HAllDWICKFS SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



1G3 



leaf of the fresh tea-plant {Tliea viridis), as noticed 

 iu his memoirs in the Montlihj Microscopical 

 Journal, December, 1873, and elsewhere. Tor any 

 account of plant-crystals, like that given by him, 

 with wood-cuts, in SciENCE-Gossir, May 1, 1873, 

 the botanist might look vainly into any of the most 

 recent and popular books which are put into the 

 hands of our pupils. But with the aid of potass, 

 which may be safely boiled in a German glass test- 

 tube over a spirit-lamp, and the subject ventilated 

 and popularized in Science-Gossip, we may expect 

 to promote a better knowledge than is at present 

 current in this country of minute phytotomy. — 



Artemisia c^rulescens (p. 136).— No wonder 

 that your correspondent (K. L. Grey) has not been 

 successful in finding any description of Artemisia 

 ccerulescens in "ordinary botanical books." Its 

 last public appearance as a "wild shrub" was, I 

 believe, iu the "English Botany" of Sowerby and 

 Smith, where we are informed (No. 2,426) that 

 Tofield had "assured Hudson that it grew wild 

 near Boston, in Lincolnshire." Gerarde had long 

 before also told us that in his days it occurred as a 

 native in the Isle of Wight and some other places ; 

 but there can be bttle doubt that this was an error 

 in both cases, and I am not aware that any other 

 botanist has ever even professed to have met with 

 it in the wild state ; neither does its Continental 

 distribution favour the possibility of its being indi- 

 genous in Britain. The Artemisia seen by your 

 correspondent growing in such abundance close to 

 the sea, was in all probability A. maritirna, which is 

 common enough in appropriate localities throughout 

 the English coasts, and is also found, although more 

 rarely, iu Scotland. Babington, iu his " Manual," 

 gives a variety, the salina of Willdenow, with the 

 flowers in unilateral racemes, which is perhaps the 

 especial form intended by the writer of the notice. 

 Between A. ccerulescens and maritirna there is no 

 resemblance whatever. — R. A. Pryor. 



Linnea'bok.ealis. — It may interest some of your 

 readers to know that the above interesting little 

 plant is growing vigorously and now flowering in 

 our woods at Stanmore. — E. Brightwen. 



Seaside Shrubs (Atriplex ualimus, &c.). — 

 The notice in the April number of Science-Gossip 

 on this shrub was written in ignorance of its having 

 already been introduced on our coast and iu Jersey as 

 a seaside shrub. It appears, however, from A. Morley's 

 statement in the June number of Science-Gossip, 

 and in the May number by " 1. 1. M.," to be used for 

 hedges not only in St. Brelade's Bay, Jersey, which 

 is a sheltered spot, but is " found on a very elevated 

 embankment (in the island) to protect the lower 

 portion of a garden, where nothing but the alder 

 will grow." A. Morley adds : " 1 have also noticed 



that it is being introduced into other parts of the 

 island for forming thick low hedges between 

 cornfields." K. Lilley Grey also informs us, in the 

 June number, that it is "growing in hedges at St. 

 Leonards, and seems to flourish well on the Hast- 

 ings sandstone." In the newly-planted ornamental 

 ground fronting the sea, on the West Brighton 

 Estate, may be seen an embankment of earth raised 

 to protect the shrubs and plants from the strong 

 winds, with a dwarf dead furze fence on the top 

 of the embankment, giving it an unsightly appear- 

 ance. If, instead of the dead furze, the Atriplex 

 halimus were planted thickly on the embankment, 

 it would speedily grow to a dense hedge, and 

 form a screen, which would be a durable and pleas- 

 ing object. The shrub is not only adapted for the 

 seaside, but in the south of France it thrives inland, 

 and would be found in England a good protection in 

 all exposed spots by sea or elsewhere. Neither of 

 the notices above referred to gives any information 

 as to its growth — whether it is slow or rapid, and 

 whether the leaves are at all affected by the strong 

 sea-breeze. As it is almost a stranger with us, any 

 information on the subject by those who have 

 observed its characteristics would be very accept- 

 able to persons who may be desirous of cultivating 

 it. I may here observe tliat the plan of an embank- 

 ment (say about three feet high), with the Atriplex 

 planted upon it, might be adopted with advantage 

 on the Undercliff road at Brighton. "When the 

 shrub becomes better known, no doubt it will be 

 extensively cultivated, not only as being ornamental, 

 but as a protection or screen. Many of your readers 

 must be able to add to the list of shrubs enumerated 

 or referred to in recent numbers of Science-Gossip 

 as suitable for seaside planting. Any information 

 on the subject would greatly forward the object 

 many have in view regarding their cultivation. It 

 is probable that the Juniperus communis and the 

 dwarf variety, /. nana, might succeed well as orna- 

 mental evergreens. Can any of your readers say if 

 they have been tried by the sea, and where ? They 

 grow in the mountains in Wales, Scotland, and Ire- 

 land. Withering says the /. nana grows on the 

 higher mountains of Scotland, and is abundant in 

 the outer Hebrides nearly as low as the level of the 

 sea. The Juniperus prostrata was growing many 

 years ago in Brighton ; it is a handsome evergreen, 

 and likely to succeed by the sea, being prostrate, 

 with horizontal branches spreading -on the ground 

 like the Cotoneaster. The Erench cultivate the 

 JvjiiperHS Sahina under the names of /. compressi- 

 folia and /. iamariscifolia, male and female. (See 

 Bon Jardinier.) They resemble the /. prostrata in 

 character and appearance, and would most probably 

 succeed by the sea. They are abundant in Switzer- 

 land, on the road between Loesche la Ville and the 

 Baths of Loesche at the foot of Gemmi Pass.— /T., 

 Brighton. 



