190 THE HIGH ALPINE PLANTS 



The Reticulate "Willow ascends to 10,450 feet on 

 Monte Eosa. It is fond of calcareous rocks. It is, 

 of course, a British plant, though confined to some 

 of our loftiest hills in Scotland. 



The Dwarf Willow. 



The Dwarf Willow {Salix herhacea, Linn.) was 

 described by Linnseus as " the smallest of all trees " 

 (minima inter omnes arbores). It is essentially 

 similar in habit to the Eeticulate Willow, from which 

 it differs only in detail. It is also a British plant. 



The leaves are smaller, possessing only a short 

 stalk, and are quite destitute of hairs underneath. 

 They are green and shining on both sides, and have 

 a net nervation. They are finely but bluntly toothed 

 at the margin. The catkins are very small and few 

 flowered, and are borne on short stalks. 



There are several other Willows — such as Salix 

 glauca, Linn., which is not infrequent in the High 

 Alps, and has lance-like leaves with long, straight, 

 silky hairs on both sides, also Salix retusa, Linn., 

 S. ccesia, Vill., and others which are found in the 

 Alpine zone — but only the Reticulate and Dwarf 

 Willows are exclusively High Alpine. 



High Alpine Rosette Plants. 



In the typical rosette plant, the above-ground 

 portion of the stem is very short, and the bases of 

 the leaves are all crowded together in the form of a 



