HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



{canina) was applied by him to the present and 

 another species, V. canina of Babington's "Manual." 

 When it was found needful to separate the two, this 

 name was restricted by Fries to the one now recog- 

 nized as the true canina, and he proposed sylvatica 

 as the present species. Most European botanists at 

 once adopted his views, but it was some time before 

 we recognized the new species. But we wish to call 

 the attention of our readers to another fact, which 

 may be advantageously worked at in every district, 

 for V. sylvatica comprehends two well-marked 

 varieties, viz., a. Riviniana, b. Rcichcnbachiana. 

 We have many book species, with not near the 

 distinctive characters possessed by the above. 

 V. Riviniana, Rich., has the leaves broadly cordate, 

 acute ; calycine appendages persistent, broad ; petals 

 blue, remarkably broad, lower one with many 

 branched veins at its base ; spur thick, cream-coloured, 

 or very light blue. V. Reichenbachiana, Bor. , leaves cor- 

 data, prolonged; calycine appendages small, narrow ; 

 petals bright lilac, lower one with parallel, few, nearly 

 simple veins at its base; spur flattened, light lilac. If 

 the above varieties are once recognized, they will 

 never again be mistaken. The common form, that 

 often called V. canina, Linn., is seen as a roadside 

 plant on every sunny bank or sandy lane in 

 the northern counties, but V. Reichenbachiana is 

 generally found, and then very sparingly, in deep, 

 damp ravines and glens, where the sun seldom 

 penetrates, although sometimes seen on the same 

 bank with the common form. It may be identified 

 at a glance, the peculiar lilac petals exceedingly 

 narrow when compared with any other species ; also 

 the narrow, often sharp-pointed spur, just tinted with 

 pale lilac : the leaves are, when young, pale green, 

 not thick, fleshy, and dark green, like Riviniana, 

 and it is altogether the prettiest violet known in the 

 British islands. 



Draba vema, L. — Continental authors make six 

 species out of our earliest spring gem, the " Whitlow 

 Grass " {Draba vema). We have often wondered 

 how many of these could be found on our old walls 

 or sandy pastures. After fifteen years' experience in 

 the northern counties and Wales chiefly, we can only 

 detect three varieties, for we do not think they can 

 fairly take rank as species. From Boreau, "Flore 

 ■die Centre de la France," we take the following; so that 

 our friends, who may have the opportunity, may work 

 them out : — I. Erophila (Draba) brachycarpa, Jord. 

 Leaves oval, lanceolate, narrowed at both extremities, 

 entire, clothed with simple and bifurcate hairs ; flower- 

 stalks slender ; sepals oval, hispid ; petals oboval, 

 oblong ; pedicels flexuose, 2-4 times longer than the 

 silicules ; silicule very obtuse at summit ; seeds 

 elliptical, few in number. Loc. old walls and 

 rocks; " the first to flower." 2. E. glabrescens, Jord. 

 Leavesdark-green, lanceolate, narrow, gradually taper- 

 ing into a long petiole, often smooth ; sepals oval, a 

 little hairy ; petals oboval, oblong, with slightly 



spreading lobes ; pedicels hardly three times as long 

 as the silicules ; silicules nearly evenly oblon<r, 

 elliptical ; style very short ; seeds 20-24 in each 

 hemicarp. Loc. dry open places. 3. E. viedioxima, 

 Jord. Characters same as in E. glabrescens, 

 only the pedicels are longer, 4-5 times the length 

 of the silicule. 4. E. hirtella, Jord. Leaves linear 

 lanceolate, pointed, narrowed into a broad petiole, 

 often furnished on each side with one or two very 

 sharp teeth, covered on both sides with long, spread- 

 ing, often bifurcate hairs ; flower-stalks flexuose, 

 hispid at their base ; sepals oval oblong, a little 

 unequal at the base, clothed above with long recurved 

 hairs ; petals oblong ; seeds oval, brown, covered 

 with minute points, 30-35 in each cell. Loc. sandy 

 places. 5. E. stenocarpa, Jord. Leaves linear, pointed, 

 narrowed into a footstalk of nearly their own 

 width, covered with numerous bifurcate hairs ; flower- 

 stalks flexuose, numerous, in crowded tufts ; sepals 

 oblong, hispid ; petals oblong ; seeds oval, pale brown, 

 a little rough, about 40 in each cell. Loc. dry 

 open places. 6. E. majuscida, Jord. Leaves ashy- 

 green, oblong oboval, a little pointed, wedge-shaped 

 at the base, with a petiole slightly narrower than 

 their own breadth, entire, or more usually bordered 

 with strong teeth, clothed with short, thickly-set 

 bi- or tri-furcate hairs ; flower-stalks often hispid in 

 their lower half; sepals rounded oval, slightly hispid 

 near the summit ; petals large, nearly three times size 

 of calyx, oboval, veined, with wide obtuse lobes ; 

 seeds oval, pale brown, finely covered with raised 

 tubercles, 40 in each cell. Loc. dry sandy pas- 

 tures. They are thus divided dichotomously : — 

 I. Lobes of petals, more or less apart, spreading, 3 ; 

 lobes of petals nearly contiguous, 2. — 2. Silicules 

 rounded, very obtuse at the top, 1 ; silicules oblong, 

 much narrowed below, 4.-3. Leaves linear or lan- 

 ceolate, narrow, 4; leaves oblong oboval, 6. — 4. 

 Sepals oval silicules oblong, elliptical, 5 ; sepals ob- 

 long ; silicules linear oblong, 5. — 5. Pedicels hardly 

 three times the length of silicule, 2 ; pedicels 4-5 times 

 as long as the silicule, 3. We have met with No. 1, 



D. brachycarpa, Jord.. frequently in sheltered nooks ; 

 also D. glabrescens, Jord. : the latter comes into flower 

 a week^or two later, and is what we have recognized 

 as our "common " plant. Then occasionally we have 

 come across what we should most unmistakably name 



E. majuscida, Jord. : however, as it is an open ques- 

 tion, we hope it may soon be settled, as to whether 

 we have two, or three, or even six varieties amongst 

 us. F, 



Glow-worms. — Returning from Barnstaple on 

 Friday evening, the 22nd of February, I was surprised 

 to observe a glow-worm shining as brilliantly as in 

 summer. To be certain I was not deceived, I caught 

 and brought it safely home in a vesta box. Is it not 

 very rare to see them at this time of the year? — Art hit/ 

 Smyth, Parracombe, North Dcz<on. 



