328 VARIATION OF COLOUR IN WILD PLANTS. 



lanthaceae, Colchicum autiimnale (greenish-white, elongated, 

 and abortive). — 11. Boraginacege, Myosotis palustris; Put- 

 monaria officinalis.* — 12. Labiaceae, Lamium maculatum ; 

 L. intermedium ;* Betoiiica officinalis ;* Galeopsis Tetrahit; 

 Ballota nigra; Origanum vulgar e.* — 13. Apocynaceae, 

 Vinca major \ V. minor. — 14. Primulacese, Primula fari- 

 nosa.* — 15. Convolvulaceae, Convolvulus arvensis. — 16. So- 

 lanaceae, Solanum Dulcamara; Atropa Belladonna (gathered 

 in Netley Abbey, by Mr. Dickson, of a dirty white colour). 

 — 17. Gentianacese, Gentiana verna ;* G. Pneumonanthe.* 

 — 18. Scrophulariacese, Digitalis purpurea (common in gar- 

 dens, of a white colour ; we have also found it in Hampshire, 

 wild, in that state). — 19. Campanulaceae, Campanula rotun- 

 difolia. — 20. Compositae, Cnicus palustris ;* Centaurea 

 Cyanus (every shade of blue and pink, to pure white). — 21. 

 Orchidaceae, Orchis maculata. — 22. Araceae, Arum macula- 

 tum (yellowish or purple, white, spotted, and without spots). 

 — 23. Polygonaceae, Polygonum Persicaria. I shall add a few 

 more varieties that influence the colour of wild flowers, 

 equally interesting : — Cratcsgus Oxyacantha, naturally white, 

 (rose-colour) ; Oxalis Acetosella, naturally lilac, (blood-red) ; 

 Scrophularia nodosa, naturally purple, (green) ; Anagallis 

 arvensis, ndii\xYdX\y scarlet, (white); Jasione mofitana^noXxxxdMy 

 blue, (dark purple) ; Viola lutea, naturally yellow, (purple). 



While I am on the subject of varieties in wild plants, 

 perhaps a few remarks on those aberrations in their form and 

 mode of growth, which I have observed, may not prove un- 

 acceptable to those who give this notice a perusal. 



The development of the flowers of plants in a wild state 

 is sometimes iiTCgular, either on account of abortion of some 

 of their parts, their exuberant growth, or from certain other 

 causes not well understood. Linaria vulgaris, naturally a 

 labiate flower, is reduced, for instance, in one variety, to a 

 regular form, where the corolla is regular, five-cleft, with five 

 spurs, and where there are ^nq equal stamens. This is owing 

 to the circumstance of two of the petals, which are usually 

 suppressed, attaining a development equal to the other three. 

 In Geum rivale, also, the axis of growth is sometimes found 

 prolonged beyond the petals ; and the flowers of Festuca 

 mvipara, Bellis perennis, and Polygonum viviparum, are 

 often proliferous. Varieties and transformations among the 

 foliage of plants, are innumerable. Fraxinus heterophylla 

 has leaves, ternate, simple, serrated, and compound ; Paris 

 quadrifolia has often three, five, and even six leaves in a 

 whorl, although, as indeed is indicated by the specific name, 

 four is the normal number. The leaves of Ranunculus aqua- 



