102 



THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



y. opnca were to be found still lingering, but in a decayed condition. 

 These species are already recorded for Hampshire, but Lychno- 

 thamnus stelliger was a quite unexpected discovery. It occurred in 

 more than one part of the pool, but very sparsely, and in poor 

 condition. The plant, however, with its starlike bulbils, was quite 

 unmistakable, and scarcely needed Messrs. Groves's authority to 

 confirm it. 



These ten new records show that the Characece are still a much 

 neglected order of plants, awaiting — and certainly deserving— the 

 closer attention of botanists. 



The absence of Characece from the Somerset fenlands seems a 

 curious fact. The conditions appear in every way favourable, and 

 precisely similar to our eastern county fenlands where these plants 

 luxuriate. Yet it requires a laboured search to discover any speci- 

 mens in Sedgemoor and in Brue Level, and such as are to be found 

 are starved and feeble specimens. 



Before I close I should like to put on record the remarkable yield 

 of Characea supplied by a small coprolite pit at Clayhithe, near 

 Cambridge. The pool is some two hundred yards long, I suppose, 

 and about twenty yards wide, and lies in the middle of a field of 

 arable land. It has a shelving bottom along one side, and perpen- 

 dicular banks and very deep water on the other. In this piece of 

 water I have collected on one and the same day Chara fragilis Desv., 

 C. aspera var. desmacantha H. and G. Groves, C. pohjacantha Braun, 

 C. contraria var. kispidula Braun, C. vulr/aris Linn., and var. lom^e- 

 hracteata Kuetz., C. hispida, Linn., ToJypeUa glomemta, Leonh., and 

 Nitella tenuissiina Kuetz. All these grow together in happy associa- 

 tion and in a very fine state. 



TWO NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCROPHULARIACEiE. 

 By W. p. Hiern, M.A., F.L.S. 



The two species now described form part of a small collection 

 made m the Orange River Colony last year by Lieut. Pateshall 

 Thomas, and recently brought to the National Herbarium. 



Hemimeris elegans, sp. n. Herba minute glandulosa fere 

 glabra pallide vn-idis forsan perennis, caulibus gracilibus tenacibus 

 ascendentibus basim versus foliosis tetragonis 1 dm. longis vel 

 ultra, foHis oppositis vel superioribus alternis ovatis lanceolatisve 

 superioribus angustioribus apice obtusis apiculatisque basi plus 

 mmusve cordatis vel truncatis breviter petiolatis margine pauci- 

 denticulatis 6-10 mm. longis 1-5-4 mm. latis superioribus minoribus 

 sessihbusque, mternodiis mediis superioribusque quam foha longi- 

 oribus, racemis terminalibus paucifloris laxis 19-44 mm. longis, 

 bracteis (foliis floralibus) alternis ovatis sessilibus 2-5-3 mm. longis! 

 pedicellis gracilibus unifloris subglandulosis 9-19 mm. longis, calycis 

 segmentis ovaU-ovatis obtusis glandulosis sub flore 2-5 mm. longis 

 sub fructu juveni 3-5 mm. longis, corolla sub-purpurea 12-17 mm. 



