266 SHADE PLANTS OF THE ALPINE FORESTS 



shining black internal coat. Thus the Wood Sorrel 

 presents the curious case of a seed shooting itself off 

 from the parent fruit by sacrificing one of its seed- 

 coats. We have already seen how in the Field 

 Pansy (p. 162) a similar efifect is attained in quite a 

 different way. 



The Alpine Lettuce. 



Everyone is familiar with our British Coltsfoot 

 {Tussilago farfara, Linn.), so common on dry bare 

 slopes, such as newly-made railway embankments, 

 where it is often the first plant to obtain a footing. 

 The pale yellow flower-heads of this weed appear 

 in spring, some little time before the large, broad, 

 heart-shaped leaves. 



In Alpine Switzerland the Coltsfoot is not very 

 abundant, though, as with us, it is common enough in 

 the plains. It is then replaced by another near rela- 

 tive, the Alpine Lettuce {Homogyne alpina, Cass,, 

 natural order Compositse, the Composite family). 

 Such replacements will be frequently noticed within 

 the Alpine zone. Our Common Daisy {Bellis perennis, 

 Linn.) is replaced by the Alpine Daisy {Bellidastrurn 

 michelii, Cass.), while in the High Alpine region the 

 Alpine Ox-eye Daisy {Chrysanthemum alpinum, Linn.) 

 takes the place of the Common Ox-eye Daisy (C. leu- 

 canthemum, Linn.) of the Alpine, Subalpine, and Low- 

 land zones. 



The Alpine Lettuce is, however, a very different 

 plant to the Coltsfoot. It is essentially a shade plant. 



