SUMMER IN THE ALl'S 85 



rocks and amongst the fallen debris, we can espy 

 several groups of the scarce Alpine Poppy, smaller 

 and more delicate than that favourite of our 

 gardens, the Iceland Poppy ; like this latter, it 

 varies in colour — white, pink, orange, or yellow — 

 but only the white form is growing hereabouts. 

 And what a curious grass this is {Poa alpina; 

 fm'ma vivipara) amongst which all these flowers 

 are gi-owing ! It is possessed of a novel method of 

 propagation. Looking closely, what at first appears 

 to be the usual flower-head is seen to be really a 

 plume of small plants, already showing tiny roots. 

 The increasing weight of these progeny as they 

 develop bears the plume to the ground, and there 

 they take root around their parent. 



But we must be mo\'ing on ; the first tints of 

 sunset are already touching the snow and ice on 

 yonder glacier, and 



* Darker grows the valley, more and more forgetting.' 



As we descend the sheltered slope to reach thepastures 

 where are the cattle — and the flies ! — we come across 

 a host of Bell-Gentian. This is Gentiana acauUs, 

 known vulgarly in our gardens as Gentianella. 

 Though much resembling Gentiana Kochiana, it 

 is smaller, and has not on its throat the gi'een rays 



