32 SWISS FLO WEES. 



yellow patches of A. saxatile which adorn our gardens in 

 May. This is not a native of Switzerland, but A. Alpestre 

 (Fig. 13), though scarcely so showy in its flowers, is much 

 prettier in its growth. Its half- woody stems run spreading 

 along, and throw up little tufts of leaves not mucli larger 

 than those of Thyme, but hoary-white, covered with hairy 

 down. The star-like form of these hairs is very interesting 

 as seen through a pocket-lens or microscope of low power. 

 The flower-stalk is leafy, all the way up, with these small 

 but thick- set leaves, and then comes the head of yellow 

 blossom. The filaments are winged, and the seed is sili- 

 culose. On the tops of the Alps (rare) : Zermatt, Ronche, 

 Mont Cenis. 



14. Draba. 



(PLATE XL) 



Draba verna, or Witlow-grass, the little white weed of 

 our walls in early spring, is, perhaps, the best known to us 

 among the wild Drabas. D. aizoides (Fig. 14), one of the 

 most handsome of its kind, may be easily cultivated in our 

 gardens, but is only found wild in England near Swansea. 

 It is not very rare on the high rocks of the Jura and the 

 Alps. The bright green leaves in tufts, or rosettes, are stiff", 

 and edged with comb-like hair. From the midst of these the 



