234 THE ALPINE THICKETS AND FORESTS 



families, with deciduous leaves and catkin-like 

 inflorescences, so characteristic of the Lowlands of 

 Europe. Dwarf Willows, p. 187, also occur, especially 

 in the High Alps. 



The Green Alder has no very striking peculiarities. 

 It resembles the Alders of the plains, except that it is 

 rather dwarfed in stature. 



THE CONIFEROUS FORESTS. 



The Coniferous forests are a highly characteristic 

 feature of the lower portion of the Alpine zone. 

 They consist essentially of two trees : the Spruce 

 and the Larch, the former, as a rule, prevailing. 

 Thus, although it is customary to speak of the Pine 

 forests of the Alpine region, this term is not strictly 

 accurate in a botanical sense, since neither the Spruce 

 nor the Larch are true Pines. They are indeed very 

 closely related to them — so closely, that whether 

 we call the forests Coniferous or Pine is a small 

 matter, if we bear in mind that the only true Pines 

 found in Alpine Switzerland, the Stone or AroUa 

 Pine, and the Mountain Pine, are not nowadays 

 forest formers in the Swiss Alps. 



The race of plants, the Coniferae, to which the 

 Larch, Spruce, Pines, Firs, and Junipers belong, 

 is quite distinct from that to which all the other 

 Alpines discussed in this volume are assigned — 

 namely, the Flowering Plants, or Angiosperms. 

 These two races differ greatly, not only in their 

 general structure, and in their life histories; but it 



