FLORA OP THE BRISTOL COAL-FIELD. 19 



of arable land. However, in June, 1888, I ob- 

 served a colony of P. Argemone containing perhaps 

 a hundred plants, some of them very large, grow- 

 ing near the railway at Patchway, Gr. In the same 

 month Mr. D. Fry found a few on the shingle close 

 to Brean Down, S., a few also on a bank at Ber- 

 row, and a much larger quantity in some neglected 

 sandy fields nearer Burnham. One may be allowed 

 to speculate upon the likelihood of this plant 

 having grown as abundantly in the same locality 

 sixty years ago. If it did, may not the Rev. J. C. 

 Collins have mistaken it for P. hyhridum when he 

 made the record quoted above ? No help can be 

 got from Mr. Collins' specimens, as his herbarium, 

 if he formed one, cannot now be found. In the 

 absence of specimens, many of his Burnham and 

 other records, which have never been confirmed by 

 any other botanist, are open to grave doubt ; and 

 it is questionable if P. hyhridum should still be 

 included in our flora. 



Lepidium Smithii, Hooker. 



Mr. Harold S. Thompson has shown me a specimen, 

 one of a small number that he observed in July, 

 1888, near Uphill, S. The plant is remarkably 

 scarce in North Somerset. 



Helianthemum polifolium, Mill, -in North Somerset. Note 

 communicated by Mr. David Fry. 

 As recorded in the " Journal of Botany " for October, 

 1888, this extremely rare plant was found, in the 

 middle of last September, growing plentifully on 

 Burn Hill, Bleadon, where its presence is note- 

 worthy, as it has hitherto been regarded as ex- 



