CHARACTERS OF BRITISH PLANTS. 69 
ences in the British Flora having been misplaced by some 
error of the pen or press. I do not find the character of 
* rugose terete” pod more applicable to L. hispidus, than to 
L. angustissimus ; and the length of the pod is very variable 
when measured by that of the calyx. I wish some other 
botanist would raise our native species of Lotus from seeds. 
L. tenuis has thrice come up true from seed in my 
garden. 
Alchemilla conjuncta (Bab.)—I have not seen wild native 
specimens of this. For several years the garden plant has 
kept its peculiarities, both in stiff loam and light vegetable 
mould, in the open ground and confined in a pot. The seed- 
ling plants also come up like the parent. The late Mr. J. E. 
Bowman wrote me that the plant brought by himself from 
* Gatesgarth dale” was <A. alpina, which remained many 
years unchanged in his garden. 
Tormentilla reptans (Linn.)—This is probably an example 
of a third species made up by uniting forms of two other 
species; namely, a tetrapetalous form of Potentilla reptans 
united with a petiolate-leaved form of Tormentilla officinalis. 
We cannot otherwise account for its union with the latter 
by Mr. Babington, while Mr. Wilson finds it “ undistinguish- 
able? from the former. Indeed, I have had specimens of 
each sent to me under the name of Tormentilla reptans. 
My own observations on the plants lead me to concur with 
Mr. Babington’s view; namely, uniting T. officinalis and T. 
reptans. 
Prunus Cerasus (Linn.) and P. avium (Linn.)—The ana- 
logy of Pyrus Malus (Crab and Apple) suggests the specific 
identity of these Cherries. What appears to be the original 
stock of Pyrus Malus, is a small and austere-fruited shrub, 
with thorny spurs and nearly round and glabrous leaves. 
Besides this, our hedges hold several varieties that approach 
more or less to the apple, in their more arborescent growth, 
and their ovate and downy leaves. The wild trees of P. avium — 
are probably often the descendants of the garden cherry-tree, 
