COAST FLORA OF JAPYGIA, S. ITALY. 687 



unfrequently washed over by the waves. The branched root- 

 stocks have frequently the appearance of black coral ; and the 

 whole plant is closely adpressed to the rocks. The Statice vir- 

 gata, Willd., which is very rigid here, seems to have some influence 

 on the other species, as specimens are to be found which seem 

 modified in some of their characteristics. On the island of 

 Sant' Andrea, a low mass of rock off Gallipoli, washed from end 

 to end by the waves during winter, I found a charming little 

 Statice, which hitherto I have not been able to determine. 

 Perhaps it is a variety of S. minutijiora, Guss. ; but I prefer to 

 consult the Neapolitan herbaria before arriving at any conclu- 

 sion on the subject, which, as regards this genus, is sufficiently 

 confused already. 



Crocus Thomasii, Ten. — Is an autumnal Crocus which was lost 

 sight of for many years in Italy on account of its having been 

 looked for in the neighbourhood of G-ravina, which word is also 

 the local name of a chine ; so that the plants that grew near the 

 Chines of Leucaspide bloomed unknown until Sir James Lacaita 

 rediscovered them six years ago on his property, along the edges of 

 the Gravina di Leucaspide, near Taratito, where it is abundant. 

 It is singular that Mr. C. C. Lacaita, his son, should have found 

 the same species in great quantity near a station on the Bari line, 

 where the station-master described it as saffron. 



^Egilops triuncialis, var. breviaristata, Hack., inedit. ? — This 

 plant was sent by me to the noted authority on Grasses, and 

 named by him as above. As its name implies, it owes its remark- 

 able appearance to the shortness of its awns, which give it a 

 totally different aspect from the normal species. Hackel writes 

 of this variety : — " Forma critica sed vix a JE. triunciale specifice 

 distincta." 



^Egilops biuncialis, Vis., var. biaristata, Hack., is a very 

 interesting variety, found by Mr. C. C. Lacaita at Leucaspide. 

 The grasses in our district are very interesting, as a general 

 rule; and besides those mentioned, we have Festuca Fenas, Lag., 

 ^luropus litoralis, Pari., Serrafalcus Lloydiana, Godr., Glyceria 

 festucceformis, Heynh., Poa attica, Boiss. &. Heldr., Hordeum lepo- 

 rinum, Link., Lolium subulatum, Vis., and many others. 



In conclusion, I will remark that I have several species sub 

 judice, being unwilling to give a rash judgment on them ; so will 

 defer my decision until the publication of the Florula at no distant 

 date. 



