HISTORY OF ESSEX UOTANY. I71 



ceived) and it is of a darke purple colour . The leaues are long and 



narrow, resembling Linavia both in colour and hairinesse." [Convolvulus 

 arvensis L.?] 



It must be admitted that this description and, still less, the 

 figures that accompany it in Gerard and in Johnson's edition do 

 not quite suggest any British convolvulus. To Gerard's state- 

 ment, " All these kindes of Bindweeds do grow very plentifully in 

 most parts of England," Johnson adds the qualification (Ger. 

 em. p. 863). " The third and fourth excepted," which may be 

 taken as a denial of their occurrence at all. Parkinson, however, 

 m his Paradistis terrcstvis (1629), p. 359, writes: — "Convolvulus 

 purpureus spicge folius. Lavender-leafed Bindeweede . 

 groweth wilde in the fields, about Dunmowe in Essex," which is 

 repeated by How in his Phytologia (p. 31), whilst Parkinson 

 further in his Theatnim Botanicum, pp. 171 -2, uses the same 

 figure as Johnson and writes : — " 3. Convolvulus spices folius. 

 Lavender leafed Bindeweede. This small bindeweede is as 

 great a plague to the fields, where it naturally groweth as the 

 last ; the leaves are long and narrow, resembling Lavender, and 

 the flowers of a deepe purple colour, wherein it differeth from 

 others, for else it is like the last." Merrett in his Pinax, p. 29, 

 adopts Gerard's locality and adds " in Tuddington field." This 

 justifies the statement by the authors of the Flora of Middlesex 

 (p. 188) that " ri very narrow leaved form [of C. arvensis] was dis- 

 tinguished by the older observers," and they add a reference to 

 " C. arvensis minimus about London " from Buddie's MSS. These 

 old references explain the characteristic note by Newbould in 

 Gibson's Flora (p. 206). " The varieties of this plant deserve 

 attention." This plant may well be the Convolvulus angustissimo 

 folio cum auriculis of Plukenet, Almagest. 116. Tab. 24. fig. 3, and 

 the Convolvulus arvensis uiinimus of Dent in Ray's Spiopsis, ed. ii., 

 157, from Harlton, Cambridgeshire, for which C. C. Babington 

 keeps up the varietal name minimus in his Flora of Cambridgeshire, 

 P- 153- 



p. 739. " Viorna. The Trauellers Icy . . in many places of Essex." 

 [Clematis vitalba L.] 



p. 759. " Ruscus, siue Bruscus, Knee-holme, or Butchers broome . . 

 in diuers places of Kent, Essex, and Barkshire, almost in euery copse and 

 low wood." [Ruscus aculeatus L.] 



p. 789. •' Althaa Ibiscus. Marsh Mallow . . . groweth very plenti- 

 fully in the marshes both on the Kentish and Essex shore alongst the riuer of 

 Thames, about . . . Tilburie, Lee, Colchester, Harwich, and in most 

 salt marshes about London.' [Althaa officinalis L. The first British record] 



