Switzerland it is exceedingly abundant on the borders of woods and in
rich mountain meadows and pastures between 3000 and 7000 feet. Though
a beautiful plant it is by no means welcome to the herdsman, for it is
not good for fodder. The finely divided leaves are well seen in the
photograph. The purple-blue flowers have more of a tinge of red in them
when they first open. The Wood Geranium will be recognised by its erect
stem, hairy above, leaves which are arranged opposite to one another,
purple-violet flowers with petals that are not notched in the middle,
and sepals drawn out to a long point. The Brook Crane’s-bill (_Geranium
rivulare_) has white flowers varied with red, and the Meadow Crane’s-bill
(_Geranium pratense_) has larger flowers which tend to hang down, and the
Blood Geranium (_Geranium sanguinum_) has unbranched flower stalks and
notched petals.
[Illustration: PLATE X.
GERANIUM SYLVATICUM. L.
The Wood Geranium or Wood Crane’s-bill. Géranie des Forêts.
Wald-Storchschnabel.]
The Alpine Clover
(_TRIFOLIUM ALPINUM_)
This plant is the most beautiful and most sweetly scented of all the
clover tribe. The long conical root stock which penetrates far into the
soil terminates above in many radiating branches. On these are borne the
long stalked leaves, composed of three narrow leaflets with serrated
margins. The flowers, which are larger than those of any other clover,
are borne in a group of four to twelve on top of a long flower stalk.
They begin to appear early in June and continue coming out till the end
of August; they are usually of a delicate pinkish-purple colour, but
occasionally a cream or white variety may be found. The Alpine breezes
are often filled with their delicate fragrance. When the flower fades the
petals are not shed, but remain attached to the seeds and act as wings
which aid in their dispersal. Unlike most of our English clovers, which
are annuals, the Alpine clover is a perennial and lives for many years,
throwing up fresh leaves and branches every spring. The thick solid
rootstock of some of these plants must be many years old. This species
is very common in the meadows and pastures in the central Alps between
5000 and 8000 feet, where it grows in greatest abundance and especially
luxuriantly on primary granitic rock. It is probably a true native
of the Alps, but is also found in South Tyrol, the Pyrenees, and the
Carpathians.
The Alpine clover will be readily recognised by its few-flowered
flower-heads and narrow pointed leaflets arranged in groups of three.
The much rarer _Trifolium pallescens_ is perhaps a little like the
pale flowered variety, but it has many flowered flower-heads and ovate
leaflets.
[Illustration: PLATE XI.
TRIFOLIUM ALPINUM. L.
The Alpine Clover. Trèfle des Alpes ou Réglisse des Alpes. Alpenklee.]
The Brown Clover
(_TRIFOLIUM BADIUM_)
Unlike the greater number of Alpine plants which persist from year
to year the Brown Clover is a biennial, that is to say, its life is
limited to two years, and at the end of its second summer the plant dies
off. It is found abundantly in the limestone districts of Switzerland
between 4000 and 7000 feet, and flowers in July and August. It grows in
meadows and pastures, and seems to prefer a moist, open spot, where the
competition with other plants will be less severe. Thus it is met with
on moraines, on the fresh soil brought down by avalanches and streams,
and even on the dirt heaps around Alpine cow houses. The much-branched
brownish stem bears the rather long-stalked leaves, composed of three
leaflets with serrated margins and blunt points. The flower-heads,
made up of numerous florets closely packed together, are at first of a
golden yellow colour. As the individual flowers fade—and the lowest fade
first—they become brown and scale-like and turn downwards, and the dry
brown corolla remaining attached to the seed forms an important aid in
its dispersal by the wind. The Brown Clover is widely distributed in the
mountain regions of Central Europe. It will be readily recognised by its
globular flower-heads of yellow flowers and bright green leaves made up
of three leaflets, which are arranged opposite to one another on the
upper part of the stem.
_Trifolium spadiceum_ is very like the above, but is not so common. Its
flower-heads become more elongated and change to a darker brown tint than
those of the plant here photographed as the flowers fade.
[Illustration: PLATE XII.
TRIFOLIUM BADIUM. SCHREB.
The Brown Clover. Trèfle brun. Braunklee.]
