240 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Myrsinites. The ovaries are fairly intermediate, on my 

 theory ; but they present one objection to it in being 

 glabrous or only slightly pubescent near the base, whereas 

 the ovaries of 5. Myrsinites are more or less pubescent. But 

 since 5. Myrsinites X nigricans has in some cases glabrous 

 ovaries, owing to the influence of a nigricans form with that 

 character, there is no reason why herb ace a should not have 

 had a similar effect in the production of S. Grahami. The 

 only other objection that has occurred to me against its 

 derivation from Jierbacea and Myrsinites is in the crenation 

 and pubescence of the leaf: one would have expected the 

 leaf to be glabrescent, and its margin serrate rather than 

 crenate. But there is much variation of both these leaf 

 characters in S. Myrsinites, and vS. Jierbacea has sometimes 

 a leaf that is rather crenate than serrate ; consequently no 

 real objection to the theory I have worked out is to be 

 found in the leaf of 5. Grahami having a crenate margin 

 and some persistent silky hairs on its under side. One has 

 only to suppose that the Myrsinites parent had crenate 

 leaves rather more silky than usual beneath ; and I have 

 specimens of just such a plant, collected by Mr. F. J. 

 Hanbury at Inchnadamff, Sutherland, the very county in 

 which S. Grahami was discovered. The stipules of this 

 hybrid, when they occur, are much like those which S. 

 Myrsinites bears on its stronger shoots. 



My only female plant of S. lierbacea X Myrsinites does 

 not match 5. Grahami in every particular, the ovary being 

 pubescent and the leaves more glabrous and serrate ; but I 

 think there are only such differences between them as might 

 be expected between two forms of the same hybrid. My 

 plant of 5. Jierbacea x pJiylicifolia has not yet flowered ; 

 but so far as foliage and habit go, it is evidently not the 

 same hybrid as 5. Grahami. On the whole, I believe my 

 observations furnish not only evidence, but all reasonable 

 proof that the trailing, prostrate plant known as 5. Grahami 

 emanates from a union between 5. Jierbacea and S. Myrsi- 

 nites. 



