188 THE HIGH ALPINE PLANTS 



which are excellent places on which to study these 

 Willows, as well as other plants. 



The habit of this species, as seen on Plate 

 XXXVII., is that of a typical carpet plant. There 

 is a stem, for the most part buried in the scanty 

 soil, which gives off numerous branches, radiating 

 in all directions and placed close to the ground. 

 The plant may attain to a good age. Prof Schroeter 

 records forty-one years in one case. In other Alpine 

 Willows the period may be even greater. 



The large, elliptical leaves are very characteristic. 

 The upper surface is smooth, shining, and dark green 

 in colour; the veins are extremely prominent, and 

 form a well-marked mesh- work or reticulation, clearly 

 seen on Plate XXXVII. The prominence of the net 

 veins is a special feature of this Willow ; hence the 

 specific name "reticulata." On the lower surface the 

 leaves are covered with a fairly thick felt of bluish- 

 white cotton-hairs. If we examine young leaves, we 

 shall find that they are hairy all over. As the leaf 

 matures, the hairs disappear completely from the 

 upper surface. The leaves are quite entire — i.e., not 

 toothed at the margin. They are mounted on long, 

 pinkish leaf-stalks. Sometimes the leaves are some- 

 what rolled at the edges, an adaptation which, like 

 the felt of hairs on the lower surface, serves to protect 

 them against undue loss of water by evaporation, in 

 the manner already explained. 



The flowers of the Willows are very different to 

 those of all the other Flowering Plants discussed in 



