SHORT NOTES. 377 



SHOET NOTES. 



Eemakks on some Casual Plants of Northamptonshire. — Nor- 

 thampton shii'e is certainly not poor in introduced plants. Perhaps 

 the richest habitat for these is in the neighbourhood of the sewage 

 works, the sides of the depositing tanks being covered with a rich 

 and pecuhar flora. Lepidium. Draba, L., is one of its chief con- 

 stituents, seeding freely : this plant also occurs in several parts of 

 the country, and promises in time to be a perfect weed. Erysimum 

 cheiranthoides, L., occurs rarely, although very frequent on the rail- 

 banks about Blisworth and Kingsthorpe. Sisijmbyium Sophia, L., 

 rivals L. Draba in abundance, covering not only the sides of the 

 tanks, but growing out of the brickwork and on the rubbish heaps 

 all about the works. This plant occurs generally in the Nene 

 Valley, although not very persistent in its locahties. This year, on 

 some ground frequently flooded, among undoubted mdigenous 

 plants, such as Rayiunculus sceleratus, Polygonum Hydropiper, &c., 

 occurred a single specimen of a Lythrum, which, except for the 

 unusually large flowers, I took to be L. Hyssojnfolia, but having sent 

 Mr. Baker a portion of it he named it L. Jiexuosum, Lag. Speci- 

 mens of Tragopogon porrifolius, L., occun^ed last year. Solanum 

 nigrum, L., a very local plant in Northants, occurs in garden ground 

 near the works : and Datura Stramonium is very frequent ; this 

 plant has occurred in cultivated ground on this side of the town 

 for many years, in some places being a perfect pest. Ryoscyamus 

 niger, L., formerly an abundant j)lant round Northampton, has now 

 disappeared. Verbascwn virgatum was frequent last year, but is 

 absent now. As might be expected, the Chenoj)ods form an imj)or- 

 tant constituent of this sewage flora. Chenopodium olidum, Curt., 

 is frequent. C. album is abundant, its three varieties, candicans, ■ 

 viride and paganum, being readily separable, viride being the most 

 frequent. C. hybridum, L., very abundant, and is a common plant 

 about Northampton. C. rubritm, L., most abundant and exceed- 

 ingly variable as to height ; fertile specimens may be gathered from 

 one and a half inch to four feet high. Setaria viridis, Beauv., is 

 generally to be found. Panicum miliaceimi, an occasional plant. 

 Polyjwgon monspeliensis , Desf., plentiful this year. Symj)hytum. 

 asperrimum, Bieb., noticed this year, by the Nene banks above 

 Mr. Perry's mill, possibly introduced from the skin washing higher 

 up the river. This year have occurred Medicago denticulata, Willd., 

 and M. maculata, Sibth., in great plenty, and some few specimens 

 of Trifolium. resupinatuni, L., also were found. — G. C. Druce. 



Euphorbia pilosa and palustris — These two plants are probably 

 forms of one species, which is found near Bath. It is admitted in 

 the ' Student's Flora,' ed. 1, and excluded from ed. 2 without remark. 

 But it has been known in the place where it now grows for 300 



3 c 



