1896.J Prakgkr. — Clonbrock Expedition, Flowcri^ig Plants, &•€. 243 



Of Pondweeds, three species grew abundantly in the River 

 Suck — Potamogdon luccns, P. Zizii, and P. heteivphyllics var. 

 gmnmii/oliics. In the Clonbrock River, not far from the house, 

 were gathered F. plantagineus, and another form of much 

 interest, on which Mr. A. Bennett supplies the following 

 note : — 



" This plant is doubtless, in a wide sense, to be placed under P. 

 lanccolaiits, Smith, but differs from the Anglesea, Cambridge, or French 

 specimens, as such supposed hybrids would do. It seems that these 

 specimens may have been produced by P. hetcrophyllus, Schreb., v. 

 graminifoUiis, as the one parent, and P. ptisillus, L., as the other. The 

 difficulty of reference to any known form, causes one to wish that it 

 could be cultivated; the hybrid theory is an easy way out of a difficult 

 problem, and yet it is not easy to suggest in this case any other. ' Make 

 a new species of it,' would be another way, and easy enough from some 

 views, but if eventually proved an error, is only adding to synonymy 

 unnecessarily. As a supposed hybrid, it is an uncertain quantit}^ and 

 leaves it open for experiment. I consider all supposed hybrids that have 

 not been actually produced by cultivation, as doubtful plants, although 

 naturally the amount of faith or credence that may be placed in them is 

 very variable. 



The present specimens, by their longer and broader (relatively) upper 

 leaves, with a much smaller part of the leaf occupied by the chain-like 

 areolation, so conspicuous in the Anglesea and Cambridgeshire speci- 

 mens% bear the same proportion, as to shape and size, that the others 

 do to their supposed parents. On these specimens the glands of the 

 graminifoUus section are very conspicuous. 



If a name is required for it, it might be called var. hibeniicus (or f. 

 hibernictis). characterized by its longer, and broader upper leaves, longer 

 lower leaves, slightly longer flower-spikes, and the structure of the 

 leaves." 



Among the Sedges and their allies, the most interesting 

 find was the Brown Beak-rush {Rhynchospora fusca), which 

 has been already referred to in the general account of our 

 trip (p. 220). Of sixteen sedges collected, the best was Carex 

 tcretiusada, which was found in marshes by bog-holes in many 

 places. Mr. A. Bennett remarks of specimens submitted to 

 him, " very near, if not identical with /3. Ehrhartianar The 

 twenty-five grasses found offer nothing of special interest ; 

 Bronncs raceniosics, B. commutatus, and Festuca loliacea, Huds. 

 were gathered within the Galway area. 



* In P. pusilhis, L,., when having spathulate upper leaves (as in P. 

 panorniitanus, Bivona), the tendency is to produce this chain-like areo- 

 lation — A.B. 



