30 FLOWERS OF THE HILLS AND DRY PLACES 



be found upon chalk or calcareous rocks as well as upon stiff clayey 



beds on Boulder Clay or Upper Lias containing much lime. 



The fungus Triphragmium filipendulce develops on it, and the 

 winter spores are beautiful objects under the microscope. A moth, 

 Paramesia aspersana, lives on it. 



Filipendula, Dodonseus, is from Alum (Latin), thread, pendula, 

 hanging, because the knob-like roots or tubers hang from fine thread- 

 like & fibres. Spiraa is the Greek name of the Meadow Sweet, a plant 

 of the same genus. 



This lovely wildflower is called Dropwort, Fillyfindillan, Lady's 

 Ruffles, Meadow Sweet, Walwort. The name Dropwort was applied 

 to it because it was used in cases of strangury. The tubers have 

 been used in times of scarcity as food. It was supposed to cure stone 

 in the Middle Ages. By the Doctrine of Signatures it was used 

 because it is hard, with Cromwell seeds, which were beaten up 

 together. 



ESSENTIAL SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: 



94. Spirtca filipendula, L. Root tuberous, stem erect, leaves pin- 

 nate, alternate, smaller deeply serrate, flowers white in a cyme, petals 

 pink externally, large, not crowded. 



Oak-leaved Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala, L.) 



Remains of this rare but interesting plant are found in Late Glacial 

 beds in Edinburgh and Perth. It is found in the Arctic and Alpine 

 regions of the North Temperate and Arctic Zones. In Great Britain 

 it occurs in Stafford, Carnarvon, York (Mid, W., and N.W.), West- 

 morland, Mid and East Perth, Forfar, South Aberdeen, Easterness, 

 Argyle, Cantire, North Ebudes, West Ross, Sutherland, Orkney, that 

 is from Carnarvon and Stafford to Orkney, ascending to 2700 ft. and 

 descending to the sea-level in N. and W. Ireland. 



The Oak-leaved Mountain Avens is a local plant, which is restricted 

 in England and Scotland to the mountain ridges of the Pennine and 

 Highland groups, where it grows on rocky heights, mainly limestone 

 rocks. The Gentians, Saxifrages, and other rare alpine and subalpine 

 species are found in the same spots. 



This rare alpine flower, like many others that adorn the hills, is 

 dwarf but delicate and has a large and beautiful flower. From the 

 resemblance of the leaves to those of the Oak, on a small scale, 

 Liniueus gave it the first Latin name. The leaves are stalked, 

 oblong, toothed irregularly near the base of the stem, and woolly. 



