BRITISH PLANT LISTS AND THEIR DISCREPANCIES 233 



I will first treat of the British Museum Catalogue, published 

 under the title " List of British Seed-Plants and Ferns," 

 by Rendle and Britten in 1907. 



In this list the Vienna rules of nomenclature are said 

 to be followed, but there is some lack of consistency 

 since Alsine is used instead of Spergularia, which is one of 

 the nomina conservanda ; so too are Corynephorus ( Wein- 

 gazrtneria is used in the List), EropJiila (the Whitlow grass is 

 called Draba in the List), Calystegia (Convolvulus in the List),, 

 and Cirsium (Carduus in the List). 



In the preface we are told that the " extensive consulta- 

 tion of botanical literature, which could only be possible in 

 a library such as that possessed by the Department of 

 Botany " led to some " corrected citations " and " a few 

 alterations in spelling, e.g. Teesdalea" but although the 

 references are in most cases extremely accurate, they are 

 only given for the specific names and not for the orders or 

 genera. The authorities given for the genera are very 

 inaccurate, some indeed being pre-Linnean, and a large 

 number are attributed to Miller instead of Hill. Even the 

 corrected spelling Teesdalea is given up by Mr. Britten in 

 the same year (" Journ. Bot," p. 445). The limitation of 

 genera and species follows, we are told, the last edition of 

 Babington's " Manual " ; but there are many inconsistencies 

 e.g. A trip lex e recta, Huds., is given full specific rank in the 

 " Manual," but is omitted in the List (a footnote by the editors, 

 Messrs. Groves, says, species I and 2 are usually included 

 under patuld), while Rumex maximus is given full rank 

 although Babington says " perhaps not distinct " from Hydro- 

 lapatJieum. Viola calcarea is accorded full rank ; in the 

 " Manual " it is given as a variety, while Rosa hibernica (R. 

 involuta, also a hybrid, is given), Betula intermedia, Saxifraga 

 elegans, S. Jiirsuta, Poa laxa } P. Balfouri, P. Parnellii, Pota- 

 mogeton GriffitJdi, P. decipiens, P. longifolius, and Z ' annichellia 

 polycarpa,\v\u.c\\ are full species in the" Manual," find no place in 

 the List. In many cases the " Manual " is too blindly followed 

 with curious results, since some recent additions to our flora, 

 e.g. Fumaria occidentalis, F. purpurea^ and ScJderochloa 

 festuciformis (which are not in the " Manual "), and Ranunculus 

 confusus, R. penicillatiiS) R. lutarius, R. scoticus, Thlaspi 



