Eryngium L. Eryngium Alpinum L

The Alpine "Sea-holly" or Reine des Alpes. A thistle-like plant, with erect, striated stem 1-2 1/2 feet high, bluish, like the upper involucral bracts. Leaves ciliate-spiny; root-leaves entire, cordate-lanceolate, dark green; stem-leaves amplexicaul, deeply incised, and the uppermost almost palmate. Involucre blue, multi-digitate, somewhat longer than the cylindrical umbel, and with stiff, bristly teeth.

Meadows and pastures in the limestone Alps, 5000-6000 feet. July, August. Local.

Distribution

Switzerland, Jura, Western Alps, Carinthia, Carniola, Bosnia, Montenegro.

Bupleurum L

Leaves entire, simple, usually glabrous. General and partial involucres various; in Alpine species the partial involucre is large. Flowers small, yellow or green. Petals hooded, with an inflexed point. Styles short, reflexed.

Bupleurum Stellatum L

Stem erect, simple, with only one linear-lanceolate leaf embracing the stem, or leafless. Root-leaves broadly linear, with one longitudinal nerve, and reticulate lateral nerves. Involucre of 1-3 bracts; partial involucre of 9-10 yellow bracts, connate to their middle, the apices only free. Principal ridges of fruit with membranous wings.

Dry, rocky places in the Alps 5000-7500 feet. July, August.

Distribution

Tyrol, Carinthia, Switzerland, Western Alps.

Bupleurum Longifolium L

Stem erect, simple or somewhat branched above, round, finely furrowed, glabrous like the whole plant. Leaves with longitudinal veins, acute, elliptical, and running down into a long leaf-stalk, the upper leaves lanceolate or ovate, acute sessile with a cordate amplexicaul base. Umbel 5-6 branched, general involucre 3-5 leaved, partial involucre 5-7 leaved; bracts ovate or elliptical, shortly apiculate. Ridges of the fruit narrow and furrows small.

Rocks and stony places in the Alps and sub-Alps up to 5000 feet.

Distribution

Eastern, Central, and Western Europe. Bupleurum ranunculoides L.

An extremely variable species, subdivided into several subspecies and varieties and varying in height from 2 inches to a foot. Stem leafy and more or less branched. Radical leaves ovate or cordate; other leaves linear or linear-lanceolate. Partial involucre often twice as long as umbel, but very variable.

Lonicera L. Honeysuckle. Lonicera Alpigena L

An erect shrub, 2-5 feet high. Leaves opposite, stalked, elliptical ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, nearly glabrous, entire; paler on the under side. Flower-stalk solitary, axillary, glabrous, 2-flowered, usually about an inch long and pendent. Flowers bright red, 2-lipped, saccate above. Ovaries 2, connate nearly to the calyx-limb, finally coalescing into an ovate-orbicular red double berry.

Calcareous lower Alps, up to 5700 feet. May, June.

Distribution

Eastern, Central, and Western Alps, Jura, Cevennes, Corbieres, Pyrenees.