Vlll 



INTRODUCTION 



lum. But none of these are truly alpine plants ; and it is 

 not till he ascends much nearer to the eternal snows that 

 the full glories of the alpine flora burst upon him ; — the 

 Rhododendrons, the azure of the innumerable Gentians, 

 the starlike Saxifrages, white and yellow and purple, 

 the many-hued Anemones, the feathery heads and sil- 

 very leaves of Dryas octopetala, the Primulas^ the 

 Sempervivums^ with their webbed leaves and singular 

 blossoms, and multitudes of others. Even to those who 

 do not claim to be botanists, it is a day to remember 

 when the Edelweiss or the auricula is first gathered in 

 its native haunt, or the tasselled bell of the Soldanella 

 or Snowbell is first seen appearing through the edge of 

 the snow. 



" What is an alpine plant ? ' is a question which does 

 not admit of a very easy answer. It is not uncommon to 

 find, in sheltered situations, even at very high altitudes, 

 plants which are but outliers, carrying on a precarious 

 existence, of species whose home is at a much lower 

 level ; while, on the other hand, truly alpine species will 

 often descend, brought down by the glaciers, far below 

 any line that could be drawn to separate the alpine from 

 the sub-alpine zone. We regard as an alpine species one 

 whose proper home, where it thrives best, is near the 

 eternal snow, or not below the level to which the larger 

 glaciers descend. The altitude of such a zone will, of 

 course, vary with the latitude. The adaptability of plants 

 to endure a climate which is not altogether congenial to 

 them gives rise to some singular results. We have said 

 that north of the Alps the flora is essentially that of 

 North-Western Europe. South of the Alps it is essen- 

 tially that of the Mediterranean; this great range of 



