CHARACTERS OF BRITISH PLANTS. 73 
distinguished by its “leaves almost or quite entire very 
hairy, stalks hairy particularly below, involucral scales 
hairy ;’’ and it is considered “probably a distinct species.” 
I cannot think this at all probable. In 7. hirta the lower 
part of the flower-stalk is usually hairy, and frequently the 
hairs are found the whole length of the stalk. The invo- 
lucrum varies in all degrees from glabrous to very hairy. 
There is no regular correspondence between the hairiness of 
the flower-stalk or involucrum and the marginal divisions of. 
the leaves. Entire, toothed, or deeply sinuate leaves may 
all in turn be found in connexion with glabrous or with hairy 
involucral scales. The plants with very hairy involucres 
(by no means rare) are occasionally mistaken for Apargia 
hispida. 
Apargia autumnalis (Willd.)—In a ploughed field at 
Dalwhinnie I found a plant of this species with branched 
scapes bearing involucres densely covered with pale green 
(not blackish) shaggy hairs. 
Hieracium alpinum (Linn.) and H. murorum (Linn.)—In 
the Phytologist for December last, page 801, I have made 
some remarks on the various names given to plants sup- 
posed to be varieties of these two. The number of caulire 
leaves varies greatly, and is ordinarily increased by culti- 
vation in gardens where the plants have free space and good 
soil. The form of the leaves also varies considerably, and 
their margins are either entire, toothed, sinuate, or (in forms 
probably belonging to H. murorum) so deeply cut as to be 
almost called pinnatifid. I would suggest the following 
arrangement :—1. H. alpinum (Linn.), including H. Halleri. 
—2. H. nigrescens (Willd.) which is so intermediate between 
l and 3 as to make its junction with either a matter 
of doubt. By English botanists it is usually labelled “ H. 
alpinum” or * H. Halleri” but in Smith’s herbarium there 
are specimens labelled * H. pulmonarium ?” which seem | 
really to be only this species in a luxuriant state through — 
cultivation.—3. H. murorum (Linn.), which includes H. Law- 
soni, H. pulmonarium, and H. maculatum: all of English 
VOL. III. G 
