EUPHRASIA AND RHINANTHUS 235 



p. 426), " It appears that these relative proportions in E. 

 scottica are not constant," a statement easy to confirm by 

 anyone who possesses a good series of specimens. (It may 

 be noted here that Mr. Hiern (" Journ. of Bot.," 1909, p. 170) 

 describes the capsule of the yellow-flowered Exmoor E. 

 minima as " equalling or a little shorter than the calyx," 

 and figures it as being a little shorter^ In lieu of the 

 discarded character, Townsend (I.e.} substitutes another, 

 adding " a marked distinction seems to lie in the form of 

 the upper leaves and bracts of E. scottica, which are narrower 

 than those of E. minima and have a cuneate base. E. 

 scottica also seems to prefer decidedly wetter situations." 

 The new character, however, is no more trustworthy than 

 the old one, and was moreover stillborn, being refuted by 

 anticipation in Wettstein's plate 4, figs. 225-54, which 

 show the leaves or bracts of E. minima as having some- 

 times quite truncate, sometimes decidedly cuneate bases ; 

 in particular the bracts, figs. 242-3, are much more markedly 

 cuneate even than those of E. scottica, as shown in Townsend's 

 figures (I.e. plate 379, figs. B. 1-7), said to be copied from 

 Wettstein's Monograph, but which I fail to find there. In 

 Shetland, according to the determinations of Wettstein or 

 Townsend, or both, E. scottica occurs scattered all over the 

 heather moor, as often as not on the ordinary dry peat and 

 frequently where no Carices are visible ; as well as on dry 

 grassy slopes. But I think it is more obvious in the wetter 

 spots, because it is there less crowded by other plants ; 

 whereas when growing among thick heather it is not so 

 readily seen, and does not so easily form dense colonies, 

 except here and there where there are open green spots. 

 There only remains to be considered the form of capsule, and 

 I find that that of the Shetland plant is usually rather more 

 oblong than that of E. minima as figured by Wettstein ; but 

 the shape is somewhat variable, as it is in the Continental 

 plant, and I have Swiss specimens bearing capsules which 

 agree very well with some of the Shetland examples. 



Notwithstanding that the plant has gradually been 

 stripped of its characters, Mr. Marshall continues to speak of 

 " characteristic E. scottica " ; but it does not appear in what 

 sense he wishes that term to be understood. 



