252 Scottish Mountain Plants. [Sess. 



land is the beautiful Melancholy Thistle (Cnicus heterophyllus) 

 or " Cluas an f heidh " of Highlanders, by some believed to 

 be the original Stuart badge. Its flowers are purple, and its 

 leaves, of which the basal are different in shape from those 

 on the stem, are white beneath. The plant is unarmed. 

 Cnicus palustris and two umbelliferous plants — Angelica 

 sylvestris and the Cow Parsnip (Heracleum Sphondylium) — 

 not infrequently are seen on high mountain cliffs. 



On the Continent similar plants are met with in the 

 proximity of mountain slopes. Centaurea Ehaponticum, the 

 Medicinal Gentian (G-entiana lutea), and Veratrums, form 

 conspicuous objects from their size of leaf and inflorescence. 



Dwarf perennial plants, including many of lowland origin 

 or little removed from lowland species, are usually frequent. 

 Needless to say, the plants that might be included under 

 such a heading are varied in habit. Eanunculacese is re- 

 presented by the very conspicuous Globe Flower (TroUius 

 europpeus), by Alpine states of the several Buttercups (Eanun- 

 culus acris, E. Flammula, &c.), and by the small Thalictrum 

 alpinum ; Polygonacete by Polygonum viviparum, alluded 

 to elsewhere, and the Mountain Sorrel (Oxyria), a very char- 

 acteristic mountain plant. Its winged seeds are wind-carried, 

 and consequently the plant is plentiful, often descending to 

 comparatively low levels. Eosace^e gives us the prominent 

 Alchemilla vulgaris, Potentilla Tormentilla, and others 

 confined to higher levels. The Golden Saxifrage (Chryso- 

 splenium oppositifolium) frequently lines moist cavities. 

 In Crassulacete, both the frequent mountain representatives 

 are somewhat anomalous in preferring wet situations, — Sedum 

 villosum ascending high on wet ground, and the more con- 

 spicuous Eose-root (Sedum roseum) frequently giving a re- 

 markable appearance to wet mural precipices. A variable 

 Pansy (Viola lutea var. amoena) is one of the most charming 

 mountain flowers. Viola palustris and the Wood Sorrel 

 (Oxalis Acetosella) grow in moist places, as they do lower 

 down ; and Geranium sylvaticum, dwarfed, displays its purple 

 flowers here and there over the turf. Several Composites 

 are conspicuous, as Saussurea alpina, Erigeron alpinus. Soli- 

 dago Virgaurea, Antennaria dioica, and Gnaphalium supinura, 

 the Scottish Edelweiss, with noticeable small silvery leaves : 



