98 Linnean Society. [March 16, 



humous list of the plants collected by Bertero (originally published 

 in the ' Mercurio Chileno,' and translated in Silliman's ' North 

 American Journal/ vol. xxili. p. 78), as forming, perhaps, " a new 

 genus approximating to the SpharicB." A further account of this 

 species also is extracted from Mr, Darwin's notes : it seems to be 

 less eatable, and less frequently eaten than the first, which Mr, 

 Darwin describes as forming a very essential article of food for the 

 Fuegian. 



Read also a " Letter from Joseph Woods, Esq., F.L.S,, to Mr. 

 Kippist, on Crepis biennis and Barkhausia taraxacifolia." 



Mr. Woods is of opinion that the plant described by Sir James 

 Smith in the ' English Flora' and ' English Botany,' by Sir W, J. 

 Hooker in the ' British Flora,' by Mr. Babington in the Society's 

 ' Transactions,' vol. xvii. p, 456, and by Mr. Mackay in his ' Irish 

 Flora,' as Crepis biennis, is in reality Barkhausia taraxacifolia, di- 

 stinguished especially by the long beak of its achenia, while those of 

 Crepis biennis are, in the words of Gaudin, " neutiquam attenuata." 

 The stem of Crepis biennis is also less branched and more leafy than 

 that of Barkhausia taraxacifolia, the latter rarely producing a leaf 

 except where there is a branch. Mr. Woods adds, that it is almost 

 certain that we have the two species in England, though the dif- 

 ference has not been noticed. Crepis biennis grows in Kent and 

 Surrey. 



In a "Note" appended to Mr. Woods's letter, Mr. Kippist 

 states that the authentic Linnean specimens of Crepis biennis from 

 Scania, although too young to have ripe seeds, appear to confirm 

 Mr. Woods's idea, the pappus being quite sessile even in those 

 most advanced, and the stem moderately branched in the upper 

 part, and very leafy below. I'he two specimens in the Smithian 

 Herbarium, one from Mr. Crowe's garden and the other from Mr. 

 Rose's Herbarium, have the stem much branched, and the pappus 

 apparently sessile, but the achenia are immature. 



The only developed specimen in Mr, Winch's herbarium is from 

 Dartford in Kent, and has the pappus very decidedly stalked, the 

 stem much branched in the upper part, and only a few scattered 

 leaves in the lower, a branch being produced from the axilla of each 

 cauline leaf with the exception of one or two of the lowermost. 

 Other specimens, gathered near Cobham and Ramsgate, in the same 

 county, and near Moulsey in Surrey, agree with Mr. Winch's plant 

 in their stalked pappus and branched stem, and probably therefore 



