42 FLOWER-FIELDS OF ALPINE SWITZERLAND 



whole of winter ; and I have found it several times 

 even at Christmas near Arveyes, above Gryon 

 (Vaud), upon steep southward-facing banks where 

 sun and wind combined to chase away the snow. 

 If, then, for no other reason than this, it seems 

 curious that romance has not gathered this Gentian 

 under its wing as it has the Edelweiss. 



As for the radiant purity of its five-pointed 

 azure stars, it is perhaps only outshone by that of 

 the Myosotis-like flowers of JEritrichium nanum. 

 King of the Alps ; but even this rivalry is doubt- 

 ful when verna is growing upon a limestone soil, 

 where its blossoms are more brilliant than those 

 produced upon granitic ground. 



Blue, however, although it is the superabundant 

 type-colour, is not the invariable hue of its blos- 

 soms ; indeed, it shows more variety than even 

 many a botanist suspects, and I have found it in 

 all tints from deep French to pale Cambridge blue, 

 from rich red-purple to the palest lilac, and from 

 the faintest yellow-white, through blush-white, to 

 the purest blue-white. I have, too, found it party- 

 coloured, blue-and-white. 



These many variations from the type give 

 occasion for suggestive questions that I fain would 

 indicate, because I believe with Mr. Arber that 



