' . .. and the Pyrenees, in 1825. 321 



(we had hitherto kept it on our left). Dicranum latifolium 

 {Didymodon apiculatiim, nob.), was of common occurrence ; but 

 what we valued more, were a few specimens of PotentiUa pros- 

 trata. Lap. (a mere dwarf state, however, of P.Jruticosa), and 

 of a cruciferous plant that we had little hesitation in thinking 

 might be Thlaspi lieierophyllum, DC. Although the fruit was 

 not sufficiently advanced to allow us to examine the structure 

 of the seeds, we referred it to the genus Lepidium : it is indeed 

 an intermediate species between L. campestre and L. hirtum *. 

 Here, too, we met with Draba aizoides, Linn, (not Dr. brachy- 

 sternon, DC. which alone is cultivated in Britain as Dr. aizoi- 

 des-^). Dr. nivalis and Dr. Icevipes, DC. which, though per- 

 haps a variety, we at first sight distinguished from Dr. stellata, 

 that also occurred here. 



• It is L. heterophyllum^ Benth. Cat What we here found had the leaves 

 glabrous. Mr Bentham even states that the silicules are glabrous : they 

 are certainly free from hairiness, but there exists on them very minute scales, 

 much smaller than those that occur in L. campestre ; the style is filiform and 

 elongated, as in L. hirtum. From L. hirtum^ Linn, such as is found at Mont- 

 pellier, having the silicules free from scales, and very pilose, it is surely 

 very distinct ; but I fear it is identical with L. hirtum of Smith, and (as far as 

 I Jiave seen specimens) of all British botanists. Under Thlaspi hirtum, £ng. 

 Bot. t. 1803, Sir James says, " This species differs from T. campestre, t. 1385. 

 in having a perennial woody root, more oblong and less tumid pouches, whose 

 sides are often very liairy, and, when destitute of hairs, are but obscurely dot- 

 ted, never so scaly as in that species. But for a new and decisive character, 

 I am obliged to Mr Leathes, who justly observes, that the elongated style 

 projecting far ^eyond the lobes of the pouch, will always distinguish this spe- 

 cies from the campestre, whose short style is just equal to those lobes." With 

 the exception of the words above in Italics, which refer to the Montpellier 

 plant, the whoU» of this applies most admirably to our L. heterophyllum. The 

 L. hirtum of Si>^i^>, however, has always, I believe, the leaves more or less 

 hairy, while that trom the Vallee d'Eynes is quite glabrous. I am not, how- 

 ever, inclined to think that a sufficient mark of difference, as we afterwards 

 met with the same plant in the Vallee d'Andorre with the leaves glabrous, 

 but the stem pilose, and at Mont Louis specimens agreeing with those of 

 Bngland in every respect. 



+ This is also Dr. aizoides^ Don, Hort. Brit. No. 186., and which Smith 

 (Eng. Flora, iii. p. 158.) says is the same with that found in Wales- One spe- 

 cimen, indeed, I possess from M. Winch, and supposed to be native, is cer- 

 tainly identical with that cultivated, and seems to show that Wales is the /ml- 

 tria of our garden plant ; but unfortunately specimens in Dr Hooker's rich 

 herbarium prove that the Welsh and continental ones are the same. 



JULY SEPTEMBER 1828. X 



