THOMAS HOPKIBK OF DALBETH. 217 



the station which he gives, " at the ferry, Clyde Iron 

 Works." 



He enumerates all the species of Stellaria and 

 Arenaria included in our lists of to-day, and all those 

 of Sedum given for his district. He records, besides, 

 the introduced Sedum reflexum as found on the ruins 

 of Craignethan Castle. 



He calls attention to a variety of Oxalis acetosella, 

 frequent in woods, with large purple flowers. The 

 introduced Oxalis cornicidata he mentions as found 

 on an old wall between the Avon and Barncluith. 

 Of this plant, Patrick says: "Found as a weed cling- 

 ing to the roots of other plants about Barncluith 

 and Claud's Burn." 



I have again to note a weed in cornfields which 

 we now see very rarely in Clydesdale, and which 

 Hennedy calls " not common," — Agrostemnia Githago. 

 Hopkirk says, "among corn, frequent." Patrick says, 

 " common among wheat." Its infrequency nowadays 

 I believe to be due to the same causes that I have 

 already referred to in the case of Scandix Pecten- 

 Veneris, 



Agrimony (Agrimonia Eupatorium) appears also 

 to have been commoner then. He says, " in 

 hedges, and on the borders of fields, common." 

 That is hardly the case now within his limits. 

 Hennedy, with reference to the district embraced by 

 his Flora, in which there is so much coast-country 

 where the i^lant is found in some quantity, only 

 ventures to call it "frequent." The plant had a great 

 reputation in rustic medicine as a cure for jaundice, 

 diabetes, &c. On this account it was much sought 

 after, which probably effected its extirpation in most 

 of its native stations. Further, borders of fields are 

 in the West of Scotland seldom left without a crop. 

 Lastly, it seems to have been cultivated for its 

 medicinal virtues ; and as belief in its efficacy passed 

 away, and it ceased to be grown, it would tend to 

 disappear from waste places. It is certainly now 

 very rare in the neighbourhood of Glasgow. 



