22 INTRODUCTORY 



land, and possibly in other villages they may be 

 found in as close proximity as at Sils. 



The Alpenrose, it may be said at once, is merely a 

 small-flowered Rhododendron, of blood relationship 

 to the Rhododendrons and Azaleas of our English 

 gardens, many of which were derived originally from 

 the mountainous regions of India, especially the 

 Himalayas. The genus is a large one, but does not 

 occur in Britain, unless we include in it Loiseleuria 

 procumbens, Linn., the Trailing Azalea. 



The word Rhododendron is derived from two 

 Greek words, signifying respectively a rose and a tree. 

 For the Swiss species, however, the name "alpen- 

 rose " has become almost completely anglicised. At 

 the same time, some confusion appears to exist on this 

 point. It is often spelt or pronounced as if it were 

 two separate words : Alpine Rose. This is a common 

 error, and regrettable because there is in Switzerland 

 a true Alpine Rose (Rosa alpina, Linn.), Plate I., 

 Fig. 2, which flourishes commonly in shrubby places 

 in the pastures, in much the same situations as some 

 of our wild roses in Britain. 



The true Alpine Rose is, moreover, interesting 

 botanically as being "a rose without a thorn," since 

 prickles are often absent from the upper part of the 

 stems and from the leaves, though they may frequently 

 occur near the base of the plant. Occasionally the 

 whole shrub is well armed with thorns or prickles. 



On the other hand, the single German word Alpen- 

 rose, means the "rose of the pastures." The term 



