Part 11

This beautiful little plant is abundant in all parts of the Alps. It is one of the first to take possession of fresh soil, but disappears rapidly under the stress of competition with other plants. Its numerous winged seeds are carried far and wide by the wind, and take root and grow rapidly on any open space. Hence it is found among the general rocky débris of the mountain-side, on the moraines of glaciers, and on the fresh soil brought down by avalanches, and is most abundant in limestone districts. Its true home is the high Alps and the snow region, and it flourishes best between 5000 and 9000 feet; but it is often carried down to a much lower level by the rivers, and is even found locally in the plains of Southern Germany. The Alpine Toad-flax is an inhabitant of most of the mountain ranges of Central and Southern Europe, and is thought to have taken origin in the South. It flowers from June till September, and seems to have derived its name from its flax-like foliage.

From the root stock arise one or more prostrate branches which creep over the rocks and soil, and turn upward at their extremities to terminate in a bunch of the brightly-coloured flowers. The grey-green leaves are narrow and succulent, and are arranged in whorls of four on the stem. The flowers are furnished with a long spur which contains the honey, and are only visited by bees and humble-bees. The common humble-bee has a long enough tongue to reach to the tip of the spur and is the chief agent in the fertilisation of the plant. The orange-yellow spot at the only opening to the flower is equivalent to a notice “this way to the honey.” Should no insect visit a flower self-fertilisation will nevertheless occur and seeds will be produced all the same. A variety of this plant, with flowers of a uniform red-violet colour and without any orange-yellow spot, grows on primary granitic rock. A second and much rarer type has pure yellow blossoms.

The plant is sure to be easily recognised. The prostrate stem, narrow leaves, and entirely closed up flowers that grow together in bunches are some of the more characteristic features.

LINARIA ALPINA. MILL.

The Alpine Toad-flax. Linaire des Alpes. Alpen-Leinkraut.]

The Alpine Balsam

(ERINUS ALPINUS)

The Alpine Balsam is a characteristic rock plant of the limestone Alps. Taking root in the clefts of the rocks, it sends out radiating branches in all directions, which adhere closely to the surface. It may also be sought in dry mountain meadows and among the grass of dry stony slopes, and is fairly common between 4000 and 7000 feet. Sometimes it is met with at a lower altitude in rocky places. The leaves, which are broader at their free extremities and covered by short hairs, are crowded together at the base of the stem. They have deeply serrated edges. The violet-purple or occasionally white flowers, which are formed of five petals united at their bases, are borne at the extremities of the branches. The Alpine Balsam is found not only in the Swiss Alps but also in the Tyrol, the Jura, the Vosges and Pyrenees. It flowers from early June till August.

The flowers of the Bird’s-eye or Mealy Primrose (Primula farinosa) are not unlike those of the Alpine Balsam, at any rate at first sight. But each Mealy Primrose plant bears but a single leafless flower-stem which terminates in a cluster of flowers. Moreover, the Mealy Primrose is found in moist meadows and boggy places, and rarely among rocks, and its leaves have a grey, powdery bloom on their lower surfaces.

ERINUS ALPINUS. L.

The Alpine Balsam. Erine des Alpes. Alpen-Leberbalsam.]

The Leafy Lousewort

(PEDICULARIS FOLIOSA)

The Louseworts as a whole have been exceedingly successful in the Alps. No less than fourteen different species are to be found, and some of them are exceedingly common. In spite of their unpleasant name they are for the most part really beautiful plants, and as a group they are interesting in several ways. In the first place, they are all in some degree parasites on other plants. Branches arise from the roots which attach themselves to the roots of neighbouring plants and absorb from them water or salts or even organic nourishment. The Leafy Lousewort is not a great offender in this respect, but other species are capable of completely destroying many of the surrounding plants. The method of pollination of the Lousewort flowers is also somewhat remarkable. The flowers are only visited by humble bees, for no other insect appears to be strong enough to force an entrance into the flower. As may be made out from the photograph, the flower consists of two lips. In the upper is a vertical slit through which the stigma alone projects, but immediately behind the slit are the four stamens. The lower lip forms practically a landing stage for insect visitors. When the humble-bee alights on the flower his head is sure to come in contact with the projecting stigma and some of the pollen which he unconsciously carries with him will be removed. As he bends forward and thrusts his head into the flower to suck the honey the vertical slit in the upper lip will be widened out and the stamens will protrude and strike the insect’s head. When the humble-bee at last leaves the flower to continue his journey its various parts will resume their former relative positions. Should no insects visit the flower self-pollination will occur. This appears to be the usual course of events in the North where humble-bees are scarce. In Spitzbergen, where there are no humble-bees, a nearly-related species, Pedicularis lanata, is said to be regularly self-fertilised without apparently suffering in any possible way.

