HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



i59 



divided stems, though this peculiarity is not constant 

 in all the plants. 



The branched broom-rape is a very distinct species, 

 being usually of a pale yellow or straw colour, and 

 seldom exceeding six or eight inches in height. The 

 branches spring almost immediately from the root, 

 and in an upright position, and are, at the point of 

 juncture, slightly enlarged. When fresh, or in a grow- 

 ing state, the stem is almost cylindrical, but becomes 

 angular when old, is slightly pubescent, of a dirty 

 yellow colour, and furnished with but very few scales. 

 It is usually found on hemp, and for this reason is 

 perhaps less plentiful than if hemp crops were 

 more generally cultivated. This is an annual species, 

 but is readily propagated by sowing the seeds along 

 with those of the hemp, to the root of which it will 

 soon become attached. 



The purple or blue broom-rape (O. caruled) is a 

 small growing plant, rarely reaching a foot in height, 

 and readily distinguished from any other member of 

 the family by the colour of the flowers, which is of all 

 shades, from pale violet to a deep purplish blue. It 

 is occasionally found branched, though much less 

 seldom than the former species. 



In the Channel Islands this plant is pretty abun- 

 dant, more so than in England, where it has only been 

 found in Hampshire and Norfolk, and there always 

 parasitic on Achillea millefolium. 



{To be continued.) 



HOLIDAY RAMBLES 



THROUGH WIGTONSHIRE. 



By G. Claridge Druce, F.L.S. 



{Continued from p. 132.] 



THE third day was by rail to Castle Kennedy, the 

 magnificent demesne of the Earl of Stair, whose 

 judicious taste has made the park one of the most 

 beautiful in Britain, and the collection of conifers 

 so extensive and interesting as to be a great attraction 

 to horticulturists from all parts of Britain, its 

 avenue of the steel blue Finns nobilis being an 

 especial feature ; while the enormous extent of the 

 terraces, the fine view of the White Loch, the 

 well-grown araucarias, all contribute to the general 

 effect, and render a visit to Loch Insh a day of 

 great enjoyment. In the extensive piece of water 

 called the W T hite Loch, which stretches for nearly a 

 mile to the west of Castle Kennedy, Lobelia Dort- 

 mania, Littorella, Scirpus palustris, etc. occurred. 

 In the round pond grew Alisma ranunculoides, 

 var. subrepens, which possibly is the Alisma natans 

 of the ' Botanist's Guide ' recorded from the Black 

 Loch, but in which no trace of it could be found. 



Filularia occurred also, with Helcsciadium inun- 

 datum, in the round pond. On the ruins of Castle 



Kennedy Linaria purpurea is completely naturalised, 

 as is Polemo)iiuin in the grounds. In the Black Loch 

 grew Potamogcton heterophyllus ; while the dry grassy 

 slope, cut into terrace gardens, yielded Gentiana 

 campcslris, Aira pnecox, Lysimachia nemorum, Carex 

 prcecox, Origanum, and Orchis pyramidalis. By the 

 side of the Black Loch Galium uliginosum occurred, 

 and Nuphar and Nymphaa grew in its waters. As 

 to the indigeneity of these latter it is difficult to state. 



Between Loch Insh and Innermessan Hypericum 

 humifusum, Armaria rubra, Ornithopus, grew in 

 plenty ; while the sandy and shingly tract of sea-board 

 between Intermessan and Stranraer afforded Atriplex 

 Babingtonii, Silene mariiima, a most profuse growth 

 of Armeria, Plantago maritima, Sclerochloa lobacea, 

 Honkeneya, Sagina mariiima, S. nodosa (not the typi- 

 cal form, nor yet the form glandulosa), Plantago co- 

 ronopus, Zostera marina, Polygonum Raii, Lcpigonum 

 salinum. In a little brook that ran into the sea near 

 Intermessan, Ranunculus truncatus grew, and a 

 maritime form of Fumaria Borcei was frequent on 

 the shingle. A solitary specimen of Mentha alopecu- 

 roides grew near Stranraer. This day yielded nearly 

 50 additional species. 



The fourth day was spent in first strolling up the 

 Bree-side above Newton. In the shady woods were 

 gathered Solidago virga-aurea (a rare plant in Wig- 

 ton), Pyrola minor, Luzula sylvatica and pilosa, 

 Sanicula, Geu?n rivale and intermedium, Thahctrum 

 sp., probably Kochii, but the achenes had not formed ; 

 Rubus saxatilis, Hieracium boreale, Asperula odorata, 

 Melica uniflora, Chrysosplenium opposit, 'folium, Allium 

 ursinum, Trollius Furopwus, Mercurialis (rare in 

 Wigton), and a Melampyruin, a form of pratense so 

 similar to sylvaticum as to be mistaken for it, the 

 book description of the species contributing to the 

 error. This had the deep yellow flowers with open 

 mouth of sylvaticum, but their size and spreading 

 growth were like pratense, to which plant the bracts 

 and capsule brought it. It was quite different from 

 the var. montanum. The non-occurrence of sylvaticum 

 renders the hybrid theory untenable.* Galium boreale, 

 the only mountain and almost the only northern 

 plant, grew at the base of the cliff, but Wigtonshire 

 can scarcely own it as a native, since its home was 

 undoubtedly the high ground of the Cairnsmore of 

 Fleet, from which the seeds had been carried by the 

 Cree. Between Glen Cree and Glenrazie Silene 

 inflata was picked in its only locality noticed, and also 

 a pink-flowered form of Lychnis vespertina. Viola 

 lutca, var. amosna, also grew here, and about 

 Challoch a small patch of Equisetum sylvaticum. 

 Further work for the day was prevented by my 

 ankle, which had been dislocated in Forfarshire and 

 had been troublesome all along, at length preventing 

 further walking, but about thirty additional plants 

 had been noticed during the morning's walk. 



Dr 



Since described as Melampyrum pratense, L. var. Mans, 



