1 905-1906.] Scottish Mountain Plants. 247 



in Britain : the favourite Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), 

 the Soldanellas, Androsaces, many perennial Gentians and 

 Campanulas, groups of Primula, the Cortusas, several sections 

 of Saxifraga, Pulsatillas and other Anemones, and many 

 species of Dianthus, may be instanced as examples. Eegard- 

 iug tlie non-appearance of many such plants in Scotland, it 

 has been ingeniously stated that they might probably have 

 been present had our mountains been rather more compact 

 and higher. This, however, does not seem likely. Had our 

 Highland peaks been higher or closer together, they could 

 hardly have held greater attractions for tlie absentees than 

 exists at present. More probable is it that many Swiss 

 plants do not occur in Scotland to-day simply because they 

 were never enabled to reach this country. Had they done 

 so, it is likely that they would still have remained on one or 

 other of our mountain-ranges. 



Chaeacteristics of Mountain Plants. 



Lowland plants not infrequently ascend to high altitudes, 

 and by comparing examples from different elevations an idea 

 may be gained of the influence of the mountain climate upon 

 plant growth. Moreover, for the purpose of obtaining com- 

 parative results plants have been carefully grown in Con- 

 tinental experimental gardens situated both at low and high 

 levels. Some of the more noticeable features of plants from 

 the higher mountain regions may be here mentioned. 



Dwarf Hahit. — Mountain plants are usually dwarfer than 

 lowland ones, and their leaves smaller. Although the aerial 

 portion of the plant is reduced, the roots are, as a rule, 

 considerably longer than in lowland examples. Good Scottish 

 illustrations of these features are seen in the Dandelion and 

 in the Buttercup (Eanunculus acris), both of which ascend 

 to high altitudes, — at the upper stations the plants reaching 

 only a few inches in height. Lowland and upland specimens 

 of such plants as the Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), 

 Golden-rod (Solidago Virgaurea), and Alchemilla vulgaris, &c., 

 may also be compared. None, however, show the shortening 

 of plant, stem, and leaf, and the elongation of root, better 

 than the Dandelion, which often occurs in a miniature con- 



