NOTES ON DR. FOCKe's RUBI EUROP^ffil 181 



species, as in the above notes. Dr. Focke's arrangement, as now 

 elaborated by him for the Ruhi of the World, is really much more 

 complicated than ours, and, as we advance beyond our first three 

 groups, a detailed comparison between the two systems, and the 

 attempt to keep a corresponding order in dealing with the plants, 

 becomes increasingly difficult. From this point, therefore, I may 

 content myself with briefer notes bearing almost exclusively on 

 details connected with the specific and varietal names. 



Thus the Villicaules — a small intermediate group with us — is 

 now divided by Dr. Focke between his more aggregate Bhanmifolii 

 and Silvatici, and nothing need be here added to what may be 

 found on its species and varieties in the 1905 volume of this 

 Journal, p. 201. As regards our Discolores also, his treatment now 

 is not materially changed from that found in his Aschers. et 

 Graebn. Syn. Mitteleur. Fl., pp. 499-512, and is hardly such as to 

 call for special comment here. When we come to Silvatici and 

 Vestiti it is otherwise ; and changes are suggested of special 

 interest to us. 



Our B. hesperms is no longer associated by Dr. Focke with his 

 i?. myricce, but is placed by him in an independent position, as a 

 numbered species, between B. Sprengelii and R. Arrhenii ; while 

 B. myriccB is removed to a place among the Egregii, with the 

 following explanation : " Prima, quae vidi, specimina comparavi 

 cum B. myricce. meo {vide Rogers, Handbook, 1. c), sed, plantis iterum 

 atque iterum examinatis, differentiae nunc graviores mihi 

 apparent. B. myricce ex affinitate B. Silvatici removi." So 

 B. myricce disappears from our list. I may add that though 

 B. hesperius, exactly as described in the 1896 volume of this 

 Journal, has so far been found only in Ireland, a very closely 

 allied form, which need not perhaps claim a separate name, occurs 

 near Bangor (Carnarvon) and in three or four English counties. 

 It is unknown on the Continent, and Dr. Focke expressly separates 

 from it the " B. hesperius, Piper, Erythrea v. p. 103," published 

 two years later than the Irish plant. 



B. Colemanni Blox. Dr. Focke now places this between 

 B. villicaulis and B. Sehneri ; but our position — last among 

 Silvatici and close to Vestiti — seems preferable. He also says of 

 it: " Verosimile mihi videtur B. Colemanni auctorum recentiorum 

 ' speciem ' aggregatam esse. Plantae Bloxamii typicae originem 

 hybridam {villicaulis x rculula?) suspicor." Such an opinion 

 should not be lightly brushed aside. But opportunities of 

 studying the living plant have greatly multiplied in recent years, 

 and it proves to be very widely spread in England, east and west, 

 from Yorkshire to Hants. It is also locally abundant, and, as a 

 rule, quite remarkably constant. Bloxam's dried specimens of his 

 Leicestershire plant have shorter and usually more roundish 

 leaflets than I have seen from any other county ; but I cannot see 

 that they are otherwise different. 



B. orthoclados Ley. In Aschers. et Gr. Syn. vi. 470 (1902) a 

 new name {B. euchloos Focke) was substituted for Ley's name, a 

 change not welcomed by Mr. Linton and me in our paper in the 



