122 Botanical Notices from Spain. 
to be regarded as a distinct species, especially as we find various 
forms of transition at different heights. 
Among the inost interesting points of the snow-region and the 
whole primitive rocks is the Corral de Veleta, a deep and frightful 
basin situated on the northern declivity of the Picacho de Veleta, 
whose rocky sides are perpetually filled with snow, and on which 
are the sources of the principal branch of the Jenil, which flows down 
hence through the deep Barranco de Guelnon, and afterwards unites 
with the two other small rivulets proceeding from the Barranco del 
‘Real and the Barranco de Vicares. A narrow steep path, partly 
over loose masses of rock, partly over snow and ice, leads from the 
lofty precipice, above 10,000 feet in height, down inte the rocky 
basin, whose highest patches of meadow are about 9000 feet high. 
Around the margin of the Corral de Veleta I found especially beau- 
tiful the Artemisia granatensis, Sempervivum tectorum, Ptilotrichum 
purpureum, and Gentiana verna: on the descent, the Brassica Chei- 
ranthus, Vill., var. montana, DeC.; Ranunculus acetosellefolius, Le- 
pidium stylatum: on dripping mossy perpendicular sides of rock, be- 
tween masses of ice, the Montia fontana, L.; Stellaria cerastioides ; 
Veronica alpina: but on the level meadows, the Gentiana verna, with 
G. alpina, L., Plantago nivalis, Pinguicula leptoceras, Lotus cornicu- 
latus, var. glacialis, Luzula spicata, Phleum pratense, &c. 
The cryptogamous flora of the primitive rocks is, as respects the 
ferns and mosses, far richer than that of the limestone alps, but as 
regards the lichens, poorer. Of ferns I found Ceterach officinarum, 
W., very sparingly; most frequent, especially on the shores of the 
Laguna de Dilar, a species similar to the Aspidium falcatum, in com- 
pany with Cystopteris fragilis and Cheilanthes odora; besides these 
are found Asplenium Trichomanes, A. Filix femina, Aspidium Filiz mas 
and A. nevadense. Of the Lycopodiacee I have hitherto found no 
trace in the entire Sierra; on the other hand, the Hquisetum sylvati- 
cum is frequent on the banks of the Jenil in the upper warm region. 
The alpine rivulets of the Borreguiles are filled in parts with several 
liverworts, especially a species belonging to Nees von Esenbeck’s 
genus Chiloscyphus ; but I have hitherto not seen any in fructification, 
which is the case also with a large number of mosses. Alge are 
rare, and of the Fungi I have hitherto observed only a few Contomy- 
cetes on the leaves of the Quercus Ilex and the stems of [teseda com- 
plicata, Bory. Of lichens there are scarcely any, except stone lichens, 
amongst others especially a reddish-yellow, but little-fructifying 
Parmelia, up to the highest rocks of the Picacho de Veleta, Mule- 
hacen and Cerro Alcasana. 
I have now, as far as time permitted, gone through the portion of 
the northern side of the Sierra Nevada which lies between the rivers 
Agua blanca, Maydena, Jenil, Monachil and Dilar; and I purpose 
now to explore the south side of the range, in the district known by 
the name of the Alpujarras. 