The Cold Mountain-Lentil
(_PHACA FRIGIDA_)
The Cold Milk-Vetch or Mountain-lentil—to give a literal translation
to its popular Swiss name, for it has no English—is a typical Alpine
plant, found in fair abundance between 5000 and 8000 feet, perhaps most
frequently in limestone districts. In rocky places or mountain meadows
it often grows in profusion, but it seems to avoid the pastures. The
stem is usually unbranched, about 6 or 8 inches high, and bears the pale
yellow or cream-coloured flowers and the bright green leaves, made up of
four or five pairs of leaflets with an odd one at the tip. The leaves are
arranged in pairs opposite to one another, and where they join the stem a
couple of pale broad wing-like stipules are attached. It is unfortunate
that these are not well seen in the photograph, for they are the most
characteristic thing about the plant. The Cold Mountain-lentil has an
extensive range, being found in mountain districts all over Europe,
Northern Asia, North America, and in the Arctic regions. It is thought to
have originated in the Steppes of Northern Asia.
_Phaca alpina_ differs from the above in being a somewhat taller plant
with branched stem, deeper yellow flowers, leaves made up of nine to
eleven pairs of leaflets, and smaller, narrower, stipules.
[Illustration: PLATE XIII.
PHACA FRIGIDA. L.
The Cold Milk-Vetch or Mountain-Lentil. Phaque Froide. Kalte Berglinse
oder Einfache Gletscherlinse.]
The Dull-Flowered Sweet Clover or Alpine Sainfoin
(_HEDYSARUM OBSCURUM_)
The Alpine Sainfoin is the only member of the sixteen European species
of _Hedysarum_ (Sainfoin) that is found in Switzerland. The plant
consists of a thick, dense underground stem which persists from year to
year and serves as a storehouse for food. Underground branches extend
outward from this in various directions and give rise to ascending shoots
bearing leaves and flowers. The short stalked leaves bear eleven to
nineteen leaflets which are arranged in pairs; the purple-red flowers
occur in clusters. The flowers are visited by bees on account of the
honey they contain. By means of a sort of catapult arrangement, which
only goes off when the bee settles on the flower, the body of the insect
becomes dusted with pollen and as the bee travels from flower to flower
pollination is effected. In the Western Alps a variety of this plant
with yellowish flowers is occasionally to be found. The seed vessel of
the Alpine Sainfoin is very characteristic. It is not unlike an ordinary
pea-pod, but is smaller, more flattened, and divided into two or three
oval segments by constrictions. The plant is fairly abundant between 5000
and 8000 feet, and flowers in July and August. It is rare in meadows,
but is found on the rocky borders of Alpine pastures and on the banks
of streams. It is met with in all parts of the Alps, in the mountainous
districts of Europe and Asia, and in the Arctic regions, and is thought
to have taken origin in the Steppes of Northern Asia. It should be very
easily recognised. The drooping habit of the flowers and the constricted
seed-pods are most characteristic.
The flowers of this species have generally more red in them than those of
the specimen photographed.
[Illustration: PLATE XIV.
HEDYSARUM OBSCURUM. L.
The Dull-Flowered Sweet Clover or Alpine Sainfoin. Esparcette des Alpes.
Dunkler Süssklee.]
The White Dryas
(_DRYAS OCTOPETALA_)
The White Dryas, or Silver-herb as the Swiss call it, is a characteristic
Alpine plant which is found all over Switzerland between 3000 and 8000
feet, and even descends to the plains with some of the rivers. It is
common in dry mountain pastures and rocky places, and seems to grow best
on limestone soil. Often the bare surfaces of rocks and boulders are
thickly covered with its matted growth, which persists from year to year
as soil gradually accumulates around it.
The thick dense rootstock gives rise to long trailing branches, which
extend in all directions and bear the leaves and flowers. Associated
with the root tips is a curious fungus growth, which from its constant
presence is thought to be of value to the plant. The tough leathery
evergreen leaves have rolled back notched edges. Their upper surfaces are
dark green, smooth, and polished, and devoid of the stomata or little
pores by which air is absorbed by green plants generally; the lower
surfaces are covered by thick white felt-like hairs. The flowers, which
appear from May till July, resemble those of the Alpine Anemone, but are
smaller. They have usually eight petals, hence the Latin name. Inside
the petals are a large number of stamens arranged in the form of a ring,
and inside these again a honey secreting gland which surrounds the mass
of closely packed carpels in the centre of the flower. The carpels bear
long silky styles, which grow out into beautiful feathery appendages
as the seeds ripen—another point of resemblance to the Alpine Anemone.
