18 SHOKT NOTES AND QUERIES, 



CouMARiN is usually regarded as the clieraical rather ttian physio- 

 logical cause of the vernal-grass odour devclo[)ed in the drying of some 

 plants. It is an interesting instance of a vegetable product formed arti- 

 ficially. Perkin replaced the hydrogen in salicyl-hydride (oil of Meadow- 

 sweet) by sodium, and the sodium by acetyl. The salicyl-acetylide, losing 

 a molecule of water, becomes Coumarin. (See Journ. Chem. Soc. ]868, 

 p. 54.) — W. T. Thiselton Dyer. 



CoUMARiNE. — It lias been commonly asserted that coumarine exists 

 ready-formed in some half-dozen odorous plants. According to recent 

 researches, however, it would seem that with one exception, that of the 

 Tonquin Bean {Conmaroma odorata), these plants contain, not cou- 

 marine, but a combination of that substance with hydrocoumaric acid. 

 Coumarine has a composition represented by the expression CgHgOg, and 

 the natural compound of this, above referred to, may be formulated thus, 

 CgHgOo, CgHgOg. Prom this compound, after it has been extracted 

 from the plant by alcohol, coumarine itself may be obtained by the action 

 of a cold solution of ammonia. Coumarine has quite recently been formed 

 artificially by Perkin. He acts upon the oil of Meadow-sweet {Spirrea 

 Ulmaria), which is the hydride of salicyle, by means of sodium. He thus 

 obtains a new substance, containing one atom of the metal sodium. 

 This new substance, acted upon by anhydious acetic acid, yields a com- 

 pound named hydride of aceto-salicyle, which, when distilled, loses an 

 atom of water and becomes coumarine ; thus — 



C^H.Oa, C3H3O - H2O = CgHgOg 

 Hydride of aceto-saUcyle. Coumarine. 



According to some new experiments of my own, coumarine appears to 

 exist, to a small extent, ready formed in the fresh leaves of the Northern 

 Holy-grass {Hierocliloe borealis), as well as in the Tonquin Bean. The 

 compound of coumarine above mentioned has been found in Asperula 

 odorata, Angrcecum fragrans, Antlioxanthum odoratum, and Melilotus offi- 

 cinalis. The odour of these four plants becomes developed or more 

 distinct on drying, some of the coumarine being thus probably set free. — 

 A. H. Church. 



Irish Plants. — Seduin daHyphyUum ; are we right in calling this cer- 

 tainly introduced ? It grows in a station hitherto unrecorded, near 

 Midleton, county Cork, where it has every appearance of being truly wild, 

 being abundant all over a group of low, rocky (limestone) hills in a retired 

 spot. Festuca Mi/urns (Sm.) ; this is in Cyb. Hib., called very rare, 

 only two stations being recorded for all Ireland. This certainly requires 

 correction ; the species is abundant in Cork, and has no doubt been 

 hitlierto confounded with F. sciuroides (Roth). Galium erectnm ; this 

 species (in Cyb. Hib., Dublin only) grows abundantly in a pasture field 

 near Midleton. It is also to be found sparingly on hilly pasture near 

 Ballinacurra — introduced, I do not doubt. — T. Allin. 



Note on Burrin, Clare. — This season I found three species yet un- 

 recroded from this district so interesting to botanists, viz. Festuca Myurus, 

 Linaria Elatiiie, and a FLieracium, which is perhaps anglicum. — T. Allin. 



Monstrous state of Inflorescence in Brassica nigra, Boiss. 

 — In the summer of 1868, when botanizing with the Rev. T. A. Preston 

 at Aust Cliff by the Severn, I found amongst a number of individuals 

 of this plant, some with their inflorescence very remarkably modified. I 



