THE HIGH ALPINE BUTTERCUPS 193 



rosettes, they are in many instances tufted. We will 

 now notice a few of the more interesting examples. 



THE HIGH ALPINE BUTTERCUPS. 



There are four Buttercups, if we include the 

 Kue-leaved Callianthemum, which are confined to 

 the upper portion of the Alpine zone, the High Alpine 

 region. Of these the Glacial Buttercup (Ranunculus 

 glacialis, Linn., natural order Eanunculacese, the 

 Buttercup family) is especially interesting because, as 

 we have seen, it is the highest plant found in 

 Switzerland. It flourishes on very damp, gravelly 

 or rocky places, and often on fully exposed, sunny 

 slopes. The whole plant varies from 2 to 7 inches in 

 height. There is a very short stem rooted in the 

 gravelly soil, bearing leaves mounted on fairly long 

 stalks. Each leaf is divided into three portions, 

 which, again, are either lobed, cut, or divided. It is 

 characteristic of the Glacial Buttercup that the leaves 

 of different plants vary enormously in the degree to 

 which the three segments are lobed or divided. 



We should rather expect to find in a plant living 

 at such great elevations for the Glacial Buttercup 

 rarely occurs lower than 7,600 feet that the leaves 

 would be covered with a thick coat of hairs, affording 

 them some protection against the severe climatic 

 conditions of these high places. Yet, except for the 

 calyx, the whole plant of the Glacial Buttercup is^ as a 

 rule, quite smooth or nearly hairless, and, externally 

 at least, shows no special adaptation to its particular 



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