472 NOTES OF A BOTANICAL TOUR IN BANFFSHIRE. 



Antennaria dioica (Cat's-foot), of the same family. Orobus tubero- 

 sus, one of the Pea tribe, with tuberous edible roots, was also 

 found. It is plentiful also over most of the county Gentiana 

 campestris, common Gentian/ one of our prettiest plants, was 

 plentiful. 



In the same spot we met with another beauty, Trientalis eu- 

 ropcea (Chickweed Winter- Green). It is abundant in most parts 

 of the county. We have gathered it in the Tor of Troup, on 

 Gamrie Mhor, in Alvah, on the Knock, in Grange, on the Bal- 

 loch, in the wood of Dinneyduff, near Keith, and around Loch 

 Park. It is rare in England, and does not grow further south 

 than Yorkshire. 



Beside the bridge of Delnabo, grew Cardamine sylvatica and 

 Saxifraga aizoides. The bridge crossed, we reach a Land of 

 Goshen to the botanist. The first plant that presented itself was 

 the beautiful Ctiicus heterophyllus (Melancholy Plume-Thistle). 

 Beside it grows the rare plant Lisfera ovata (Twayblade). 



Geraniacece are here represented by Geranium pratense and G. 

 Robertianum. The former has large blue flowers. It grows rather 

 plentifully through the district. The latter has a small flower. 

 It is named Robertianum from St. Robert, a Benedictine monk, 

 abbot of Molesme, who died in 1100 a.d. His anniversary is on 

 the 29th of April, and as this plant is then beginning to come 

 into flower, it was dedicated to this saint. 



The Lint family has its representative at Delnabo in Linum 

 catharticum, at times employed in medicine, and said by some to 

 be deserving of a higher place than it occupies. Here, too, we 

 first met with Alchemilla alpina, although it grows at much lower 

 elevations, and also in the lower districts. There are three species 

 of Alchemilla that grow in this district : — A. arvensis, a small 

 plant found everywhere in cultivated fields, A. vulgaris (Com- 

 mon Lady's-Mantle), and A. alpina. 



Another genus of the Rose family grows at Delnabo, Rubus 

 saxatilis (Stone Bramble). It creeps along the ground, has a 

 somewhat prickly stalk, white or yellow flowers, a red berry with 

 a stone as fruit. Rubus fruticosus (Bramble) is well known. Its 

 fruit makes a most agreeable preserve. On the hills almost every- 

 where will be found R. Chamcemorus (Cloudberry). It has a large 

 berry as fruit, first red and afterwards yellow. Rubus is from the 

 Latin ruber, red, or the Celtic rwZ*, red. R. fruticosus is the badge 



