A CHE MILL A VULGARIS, L. 35 



As to Alchemilla vulgaris, b, which is said by Linnaeus 

 to have large yellowish -green glabrous leaves and more 

 decumbent stems, to be rare, and seen by him only in sandy 

 places, I can hardly be wrong in taking it for A. glabra, 

 Wimm. et Grab., here numbered 817. 



The only thing to be said against this conjecture is that 

 Linnaeus in "Flor. Suec." cites Morison, " Hist.," ii. p. 195, for 

 a synonym of A. vulgaris, b, and that Morison's description 

 does not agree in all respects with our A. glabra. It is true 

 that it is a matter of indifference, as far as the nomenclature 

 is concerned, whether A. vulgaris, b, L., is the same or not as 

 A. glabra, Wimm. et Grab., because Linnaeus has given this 

 plant no specific name ; at the same time it would be im- 

 portant to establish the identity of the two, in order to 

 determine the area of extension. 



A. Kerner. 



The above paper throws a good deal of light upon the 

 vexed question of what is A. montana, Willd. ; and it may be 

 of interest to add a few particulars bearing upon A. vulgaris 

 and its forms as noticed in Britain. 



First let me say that the plant in the Linnaean herbarium 

 answers to the description given above for A. vulgaris, L., 

 var. a ; that is, that the type plant is pubescent, not glabrous. 

 This is a plant which has a general distribution through the 

 British Isles, and ranges from near the sea level to 4000 

 feet elevation. Whether we have A. montana, Willd., as well, 

 perhaps this paper may elucidate ; at any rate it may direct 

 the attention of Scotch Botanists to the question. 



Now f< >r the plant which Linnaeus calls his var. b, and which 

 A. von. Kerner identifies with A. glabra of Wimm. et Grab. 

 "Fl. Silesiaca," i. p. 135, as a variety of A. vulgaris (1827) 

 [ = A vulgaris^ var. glabrata^ Wimm., " Mora von Schlesien," i. 

 p. 143(1844)]. Respecting this A. von Kerner (/. c.) says : "It 

 is distinguished from ./. vulgaris, a y L., by the glabrous state, 

 colour, and texture of the leaves, by the flowers, which are 

 twice the size, and especially by the presence of large folia 

 leaves t<> a considerable height <>n the .stem, and by the cir- 

 cumstance that the ramifications which spring from the 



axils of these leaves rise Only slightly if at all above the sub- 



