SHORT NOTES 153 



and i-i in. broad. Eay-florets averaging 1 in. long, yV~to i'^- 

 broad, probably whitish. 



Arctotis Scully i falls in the section Euarctotis, characterized 

 by the tuft of hairs which arise from the base of the achene and 

 surrounds the latter, and is probably most closely related to 

 A. belUdifolia, from which, however, its sessile not basally clasp- 

 ing leaves, their scabridity on both surfaces, and their different 

 conformation differentiate it immediately. Its discovery is due to 

 the efforts of Mr. W. C. Scully (no. 221; ex herb. Bolus, 9615), 

 who, during a several years' sojourn in Little Namaqualand, 

 collected numerous plants, many of which still await description. 

 The region alluded to is one of the richest as regards annuals in 

 South Africa, and includes in particular an abundance of Compo- 

 sites, many of which are of singular beauty, and would assuredly 

 repay the trouble of introduction. 



SHOBT NOTES. 



Leucojum vernum L. and Galium Vaillantii DC. in Somer- 

 set. — For some years Miss M. A. Hellard has known the Spring 

 Snowfiake in a locality between Bishop's Lydeard and Williton, 

 v.-c. 5, where she kindly showed it to me in good flower towards 

 the end of last February. Time did not allow me to make a 

 thorough search ; but a friend who went down to see it, a few 

 days later, found that it extended (by and near a brook) for almost 

 a third of a mile. It has the appearance of a native ; but I am 

 not yet sure about its true status. The Bedstraw, previously 

 known in this county only as a casual at Twerton, near Bath, was 

 plentiful in potato-fields, &c., near Ashcott Station, and also 

 occurred near Shapwick Station, v.-c. 6, last September. — Edward 

 S. Marshall. 



The Early Season. — On May 1st I gathered in a wheat-iaeld 

 on stiff clay in the parish of Norton, Herts, flowering and fruiting 

 specimens of the Corn Gromwell (LitJiospermum arvense) ten 

 inches high, and with well -developed fruits. Some of the white 

 blossoms had a slight pink tinge, whereas in the mountains on 

 the Continent they are not infrequently pale blue. Hawthorn 

 was in blossom by April 28th on Norton Common and elsewhere 

 in the vicinity. — H. S. Thompson. 



REVIEWS. 



Researches on the Irritability of Plants. By Tajadis Chunder 

 BosE, M.A., D.Sc. Longmans, Green & Co. 1913. 

 In this publication Prof. Chunder Bose has added to his 

 previous work in this important field of physiology a faithful 

 account of a unique series of experiments, rendered possible by 

 his own ingenious invention of recording apparatus. 

 Journal of Botany. — Vol. 52. [June, 1914.] n 



