HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



x 59 



BOTANICAL WORK FOR JULY. 



SUPPOSE any one absent from England for 

 many years, were to be landed, or placed on 

 our shores about the early part of summer, but to be 

 totally ignorant as to the month of the year, rambling 

 along the lanes and fields, and seeing a profusion of 

 the various though elegant species of Veroniac, he 

 would naturally say, "This must be the month of 

 May ! " So, in like manner, a little later in the season, 

 finding the willow-herbs scattered here and there 

 with a lavish hand— would he not exclaim: "This 

 is July!"? 



Our subject this month then must be to work up 

 the willow-herbs. We trust we shall make them so 

 simple and plain, that our meaning or descriptions 

 cannot be misunderstood, but make a large addition 

 of new forms to our herbaria of curious and distinct 

 varieties, which have hitherto been passed over : — 



Section i. Corolla irregular, "wheel-shaped {rotate). 

 In this section we have only one British species, 

 the handsome Rose-bay, Epilobium august/folium, 

 Linn., with its garden variety, E. brachycarpum, 

 Leight. 



Section 2. Elowers regular, campanulate, or 



fun n el-shaped. 



Note. — By carefully observing the characters of 



the following divisions, it will be easy afterwards to 



recognize the different species and varieties, without 



having the least doubt as to thier identity. 



Division i. Stems terete, stigma \-cleft. 



1. Epilobium hirsutum, Linn. Whole plant very- 

 hairy. L. opposite, oblong-lanceolate ; flowers large, 

 showy, rose-purple, often \ in. diameter ; the four 

 lobes of the stigma curled backwards (revolute) ; buds 

 erect. 



2. E. paivifiorum, Schreb. (E. molle, Lam., in 

 Fl. des Environs de Paris). A much smaller plant 

 than No. 1. Stigma lobes short, not bent back; L. 

 alternate ; flowers i in. diameter, rose-purple, more 

 or less pubescent. 



Var. a. E. rivulare, Wahl. Often quite glabrous 

 or smooth ; not unfrequent on the borders of shallow 

 brooks. 



Var. b. E. intermedium, Merat. Covered with 

 fine silky hairs. L. all alternate. Frequent by 

 stagnant ponds, &c. 



Yar. c. E. molle, pubescent. L. in threes, verticil- 

 late (whoiied) ; more rare than the above. By the 

 river at Kew. 



3. E. vwntanum, Linn. L. quite smooth, except 

 veins, ohXow^-ovate ; buds drooping ; flowers pale 

 purple. 



Var. a. E. gracile (Fl. des Environs de Paris). A 

 smaller plant, and much branched. L. oblong, on 

 short stalks ; flowers all drooping gracefully. 



Var. b. E. verticillatum, Thuret. L. small, whorled 

 in the lower part of the stem. 



Another variety, though probably not a permanent 

 one, with white flowers, is occasionally found in 

 plantations. 



4. E. lanceolatitm, Sebast. -Very rare. L. stalked, 

 lanceolate, narrowed to an entire base ; buds droop- 

 ing, ovate. 



Division 2. Stem with raised lines, or 2 to 4 

 angles, stigma entire, club-shaped. 



5. E. tdragonitm, Linn. Stem with 4 unequal 

 angles ; L. strap-shaped, smooth, stalkless ; buds 

 erect. A much-branched species. 



Var. a. E. obscurum, Schreb. L. tapering from 

 a rounded base, lanceolate, not shining above. We 

 regard this as a true species, as do most continental 

 authorities. ( Vide Gren and Godron.) 



6. E. paluslre, Linn. Stem 1 foot, simple, with 2 

 lines of hairs, seldom branched. L. mostly opposite, 

 downy on upper surface, smooth beneath, except 

 midrib, lanceolate, with -wedge-shaped base. Flowers 

 small, in leafy clusters. 



Var. a. E. pubescens, Cuss. Whole plant covered 

 with downy hairs, and densely branched. 



Var. b. E. ligulatum, Baker. L. toothed ; style 

 simple ; partakes much of the characters of palustre. 



In this month we must also keep a look-out for the 

 Loosestrife, Lythrum Salicaria, Linn. Being so well 

 known, it is not needful to describe it particularly ; 

 first , let us observe, Hooker, in ' 'S tudent's Flora, "notices 

 two varieties growing by the Thames, at Kew, — a long- 

 styled and short-styled plant. These have recently 

 attracted considerable attention, by observers of the 

 modes of fertilization, and justly so, for, even viewed 

 in this light, they are full of instruction. 



In the Floras of France, three varieties are enume- 

 rated. Having occasionally detected these, we mention 

 them with confidence, — it may throw a new charm 

 upon an old face to many of our readers. 



1. L. alter nifolium. Floral leaves alternate (rare- 

 ment toutes les feuilles alternes — Fl. des Environs de 

 Paris). We have not seen the whole of the leaves 

 alternate; as here described. Flowers pink. 



2. L. verticillatum. L. in threes, verticillate, 

 styles long. A smooth plant, slender, with narrow 

 leaves. Flowers bright or pale pink. 



3. L. pubescens. Style short, a large coarse plant. 

 Flowers dark dull-purple, very hairy (Plante tres- 

 pubescente, or plant very pubescent). Fl. des Environs 

 de Paris. 



The Sundews (Drosera) are becoming just now so 

 conspicuous that we may be pardoned by a passing 

 though brief reference to one of the species. Probably 

 Drosera oboz>ata (Mert. et Koch) has hitherto attracted 

 very little attention, from the fact, it is supposed to 

 be a hybrid betwixt D. anglica and D. rotundifolia, 

 but any one knowing the true plant, and observing 

 its habit, style, and capsule carefully, will never so 

 regard it. 



D. obovata, Mert. and Koch. L. truly oboz'ate, 



