THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



No. 53. FEBRUARY 1842. 



XLVIII. — On Epilobium angustifolium, Linn., and species 

 which have been confounded with it. By W. A. Leighton, 

 Esq., B.A., F.B.S.E., &c. 



Since my last communication on this subject, Mr. Hewett 

 C. Watson, and Mr. Kippist have most kindly taken upon 

 themselves the trouble of comparing my descriptions of the 

 two Epilobiums (see p. 247) with the single specimen of E. 

 angustifolium in the Linnaean Herbarium, the result of which 

 examination has been the identification of the plant named by 

 Mr. H. O. Stephens E. macrocarpum (see p. 170), and de- 

 scribed by me under that name (see p. 247)? with the truei£. 

 angustifolium of Linnaeus. The herbarium of Sir J. E. Smith 

 also contains three specimens, one of which, from the Pyre- 

 nees, labelled " persicifolium, Pour./' proves to be the true E. 

 angustifolium, Linn., also. The remaining two specimens (one 

 marked "England," and the other, "a garden specimen,") 

 are different from the first, though similar to each other ; but 

 as they are merely tops of stems and too imperfect and un- 

 characteristic, it is scarcely possible to determine anything 

 with certainty concerning them ; though, from the distinctly 

 rounded base of a separate leaf marked as belonging to the 

 former of the two specimens, they are both, in all probability, 

 referable to the plant described by me, at p. 247, as E. angus- 

 tifolium, and which consequently, if it is to be retained as a 

 distinct species, must receive a new name. As the relative 

 size of the capsule in the two plants forms the most pro- 

 minent character, it may be advisable to adopt some term ex- 

 pressive of this difference. I propose therefore to name it 

 Epilobium brachycarpum, which term will be available and 

 expressive whether it remain a distinct species or be ulti- 

 mately degraded to a variety of the true angustifolium. 



Mr. Watson also communicated the particulars of specimens 

 in his own herbarium, from a dozen or more different localities 

 in England and Scotland. Many of these specimens appear 

 however either too immature or imperfect to decide very con- 



Ann. £ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 2 D 



