86 ALPINE FLOWERS AND GARDENS 



of the latter ; its dark green leaves, too, are hard 

 and thick, whereas the leaves of Kochiana are dull- 

 green and flabby. These two Gentians are commonly 

 confounded, possibly because there appear to be 

 intermediate forms. Indeed, a not unusual mistake 

 amongst flower - lovers, and especially amongst 

 gardeners, is to call all the Bell-Gentians by the 

 one name, acaulis, thus including Gentiana Clusii, 

 which is less marked with green than Kochiana, 

 and has hard, pointed leaves, standing more erect ; 

 and also Gentiana alpi7ia, with green rays, likewise, 

 down the throat of the flower, but with short oval 

 leaves of a yellowish-green. One is inchned to 

 presume that the flora of the Alps has long ago 

 been thoroughly mapped out, discussed, and deter- 

 mined ; but such is not really the case. Relatively 

 little there is, perhaps, which is final. In any case, 

 much remains to be done in many directions, and 

 there is still ample occasion for the scientific 

 enthusiast to add lustre to his name. Botany is 

 comparatively a young study — as, indeed, all such 

 studies are young. We have no more heard 'the 

 last word ' on the subject tlian we have discovered 

 the last plant. * One of the delights of the observa- 

 tion of hve things,' says Mr. W. Beach Thomas, 

 • is that you are perpetually unlearning established 



