SHORT NOTES 307 



Merrow specimens found by Miss Armitage appear to come under 

 fi hirsuta Benth. in DC. Prodromus, xii. 391 (1818), as a form 

 (" hirsutior est ") with small, pale flowers ; they do not fit 

 y parviflora Benth. ("omnibus partibus minor et glabrior"), for 

 which he quoted as synonyms G. heterophylla Opiz ! Reichb. Fl. 

 Germ. Exe. p. 316, and G. intermedia Schrad. ! ; so that, as usual, 

 his tendency was towards reducing rather than amplifying, and 

 with more reason than in the case of some very distinct British 

 species, such as Epilobium lanceolatum and Carex depauperata. — 

 Edward S. Marshall. 



Helleborine viridiflora in Britain. — We have ascertained 

 that Helleborine viridiflora (Epipactis viridiflora Eeichb.), which, 

 we believe, has not hitherto been known as a British plant, 

 occurs on the Lancashire coast. Mr. R. A. Rolfe, of Kew, has 

 compared the Lancashire plant with authentic specimens of the 

 species in question, and finds that they agree. We propose to 

 give further particulars in a future number of this Journal. — J. A. 

 Wheldon & W. G. Travis. 



Maianthemum bifolium Schmidt (pp. 202, 257). — Mr. Bennett 

 contributes to the Naturalist for August some notes on Mr. 

 Jackson's paper (pp. 202-207), from which we extract the following 

 passages: — "Hunter mentions it as growing in a wood (Caen or 

 Ken Wood) with Convallaria majalis, C. verticillata and C. Poly- 

 gonatum. These two latter species would seem to me at once to 

 suggest doubt as to the other being native there. While the same 

 argument that Mr. Wheldon uses with the Yorkshire plant, • that 

 the plant does not occur in other woods,' may be used with the 

 Caen Wood plant, why does it not occur in Bishop's Wood, or 

 other woods near or at the north of Caen Wood ? . . . So far 

 as the Yorkshire station is concerned a note by Mr. J. Backhouse, 

 Junior, may be quoted : — ' It is growing in the utmost profusion 

 among Trientalis europc&a, Vaccinium, Luzulas, &c, on the slope 

 of a steep brow covered with scattered trees. Suffice it to say 

 that before knowing where the plant ivas, I decided where, if it 

 were a native, it ' ought to be' This was determined partly by the 

 general configuration of the country, and partly by the kind of 

 vegetation clothing the district, and proved quite correct. Never 

 in Norway did I see it more abundant or finer, that I remember. 

 For a considerable distance the hillside is carpeted with it. It is 

 not, however, the quantity merely, but as I said before the general 

 circumstances and position of the locality which leave no doubt 

 whatever on my mind of its being a genuine native ' (Phytologist, 

 p. 318, 1861). ... All the rules of the old records seem to 

 accept without any doubt the idea that Gerard's locality of 

 ' Dingley Wood, six miles from Preston, in Aundernesse,' must 

 be the Lancashire Preston as Gerard so gives it ; but I would 

 suggest it may have been Preston in Holderness, in the East 

 Riding. . . ." 



