196 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



that do occur on the summit are Silene acaulis, Alchemilla alpina, 

 Sedum Rhodiola, L., Saxifraga stellaris, L., Vacdnium Vitis-Idtza, 

 Polygonum viviparum, Salix herbacea, and Carex rigida. Luzula 

 spicata was gathered on Mullach an Langa (2012 feet) in North 

 Harris by Messrs. Balfour and Babington, 1 but they did not observe 

 it on Clisham (2622 feet). 



The distribution ofy! trifidus, and^/ triglmnis, L., is very similar 

 in Scotland, but the latter extends south to England 1500 to 2700 

 feet, and Wales (3500 feet?). 



In Scotland J. trifidus occurs at 1650 feet (Sutherland), in 

 Shetland on Roeness Voe Hill (Beeby spec.}, 1470 feet, and up 

 to 4230 feet (Watson); while J. trighimis occurs at "Hill of 

 Colvadale, Unst, at the low elevation of 200-300 feet" (Beeby). 

 In Sweden these Junci are very rare ; while in Finland and 

 Russian Lapland they extend north to 69 40' N. Lat. (Hjelt). In 

 the "Journal of Botany," 1871, p. 112, Mr. J. G. Baker says there is 

 a specimen in Gay's herbarium sent by Dr. Greville from Braeriach, 

 which is referred by Gay to the Juncits Hostii of Tausch. Along 

 with it Gay writes "Ab simillima./ trifido differt culmis i-2-foliatis 

 non aphyllis." I find these on specimens from " Corrie of Loch 

 Ceander,' Glen Callater, S.Aberdeen; July 1883," W. F. Miller, 

 spec. ARTHUR BENNETT. 



Rhinanthus. In the Botaniska Notiser, 1904, Mr. CO. Osten- 

 feld has begun a series of papers entitled " Studier over nogle Former 

 af Slaegten Alectorolophus" the first of the series (pages 83-85, 97- 

 ii 6) being devoted to " Alectorolophus (sive Rhinanthus] apterus 

 (Fries, pro var.)." As there is much of interest in the notice, and 

 as it is not very accessible to British botanists, a brief abstract here 

 may prove acceptable. 



This includes Rhinanthns major, Ehrh., vars. stenoptera, Fr., and 

 aptera, Fr., of the "London Catalogue," Ed. 9, the author giving 

 reasons for the belief that stenoptera was founded on rather young 

 individuals of aptera, the seeds of which were not fully ripe. 

 The synonymy of the forms of R. major is fully discussed ; and the 

 conclusion arrived at is that R. apterus, is a true species, distinguished 

 from R. major by its unwinged seeds and by its being a weed 

 of cultivated ground. It is shown to be distributed in N.W. 

 Europe on light agricultural soils around the North Sea and along 

 the eastern shore of the Baltic. Its centre probably lay in West 

 Sweden and West Jutland, from which it spread west and east. 

 It was probably brought with seed to England and Scotland, perhaps 

 even in the time of the Norsemen. Its southern limit is not clearly 

 known, but it can scarcely pass beyond North Germany, where it 

 seems to be rare. 



1 "Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinburgh," i. 151, 1844. 



