Mr. W. A. Leighton on Epilobium angustifolium 247 



following descriptions, which although agreeing in all essen- 

 tials with Mr. Stephens's characters, will perhaps afford a few 

 additional particulars not altogether uninteresting, as evincing 

 the very close approximation of the two plants in everything 

 except size of the flowers and the form and size of the capsules. 

 Their chief differences are marked in italics. 



E. angustifolium, Linn. 



Stem 3 — 4 feet or more high, roundish, glabrous, shining, simple, 

 virgate, branched. Leaves alternate, on very short petioles, linear, 

 acuminate, more or less rounded at the base, mucronate, shallowly 

 but distinctly calloso-denticulate, with a strong central rib, from 

 which smaller lateral ribs are given off in an oblique direction, 

 which again unite in curves at a short distance from the margins, 

 dark opake green and wrinkled with veins on the upper sur- 

 face, pale glaucous green beneath, glabrous. Racemes terminal 

 and axillary, simple, leafy, smooth, slightly pubescent above. 

 Flowers solitary, on simple densely pubescent peduncles about 

 equal to the germen, lower ones in the axils of the upper leaves 

 which diminish upwards into bracteas, arcuate in flower, more 

 or less erect afterwards. Flower -buds linear- oblong, obliquely 

 acute. Sepals 4, linear, acute, one-third shorter than petals, spread- 

 ing, pubescent externally, glabrous within, purplish-red, 5 — 7- 

 nerved. Petals 4, spreading, orbicular, suddenly contracted into 

 a short claw, emarginate, wavy or wrinkled at the margin, pale 

 pinky purple with darker veins. Filaments dilated and converging 

 at the base, declined, upwards, thickened immediately beneath 

 the anther. Pollen triquetrous, occupying four divisions in 

 length on a micrometer of n&rath °f an inch, pale whitish green. 

 Capsule scarcely an inch long, linear -oblong , subattenuate at both 

 ends, slightly curved, subpatulous, distinctly tetragonous. Pistil 

 filiform, dilated upwards, hairy above the base, at first as long as, 

 afterwards one-third longer than, the stamens, decurved, 4- cleft; 

 segments circinato-revolute. 



E. macrocarpum, Steph. 



Stem 8 — 4 feet or more high, roundish, glabrous, shining, simple, 

 virgate, branched above. Leaves alternate, on very short petioles, 

 linear -lanceolate, acuminate, somewhat attenuate at the base, acute, 

 entire, obsoletely calloso-denticulate, with a strong central rib, 

 from which numerous lateral ribs are given off in a nearly hori- 

 zontal and very slightly oblique direction, which are again united 

 in curves at a short distance from the margins ; dark opake green 

 and wrinkled with veins on the upper surface, pale glaucous 

 green beneath, glabrous. Racemes terminal and axillary, simple, 

 leafy, smooth, slightly pubescent above. Flowers solitary, on 

 simple densely pubescent peduncles shorter than the germen, 

 lower ones in the axils of the leaves, which gradually diminish 

 upwards into bracteas, arcuate in flower, more or less erect 



