210 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Sept. 1, 1870. 



BOTANY. 



Herb Paris (p. 164).— The Rev. J. S. Hinslow, 

 in his paper on Paris quadrifolia (Loudon's Mag. 

 Nat. Hist., v. 431, 1S32) records two examples only, 

 out of 1,500 which he examined, in which the num- 

 ber and arrangement of parts was the same as that 

 mentioned by Mr. Acland. In one instance there 

 were 10 stamens, in the other 9. I have more than 

 once met with a dandelion similar to that which he 

 describes. — James Britten, F.L.S. 



Holly in Berry (p. 1S6).— I have seen trees 

 similarly full of berry in several places during July, 

 and one at Uxbridge on the 31st of that month. 

 Mr. Henry Reeks, in Nature, for June 9, draws 

 attention to the same circumstance, and seeks an 

 explanation of it. — James Britten. 



English Plant-Names. — Our correspondents, 

 who have so kindly responded to our appeal for 

 assistance, as well as other readers of these pages 

 who take an interest in this matter, may wonder — 

 and not without reason — why the book upon 

 "English Plant-Names," which we have for some 

 time announced as being in preparation, should be 

 so long in making its appearance. But the great 

 number of independent lists of names which have 

 reached us from all parts of Great Britain, and more 

 especially of England, entailing a vast amount of 

 comparison and correspondence; the pouderous 

 volumes containing the writings of the old English 

 herborists that have had to be waded through, and 

 the plants mentioned in them identified ; the 

 numerous local glossaries that have had to be con- 

 sulted ; the archaic dictionaries that have had to be 

 turned over, page by page; to say nothing of little 

 bits of information that we have picked out and 

 jotted down from many.books on many subjects, — 

 all these have caused our work 10 grow upon us to 

 such a degree, that it has become far more bulky 

 and laborious than we at first contemplated, and we 

 have thus been hindered from redeeming our pro- 

 mises as soon as we could have wished. We hope, 

 however, to complete our preparations early next 

 year, and shall be glad if those who have any further 

 communications to make will do so as soon as pos- 

 sible. x\ny lists of, or notes on, Scotch or Irish 

 names will be especially welcome, as in these we 

 are somewhat deficient. The mass of folk-lore and 

 tradition in connection with our subject which has 

 "cropped up" during our inquiries, has, however, 

 proved so extensive, that w e have determined on 

 preparing a separate volume, to be devoted exclu- 

 sively to the folk-lore — either of botany alone, or of 

 natural history generally ; and with this end in view 

 we again confidently ask our friends for contribu- 

 tions. There may still be found, in the far-away 

 corners of old England, the relics of many strange 



customs and of curious popular beliefs, with many 

 legends and traditionsconnected with natural history; 

 these it is our object to secure and put on permanent 

 record, ere the sure and steady "march of intellect" 

 shall consign them to oblivion. Communications 

 may be addressed to either of us as below, or through 

 the Editor of Science-Gossip. — James Britten, 

 F.L.S. , Royal Herbarium, Kew, W.; Robert Holland, 

 2Iobberli/, Knutsford, Cheshire. 



Limnanthes Douglasii.— Strolling last June 

 along the banks of the Thames near Reading, be- 

 tween Purley and Pangbourne, I noticed, growing 

 close on the edge of the water, what, at first sight, 

 appeared to be a very large water ranunculus ; but, 

 on getting down the bank and gathering it, I found 

 that it had a five-lobcd ovary and definite stamens. 

 On walking on a few yards I saw a second cluster, 

 and further on another ; the plant growing in little 

 tufts here and there for about two hundred yards 

 along the bank, having already, or bidding fair to, 

 establish itself. After some inquiry it proved to 

 be Limnanthes Douglasii, a plant belonging to the 

 small North American natural order Limuantheacea; . 

 The following is a short description of it : — Stem 

 trailing, succulent, glabrous. Leaves alternate, 

 exstipulate, pinnate. Peduncles one -flowered. 

 Flowers [regular. Sepals five, valvate, lanceolate. 

 Petals five, yellow at the base, white at the apex, 

 emarginate. Stamens ten. Ovary superior, five- 

 lobed, with one ovule in each lobe. Style one. 

 Undoubtedly, the plant first sprung up here from 

 seeds carried down the river from some garden 

 higher up. It seems, however, more probable that, 

 having found a suitable home, the present number 

 of individuals is rather the results of seeds ripened 

 on the spot, than that they are all the product of 

 those thus brought in one season. Hence it is not 

 unlikely that this may have to be included among 

 our naturalized plants. — A. French, Banbury. 



Bartsia Odontites (Huds.). — As Dr. Bromfield 

 (Flora Vectensis, p. 362) records two localities 

 in the island, where the white-floweredjorm of this 

 plant has been found, I presume it is sufficiently 

 rare to merit the re-insertion of a third habitat in 

 which I have met with it during the last few days 

 — viz., at Soak Farm, and near Freshwater mill, 

 Freshwater. (P. 186, 2nd col. of Science-Gossip, 

 for "wild" read "milk" thistle.)— A>. T.,M.A. 



Bog Plants, Freshwater, Isle of Wight. — 

 Dr. Bromfield states that he never saw Ulricularia 

 vulgaris, L., or Cladium Mariscus, R. Br., in flower 

 at Easton Marsh. The former is now (August 7) 

 in fine condition, and was also in. tlowcr about the 

 same date two years ago. The latter is in fruit, 

 with evidence of numerous plants having been in 

 flower this season. These last were close to the 

 water, if ti'eir roots were not actually in the water, 



