XX 



THE FORESTS OF ALAUSI 



took me three. What is called the " road " consists 

 of I know not how many deep ruts, crossing and 

 anastomosing in a very bewildering way, and 

 so muddy and slippery that my horse preferred 

 stumbling along among the hassocks of paja blanca 

 (white grass) a species of Stipa with feather-like 

 silvery panicles tinged with rose which forms the 

 mass of the vegetation on the paramo. This grass 

 affords excellent thatch ; it is also extensively used 

 in packing, and along all the higher grounds it is 

 almost the only material for fuel. Between the 

 hassocks, especially where there are slight declivities, 

 there is an interesting sub-alpine vegetation a 

 dense grassy turf is enamelled with flowers, white, 

 yellow, red, and purple, which seem to spring direct 

 from the ground. Three daisy-like Werneria;, all 

 stemless and solitary, of which W. nubigcna with its 

 large white stars is the most conspicuous, grow- 

 along with a stemless Valeriana, a small Castilleja, 

 a Lupinus, a Cerastium, two species of Gentiana, 

 and two of Azorella. The caespitose Werneriae are 

 true alpines, and grow at 2000 feet above the 

 species just referred to. There are many little 

 lakes, frequently bordered by the swelling, glaucous, 

 sphagnum-like tufts of a Plantago, over which creep 

 the silvery threads of a minute Gnaphalium and an 

 equally minute white-flowered Gentiana. In such 

 situations grow also a small Ranunculus, bearing 

 generally a single sessile Hower and a peduncular 

 head of follicles, a Stachys, and several other herl>s 

 of humble growth. Heath- like tufts of Jlcdyoti* 

 ericoideS) often accompanied by a suffruticose 

 Valeriana of similar habit, and sometimes by a 

 Calceolaria, here and there diversify the landscape ; 



