HARD WICKE' S SCIENCE- G OS SI P. 



259 



the downs, on the zigzag footpaths up St. Vincent's 

 rocks, in the shady glades of Leigh Woods, or by 

 the salt marshes of the Avon, I found the lingering 

 remains of an abundant flora, presenting many points 

 of interest to one strange in this locality. Both the 

 season and place favoured plants of the umbelliferous 

 order. It might be previous want of observation, 

 but I never recollect finding so many species of these 

 confusing genera growing in one district. Accus- 

 tomed to hunt for plants, this peculiarity struck me 

 at once. Descending to the Avon by the path imme- 

 diately below the suspension bridge, I noticed Torilis 

 nodosa (knotted hedge parsley), a procumbent plant 

 with graceful and feathery leaves, cut like minute 

 parsley and axillary clusters of sessile, inconspicuous 

 flowers succeeded by prickly seeds. On the highest 

 point of the cliffs a profusion of Fceniculum vulgare 

 (fennel) grew, with numerous umbels of yellow 

 flowers and filiform leaflets. At the base of the 

 rocks Apium graveolens (celery) was quickly revealed, 

 if only by its nauseous smell. I believe it is a fact 

 that the wild plant, growing in moist situations, is 

 poisonous. On the bare rocks Petroselimtm sativum 

 (parsley) luxuriated ; it has all the properties of the 

 garden plant, but the leaves are more bluntly cut, 

 and lack the crinkled appearance. If indigenous at 

 all, I think this is a likely situation. Daucus carota 

 (carrot) was abundant, easily recognised by large 

 umbels surrounded by involucrum, each segment of 

 which is divided. Pimpinclla saxifraga (Burnet 

 saxifrage) is plentiful on the downs, while P. magna 

 (great Burnet sax) grows on certain parts of the 

 cliffs. I suppose, independent of size, there are 

 specific distinctions in these two plants ; the terminal 

 leaflet being divided into three parts, in the latter 

 species, is perhaps the best marked difference. Grow- 

 ing almost side by side in Leigh Woods I found two 

 species that might easily be confused. The first was 

 the common Hcracleum Sphondylium (cow parsnip), 

 with tall umbels of evil-smelling flowers, rough 

 stem, and irregularly bluntly cut foliage. The second 

 was of equal size, with similar umbel of flowers, not 

 evil scented, however, and having smooth stems, 

 with leaves perfectly regular, the pinnace tapering to 

 a point ; it was the Angelica sylvestris (wild angelica). 

 By the roadside Anthriscus sylvestris (chervil), A. 

 vulgaris (spreading chervil), and Charophyllum temu- 

 lentum (rough chervil) grew. Although there is 

 nothing rare in the above, I think it instructive to 

 find so many allied genera near together. It is 

 wonderful how easy the identification of the Umbel- 

 liferae becomes when the various species are carefully 

 examined by means of the ripened seeds. Some are 

 rough and bristled, others are ribbed, but smooth; 

 each has a distinct form and peculiarity. I may be 

 pardoned for introducing these remarks, which are 

 not for accomplished botanists, but for the beginner, 

 who is apt to be puzzled by a cursory study of 

 umbelliferous plants, as I have often been myself. 



It was late in the year for the rare Aral/is stricter, 

 which finds a habitat on these limestones ; I could 

 not find even the seed-pods. But I cannot forbear 

 to mention a deserted patch of waste ground beneath 

 a stone quarry, and immediately beside the Avon- 

 mouth railway ; covering a small acre of ground a 

 great variety of weeds struggled for existence with 

 each other, common enough for the most part, but 

 yielding a typical collection of British wild flowers in 

 blossom in the later summer months. Within half- 

 an-hour I had observed thirty-eight species of plants ; 

 I dare say there were more, but time was limited. 

 Amongst the wealth of tansy, hemp agrimony, 

 figwort, willow herbs, scabious, dyer's green 

 weed, wormwood, toad flax, geranium, flea-bane, 

 marjoram, comfrey, purple loosestrife, St. John's 

 wort, knap weeds, clematis, feverfew, and perfoliate 

 yellow wort, in delightful confusion, I saw a few 

 plants less familiar to me. Calamintha nepeta (the 

 lesser calamint) appeared to me a distinct form of 

 that genus ; Inula conyza (spikenard) = Conyza 

 sqziarrosa, appeared plentiful ; Verbena officinalis 

 (vervain) was here and there ; Solidago virga-aurea 

 (golden rod) crowned every rock in full glory ; Hel- 

 minthia echioides (ox-tongue) was also attractive, and 

 great masses of Centranthus ruber (red valerian) wild 

 as far as I could judge. Growing together were two 

 medicks — M. maculata, with black spots on the 

 leaflets, and M. denticulata, with circular seed-pods ; 

 Diplotaxis tenuifolia (wall rocket) grew freely on 

 the rocks — I almost think the smaller species, D. 

 muralis, occurred near at hand ; mignonette, the 

 rock rose, and other plants were prominent. Alto- 

 gether this was a pleasant little corner. Wandering 

 about in other directions I saw the remains of 

 Hypericum Androstcmum (tutsan), and two of the less 

 common geraniums, G. sanguineum and G. colum- 

 binum, still in flower. In the salt-marshes by the 

 Avon, Aster tripolium (sea aster), Plantago maritima 

 (sea plantain), and Armeria marina (sea sand-wort) 

 flourished. Returning to the downs, Thalictrum 

 alpinum (meadow rue) met my eye, with Hieracium 

 pilosella, splendid heads of Carduus nutans, Cnicus 

 acaulis, and an abundance of Crepis virens. It should 

 be stated that these names are all taken from 

 Sowerby's "British Wild Plants;" I have not the 

 London Catalogue, and am not familiar with the 

 more recent nomenclature. — Wayfarer. 



Floral Monstrosities.— It may interest some of 

 your readers to hear of a peloric form of La7>iiicm 

 Galeobdolon which I found on Colley Hill, Surrey, in 

 May last. Only a terminal flower exhibited the 

 deviation from the normal form of corolla. The 

 corolla had five regular lobes, each lobe with the 

 usual reddish marks : the calyx was six-toothed, but 

 the other organs were normal. I shall be pleased to 

 hear if any of my fellow readers have observed this 

 form. Mr. James Britten, to whom I showed my 



