THOMAS HOPKIRK OF DALBETH. 207 



"In the early part of autumn the stems terminate 

 in large buds, which fall off and lie dormant during 

 the winter at the bottom." 



He only enumerates one sjiecies of Lernna (L. 

 minor). The other three now found in the district 

 are on the whole rare, though occasionally j)lentiful 

 in certain places, as is the case with L. trisulca^ 

 which is especially abundant in the Forth and 

 Clyde Canal and in Possil Marsh. These native 

 British plants may possibly have found their way 

 into the Clyde district since his time, but as they 

 are inconspicuous, I am of opinion that they were 

 overlooked by him, or regarded as only constituting 

 one species. 



For the Marsh Valerian (V. dioica) he records 

 Balvie as a station, and states that the plant is rare. 

 It is still rare, but occurs in the district, though, 

 probably owing to improved drainage and other 

 changes, it seems to have disappeared from Balvie. 

 Valeriana pyrenaica is almost certainly an alien ; 

 yet it is so well established in the West of Scotland, 

 so frequent and in such profusion in wild spots, that 

 it seems to take as kindly to our glens and burn- 

 sides as to its native Pyrenees. Hoj)kirk records 

 several stations for it quite near the city. Though 

 not now found in any of these places, it is abundant 

 at greater distances. Its comj^arative frequency is 

 probably attributable to the fact that it was once 

 prized as a showy plant in cottage gardens, while its 

 seed is exceedingly well adapted for distribution by 

 the wind. 



Fuller's Teazel (Dipsacus fuUomirn) he gives as 

 growing in the fields near Cathcart and Langside,. 

 w^here of course it no longer exists; but it still 

 occurs, not far from these localities, at Arden Quarry,. 

 Thornliebank. 



He chronicles the occurrence of Scabiosa arvensis 

 — now usually known as Knaiitia arvensis — as rare,, 

 giving as a station a dry sandy field near Tollcross. 

 It still occurs in the district sporadically; and it is 



