Dr Murray on the Botany ofAlford. 147 



not. i have to add a Myosotia, which appears different from an^ of the 

 species noticed by Smith or Hooker ; and, therefore, I insert the following 

 description :— Root fibrous ; stem erect, strong, closely set with long 

 spreading hairs, which are much stronger and more numerous ihan in the 

 M. arvensis'y leaves as usual in the genus ; on the peduncles, pedicels, and 

 calyx, as well as on the leaves, the hairs are pressed quite close ; flowers 

 large, many of them pale blue, some pale flesh-coloured, and not a few 

 white ; calyx gaping, but less so than in M. palustris, and having five seg- 

 ments, similar to those of M. aroensis ; seeds as is common in the genus ; 

 peduncles, in the last stage, very long, weak, and horizontal, having occa- 

 sionally a few leaves mixed with the lowest flowers ; pedicels very long, 

 sometimes an inch and a half, at first directed upwards, but latterly, per- 

 pendicular to the peduncle or common flower-stalk, or even with an in- 

 clination downwards ; all the pedicels are at last directed to one side, 

 whence the raceme has a marked unilateral appearance. This plant 

 grows in wet places, like M. palustris^ but I think it is more peculiar to 

 springy and boggy j>laces than M. palusiris. 



I am strongly of opinion that this is a new Myosotis, but it is so common, 

 at least in the district of Alford, thai it cannot be supposed previously un- 

 noticed ; but it may have been taken for a variety of M. palustris. This plant 

 has characters fully as marked as any other species in the genus ; and, indeed, 

 its aspect is so different from that of any of the others with which I am ac- 

 quainted, that I can invariably detect it, even when at too great distance for 

 perceiving the tuft of the flowers, or the hairiness of the stem. M. palustrxM is 

 decidedly distinguished from this plant, by having skye-blue and, I think, 

 smaller flowers, a more expanded calyx when in fruit, with shorter triangular 

 teeth, smooth, and usually red stems and leafless racemes. With M. repens of 

 Don I am acquainted only through the Scottish Flora, and the few points there 

 noticed certainly have a resemblance tP the characters of the present plant. 

 Hooker, however, makes that a variety of M. palmtris. This I consider en- 

 titled to rank as a species. The description of the M. ccespilosa in the Eng- 

 lish Flora, corresponds in many respects with the plant alluded to ; but that 

 is described as having flowers smaller than M. palustris^ while those of the 

 plant described have always struck me as larger. 



The whole of the above was written at Alford several years ago; and 

 though it may be supposed that enough has already been said, I wish to add, 

 that, upon shewing the plant to Professor Graham of Edinburgh, he express- 

 ed himself as being of my opinion ; and, in fact, if I mistake not, he had, from 

 hia own observations, previously come to the same conclusion. I have also 

 been favoured, witliin these few days, with a letter from Dr Hooker of Glas- 

 gow, and I will take the liberty of quoting the part of it that relates to the 

 present subject : — 



"• Since the publication of my Flora Scotica, the attention of botanists has 

 been much more directed to the species of that genus, especially in Germany ; 

 and many have been now ranked as distinct species, which before were consider, 

 ed as mere varieties, or were passed by as too trifling variations to deserve no- 

 tice. Some of these alterations are, however, undoubtedly founded on good 

 characters ; and, 1 think, such is the case with the Myosotis in question. That 

 which is included in your packet is the M. caspitosa of Schulz, in Sturm's 

 Deutschland Flora., and of Smith in his English Flora, vol. i. p. 250. The 

 same species is taken up bySchrader, in Reichenbach*s Amoen. Dresd. vi. 16; 

 by Link, in his Enumeratio ; by Bluff and Zingerhuth, in their Comp. Flo~ 

 rae Gcrnianicae ; and, lastly, by Sprengel, in his Systema Vegetabilium, voL i. 

 p. 557. With all these authorities you may safely make it a species ; and you 

 have assuredly described its true, important, and, I think, unvarying charac- 

 ters." 



After the decision of this very high authority, who appears to have taken 

 the trouble of fully considering the subject, it would not be becoi%ing for me 



1 K 2 



