MOUNTAIN FLOWERS 169 



that it is chiefly conspicuous by reason of its large gorgeously 

 coloured bracts of pink, rose, scarlet, crimson, or orange (and 

 sometimes white), and therefore I have placed it in the Pink 

 to Red Section, for it is here that most people will look for 

 it, as only botanists are ever likely to guess that it is not in 

 reality a gaudy flower. 



The Red Indian Paint-brush is the only alpine wild flower 

 that really rivals the scarlet geranium of our cultivated gardens, 

 and no grander sight may be seen by travellers than where 

 from '* tree-line," close to the edge of the eternal snows that 

 enfold the towering mountain tops, down into the deep green 

 heart of the valleys, the slopes and steeps are clothed with a 

 marvellous mantle of vermilion and golden Castilleias. As the 

 sunlight flames across these royal-robed hills every blossom 

 blooms and burns with effulgent glory, until 



" Earth 's crammed with Heaven, 

 And every common bush afire with God." 



No words can describe the brilliant beauty of such a scene, 

 far from uncommon at the higher altitudes, where many species 

 of Castilleia thrive abundantly, and you may walk for miles 

 across meadows and banks whereon the Paint-brushes and 

 Painted-cups (or Flame-flowers, as they are sometimes called) 

 run riot in magnificent profusion. Every colour, every shade 

 from coral pink to cardinal, from canary tint to tangerine, is grow- 

 ing and blowing on either hand, with here and there a single 

 snowy spike to emphasize the splendid conflagration of colour. 



It is wonderful to note that all this carmine and gold is not 

 lavished on the corolla of the flower at all, but only on the 

 bracts, which are set below each insignificant blossom, from 

 whose cleft tube the long pistil protrudes. The plant grows 

 from six inches to two feet high and the leaves have wavy or 

 scalloped margins. 



The Castilleias are parasitic on the roots of other plants; 

 that is to say, they sometimes fasten their roots upon those 



