200 Rdrosprclive Criticisuu 



charming bo^gy meadow, on the skirts of Chemsley Wood, near Coleshil!, 

 abounding witli Pingiiicula, Drosera, Parnassia, Eriophorum, Oxycoccos, 

 i'pipactis, &c., and the breeding-phice, too, of Hipparchi« GahuhajV, and of 

 the far rarer Melitae^a A'rtemi*, in short, one of nature's own botanical gar- 

 dens, which has long since shared a similar fate with the pit of Aspidiuni 

 Thelypteris, in this parisli. I was delighted with this spot in my youth, 

 and have spent many an hour in exploring its natural treasures. The last 

 time I saw it I was attended by a botanical friend, who accompanied me for 

 the purpose of being introduced to a place where he might collect bog 

 plants for cultivation in his garden ; when, to our surprise and mortifica- 

 tion, we found the whole meadow, the former residence of such plants as 

 Narthecium, Triglochin, &c., converted into a prolific potato^round. 

 But it is not only to the cultivation of waste lands, and to agricultural 

 improvements, that the extermination of some of our rarer plants is owing; 

 it may be attributed, also, in part at least, to the rapacity of botanists and 

 collectors, who in some cases too greedily pluck up, root and branch, every 

 specimen of a rare plant they can meet with. It is owing to this cause, in 

 great measure, that the beautiful Cypripedium Calceolus (that prince of 

 British Orchidcee) is now, I believe, scarcely to be found in the wilds^ of 

 Yorkshire. 



Though my remarks have already extended to a much greater length than 

 I anticipated, I cannot conclude them without briefly reverting again to the 

 subject v/ith which they commenced. Last autumn, about the time that I 

 communicated the notice of /'ris tuberosa, 1 procured some roots from the 

 friend's garden before alluded to, where (as I have said) the plant thrived 

 and bloomed so well. These roots were strong and vigorous, and appa- 

 rently gave every promise of flowering in the ensuing spring. My friend, 

 indeed, selected such as she said she Vv'as confident, from the thickness of 

 the shoots, would produce blossoms. These were planted in my garden, 

 and fenced during winter from the severity of the frost by some dry fern. 

 There, hovv'cver, they produced no flowers. The failure, you will at once 

 be ready to suggest, was ovring to the removal of the roots ; and possibly 

 it might be so. In the spring I paid a visit again to my friend's garden, 

 expecting to see the /^ris, as heretofore, Vv'ith some twenty or thirty blos- 

 soms in full beauty ; but, strange to say, though no alteration in the mode 

 of culture had been adopted, not a single flower v/as produced there, during 

 the season, from patches of the plant v/hich previously, for seven or eight 

 years, had flowered so copiously. What was the cause of this failure, and 

 how it is to be remedied, I am at a loss even to conjecture, and should be 

 glad to be informed. In superstitious times it might, perhaps, be said, that 

 the spirit of the 7'ris was affronted at my interference, and withheld its 

 blossoms in disapprobation of the liberties which I had taken v.'ith it. And 

 in truth it must be considered as a most capricicus plant as regards the dis- 

 play of its sombre charms. But enough ; as I greatly fear the above maj' 

 be deemed a dry and tedious discussion by the majority of your readers. 

 To the congenial mind of Mr. Lees it may not, perhaps, prove uninterest- 

 ing. To that gentleman my thanks are due, for the handsome manner in 

 which he is pleased to speak of my contributions. Yours, &c. — W. T. 

 Bree. AUesley Rectory, October 2 7 .' 1 83 L 



Vrls tuberosa is a Native of Comma//, on the following evidence : — Mr. 

 Arthur Biggs, curator of the Botanic Garden, Cambridge, received, about 

 four years ago, tubers of a plant from a brother of Mr. Goode's, St. John's 

 Street, Cambridge, which were obtained in Cornwall, and near the sea ; and 

 Mr. Biggs was informed that these tubers were of a plant that is plentiful 

 and wild in that neighbourhood, but where nothing is known of its name. 

 These tubers, on being planted, developed plants of Pr:s tuberosa, past all 

 question; for, although they have not yet produced flowers, 7. tuberosa is, 

 I believe, the only species of plant, out of the several thousands which 



