161 



(©iHgtnatl Mxiith^. 



PLANTS FLOWEEING IN JANUAKY AND 



FEBEUAEY, 1882. 



By the Eev. T. A. Preston, M.A., F.L.S. 



HA\^NG been supplied, through the kindness of some observers, 

 with lists of all plants observed in flower at Trusham and Tiverton 

 in Devonshire, Yeovil in Somerset, Isle worth in Middlesex, 

 Croydon in Surrey, Wickham in Essex, and Oxford, as well as 

 a few from Wells, Killarney, and Salisbury, they have been united 

 with our own observations at Marlborough, and the list thus com- 

 pleted presents some interesting features. It will be seen that, 

 though 58 is the greatest number observed at any one place, the 

 total number of species observed is over 130, a most remarkable 

 number. 



Not having any observations in former years from any place 

 but Marlborough, the following remarks must refer only to our 

 own records, which have been kept for seventeen years. Of the 

 fifty species found here, about twenty-eight are not remarkably 

 unusual for this time of year, as all have, in some previous 

 January, been found in flower ; but it is extraordinary to have 

 them all out at once. Seven others have never before, as far as 

 we know, been found here in January; they are — Ranunculus 

 auricomus, Galium Aparine, Sherardia arvensis, Xepeta Glechoma, 

 Myosotis arvensis, Dactylis glumerata, and Lolium perenne. 



In addition to these " survivals " must be added sixteen species 

 which have commenced their flowering ; and here agam most have 

 been found at an earlier date than they were this year, but their 

 being all out together is especially worthy of note. 



Appended in parentheses are the number of days they are this 

 year before the mean date of the previous seventeen years : — 



I. Ranunculus Ficaria (40). 2. Caltha palustris (43). 3. Helle- 

 borus viridis {36}. 4. Cardamine hirsuta (34:). 5. Drabaverna (AS). 



6. Potentilla Fragariastrum. 7. ChcBrophyllum sylvestre. 8. Peta- 

 sites vidgaris (39). 9. Viiica minor (45). 10. Veronica hederafolia. 



II. Daphne Laureola (24:). 12. Mej-curialis ijerennis (48). 13. Corylus 

 Avellana (16). 14. Taxus baccata (24:). 15. Galantlius nivalis (13). 

 16. Ruscus acideatus. 



Nos. 6 and 10 began to flower as early as October last year ; 



7, though not unfrequent, cannot be said to have begun its regular 

 flowering ; and 16 varies so much in its time of flowering that' no 

 satisfactory " mean date " can be given. 



Besides the above may be mentioned the following cultivated 

 species: — Eranthis hyemalis (16). Hepatica (17). Crocus (32). 

 N. s. VOL. 11. [June, 1882.] y 



