Alpine and Arctic Floras 



Although Sahx herbacea and lapponum are minute 

 woody httle plants, they are obviously the close allies of 

 the tall shrubs and pine trees of lowland riversides. 



But the root system of many of these tiny mountain 

 plants is often very well developed. 



In a collection of plants made by Dr. Thorold at high 

 altitudes in Tibet (between Niti and Mansarowar), 

 there was not a single plant which had a stem more 

 than I foot in height. A large number were less than 

 I inch, and very few more than 3 inches high. 

 Five of these plants were found at over 18,000 feet 

 altitude, and one of them, the tiny Saussurea tridactyla, 

 was found at 19,000 feet, and holds apparently the 

 record for alpine climbers in the plant world.^ Dr. 

 Radde,^ who thoroughly explored the Caucasus, also 

 gives many examples. He found, e.g.f Draba rigida, 

 one-sixth to one-eighth of an inch, at 1 1,000 feet, Sedum 

 tenellum three-quarters of an inch ; our eyebright or a 

 form of it (Euphrasia officinalis), only one-half to three- 

 quarters of an inch, and yet all these were perfect plants, 

 quite healthy, and able to flower and set seed ! Draba 

 and Alsine, only i inch in height, had a fibrous net- 

 work of roots some 3 to 5 inches in diameter. 



When one searches for this kind of starveling dwarf 

 in Britain, one may occasionally find them. Thus, e.g.^ 

 near Sligo Bay, in a dry sandy soil, the author found 

 eight or nine different plants about i inch in height, 

 and with fine root systems. One also discovers them 

 on dry rocks near the seashore. 



The common juniper is a good case in point. In 

 lowland districts this is a large shrub or small tree, 

 which is occasionally 30 feet high. But in the 

 mountains it becomes a dwarf form (Juniperus nana), 

 which is seldom i foot high. 



If one cultivates Juniperus nana in the lowlands, as 



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