PRIMULACE.^I. 255 



or May. Sandy peat and loam. Very high elevations on the 

 Alps, Pyrenees, and Apennines. 



S. montana {Alountain S.) is closely allied to S. alpina ; the 

 leaves are similar in form but larger, and the flowers are more 

 numerous in the umbel, less deeply fringed, and paler purple. 

 Flowers in April and May. Found in moist open woods at 

 high elevations on the mountains of Austria and Bohemia. 

 Very sandy peat and loam, the peat predominating. 



S. minima {Smaliesi S.) is perhaps the prettiest, as it is 

 also one of the least, of the group. The leaves are very small, 

 and nearly round or kidney-shaped. The flower-stalks are 

 erect but slender, bearing usually only one comparatively large 

 flower, whitish, and veined on the inner surface with pale 

 purple, the fringe not deep. Flowers in April and May. 

 Mountains of Switzerland, Styria, and Carniola. Same soil as 

 for the two preceding species. There is a pretty white-flowered 

 variety, but very rare. 



S. pusilla {Feeble S.) is very beautiful, but rather rare. It is 

 in the way of S. ininwia ; the flowers, however, are bright 

 blue, and I have met with an almost copper-coloured variety 

 that is interesting. From the Alps of Switzerland. Flowers 

 in April and May. Sandy peat and loam, the peat predo- 

 minating. 



Trientalis europssa. — This pretty little plant is a native of 

 Britain and other countries of Europe, also of North America 

 and Asia, always afl'ecting the colder latitudes, or, if appearing 

 in the warmer countries, it rises into the mountains. Old fir 

 or other open moist woods are its favourite haunts. It is a 

 solitary species, and the sole representative in the flora of 

 Britain of the seventh class in the Linnaean system of botany ; 

 but it is not a good seventh, the parts of the flowers being 

 often found in fives. The whole plant rarely exceeds 6 inches 

 high, with erect wiry stems bearing a few leaves whorl-fashion 

 at the top, and from the centre of these spring the chaste and 

 graceful star-like white or pale-pink flowers with a small yellow 

 eye. On rockwork it must be placed in such a position as 

 that shade and moisture will be secured to it, and the soil it 

 most delights in is open gritty leaf-mould, or very sandy peat 

 and light loam. It does not succeed cultivated in the ordinary 

 exposed mixed border or bed, shade being very essential to its 

 welibeing ; but it is a most useful plant to introduce into 

 moderately shady moist woods or banks, with a northern 

 aspect, where the natural herbage is not too rank and over- 

 powering. In all cases where the introduction of it is con- 

 templated, the soil above named should be liberally allowed ; 



