338 GENTIANA. [Class v. order it. 



ot the Continent than with us. It is frequently cultivated as a border 

 flower, hut requires much more care than G. acaulis, and is a most 

 beautiful addition to the collection of our early Spring flowers, bloom- 

 ing as when in its native fields, or along the mountain's side, while the 

 white snowy mantle yet lingers on the ground. 



4. G. niva'lis, Linn. (Fig. 406 ) small alpine Gentian. Stem sin- 

 gle flowered; calyx of five acute angles; the larger segments of 

 the corolla acute, entire; style short, bifid; stigmas semi- orbicular ; 

 leaves small, ovate oblong, acute. 



English Botany, t. 896.— English Flora, vol. ii. p. 29. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 125. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 178. 



Root tapering, fibrous, simple. Stem erect, simple or branched, 

 smooth, square, slender, from one to six inches high, leafy, the lower 

 leaves surrounding the root, numerous, ovate oblong, the upper oppo- 

 site, ovate, acute, united at the base, and forming a short sheath around 

 the stem, smooth, shining, entire, single ribbed. Floifers terminating 

 the stem and branches, solitary, about half an inch long. Calyx 

 tubular, of five acute angles, terminating in the mid-rib of the lanceo- 

 late segments, nearly as long as the tube of the corolla, which is 

 yellowish below, striated, plaited above, the mouth naked, the limb of 

 five spreading oblong acute entire veiny lobes, having small cloven 

 segments between them, all of a dark brilliant blue colour. Stamens 

 on short slender filaments, from about the middle of the tube. Anthers 

 small, ovate, scarcely united. Styles very short, spreading. Stigmas 

 semi-orbicular, downy. Capsule oblong, of two valves, surrounded by 

 the withered flower, as in the other species, bursting at the top. Seeds 

 numerous, ovate, dark brown, closely pitted with small ovate pits. 



Habitat. — Mountains, near the line of perpetual snow; exceedingly 

 rare, and found only on the mountains of Scotland, Ben Lawers ; and 

 abundantly on rocks on both sides of Glen Isla, Clova. 



Annual; flowering in August. 



No plants exceed in the richness of their colours these minute gems 

 of alpine districts, and none are more splendid than the flowers of 

 this plant. It would seem that the more elevated a situation in which 

 plants grow, the richer and deeper are the colour of their flowers, and 

 these are mostly blue or purple, or white, and generally far surpass in 

 the depth and richness of colour those species of the same genus grow- 

 ing in less elevated situations, as will be seen in the present; and as 

 other familiar examples, we may mention those of Myosotis and 

 Veronica. 



*** Flowers racemose or paniculated, four or five-cleft, the mouth 

 fringed. 



6. G, Amarel'la, Linn. (Fig. 407.) Autumnal Gentian. Stem much 



