40 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



where C. alpinum, C. nigrescens, and C. vulgatum, var. a 

 occur together ; as on Ben Lawers, Ben Heasgarnich, Aonach 

 Mor, Braeriach, etc. 



From Ben Lawers and Ben Heasgarnich I have plants 

 which Ostenfeld names as almost certainly C. alpinum x 

 nigrescens ; and the same combination is probably also 

 present in a plant gathered on the Cairngorms. These also 

 have been named var. pubescens, Syme. Still a third hybrid 

 occurs, which I have gathered on the cliffs of Clogwyn y 

 Garnedd, Snowdon. This has much narrower and much less 

 hairy leaves, with quite large flowers. It is C. vulgatum X 

 nigrescens. It grew with C. vulgatum, var. alpinum, and C. 

 nigrescens, and had been named var. pubescens, Syme, by an 

 English expert. 



It will be noticed that I have used the name C. nigrescens 

 for the plant called C. latifolium by Smith, who mistook it 

 for the continental Linnean species, and more recently 

 described by Lange (Flora Danica, 1880, fasc. 50, p. 7) 

 under the name C. arcticum. According to Ostenfeld, 1 

 Lange's descriptions and drawings are based partly upon a 

 condensed form of C. alpinum from Greenland, and partly on 

 East-Iceland plants of Smith's (not Linnaeus) latifolium, to 

 which Ostenfeld applies the name C. Edmonstonii (Wats.), 

 Murbeck and Ostenfeld, which is based on C. latifolium, var. 

 Edmonstonii, Watson, " Lond. Bot. Soc. Cat. of British 

 Plants," 1844, surely a nomen nud2nn. 



There is no rule in the ' Vienna Acts ' which makes it com- 

 pulsory to retain a varietal name when raising it to a species. 

 There appears, however, good reason for using the name 

 C. nigrescens, Edmonston. That acute botanist describes and 

 figures the Balta Sound plant (" Phyt." 497-500, 1843) 

 under the name C. latifolium, L., and gives figures of its 

 allies to contrast or compare with it. Subsequently (" Phyt." 

 96, 1845) Edmonston sent specimens to the Botanical 

 Society of London, labelled C. nigrescens, Edmonston, " Fl. 

 Shetl." ined. ; but it may be argued that the printing of this 

 in " Phyt." I.e. 96, is not a valid publication. In the " Rep. 

 of the Botanical Society of London," Feb. 7, 1845, p. 95, the 



1 Mr. N. E. Brown, " E.B. Suppl." 41, says "the figure t. 2693 B. is 

 inaccurate." 



