150 ALPINE FLOWERS AND GARDENS 



certain landscapes. There are other landscapes at 

 the same season which are yellow with the Globe 

 Flower, or the Sulphur Anemone, each of which 

 is accompanied by Buttercups and Dandelions, 

 Rock Rose, Potentillas and Geums ; while yet other 

 landscapes are white with the Narcissus, the lime- 

 stone-loving Windflower, or the Fair Maid of 

 France {Ranunculus aconitifolius), associated with 

 hosts of Marguerites, Bladder-Campions, and other 

 white blossoms. Here again, then, there appears 

 to be room for doubt : for it seems very much a 

 question of district and of moment. 



It is, perhaps, a pity to try and pull so pretty 

 a theory to pieces, and I rather hope that my 

 objections may be ill-founded. For the theory is 

 one which admirably accords v^th the high nature 

 of Alpine plants, particularly those with blue 

 flowers. Whereas yellow flowers have generally 

 the more primitive organism, blue flowers have the 

 highest ; and, to quote Dr. Percy Groom, ' In 

 Alpine flowers there is a larger percentage of the 

 colours corresponding geneticaUy to high organiza- 

 tion than there is in the lowland.' Now, the 

 Mystic will tell you that blue is heaven's own 

 colour ; and surely it is not a little fascinating to 

 think that the further heavenwards some plants 



