46 



MADRONO 



[Vol. 1, 





* '■",». x 



Fig. 21. Spring Saffron (Crocus albiflorus Kit.) ; blooming in profusion pro- 

 duces the effect of a flower-snow after the melting of the winter snow. Rigi- 

 Kaltbad, 1,300 meters above the sea. Photo Gnaz. 



In the alpine summer the deep blue flowers of the common bell 

 Gentian direct themselves toward the sun. There are two represen- 

 tative species, the one (Gentiana Kochiana Perr. & Song.) on sili- 

 ceous, the other (Gentiana Clusii Perr. & Song.) on calcareous soil 

 (Fig. 22). The flowers belong to the revolver type: they have five 

 different honey-holes in the ground of the corolla, each of which is 

 to be sucked apart by the pollinating insect. And these honey cavi- 

 ties are illuminated from outside by the light which penetrates 

 through windows ; the botanists call this a window-flower ! 



The delicate short-leaved Gentian (Gentiana brachyphulla Vill.) 

 has flowers which can only be pollinated by butterflies, the long and 

 very narrow tube of the corolla excluding other insects. This cate- 

 gory of flowers, the butterfly-flower, is very frequent in the alpine 

 belt, owing to the relative frequency of the butterflies in the Alps. 

 If you have once the chance to view the meadows of Upper Enga- 

 dine in June, as the period of the richest flora, you will be aston- 

 ished at the innumerable mass of butterflies visiting the flowers. 



On the much used pastures grow often our three best forage 

 herbs: the alpine Plantain (Plant ago alpina L.), the Spingel (Li- 



