Genus ILinum, Viola odorata. 281 



me that they are appendages to the plant. So far as my ob- 

 servation extends, these tubercles do not occur in any of the 

 other species of Galium. Perhaps some correspondent can 

 communicate whether they are peculiar to this species, and 

 can explain their probable use in the economy of the plant. 

 Shrewsbury, Dec, 1. 1834. 



[In the genus Zinum, not a few, perhaps all of the species 

 have very minute more or less yellow glands at the juncture 

 of the leaf with the stem : there is, if I have remembered 

 rightly, one gland on each side of the leaf of L. perenne ; while 

 about the base of the leaf of L. flavum, an exotic species not 

 extremely rare in the gardens of cultivators, there are, I 

 think, several. The only mention of the fact that glands 

 occur about the base of the leaf of, at least, certain linums, 

 that I have been able to find, is a mention of it, in relation 

 to L. glandulosum Mcench, in De Candolle's Prodromus, 

 1. 425., in the words " foliis basi biglandulosis ; " of this L. 

 glandulosum Mcench, the L. flavum, in which I have observed 

 the glands to be several, is there made a variety. Another 

 fact relative to certain linums in the mode of L. perenne is, 

 that, in all the flowers of one plant of a species, all the stamens 

 will be notably less tall than the styles ; and in all the flowers 

 of another plant the styles will be notably less tall than the 

 stamens ; and this when no such fact as a removal, &c, of 

 either of the plants, to enfeeble it, is present to contribute to 

 explain the difference. — J. D.~\ 



[VfOLA odorata : Images of endeared Scenes are connected 

 with it, and with other Plants, in one Mbid at least.'] — In my 

 rural walks [the communication is dated Dundee, Dec. 5. 

 1834] I frequently meet with fine banks of that minute and 

 highly curious moss Dicranum Z>ryoides, which is more 

 abundant in our vicinity than its allies D. fldiantoides and 

 D. taxifolium. The anomalous structure of the leaves of this 

 group of mosses (a fact mentioned by Dr. Hooker) is cer- 

 tainly very remarkable, and deserving of investigation from 

 those who are qualified for the task ; the more especially, as 

 we do not yet know for what purpose Nature has bestowed 

 upon these species such a singular structure. Notwithstand- 

 ing our ignorance on this point, the Dicranum bry'oides must 

 be a favourite ; for one cannot look upon this exquisitely 

 beautiful little plant without thinking of Mungo Park and the 

 deserts of Africa, and feeling a genial ray of that holy con- 

 Vol. VIII. — No. 49. u 



