106 SUB-ALPINE PLANTS 



branous at the margin, 3-nerved. Seeds covered with little dots or 

 excrescences. 



Debris and rocks of the granitic Alps, 5000-7500 feet, descend- 

 ing into the valleys along the courses of streams ; often abundant. 

 June to August. 



Distribution. Carpathians, Eastern, Central, and Western Alps. 

 Alsine lini flora Heg. 



Closely allied to the preceding and possibly only a limestone 

 form of it. Rootstock woody as in laricifolia. Sepals with nerves 

 slightly beyond the middle (the nerves are longer in laricifolia). 

 Capsule longer than the calyx, instead of equalling it. Flowers 

 similar to those of laricifolia. 



Rocky places and pastures in the calcareous mountains up to 

 6800 feet. July, August. 



It often forms great masses densely covered with milk-white 

 bloom. These two species should be more cultivated in gardens, 

 care being taken to give granite chips in one case and limestone in 

 the other. 



Alsine Villarsii Mert. and Koch. 



Stem 5-10 inches, 3-7 flowered, slender. Leaves 3-nerved, with 

 intermediate finer nerves, linear, flat. Flowers on very long 

 pedicels. Petals long and narrow, obtuse. Sepals lanceolate-acute, 

 with 3 nerves. Capsule ovoid, about equalling the calyx. Seeds 

 tuberculous. 



Rocky places in the Alps, especially on limestone, up to 6000 feet 

 at least ; rather rare. July, August. 



Distribution. Western Alps as far south as the Var, Central and 

 Eastern Alps to Carinthia ; Spain, Caucasus, Ural Mountains, 

 Siberia. A. W. Bennett recorded this from " Southern Switzer- 

 land," and Koch l gave a frontier station, actually in Italy. I am 

 unaware of a recent record for it in Switzerland. Bouvier mentions 

 the Dent du Midi. 2 



Alsine verna Bartl. 



Usually pubescent, glandular. Rootstock not woody. Stem 

 forming dense tufts from 2-6 inches high, slender. Leaves green, 

 linear-subulate, stiff ; upper leaves shorter and broader. Flowers 

 in loose forked cymes, pedicels usually rather downy. Sepals with 

 3 prominent nerves, pointed. Petals obovate, spreading beyond 

 the points of the sepals. Capsule 3-valved. 



Stony mountain pastures up to 9000 feet (Goleon 9300 feet) ; 

 common. May to August. 



Distribution. Mountains of Europe, Western Asia, N. Africa, 

 N. America. British. 



1 Koch, Synopsis Fl. Germ, et Helvet., vol. ii. p. 123 (2nd ed. 1843). 



2 E. Bouvier, Flore des Alpes de la Suisse ft de la Savoie, 2nd ed. (1882), p. 101, 