The carpels become ready for pollination before the stamens shed their
pollen. Then the outermost stamens open, and only after several days have
elapsed do the innermost stamens become mature. A little consideration
will show how wonderfully this arrangement is adapted to favour the
cross-fertilisation of the carpels by pollen brought from another
flower by the agency of insect visitors. Should this, for any reason,
fail, self-fertilisation will almost certainly be effected by means of
the pollen from the innermost stamens. If a large number of plants of
the White Dryas be carefully examined some will be found with flowers
containing both stamens and carpels, as above described, while others,
less numerous, have flowers with stamens only. These will of course
produce no seeds. Some plants, again, will be seen to bear both kind of
flowers. The White Dryas is found in the mountainous districts of Europe
and in the Arctic regions of the new and old worlds. The plant will be
readily recognised, for its leaves are quite different from those of an
anemone.
[Illustration: PLATE XV.
DRYAS OCTOPETALA. L.
The White Dryas or Silver-herb. Dryade à huit pétales. Echte Silberwurz.]
The Alpine Rose
(_ROSA ALPINA_)
THE Alpine Rose or Dog-Rose must not be confounded with the Alpenrose.
The resemblance is only in the names, for the Alpenrose so much beloved
by the Swiss is really a rhododendron and quite a different plant. The
Alpine Rose is a shrub sometimes 8 or 10 feet high, and only a single
branch is shown in the photograph. It is found on the borders of mountain
woods and in bushy places, from the lower slopes up to about 7000 feet,
and flowers in May, June, and July. The leaves consist of seven to
eleven leaflets, and there are broad stipules at the base of each leaf.
The sweet-scented flowers are of a rich rose-red colour. The sepals are
exceptionally long and project beyond the petals; this is especially
noticeable in the bud. The fruit or hip is flask-shaped and rather
narrowed at the base. Thorns are as a rule absent from the flowering
branches, but are generally to be found on the lower and younger shoots,
which point downwards. Sometimes they are absent altogether. The Alpine
Rose is found pretty abundantly in the mountain woods of Southern and
Central Europe, but does not extend to the North. Thus it grows in the
Pyrenees, Auvergne, the Balkans, and in one part of the Black Forest.
The Dog-Roses are phenomenally difficult to distinguish from one another,
and as many as fifty Swiss species are described. The characteristics
above mentioned, and especially the high elevation at which it is found,
will assist in the recognition of the present species. By the arrangement
and character of the leaves and spines and the shape of the fruit, the
Alpine Rose itself has been sub-divided into some thirty sub-species.
[Illustration: PLATE XVI.
ROSA ALPINA. L.
The Alpine Rose. Eglantine des Alpes. Alpen-Heckenrose.]
Fleischer’s Willow-Herb
(_EPILOBIUM FLEISCHERI_)
This plant is fairly common in the Alps and grows in dry stony places,
especially amongst the boulders of dried-up torrent beds and beside
some of the streams; with some of these it descends towards the plains.
Like not a few of the less common Alpine plants, where it is found at
all, it is usually met with in great abundance. The flowers which open
out in July are of great beauty, and their arrangements to prevent
self-pollination are of considerable interest. The stamens first ripen,
and while these are held erect the stigma is bent downward and the four
segments into which it is divided above are closely pressed together.
(Most of the flowers are in this stage in the photograph.) When the
pollen is shed the stamens bend downward, and not till then does the
stigma rise in the centre of the flower and its four lips become
separated from one another.
The flowers of Fleischer’s Willow-herb closely resemble those of the
Rose-bay (_Epilobium angustifolium_), common in bushy places all over
England, Switzerland, and Central Europe. But the Rose-bay is a bigger
plant with tall, usually unbranched stem and much larger leaves, which
are veined underneath. As will be seen by the photograph, the leaves
of Fleischer’s Willow-herb are narrow and lance-shaped, and the few
veins that can be made out are all parallel to one another. Closely
resembling the plant here photographed is the Rosemary-leaved Willow-herb
(_Epilobium rosmarinifolium_). Its leaves are usually more numerous,
narrower, and more strap-shaped, and its stem is taller and, as a rule,
more branched. But the most constant difference between the two plants is
to be found in the length of the stalk which bears the stigma (style).
This is as long as the stamens in _Epilobium rosmarinifolium_, but only
half this length in _Epilobium Fleischeri_.
[Illustration: PLATE XVII.
EPILOBIUM FLEISCHERI. HOCHST.
Fleischer’s Willow-Herb. Epilobe des Moraines. Weidenröschen.]
