56 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



BOTANICAL NOTES AND NEWS. 



Stellaria nemorum, Z., and S. aquatiea, Scop. Although in 

 Scotland the first-named species does not seem to be recorded 

 farther north than 57 30', there seems no reason why it should not 

 be found, and I think it probable that it was this plant that was 

 found by Robert Dick (Smiles's "Life," p. 338) on the banks of the 

 river Thurso. 



In Lapland it was found at K011e, 70 55' N. Lat., by Mr. P. 

 Sewell ! ; it occurs in Finland and Russian Lapland up to 69 40'; 

 "abundant in the birch region at Kongas and at Menikka, 69 26" 

 (Wainio, in "Flora Lap. find.," 1891, p. 61). In Sweden, extending 

 up to Nordland ; in Norway ; in South and North Norway up to 

 71 7' (Mager0) ; and last, Finmark. 



In the " Compend. Cyb. Brit.," p. 122, 400 yards is given as 

 its highest elevation in Britain (Humber) ; but the Rev. E. S. 

 Marshall found it in 1892 at 3000 feet in Aberdeen 1 : so that its 

 altitudinal range is considerable. 



Stellaria aguatica, Scop., entered by Lowe among the plants of 

 Orkney, does not extend so far north as nemorum. I have seen 

 specimens gathered by Messrs. Stirling and Kidston in Stirlingshire, 

 and it is reported from Lanark, Roxburgh, and Forfar ; but I know 

 of no recent confirmations of these counties. In Finland this 

 occupies a belt extending up to 62 N. Lat., and from about 20 

 to 38 E. Long. In South Norway it extends only to 63 28'; and 

 in Sweden north to Gefleborgs lau about 62. 



In Russia it extends north to the Government of St. Petersburg, 

 while nemorum extends to the Kola peninsula (67 N. Lat.). 



Both occur in Denmark ; but neither is recorded from the 

 Faroes or Iceland. 



Only nemorum appears in Sir J. D. Hooker's " Outline of the 

 Distribution of Arctic Plants." Of this, written forty years ago, we 

 much want a new edition. 



Thus aquatiea seems to bear out elsewhere its climatal distribu- 

 tion in Britain. 



I trust that any botanist going far north in Scotland will keep 

 these two plants in his mind. A. BENNETT. 



Spergula arvensis, L., in Scotland. Mr. G. Nicholson drew 

 attention in 1880, in the "Journal of Botany" (pp. 16-19), to the 

 forms that occur in Britain, and stated that of the two (sativa and 

 vulgaris), sativa alone was known to him from Scotland, where 

 he had sought for vnlgaris in the shires of Edinburgh, Perth, and 

 Aberdeen without success. Mr. G. C. Druce, in the "Journal of 

 Botany "in 1889 (pp. 173-175), named a large number of counties of 



1 "Journal of Botany," p. 229, 1893. 



