1909-10.] Flora of Scottish Lakes. 121 



vicinity of Burned Island, whence it occurred, but quite sparingly, down to 

 the viaduct. After the loch had received the peaty water of the River Dee, 

 Isoetes became abundant, and continued so down to below Crossniichael. 

 At the embouchure of the Water of Ken and the Knocknairling Burn, at 

 the head of the loch, there is a very considerable area of alluvium, consisting 

 of gravel, sand, or mud, in a more or less marshy condition. This alluvial 

 flat is covered with a very luxuriant vegetation, as previously mentioned, 

 the dominant plants being Carex rostrata, C. aquatilis, var. elatior, C. 

 vesicaria, Phalaris arundinacea, Deschampsia cajspitosa, Equisetum limosum, 

 Heleocharis palustris, Juncus effusus, J. lamprocarpus, J. acutiflorus, J. 

 bufonius, Plantago lanceolata, Galium palustre, and Ranunculus Flammula. 

 A dense jungle is formed by the colonies of Phalaris, Deschampsia, and 

 Carex elatior, the two former attaining a height of from 4 to 5 feet, and the 

 latter a height of from 4 to 6 feet. The masses of Carex rostrata could be 

 distinguished at a considerable distance, when blown by the wind, by their 

 glaucous leaves ; the colonies of C. vesicaria, which attain a similar height, 

 by their green leaves ; and the associations of C. elatior by their superior 

 height, and broad, Hreen, flowing leaves, waving in the breeze like a luxuri- 

 ant held of grain. Although in many places the last mentioned were over 

 6 feet high, yet the general height of the level top when blown by the wind 

 was 4 feet. The marsh vegetation of the littoral zone at other parts of the 

 loch often grows luxuriantly : the low bushes in figs. 32 and 33 are chiefly 

 Myrica Gale, with a background of Salix aurita, Alnus glutinosa, etc., the 

 Myrica frequently being 5 feet high (fig. 34). At other placet; a strip of 

 bog, often wide and deep, intervenes between the water and terra Jirtna ; 

 in such places Eriophorum polystachion and other bog plants thrive (fig. 35). 

 Occasionally a dry stony shore is overgrown with a dwarf prostrate form 

 of Ranunculus Flammula, which roots copiously at the nodes ; this resembles 

 the var. pseudo-reptans of Syme, but is rather larger (p. 72). Fig. 39 

 shows the extent of this plant upon a stony shore, and fig. 40 afibrds a 

 nearer view of the same. Scirpus lacustris grows very luxuriantly through- 

 out the whole area of the loch (fig. 32). In some places this species was 

 flourishing upon the dry shore, and there growing to a height of 3 or 4 feet 

 (fig. 33). Nymphsea lutea is very abundant in some parts of the locli, 

 particularly near the head, where the surface of the water is covered for 

 hundreds of yards along the margin by its leaves and fiowers (tig. 31). 

 In certain situations, particularly near the viaduct, where shelter from 

 wind is provided by adjoining woods, and where the narrowness of the 

 loch prevents the formation of waves, Ranunculus heteropliyllus covers 

 the surface of the water with its white flowers and floating leaves, and 



