62 ALPINE FLOWERS AND ROCK GARDENS. 



the Alpines predominate over the lowland species. The 

 Buttercup family is represented by the Globe Flower 

 (Trollius europcBUs) the Pink family by the Mossy 

 Campion (Silene acaulis)^ the Mossy Cyphel {Cherleria 

 sedoides) and two or three species of Arenaria and 

 Cerastium. In the Rose family there are sub-species 

 of the dog rose ; the Mountain Avens (Dry as odopetala), 

 some PotentillaSj and brambles. The Honeysuckle 

 is represented by the traihng Linncea ; the Dogwood 

 by the Dwarf Cornel (Cornus suecicd). The great 

 family of Composites has humble members like the 

 Alpine Erigeron (Erigeron alpinus)^ and the Dwarf 

 Cudweed {Gnaphalium supinum), and tall plants 

 hke the Hawkweeds, and the Alpine Sowthistle (Mul- 

 gedium alpinum). And in the catkin tribe which 

 gives us our chief forest trees, the willows of the low- 

 lands, are replaced by dwarf shrubs, one of which, the 

 Alpine Willow {Salix herbacea), is only a few inches 

 in height. 



Some of these mountain plants are abundant, and 

 have a wide distribution ; there are others that are 

 confined to limited areas. For example, the Spring 

 Gentian (Gentiana verna), is only found in two or three 

 English counties, and in one district of Ireland. Its 

 relative the tiny Gentiana nivalis has its abode on a few 

 Highland hills. The Catchfly {Lychnis alpina), dis- 

 covered by Don is unknown elsewhere in Scotland 

 than in the locality in which he found it ; a colony on 

 one Cumberland fell is its only other habitat in Britain. 

 Three handsome mountain clovers. Astragalus alpinus, 

 Oxytropis campestris and Oxytropis uralensis, may be 



