ME. F. JS\ WILLIAMS ON THE GENUS DIANTHUS. 377 



obovatse ventricosae straminese, apice rectae. Calyx basi viridis, 

 dentibus acuminatis. Lamina supra purpurea, subtus pallidior. 

 Herb. Kew. ex Herb. Schott, no. 447. 



Hab. Mt. Surul in S. Transylvania, alt. 1560 metres (d. 

 16 June, 1850). 



Grex sanguinei. — Grlaber, glaucus. Folia linearia, vagina 

 folii diam. 4-plo longiore. Capitulum densissime multiflorum ; 

 floribus minimis 20-30. Calyeis dentes subulato-acuminati. 

 Lamina = \ unguis. 



i 2 . sanguineus, Vis. (sp.) Ind. sent. Sort. Patav. 1845, p. 1 ; 

 Fl. Dalmatica, iii. p. 161, t. 36 ; lieichb. Icon. Fl. Germ. Helv. 

 5016 b. 



38 centim. Capitulum hemisphsericum. Bractese oblongo- 

 ovales non ventricosae. Calyx basi virescens sursum purpureo- 

 fuscus, dentibus ciliatis. Lamina sanguinea, supra viridi- 

 punieea, subtus atrorubra. 



j 2 . eonsanguineus, Schur (sp.), Enuni. PI. Transsilvanice, p. 93; 

 auct. Pinks Cent. Eur. p. 15. 



45 centim. Capitulum conglobatum. Bracteae coriaceae non 

 ventricosae, interiores obovatae, exteriores oblongae. Calyx 

 purpureus punctulato-scabridus, dentibus laevibus. Lamina 

 atrosanguinea, oblongo-clavata. 



Geogr. limits. — JST. Denmark, 55°. F. Ural, 49°. 



S. Egypt, 28°. TV. N. Portugal, 8°. 



Of this species so many forms Lave been described, both as 

 species and as varieties (chiefly by Austro-Hungarian botanists), 

 in multitudinous scientific serials and the publications of learned 

 societies, that it has frequently happened that the same plant 

 has been described more than once under different auspices ; 

 consequently the labour of disentangling the synonymy has been 

 considerable. As in the case of all polymorphic species with a 

 wide distribution, there is a considerable divergence of opinion 

 as to the definite circumscription of individual forms in the 

 varying degrees of subspecific types. The tendency to over- 

 discrimination or to imperfect appreciation of differences is 

 entirely a personal one. Under these circumstances, I have 

 thought it desirable to describe more fully the several varieties, 

 associated into " greges " according to their apparent affinities 

 both among themselves and in their relation to the species. 



For the purpose of comparing how the minor specific cha- 



LINtf. JOUBN. BOTANY, VOL. XXIX. 2 E 



