ALPINE PLANTS. This appellation is given not only to those plants which are found at elevations approaching the limit of perpetual snow in the Alps of central Europe, but also to plants belonging to other mountainous regions in any part of the world, whose natural place of growth is near snows that are never melted even by the beams of the summer's sun. As the elevation of the snow-line, however, varies very much iu different countries, according to the latitude, and also from peculiar local circumstances, the term A. P. is not so much significant of the actual elevation of the habitat, as of the average temperature which prevails there. On the Andes, near the equator, at an elevation of 12,000 to 15,000 ft. above the level of the sea,many kinds of plants are found, of humble growth, resembling in their general appearance those which occur in Germany and Switzerland at an elevation of 6000 ft.; and these, again, either resemble, or are even iden tical with, the species which in Lapland grow upon hills of very little elevation, or which, in the northern parts of Siberia, are found at the level of the sea. Similar plants occur also in the Himalaya mountains, at elevations varying remarkably within very narrow geographical limits from local causes, which also create great differences in the general dryness or humidity of the atmosphere. The laws of this natural distribution of plants have been in our own day for the first time investigated and elucidated by Humboldt, Wahlenberg, Schouw, Decandolle, and others, and form the most essential part of a branch of science still in its infancy, and much requiring further study, phytogeography, or the science of the geographic distribution of plants. When, the A. P. of central Europe are spoken of, those are meant which grow at an average height of 6000 ft., marking what, in the language of phytogeographie science, is called zone. This, on its northern limit, the Riesengebirge, or Giants' mountains, falls as low as 4000 ft., and rises, in the southern Alps and Pyrenees, to an elevation of 9000 ft., and sometimes even above it. Although very rich in forms peculiarly its own, this zone contains many plants which are likewise found on much lower hills, and even in the plains. The number of these, how ever, diminishes as the elevation increases. Hence the small spaces clear of snow in the highest regions possess a very cliaracteri,stie.l'lura, the plants of which are distinguished
by a very low diminutive habit, and an inclination to form a thick turf, frequently, alSo, by a covering of wooly hairs, whilst their stems are very often either partly or altogether woody, and their flowers are in proportion remarkably large, of brilliant colors, and in many instances very odoriferous, upon which accounts, they remarkably attract and please the occasional visitors from the plains. In the Alps of central Europe, the eye is at once caught by gentians, saxifrages, rhododendrons, and various species of !primrose. With these and other phanerogamous plants, are associated a number of delicate ferns and exceedingly beautiful mosses. The highest mountains in Scotland exhibit a some what similar flora, and beautiful plants, both phanerogamous and cuptogamous, am found on them, which never appear in lower situations, as the Alpine speedwell (veronica Alpine), the small Alpine gentian (gentiana nivaW), the rock scorpion grass, or Alpine forget-me-not (inyosotis Alpestris), azalea procumbens, woodaia ilvensis, and hyperborea, etc. Many A. P. are limited to a very small district. Thus, the flora of Switzerland differs considerably from that of Germany, the latter being now known to contain 3400 plian erogamous plants, of which the former contains 2200, and along with them also 126 species which have hitherto been found only in the Swiss Alps.—There are, moreover, particular species of plants which are found only in single localities, as hyperieum coris, union the mountain of Wiggis'in the canton of Glarus; loulfenia carinthurea, upon the ktiweger Alp, in upper Carinthia, and many others. There are, however, many species occurring on the mountains of central Europe, appear also in those of Britain and of Scandinavia at lower altitudes, but are not found in the intervening plains. See SPE CIES, DISTRIBUTION OF.—Cryptogamic plants are generally found in Alpine regions in much greater abundance than elsewhere. The transplanting of A. P. into gardens is attended with great difficulties, and is rarely successful: Their great beauty, even when dried, makes them favorites with those plant collectors who have amusement more in view than the mere interests of science. Small herbaria of them are offered for sale every where in Switzerland; and in some places, large collections have been prepared and thrown open to the public.