ROSE TRIBE 223 



secrete these properties far more powerfully on their native hills than in 

 gardens. So, too, in our gardens, the large flowers gradually diminish, 

 and the plants soon lose much of the dwarfed appearance which is one 

 of the features to which plants of elevated regions owe so much of their 

 peculiarity. 



Besides the great development of root and flower, a very singular character 

 of alpine plants is a great imperfection of the leaves. They are said to 

 crumple together, and become puckered on their upper surface, the leaves 

 early acquiring, partly or entirely, a yellowish tint, and also losing the green 

 substance, so as to become membranous. Meyen, in his " Geography of 

 Plants," quotes the opinion of Parrot, " that the peculiar character of alpine 

 vegetation consists in this, that the plants during their whole growth are 

 continually striving not to rise above the ground, and consequently form a 

 short and strong, or crooked and prostrate stalk, on which bi'anches, leaves, 

 and flowers are closely pressed on each other." A large number of alpine 

 plants have also, like the Dryas, wool or hair on their leaves, though some 

 are smooth and leathery. 



The matured fruit of the Mountain Avens is an exceedingly pretty object, 

 and looks like a silken plume rising from the flower-cup. Dr. Lindley, in his 

 admirable work, called "Ladies' Botany," says of it, "that as it v/aves about 

 in the wind, one might fancy it a tuft of feathers accidentally fastened to the 

 flower-stalk. A botanical examination, however," he adds, " soon dispels the 

 illusion, and shows that the appearance is caused by the carpels having pre- 

 served their styles, which have become very long, and covered all over with 

 loose silky hair, which has grown since they were young. A similar pheno- 

 menon occurs in Virgin's Bower {Clematia vitalha), and in the Basque Flower 

 {Anemone palsatilla); but the most remarkable instance in the production of 

 hairs, so as to change the whole appearance of a part, is met with in the 

 Venetian Sumach (JRhus cotinus), which the French call Arbre a perntque, or 

 the Wig-tree. This plant is by no means uncommon in shrubberies, shaking 

 its hoary locks at you as the breeze waves the branches and sets the wigs in 

 motion, in the midst of a crowd of blood-stained leaves : for it is in the 

 autumn only that it seems to wear its wig, as in spring and summer it does 

 not want it, and will not put it on." 



4. Avens (Gdum). 



1. Common Avens (G. urhdimm). — Flowers erect ; awnsi-igid; calyx 

 of the fruit turned downwards ; root-leaves pinnate, with alternate smaller 

 leaflets, and lyre-shaped ; stem-leaves ternate ; stipules large, rounded, lobed, 

 and cut. Plant perennial. All who love to wander in the green woods and 

 by the hedgerows of England know this common plant, which, however, 

 requires the sunshine, and will only grow well where the trees are not high 

 and thick enough to cast a broad shadow. The yellow flowers appear from 

 June to August, and the stem of the plant is from one to three feet in height. 

 The blossoms are small in proportion to the leaves, and the petals soon fall 

 off, and leave the round spiny ball, which is composed of awned fruits, each 

 ending in a stifi' hair bent like a fish-hook, and destined to adhere to the 



