78 HANDBOOK OF MOSSES. 



.many Dicraniacece, Grimmeacecz Polytrichi, Ulota Drum- 

 mondii) Ludwigii, crispa, Hypnum Halleri, crista-castrensis, 

 etc. 



3rd. The Sub-Alpine region reaches from the limit of the 

 beech to the upper limit of Pinus abies. The beech has 

 ceased to be a tree where it does occur, and becomes a 

 mere creeping bush. The chief features are pine and birch 

 woods, rocky streams, bare mountain pastures, turfy bogs 

 and rocks, the rapid streams bringing down many mosses 

 of the next higher region, which mix with others from the 

 one below. In the northern zone the most prominent 

 mosses are Andre&a rupestris, A. falcata, Campylopus 

 Schwarzii) Blindia acuta, Trichostomum flexicaule, T. homo- 

 mallum, Grimmia ovata, G. contorta, Racomitrium patens, 

 Mnium cinclidioides, M. spinosum, Plagiothecium nitidum, 

 Timmia, Splachnum, Pogonatum alpinum, etc. 



4th. The Alpine region extends from the limit of the fir, 

 -and commences with Pinus pumilio, or dwarf pine, ending 

 where that ceases to grow. In the northern zone the birch 

 tree has disappeared, but Betula nana or dwarf birch as 

 an erect shrub occupies the marshy ground, and Salix 

 Myrsinites, Menziesia ccerulea, Silene acaulis, Diapensia 

 lapponica, etc., flourish abundantly. Many fine mosses 

 now appear for the first time, and yield a rich harvest to 

 the collector. This flora, as represented in our North 

 British districts, may be thus enumerated : Dicranella 

 Grevilhand) D. subulata, Dicranum falcatum, D. Blyttii, 

 Stylostegium caspitosum, Distichium capillaceum, Lepto- 

 trichium glaucescens, Grimmia funalis, G. atrata, G. 

 alpestris, G. unicolor, Dissodon splachnoides, Webera poly- 

 morpha, Bryum julaceum, B. Muhlenbeckii, Polytrichum 

 sexangulare, Hypnum sarmentosum, callichroum, Bamber- 

 geri, etc. 



5th. The Supra-Alpine region, reaching above the limit 

 of Pinus pumilio and Betula nana to the line of perpetual 

 snow. Here we have vast sterile rocks, some beaten and 

 lashed by every tempest, others constantly irrigated by 

 streams from melting glaciers, with patches of short grass, 

 and black earth mixed with detritus from the rocks above. 