The Mountain House-Leek
(_SEMPERVIVUM MONTANUM_)
Several varieties of House-leek are found in Switzerland. They grow in
dry, rocky places, where moisture is scarce and where they are exposed
to the fierce heat of the sun. Their succulent leaves, covered by a
thick, almost leathery, cuticle, are arranged in rosettes, and serve
as storehouses for water. The plants grow slowly and in clusters, and
when each one has accumulated sufficient strength it throws up a long
central stalk bearing star-like flowers, and dies as the seeds mature.
The house-leeks are reproduced not only by means of seeds, but also by
runners, which extend outward and bear a small rosette of leaves at their
extremities. Some of these can be made out in the photograph. Some of the
Saxifrages closely resemble the house-leeks in habit of growth, but are
less succulent.
The Mountain House-leek is common all over the Alps between 4000 and
8000 feet, or even higher in certain parts. It seems to grow best on
primary granitic rock. The wedge-shaped rosette leaves are covered with
short glandular hairs. The rosettes are unfortunately not well seen in
the photograph, the leaves that can be made out being mainly those of
a species of Primula. From the centre of the rosette the flower stalk
arises. It is some 3 to 6 inches long and is covered with succulent
leaves with reddish tips. Above it divides into branches which bear
the beautiful star-like flowers. The flowers, which appear in July and
August, are usually of a pale red colour with a darker central stripe to
each petal. A variety with cream-coloured petals is very occasionally
found.
The Cobweb House-leek (_Sempervivum arachnoideum_) is not unlike the
plant here photographed, but will be readily distinguished from it by the
long white hairs borne at the tips of the rosette leaves, which become
interwoven with those of adjoining leaves to form a spider’s-web-like
structure. Its flowers are a brighter crimson than those of the Mountain
House-leek.
[Illustration: PLATE XVIII.
SEMPERVIVUM MONTANUM. L.
The Mountain House-leek. Joubarbe des Montagnes. Berg-Hauswurz.]
Sempervivum Funckii
Not unlike the Mountain House-leek photographed on the previous page
is _Sempervivum Funckii_. It is not a common plant, being only found
in Eastern Switzerland, the Tyrol, the Carpathians, and a few other
mountainous districts, and does not seem to have acquired any local name.
Compared with the Mountain House-leek the rosettes of leaves are a little
smaller. They are covered with much longer hairs, which are not, however,
twisted together into a spider’s web like those of the Cobweb House-leek.
As will be seen the flowers are of a beautiful pale pink colour, and each
petal has a stripe of a darker tint running down its centre. The plant
grows in rocky places.
The Common House-leek (_Sempervivum tectorum_), which is often seen in
England growing on old walls and on cottage roofs, where it is supposed
to protect from lightning, is also found in Switzerland. It is fairly
common in dry, rocky places, and ascends from the plains to 7000 feet.
Its purple flowers are not unlike those of _Sempervivum Funckii_, but
its wedge-shaped rosette leaves are only provided with hairs along
their margins, and are armed with sharp spines at their extremities. It
is, moreover, a much larger plant. The rosette leaves of _Sempervivum
Wulfeni_, another Alpine species, are very like those of the Common
House-leek, but the plant is readily distinguished by its yellow or
greenish-yellow flowers. It grows on primary rock between 6000 and 8000
feet, and is rather uncommon.
[Illustration: PLATE XIX.
SEMPERVIVUM FUNCKII. BRAUN.
Funcke’s House-leek. Joubarbe de Funcke. Funcke’s Hauswurz.]
The Evergreen Saxifrage
(_SAXIFRAGA AIZOIDES_)
THE Saxifrages have been extraordinarily successful in the Alps. Some
thirty different species, some of them exceedingly common, are met with
in Switzerland.
The Evergreen Saxifrage is one of the most abundant. It grows in moist
rocky places, at the foot of glaciers, and on the banks of mountain
streams and waterfalls. It ascends to 9000 feet in places and descends
almost to the plains with some of the rivers. The plant grows in tufts.
The erect flower stems are covered by the narrow, succulent leaves, which
have hairs along each margin; they terminate in branches bearing four to
eight flowers. The star-like flowers, which appear in July and August,
are made up of five brightly coloured petals alternating with five green
sepals. The petals may be lemon yellow with orange red spots, or, as in
the specimen here photographed (var. _atrorubens_), pure orange red. Next
comes a ring of ten stamens with dark red pollen, and then the showy
ring-like nectary and the two styles in the centre of the flower. The
honey is so obvious and abundant that insects of all kinds—flies, bees,
butterflies, and beetles—visit the flowers; but self-fertilisation is,
in the main, prevented by the pollen being shed before the ovaries with
their stigmata are ready for fertilisation. The Evergreen Saxifrage is to
be found in all parts of the Alps, and is also met with in the Arctic
regions.
