242 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



BOTANICAL NOTES AND NEWS. 



Aliens among- Tares in Aberdeenshire. In April 1904 I 

 recorded the occurrence in the previous autumn in the neighbour- 

 hood of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, of several aliens among tares. 

 Since that time I have occasionally found some of these species 

 here and there among tares, but not in such frequency, until in 

 August of this year, while staying in the parish of Midmar. The 

 examination of a small field of tares on the farm where I was stay- 

 ing showed a large number of aliens, among which the following 

 species were found : Vicia dasycarpa, Tenore, in abundance, with 

 one or two plants that appear to belong to the var. glabrescens 

 (Koch). V. sativa, L., the usual form only moderately plentiful, along 

 with a few r of a more slender variety of this species, with solitary 

 smaller flowers, but otherwise like the type. V. amphicarpa, 

 Dorthes ?, common, and varying in colour of flowers from yellowish 

 white to pink ; several of the specimens showed cleistogamous flowers 

 followed by pods, near the base of the stems, but I found no 

 subterranean branches ; some show a resemblance to large V. angitsti- 

 folia, but most were markedly unlike our Scottish V. angustifolia. 

 V. monantha, Desf., frequently, the stipules varying greatly from 

 almost undivided to palmately fringed with long teeth. V, h/tect, L., 

 frequent, the flowers having a tendency to lilac in one or two plants. 

 V. Ervilia, Willd. scarce. V. Faba, L., a few. Lathy rus Aphaca, 

 L., very frequent, L. sativus, L., scarce. L. aninei/s, L., a few, 

 the flowers of most being of a curious shade of orange-brown. Pis.it in 

 arvense, L., frequent. P. sativum, L., a few. Of species outside the 

 order Leguminosas there were several suggestive of introduction 

 among the seed sown. Certainly introduced in this way were 

 Sapoiiaria Vaccaria, L., Conundrum sativum, L., Galium tricorne, 

 With., and Aspentla arvensis, L., of which a few only were found, 

 and Linitm usitatissimum, L., which was frequent. Probably in- 

 troduced with the seed were Agrostemma Githago, L., and Centaurea 

 Cyanus, L., seen only among tares in this district, and the variety 

 intermedia (Gilib.) of Plantago major, L., which was not uncommon 

 among these tares, though not seen elsewhere in Midmar. In other 

 patches of tares in Midmar and neighbouring parishes I found several 

 of the above, such as Vicia monantha, Lathy nts Aphaca, and Galium 

 tricorne, and along with them Fagopyrum esculentum, Moench, though 

 in no other place were so many species of "aliens" grouped together. 



The " tares " sowed in the district were found to be largely 

 supplied from Aberdeen as " foreign tares." I learned, on inquiring 

 in Aberdeen, that they are chiefly imported from Konigsberg, in 

 East Prussia, and that for a few years they have been a good deal 

 used in Aberdeenshire, but that there is little sale for them south of 

 Stonehaven or west of Banffshire. The seeds sold as " foreign 



