208 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



pink cotton, scarce any foliage showing. Both are cliff plants, S. 

 leucoma at 16,000-16,500 feet, S. gossypiphora fully 1,000 feet higher. 



Of Ranunculaceae, several fine species of Delphinium are found, 

 one a superb plant of 12 to 18 inches, with numerous large, pale blue 

 fragrant flowers. The finest cliff plant of the whole range belongs 

 also to that order, i.e. Isopyrum grandiftorum Fisch. It is a real 

 gem, though of extremely slow growth, a cliff alpine, only to be seen 

 in the most inaccessible chimneys and clefts. One plant, photo- 

 graphed with the utmost difficulty, was 18 inches across, and bore 

 over ninety blooms, each ij inch in diameter. The colour of the 

 foliage is glaucous-green, the flowers pale purplish-blue, anthers and 

 nectaries bright orange. 



The finest Crucifer is also a cliff plant, Solms-Laubachia pul- 

 cherrima Diels. It is a cluster plant with highly-coloured, glossy, 

 leathery foliage, and large flowers of the clearest turquoise-blue. 

 Unfortunately it also is of slow growth. 



Saxifrages are rampant on every cliff, scree, and stony meadow, 

 brightening the dullest spots with their orange and golden blooms. 

 One splendid new species, a cushion plant, named S. pulchra, has 

 rose-coloured petals and silvery-grey foliage. Many other new species 

 were found on the range. 



Campanulaceae is well represented by several new Codonopsis 

 and many new Adenophoras. Campanula crenulata Fr., with its 

 deep black-indigo bells, is on every ledge and humus-covered 

 boulder. 



Innumerable fine-flowered species of Pedicularis colour these alps 

 red and yellow during the summer months, whilst in the autumn 

 blue is dominant in the scheme from the many Gentians and Swertias 

 flowering there. 



Of alpine dwarf Rhododendrons there are many : R. adenogynum, 

 R. cephalanthum, R. lignosum, R. Sargentianum, R. cuneatum, R. 

 oreotrephes, R. intricatum, R. prostratum, R. rupicolum, and a large 

 number as yet unnamed. R. rupicolum is a new species of the intri- 

 catum set, having blooms the deepest shade of purple-crimson, the 

 exact colour of plum-juice. R. prostratum grows at the greatest 

 altitude of all, fully 16,000 feet. The name indicates its habit ; the 

 foliage is small, slightly bullate, glossy and highly coloured ; the blooms, 

 produced freely, are relatively large, ij inch in diameter, a rich 

 crimson with darker markings. 



In such a short account it is impossible to give more than the 

 merest sketch of the finer groups. The country teems with new 

 species, even in the central and southern regions. Much of the 

 province is yet unexplored ; in the north and north-west only the 

 veriest fringe has been touched. There a great harvest awaits the 

 first in the field, a harvest of horticultural novelties, which, satiated 

 as we almost are by the many fine things introduced in recent years 

 from Western China, will astonish us. 



