlin, of Baden-Baden, who obtained living specimens 

 from Mount Olympus, I believe at an expense of about £100, as, 

 owing to the presence of brigands, an escort of soldiers had to 

 accompany the botanist. The Ramondia pyrenaica grows from a 

 height of 5,000 to 6,000 feet roughly. 



The fourth species, Haberlea rhodopensis, is a native of Thrace, 

 etc. 



There is now in full flower at the south end of the rockery at 

 Kew a beautiful group of the Ramondia pyrenaica, the colours 

 varying from white to deep lilac. Local conditions have not been 

 without effect, for the leaves are not as hairy nor the flowers as 

 deep-coloured as those seen by us in the Pyrenees. Some plants 

 of Haberlea rhodopensis are also in flower quite near to the 

 Ramondias, and a plant nearly allied to the latter — Saintpaulia 

 ionantha — recently introduced from the mountains of East Tropical 

 Africa, is also in flower in one of the houses at Kew Gardens. 



The high Alpine orchid, Nigritella angustifolia, found through- 

 out Continental Europe, from Sweden and Norway to Greece, also 

 grows abundantly near Gavarnie. Its head of blackish-purple 

 flowers and strong vanilla-scent are very noticeable. This plant 

 is now included by Bentham and Hooker under Habenaria. It 

 too may now be seen in flower at Kew. 



The Welsh poppy — Meconopsis cambrica — is found in Ireland, 

 England, Central and Southern France, the Pyrenees, and Northern 

 Spain. When doing a little collecting some years ago I got 

 specimens from within the cliffs of the " Devil's Kitchen " in North 



Journ. Q. M. C, Series II., No. 37. 8 