The Leafy Lousewort here illustrated is the commonest variety in most districts. It is a tall, stately plant, often some two feet high, which is found on grassy slopes and in rocky places between 3500 and 7000 feet, and grows best on a limestone soil. The large fine-divided leaves are even found among the pale yellow flowers on the flower-stem. The plant flowers in June and July, and is found in the Alps, Pyrenees, Vosges, and Jura. It will be readily recognised by its alternate leaves, and pale yellow hairy flowers, without any beak-like projection at their summits. Pedicularis Oederi, which is a little like it, has no foliage leaves between the flowers, which are devoid of hairs, and have a blackish red spot on either side of the upper lip.

PEDICULARIS FOLIOSA. L.

The Leafy Lousewort. Pédiculaire à épi feuillé. Reichbeblättertes Läusekraut.]

The Yellow Auricula

(PRIMULA AURICULA)

Directly the snow melts up come the Auriculas, but only on limestone soil. The Auricula is really a spring plant, and usually flowers in May, but where protected by slowly melting masses of snow it may not bloom till much later; the accompanying photograph was taken in July. The thick, dense rootstock penetrates deep into the clefts of the rock. The leaves are smooth, rather fleshy, and of a bluish-green colour. The upper surface of the leaves, the flower-stalk and the calyx are covered with a white mealy substance. The leaves appear to serve the plant as a means of absorbing or storing water. Although the thick, dense cuticle usually present on leaves which have this function is here absent, they are found to dry up very slowly. It is probable that the thick cellulose walls between the individual cells replace the cuticle in the leaves of this plant. The flowers give forth a pleasant odour, something like that of the cowslip, but rather sweeter. Like the flowers of the primrose, they are of two kinds. The one has a long stigma which projects as far as the opening of the flower, and short stamens, and the converse is the case in the other. The object of this arrangement is to facilitate the pollination of the flowers by the agency of insect visitors as they pass from the one type to the other. Darwin found that very few seeds were formed when the flowers were self-fertilised.

The Auricula grows in rocky places between 3000 and 7000 feet. It is only found in limestone districts, and is rather local. It is also to be met with in the Jura, Dauphiny, the Pyrenees, the Carpathians, and in one or two places in the Black Forest.

The Auricula will be readily recognised. From the Oxlip (Primula elatior) and Cowslip (Primula officinalis or veris), it is distinguished by its smooth, not wrinkled, leaves and mealy stem. It is probable that most of the brilliantly coloured garden Auriculas were originally derived from this species.

PRIMULA AURICULA. L.

The Yellow Auricula. Primevère Auricule. Felsen-Aurikel oder Flühblüemli.]

The Marsh Orchis

(ORCHIS LATIFOLIA)

A large number of Orchids are to be found in the Alps. They form a well-defined group of plants which are particularly interesting in view of complicated devices which they have adopted to ensure the fertilisation of their seeds by the agency of insect visitors. Nearly all the English species are found in Switzerland, and most of them are met with in much greater abundance there. The beautiful pink Helleborine, the sweet-scented Butterfly Orchis, may be found in profusion on the lower mountain slopes, and the dark red Nigritella, with its odour of vanilla, and the ghost-like Coral-root, in the higher regions.

Of the genus Orchis alone there are no less than seventeen Swiss species. Many of these are much alike, and by no means easy to distinguish from one another. One of the most abundant is the Marsh Orchis, which is also met with in England, but is not nearly so common there. The plant grows in damp meadows and boggy places, where an average sized plant may be 18 inches or two feet high. Its large purple spotted flowers appear in June and may last until July.