382 Mr Philip Sewell's Observations 



The flora among the chestnuts, 2000 to 3000 feet above 

 the sea, at Dalmazzo, is indeed a different one from that we 

 have referred to as characteristic of the coast. The turf 

 was rich with many gay species, but probably most note- 

 worthy of all were the handsome flowers of Liliuni hulhiferum, 

 L. Martagon, Anthericum, and Asphodelus. Also specially, 

 where great masses of rock cropped out, were Sedum, 

 Sempervivum, and Saxifraga ; among the last-named, S. 

 cuneifolia, S. Aizoon, and >S^. lingulata were most abundant. 

 So too was Vincetoxicum officinale, a plant rivalled in 

 more wooded places by Hellchorus fcetidus, and in the 

 one locality of the Miniera valley, by Geranium macrorhizon. 



In the Miniera valley plants of the alpine flora make 

 their appearance at an elevation of 4500 and 5000 feet above 

 the sea, where is an open wind-swept level in which, even 

 in the middle of June, snow from the winter's avalanches 

 may here and there remain. Primula marginata was 

 abundant on the rocks on all sides, and near to the melting 

 snow of the avalanches, where the turf was all pressed down 

 and brown, were slopes enriched amongst other plants by 

 a few individuals of Bhododendron ferrugineum, which 

 had doubtless spread themselves from the great masses 

 of this plant so predominant higher up the mountain sides 

 among the pines. So, too, a few flowers of the remark- 

 able yellow variety of Fritillaria delphinensis, known 

 as F. Moggridgei, caused us to hunt more carefully, until 

 1000 feet higher up, acres of grassy slope, covered with 

 the plants bearing their golden-coloured blossoms, were 

 reached. At about the same altitude as the above-mentioned 

 species we found amongst some rocky debris : — Atragene 

 alpina, Aconitum Napellus, Eranthis alpinus, Lonicera alpigena, 

 Riscutella Burseri, Linaria supina, &c. At still higher alti- 

 tudes in the valley, the grassy slopes were adorned with 

 Ranunculus pyrenwus. But after reaching an elevation of 

 6500 feet, we found the snow too abundant to allow full 

 examination of the commonest plants ; though, on certain 

 sunny slopes of debris facing the south, were several 

 plants of special interest to us, such as Silcnc acaulis, which, 

 in this locality, had a peculiarly compressed habit, not always 

 seen in alpine regions, but which was the characteristic 

 form met with by us on the shores of the Yugor Straits. 



