MOENCHIA QUATERNELLA 367 



them, '* These two are not spoken of by any other, and grow in 

 divers places in our own land " ; and he refers to the second (our 

 supposed plant) as " Lychnis exilis sive tenuifolia altera." Bubani 

 may be right, but Parkinson's description is bald and vague. 



The next fact to note in the history of the species is the definite 

 record of its occurrence on Hampstead Heath, in Middlesex, by 

 J. Petiver-'^ in 1G95. In the following year it was recorded in 

 Sicily by Cupani,| and in his posthumous work I specimens of 

 M. quateniella were for the first time figured, under the name of 

 " Alsine tenuis, Lini foliis, paulo brevioribus, glaucis." A third 

 edition of Kay's Si/)iopsis § was undertaken by Dillenius, and 

 published by him in 1724, in which the plant is again figured, 

 though not so well drawn as in Cupani's work ; and this is the 

 figure which is cited by Linn^Tus in his description of Saglna erecta.\\ 

 The year after the appearance of Cupani's volume of plates, the 

 plant was figured by Barrelier,1[ under tlie name of "Cham?elinum 

 gramineo seu acuto folio " ; and again by Vaiilant*''' in 1727, under 

 Magnol's name of " Alsine verna glabra." Two later references to 

 the plant (both cited by Linn£eus)^are interesting ; one by J. S. 

 Guettard,! f who records it from Etampes, in the department of 

 Seine-et-Oise, and the other by T. F. Dalibard,]::j: in the neighbour- 

 hood of Paris — in both cases referred to under the name of " Sagina 

 scapis unifloris," the latter author simply quoting Guettard's refer- 

 ence. It may be mentioned that Dillenins adds a note, " common 

 in the spring on Blackheath." 



Among the many volumes of the Sloane herbarium preserved 

 in the Natural History Museum are to be found six authentic speci- 

 mens of M. quateniella. 



(1) In vol. 13, fol. 88, no. 6 ; a specimen labelled " vero syl- 

 vestre," collected near Paris by Moses Cliaras, from a collection 

 sold by his son to Sloane. 



(2) In vol. 56, fol. 110, no. 1 ; on a sheet containing most of 

 the forms included by Ray in "Alsine," placed side by side for 

 comparison ; among tlie plants given to Sloane by Dr. Paul, pro- 

 bably gathered in the neighbourhood of Montpellier, as Dr. Paul 

 was attached to the faculty of medicine there. 



(3) and (4) In vol. 85a, fol. 70, no. 3, and fol. 176, no. 3; 

 specimens gathered by Plukenet. 



* Gibson's translation of Camden's Britannia, 1695 (list of Middlesex plants 

 on pp. 335-340). 



t Hortus Catholicus, p. 7 (1696). 



I Panphyton Slculum, ii. t. 252 (1713). 

 § Page 344, t. 15, f. 4 (1724). 



II Species Plantar urn, ed. i. p. 128. 



U PL Gall. Hispan. Ital. Obs. icon. t. 1165, f. 2 (ed. Jussieit, 1714). 



** Botanicon Parisiense, p. 6, t. 3, f. 2 (ed. Boerhave, 1727). 



ft Observations sitr les Plantes, ii. p. 276 (1747), a work based on unpublished 

 material left by Francois Descurain (1658-1740). 



1 1 Fierce Parisiensis Prodromus, p. 56 (1749) ; chiefly useful as being a 

 compilation extracted and arranged from three or four larger books which do 

 not seem to be now obtainable. 