With the help of the photograph no difficulty should be experienced in
recognising the plant. From the Stonecrops, notably the Biting Stonecrop
(_Sedum acre_), it is recognised by its possession of two styles. But
several of the other Saxifrages resemble it much more closely. The
Rough Saxifrage (_S. aspera_) has paler flowers and more hairy leaves.
The Moss-like Saxifrage (_S. bryoides_) has a moss-like growth and the
flowers are borne on long, usually unbranched, flower stalks. _Saxifraga
Sequieri_ has more flattened leaves, and _Saxifraga Hirculus_, which is
rare, has two raised spots at the base of each yellow petal.
[Illustration: PLATE XX.
SAXIFRAGA AIZOIDES. L.
The Evergreen Saxifrage. Saxifrage toujours verte ou Saxifrage pain
d’Oiseau. Immergrüner Steinbrech oder Borsten-Steinbrech.]
The Large Astrantia
(_ASTRANTIA MAJOR_)
This tall and handsome plant is common from the lower mountain region up
to 6000 feet all over Switzerland. It grows in meadows, bushy places,
and mountain woods. Several long-stalked leaves rise directly from the
root stock. They are of a large size, circular in general outline, and
consist of five or six radiating lobes with deep depressions between
them. The branched flower-stem, perhaps some 2 or 3 feet in height,
bears relatively few leaves. Its various branches terminate in what
appear to be single flowers, but what are really masses of tiny flowerets
with short stalks all of the same length, surrounded by a sort of cup
made up of radiating leaves. The individual flowers are greenish-white,
often with a pinkish tinge, and the radiating leaves are pale pink,
with a central green stripe and greenish tip. The flower-masses of
the Astrantia are an excellent example of the way in which small and
unattractive flowers combine together and form a structure, both large
and conspicuous, to attract insect visitors. These floral societies are
even better seen in the large natural order the Compositæ, of which our
next four photographs are examples. The Large Astrantia flowers in July
and August, and is met with in many of the mountain woods of Central
Europe as well as in the Alps. It is occasionally found in England.
The Small Astrantia (_Astrantia minor_) is a much smaller and more
slender plant. The notches in its leaves extend right up to the stem,
thus completely separating the eight or nine leaflets from one another.
The Hare’s-ear (_Bupleurum ranunculoides_) somewhat resembles the Large
Astrantia, but its flower-masses are entirely devoid of any tinge of pink
and its leaves are strap-shaped.
[Illustration: PLATE XXI.
ASTRANTIA MAJOR. L.
The Large Astrantia or Master-wort. Astrance Majeure ou Radiaire. Grosse
Sterndolde.]
The Alpine Starwort or Alpine Aster
(_ASTER ALPINUS_)
The beautiful little Alpine Aster is found all over the Alps. It flowers
in July, August, and September, but occasionally it may be found in bloom
even as early as May. It grows in dry Alpine pastures, sunny meadows, and
rocky places, not infrequently in company with the Edelweiss, between
4000 and 9000 feet; in a few places it extends much lower. The plant
consists of a rosette of woolly tufted leaves, with a central stem
bearing the solitary flower-head. In the higher regions the flower-stem
is short, perhaps only 4 inches in length, but nearer the plains it may
be 8 or 9 inches. In any case, however, the flower-head is large, an
inch or two in diameter, and conspicuous on account of the broad purple
ray florets, which contrast strongly with the golden yellow centre.
The Alpine Aster is very widely distributed, being found in Northern
Asia, Arctic America, and in most of the mountain ranges of Central and
Southern Europe, but not in the far North.
Closely resembling this plant is the Alpine Fleabane (_Erigeron alpina_).
It has narrower ray florets, which are arranged in several rows and
not in a single row like those of the Alpine Aster, and a branched
flower-stem bearing several separate flower-heads. The much rarer _Aster
Amellus_ differs from the Alpine Aster in the possession of a branched
flower-stem and blue, not purple, ray florets.
[Illustration: PLATE XXII.
ASTER ALPINUS. L.
The Alpine Aster or Alpine Starwort. Aster des Alpes. Alpen-Aster.]
The Cat’s-Foot, Mountain Everlasting or Mountain Cudweed
(_ANTENNARIA DIOICA_)