Flora of Scottish Lakes. 
121 
1909-10.] 
vicinity of Burned Island, whence it occurred, but quite sparingly, down to 
the viaduct. After the loch had received the peaty water of the River Dee, 
Isoetes became abundant, and continued so down to below Crossmichael. 
At the embouchure of the Water of Ken and the Knocknairling Burn, at 
the head of the loch, there is a very considerable area of alluvium, consisting 
of gravel, sand, or mud, in a more or less marshy condition. This alluvial 
flat is covered with a very luxuriant vegetation, as previously mentioned, 
the dominant plants being Carex rostrata, C. aquatilis, var. elatior, C. 
vesicaria, Phalaris arundinacea, Deschampsia caespitosa, Equisetum limosum, 
Heleocharis palustris, Juncus effusus, J. lamprocarpus, J. acutiflorus, J. 
bufonius, Plantago lanceolata, Galium palustre, and Ranunculus Flammula. 
A dense jungle is formed by the colonies of Phalaris, Deschampsia, and 
Carex elatior, the two former attaining a height of from 4 to 5 feet, and the 
latter a height of from 4 to 6 feet. The masses of Carex rostrata could be 
distinguished at a considerable distance, when blown by the wind, by their 
glaucous leaves ; the colonies of C. vesicaria, which attain a similar height, 
by their green leaves ; and the associations of C. elatior by their superior 
height, and broad, green, flowing leaves, waving in the breeze like a luxuri- 
ant field of grain. Although in many places the last mentioned were over 
6 feet high, yet the general height of the level top when blown by the wind 
was 4 feet. The marsh vegetation of the littoral zone at other parts of the 
loch often grows luxuriantly : the low bushes in figs. 32 and 33 are chiefly 
Myrica Gale, with a background of Salix aurita, Alnus glutinosa, etc., the 
Myrica frequently being 5 feet high (fig. 34). At other places a strip of 
bog, often wide and deep, intervenes between the water and terra firma ; 
in such places Eriophorum polystachion and other bog plants thrive (fig. 35). 
Occasionally a dry stony shore is overgrown with a dwarf prostrate form 
of Ranunculus Flammula, which roots copiously at the nodes ; this resembles 
the var. pseudo-reptans of Syme, but is rather larger (p. 72). Fig. 39 
shows the extent of this plant upon a stony shore, and fig. 40 affords a 
nearer view of the same. Scirpus lacustris grows very luxuriantly through- 
out the whole area of the loch (fig. 32). In some places this species was 
flourishing upon the dry shore, and there growing to a height of 3 or 4 feet 
(fig. 33). Nymphsea lutea is very abundant in some parts of the loch, 
particularly near the head, where the surface of the water is covered for 
hundreds of yards along the margin by its leaves and flowers (fig. 31). 
In certain situations, particularly near the viaduct, where shelter from 
wind is provided by adjoining woods, and where the narrowness of the 
loch prevents the formation of waves, Ranunculus heterophyllus covers 
the surface of the water with its white flowers and floating leaves, and 
