> 
406 © BULLETIN DE L'HERBIER BOISSIER (2M® ser.) 1908 (5) 
Hab. Alpine situations in Central, Western. and Southern Europe, 
where it is common and widely distributed. The description is drawn up 
from specimens gathered on the Cottian Alps, in which all the minor 
characters are given which serve to differentiate the plant from the com- 
mon long-leaved form. The specimens, which are in Herb. Kew., were 
gathered by Ozanon (Billot, Fl. exs. n. 3531) et 1500 m. on detritus of 
siliceous schist above Beauregard in the depariment of Hautes-Alpes. 
With these examples (quoted by Nyman. Consp. fl. Eur. 88). | have com- 
pared Parlatore’s description, and other specimens in Herb. Mus. Brit. 
gathered by Huter at 2250 m. on calcareous soil in the Carnic Alps, near 
Sexten in N. Tirol. — Mr. H.S. Thompson has recently (23 August 1907) 
gathered specimens at 2440 m. on the Col du Galibier, in the Alps of 
Dauphiny, the highest limit of pastures in the Western Alps, and the 
greatest altitude hitherto recorded for the plant (Mem. Acad. Geogr. Bot. 
1908, p. 214). — The northern limit of the plant in Europe is the Harz 
Mtns. ın Prussia (Grisebach) : I have not seen specimens, and am rather 
doubtful of the record, though Grisebach lived in this part of Germany. 
Examples in Herb. Mus. Brit. from Lappland collected by Solander, as 
alpina, do not belong here but rather to S. maritèma. In a note written 
on one of Gay’s specimens in Herb. Kew. from Mt. Fouly in Valais, he 
says that the average number of ovules in an ovary is 96, but in an 
abnormal ovary with five cells he found 116 ovules. The small seeds 
measured only 1X 1 1/2 mm. 
The earliest notice of this plant is by Pontedera, Compendium Tabularum 
Botanicarum, p. 128 (1718). He says it was found in rough places on the 
highest parts of Mt. Baldo, in the Venetian Alps, and describes the plant 
as follows: — ” Radices exiles, longiores, et albas inter rudera demittunt, 
© eircum reptante, cauliculo semissem longo. Huic folia nascuntur bina 
” et bina, ac parva, lata in exortu, circa finem contracta in acumen. Flores 
" albi in illa, in hac purpurascentes (qua tantum varietale inlernoscun- 
" tur) prodeunt ex foliorum alis magno calyce obvoluti. qui calyx sub- 
” purpureis punclis eleganter inscribitur. Hic fructum complectitur, 
” conicum, apice dehiscentem. ei semine fœlum parvo. ac Cinereo. ” 
The specific phrase which he applies to the newly discovered plant is 
” Lyehnis alpina, repens, saxalilis, quæ Behen album vulgo, folis latius- 
” culo, et breviori. ” Allioni gives a good figure of the plant, with analy 
tical disseclions, in Rarior, Pedemont. Stirp. p. 1. 83, 1. v. f. 3 (1755). and 
a long involved descriplion, in which he says the plant was discovered 
by Dr. Julius Pontedera; and says that il is more frequent in the Wal- 
densian Alps than elsewhere. Linnæus does not mention the plant, nor is 
there an example of it in his Herbarium. 
Cucubalus alpinus Lamk., Encyel. Meth. II. 220 (4786). — The short 
Latin diagnosis here given is, — ” pedunculis erectis unifloris, pelalis 
bipartitis subappendiculatis, foliis lanceolatis glaucis lævibus. ” Stated to 
be found on the Alps of Switzerland and Italy. 
Cucubalus Behen var. 8, Vill., Hist. s ln IT. 613 (1789). 
S. uniflora var. ß, Cand., Fl. Franc. | 747 (1805). — Gives the pre- 
vious plant only as a synonym. 
Cucubalus Behen var. rotundifolius Pes., Syn. Plant. I. 495 (1805). — 
Founded on Allioni’s figure mentioned obove. 
C. glaueus W., Enum. Plant. suppl. 24 (1815). 
C. montanus Vest in Flora, 1821, 149. 
C. rotundifolius Steud., Nomencl. ed. 1, 245 (1821). 
