SWISS FLO WEES. 25 



mountain -heights ; its pretty patches come soon after the 

 snow has gone. Jura, Thoiry, Sachet, Mont Pilatus, Mont 

 Catogne in Valais, Vallee des Ormonts, &c. 



R. montanus, a little larger than the common buttercup, 

 but much more compact in habit, and forming tufts of 

 bright yellow, is found on the heights of the Jura and the 

 Alps. There are one or two varieties, according to the size 

 of the flowers and more or less divided leaves. 



R. glacialis is to be found only on the high mountains, 

 and it is one of the plants which climb the highest. Its 

 thick stems bear from two to four rather large flowers, 

 whitish within and purplish without, the calyx being clothed 

 with soft reddish hairs. The leaves are fleshy, smooth, 

 stalked, and deeply divided into long lanceolate lobes. Not 

 very rare on the high mountains of the Alps, Fex- Valley 

 and heights above Pontresina (Engadine), Great St. Ber- 

 nard, Valley of St. Nicholas, Riff'el, Col de St. Theodule, 

 Mont Pennino (near the Hospice), top of Faulhorn, Jardin 

 de la Mer de Glace, Ronche, Mont Cenis, Col du Mont 

 Iseran. 



R. Pyrenaeus (Fig. 7). At first sight this does not look 

 like a Ranunculus, as its leaves are very diff'erent from most 

 of those of that family, and, indeed, very much resemble 

 the leaves of a Snowdrop. This will at once serve to dis- 

 tinguish it. Its stem bears from one to three flowers, the 

 petals of which soon fall off. It grows on rough stony 



