96 SWISS FLOWERS. 



and throw up little tufted rosettes of linear pointed leaves, 

 more or less clotlied with hair. The flowers spring singly 

 or in pairs from these rosettes, almost sessile, but with a 

 long calyx, with five pointed lanceolate divisions, reaching 

 about half-way up the tube; stamens five, as also the lobes of 

 the corolla, which is a bright yellow, becoming green by 

 drying. From the same little tufts a new branch will often 

 spring, giving the plant a forked appearance. Rare. Sum- 

 mits of granite-mountains : Ronche, Little Mont Cenis, 

 Riff el. 



76. Soldanella Alpina. 



(PLATE XLII.) 



Scarcely any flower is more characteristic of the Alps than 

 this (Fig. 76). It does not rival in colour some we have 

 just mentioned, but in the prettiness and delicacy of its 

 growth it is equal to any of them. It has five stamens, and 

 five divisions to its short calyx. The flower is in the shape 

 of a bell considerably smaller than our common Hairbell, and 

 not rounded as that is at the stem, but going down almost 

 angularly into the calyx. It may be recognised at once 

 from having the edge not fringed with hairs, but cut into 

 irregular strips, a quarter or half-way up the flower. The 



