THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 67 



conditions necessary for their growth, for it is obvious that such 

 plants would absorb so much time in forming their stalks and 

 leaves that the time of flowering and maturing the seed would 

 be so close to the commencement of the cold season as to 

 endanger their chances of reproduction. 



The number of annual species in the European Alps is there- 

 fore limited to a great extent ; besides this, all the annual species 

 show a very diminutive growth, being almost without stalks and 

 leaves, in order to use as little time as possible for the develop- 

 ment of their structure, and to have the use of the warmest days 

 for the development of their flowers and fruit. 



Although the plant-growth in the Australian Alps extends over 

 a considerably longer vegetative period than in the European 

 Alps, annual species seem to be entirely wanting. Mr. J. H. 

 Maiden remarks in the abovementioned paper : — " Without going 

 so far as to say that there are no annuals growing in the upper 

 regions of Mount Kosciusko, I do not call to mind any plants 

 from the tree-line upward that are not perennials." 



However, it must not be forgotten that the relative frequency 

 of the species in the two floras is i to lo; that is to say, there 

 are ten times more species in the European than in the 

 Australian Alps. If, therefore, in our Alps some annuals 

 may exist, their number will consequently be very few. I may 

 mention that during a short visit to the Alps last Christmas 

 time in company with our fellow-members, Dr. Sutton and Mr. 

 Barnard, we did not observe any annuals at the elevations in 

 question. In the European Alps it is not uncommon for plants 

 which are annuals in lower levels to turn, in ascending to higher 

 altitudes, into perennials. 



A further peculiarity of Alpine plants in Europe is the develop- 

 ment of the flowering organs before the leaves appear. There 

 the plants must make the most of the short vegetative period, and 

 in order to mature the fruit without loss of time, have to start 

 flowering immediately after the melting of the snow. During the 

 flowering time the old leaves play an important part as reservoirs 

 of foodstuffs. During winter stiff and leathery, and filled to 

 repletion with nutriment, they provide the flowering part of the 

 plant with the necessary food, and dry up on the budding of the 

 new leaves, which take over the same role as their predecessors. 

 In the Australian Alps, with a longer vegetative period, there is 

 no such necessary hurry, and the plants, without the danger of 

 losing time, may, in most cases, after the snow melts, start with 

 the formation of their stalks and leaves. 



The number of species with bulbs in the European Alpine 

 flora is limited to two, belonging to the order Liliacege. In the 

 Australian Alps bulbiferous plants are entirely missing. This fact 

 may be explained as follows : — In the sphere of the Alpine 



