12. CARYOPHYLLACE^. 203 



SiLENE ALPESTRIS, Jacq. 



Area [15]. 



Incognit. " A specimen of this plant, gathered by the 

 late Mr. G. Don, ' on a rock on a mountain to the east of 

 Clova, Angus-shire,' is in Mr. Borrer's Herbarium." {Bab. 

 Man). 



^ ^yY, /}'f[ ^ J^2 1^9- SiLENE ACAULis, Linn. 



Area [1] ***** 7 * * * * 12 ^^ ^^ 15 16 17 18. 



South limit in Caernarvonshire. 



North limit in Shetland, Orkney, Hebrides. 



Estimate of provinces 6. Estimate of counties 15. 



Latitude 53 — 61. Highland type of distribution. 



Arctic region. Tnferarctic — Superarctic zones. 



Descends to the coast level, in Shetland. 



Ascends to 1400 or 1450 yards, in East Highlands. 



Range of mean annual temperature 44 — 32. 



Native. Rupestral. Said to have been found on Dart- 

 moor, in Devon, by a Mr. Gidley. Though difficult to 

 conceive any other native plant mistaken for this one, 

 unless it were Cherleria sedoides, while out of flower, and 

 still less likely to be seen in the same county, we cannot 

 receive the Silene acaulis as a native of a moor in Devon- 

 shire, far distant from any lofty hill, unless confirmed by 

 some other authority. Among the high hills of North 

 Wales and Scotland it descends to 500 or 400 yards ; and 

 in Shetland, it is said to be " found in crevices of rocks at 

 the sea-shore, where it is constantly wet with the spray." 

 In respect of absolute elevation and mean annual temper- 



