84 SUB-ALPINE PLANTS 



which is found in similar places in Central and Southern Europe, 

 but not in Great Britain. 



Thlaspi alpestre L. 



Usually glabrous, 4-15 inches high, biennial or perennial, forming 

 a branched or tufted stock, with obovate-oval or oblong, stalked, 

 radical leaves. Stems simple, erect or ascending. Stem-leaves 

 narrow, clasping the stem with small auricles, entire or toothed. 

 Petals white, occasionally pinkish. Pod oboval, winged at the 

 summit, less broad than in T. montanum or T. ferfoUatum, slightly 

 emarginate. Style prominent, as it is in T. montanum. 



Mountain pastures and rocky places, especially on limestone in 

 the Alps, sub-Alps, and plains. May, June. 



Distribution. — Western and Central Europe, extending north- 

 ward to Southern Sweden. Himalaya. British. 



In Switzerland, the Jura, and elsewhere at least two sub-species 

 are known, viz. : T. brachypetalum Jordan, whose anthers remain 

 yellow after pollination, and T. sylvesire Jordan, whose violet 

 anthers turn blackish after pollination. T. virens Jordan is some- 

 times considered a distinct species. Its leaves are a bright green 

 and the flowers are larger than in alpestre. The style is also longer 

 and more prominent. The anthers are violet and then blackish. 

 It is usually found at higher elevations, at any rate in Switzerland. 



Thlaspi montanum L. 



A glabrous and glaucous plant, 6-10 inches high, with stoloni- 

 ferous shoots springing from the rootstock. Stem simple. Radical 

 leaves oblong, petioled ; stem-leaves oblong, auricled or heart- 

 shaped, sessile. Flowers rather large. Petals twice the length of 

 sepals. Anthers pale lilac. Pods oboval, rounded at base, with a 

 broad shallow notch, and rounded, obtuse wings. Style prominent. 

 Seeds shining, 1-2 in each cell. 



Hills and rocky places, especially on limestone. April to June. 



Distribution. — Central and Eastern France, Eastern Pyrenees, 

 Jura, rare in Switzerland. Central and Southern Europe. 



Thlaspi rotundifolium Gaudin. 



This beautiful violet or mauve-coloured species (described and 

 figured in Alpine Plants of Europe, p. 62, is usually seen only on 

 detritus at high elevations, but Mr. Reginald Malby has a photo- 

 graph of it growing in a river bed in Switzerland at the remarkably 

 low elevation of about 3000 feet. 



Iberis L. Candytuft. 

 Glabrous or minutely downy annuals or branching perennials, 

 with narrow or pinnatifid leaves, and white or pink flowers, 2 

 adjoining exterior petals larger than the 2 others. Filaments 



