152 PLANTS OF THE ALPINE MEADOWS 



dioica, Linn., add greatly to the colour-mass of many 

 an Alpine meadow. In late autumn the Meadow 

 Saffron [Colchicum auiumnale, Linn.) reigns supreme. 

 On the other hand, many of the conspicuous 

 elements of the meadow flora are not found 

 in Britain. Of the characteristic Swiss plants 

 discussed in Chapters II. and III., only the 

 Campanulas and Eampions are frequent in the 

 meadows. Scheuchzer's Campanula {Campanula 

 Scheuchzeri, Vill), and C, rJiomhoidalis, Linn., with 

 various species of Eampion, increase the percentage of 

 blue-flowered meadow plants. To them are added 

 many other non-British plants, too numerous to 

 mention here, for it is not our purpose to construct a 

 full list of the meadow plants of Alpine Switzerland. 

 The above-mentioned species may serve to indicate 

 some of the commoner inhabitants to be met with in 

 most Alpine meadows. 



At the same time, if we compare the floras of two 

 Alpine meadows some little distance apart, we shall 

 often find that they are dissimilar, or rather that 

 the plants which are specially abundant in one 

 meadow are less frequent in another. The meadows 

 thus vary noticeably among themselves as regards 

 their most abundant constituents, this, in fact, being 

 one of their chief characteristics. 



We will now study some of the commoner 

 meadow plants, beginning with the Spring Crocus. 



