278 



HAilDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The following plants occur, among many commoner 

 species, beneath, the- concrete wall of the Marine 

 Parade, between the Aquarium and the eastern ex- 

 tremity of Kemp Town. The station is of course, 

 at present, hardiy a natural one; but even thus some 

 conclusions may perliaps be drawn as to the original 

 flora of the locality. It is probable, however, that 

 the works connected with the new road now in 

 course of formation will lead to the extirpation of 

 not a few of the plants included in the annexed list; 

 and indeed already this autumn I have failed to find 

 Centaurea calcitrapam the station named, although 

 it still holds its ground a little farther to the east- 

 ward, between Kemp Town and Biackrock. Diplo- 

 taxis muralis, D.C. ; Spergidaria negleda, Syme ; 

 Medicago maculata, Sibth. ; Trifolimn fragiferum, L.; 

 Centaurea calcitrapa, L. ; Carduus marianus, L. ; 

 Leontodon liirtus, L. ; Plantago coronopus, L. ; Beta 

 maritima, L. ; Atriplex Bahingtonii, Woods. Along 

 list for so unlikely a locality. — B. A, Pryor. 



Eake Plants. — It may be interesting to some 

 botanists, who at any future time may visit Jersey, 

 to know that Rcaiunnulus opJdoglossifollus is extinct 

 at St. Peter's Marsh or Goose Green, the marsh 

 having been drained. Ranuncuhis clicerophyllos is 

 to be found near St. Brelade's Bay. This somewhat 

 compensates for the loss of the former. Allium 

 sph/trocepJialum still grows plentifully on the sands 

 of St. Aubin's Bay, though the railway has cut 

 through where it was most plentiful. (Enothera 

 odorata grows in the same locality with the above. 

 Biotis maritima is to be found at St. Oueu's Bay, 

 and I also found Bupleurum aristatum on the hills 

 above the bay, growing with Thesium humifusttm, a 

 new locality I believe for both plants. Helianthe- 

 mum guttatum is plentiful on the hills near St. Bre- 

 lade's and St. Ouen's bays. — Thomas Bates Blow, 

 Wehvyn, Herts. 



The Sea-Buckthorx. — On a visit to the east 

 coast of Norfolk last month (Oct.), I saw growing 

 on the sand-hills between Scratley and Hemsley, 

 for about half a mile in extent, an abundance of 

 HippopJiae rJuimnoides. In some spots they were 

 clumped together in dense masses, and at that time 

 were covered thick with orange-coloured berries, 

 which contrasted beautifully with the silvery-looking 

 leaves of the plant. This shrub belongs to the 

 Elffiagnese order, and is dioecious. The two sexes 

 are upon different plants. The inconspicuous 

 flowers are produced on the old wood, in the spring, 

 in the axil of the young leaves. In the male flowers 

 the calyx is composed of two equal roundish lobes, 

 four stamens very short, with rather large oblong 

 anthers. The female has an oblong tubular calyx, 

 slightly cloven at the top, containing a single 

 germen, with a short, thick, recurved style. The 

 berry somewhat elliptical, orange-coloured, very 



juicy, acid, and astringent, containing an oblong 

 shining black seed, with a groove on one side. The 

 leaves are of a silvery white beneath, like the back 

 of a looking-glass, occasioned by the abundance of 

 the radiating hairs, or scales, which make beau- 

 tiful microscopic objects. The upper surface of the 

 leaves is of a dark green, scattered over with 

 similar scales. The wood is hai'd, and the branches 

 of the preceding year terminate in stiff thorns. 

 This plant is distributed through the north of 

 Europe and central Asia. In Hussia it is found in 

 low sandy situations, more particularly in the sub- 

 alpine districts about the Caucasus, and it is 

 abundant throughout a great part of Tartary, where 

 the inhabitants make a preserve of the fruit, and 

 serve it up with milk and cheese as great dainties. 

 In Sweden and the south of Prance an acid sauce 

 is made of the berries, which imparts a grateful 

 flavour to fresh fish. In Dauphiny (a former pro- 

 vince of Prance) a decoction is made from these 

 berries to remove cutaneous eruptions. Sheep will 

 feed on the leaves and berries iu poor maritime 

 pastures. This shrub is extremely useful on the 

 sea coast, as, by its roots and suckers, which it 

 freely sends up, it helps to fix the drifting sand, 

 along with the Marram {Psamma arenaria) and 

 other sea-grasses. It may be planted in elevated 

 and exposed situations, where few other shrubs 

 will grow. When trained to a single stem it 

 forms a very interesting tree, but will not pro- 

 duce fruit unless both sexes are planted contigu- 

 ously. Loudon mentions that in his time there 

 were some large trees at Syon, one of which was 

 33 feet high, with a trunk II inches in diameter, 

 and a fine head 17 feet iu diameter. There was 

 also a male plant near the palace at Kew, 25 feet 

 high. The English names for this plant are Sea 

 Buckthorn, Sallow Thorn, and, iu Norfolk, Wir- 

 wivvle. — Query from A.-S. wii; a myrtle, and wifel, 

 a barb, or arrow?— Zf. G. G., 12, Tlimter-street , 

 Brunsicick-square. 



Botanical Signs — Our correspondent E. C. 

 Lefroy, referring to the signs used by naturalists 

 to!denote sex, is, I think, mistaken in associating 

 the feminine sign with the goddess Ceres ; it being 

 clearly the astronomical symbol of the planet 

 Venus. — Thos. Agar. 



Pebeipugal Pbopekties of Gum-trees.— The 

 Dally Telegraph has published the following remarks 

 on this important subject :— At the last meeting of 

 the Prench Academy of Science, a very interesting 

 paper was read by M. Gimbert. Its subject was 

 the alleged febrifugal properties of the Australian 

 tree. Eucalyptus globulus, which is said to have the 

 curious and valuable power of destroying the 

 malarious element in any atmosphere where it 

 grows. The species in question is one of that 



