1862.] BOTANY OF SPAIN. 43 



dorra is simply tlie upper end of a Spanish valley (one of several 

 wliieh meet at Urgel), with the addition of two other valleys 

 branching out of it. From France of course they can only be 

 reached across the main chain, but the access from Spain is not 

 more difficult nor mountainous than that to any other place in 

 the Pyrenees. 



In the lower or Spanish part of the valley the plants were 

 chiefly those which I had seen in the descent from Puycerda, 

 with one or two additional, particularly Phalangium Liliago, an 

 elegant white-flowered plant of the Order Asphodelece, and a fine 

 Thistle, which I had seen in a former year on the Spanish side of 

 another of the Pyrenean passes, Cirsium rivulare. When how- 

 ever we entered Andorra, the Flora soon assumed a far more 

 mountain character, though here also occasionally varied by 

 southern plants, the most remarkable of which was a Maple, Acer 

 moiispessulanum, with three-lobed coriaceous leaves. To begin 

 at the beginning, Trollius europmis now raised its globular heads 

 in the rich meadows; and I saw, for the first time in Spain, 

 two mountain Ranunculi, R. Villarsii, L., towards the head of 

 the valley, and the tall white R. aconitifolius, the stateliest of its 

 tribe. Of Crucifers there were now a Barbarea (probably B. ar- 

 cuata), Arabis thaliana and turrita, Sinapis Cheiranthus, Na- 

 sturtium pyrenaicum, which, in spite of its name, is not a pecu- 

 liarly Pyrenean plant ; and one which is more so, Cardamine 

 lat'ifolia, like a greatly magnified C. pratensis, with leaves shaped 

 liked those of the Watercress. Two of our common Violets now 

 appeared, Viola canina and V. tricolor; while to Silene Saxifraga 

 was added S. nutans, and a very beautiful common plant of the 

 Alps and Pyrenees, S. rupestris, as well as Stellaria Holostea and 

 Cerastium arvense. Along with Geraniiim Robertianum and py- 

 renaicum there was in abundance S. sylvaticuni of the English 

 mountains. I saw also Oxalis cormculata. A tall bush, belong- 

 ing to the Flora of the high mountains, Rhaumus alpinus, was 

 liere in full flower. The Leguminosa were fewer than usual ; 

 they included the Broom of the middle region of the southern 

 mountains, Sarothamnus purgans, Coronilla Emerus, the stiff", 

 but not inelegant Trifolium montanum, Astragalus monspessulanus, 

 and the red variety of Anthyllis Vulneraria. Of Rosacea, there 

 were added to those already recorded, Rosa rubiginosa, Potentilla 

 verna, and Alchemilla vulgaris. Of Saxifragce, besides S. Aizoon, 



