SHORT NOTES, 145 



The ? flowers averaged about 3 mm. in diameter, and therefore 

 are not larger than the ^ flowers as were those recorded by Breiten- 

 bach''= from S. Germany. 



The contabescent stamens were at the most 1 mm. long. Conta- 

 besceuce was seen also in single flowers of Cemstium triviale, Adoxa 

 Moschatellina, Tussilago Farfara, and CJinjsosplenium oppositifoUum. 



Chnjsospleniuni alter nifoUum. — The first-formed terminal flower 

 of an inflorescence usually has a tendency to become 5-merous. 

 This results in the formation of a fifth undersized sepal. In front 

 of it stands a stamen, but one or both of those which should form 

 on either side of it are absent. Thus we get either eight or nine 

 stamens in such flowers. 



Miiller remarks the similarity of the flower of this to that of 

 Adoxa, and that it is fertilized in similar insects. t This is so 

 at Scarborough, where Adoxa, Chrijsosplenium altenii/oUuui, and 

 C. oppositifoUum all grow together. 



(To be continued.) 



SHORT NOTES. 



" Cakex disticha Huds. b. longibeacteata SchleicJi." — This 

 name appears in the ninth edition of the London Catalorjue, and as 

 I wasted the greater part of an afternoon in endeavouring to trace 

 it, it may be worth while to place its history on record, in order 

 that others might be spared a fruitless search. The name appears 

 as cited above in a paper by Mr. Druce on Oxford plants published 

 in this Journal for 1890 (p. 232). No diagnosis is appended, nor 

 any other information as to the plant save the locality " Bulling- 

 don"; and there is nothing to lead one to suppose that this is the 

 first publication of the varietal name. Such, however, is the case: 

 Mr. Druce informs me that he knows of no other publication, and adds 

 that "the name is given in MS. on a plant collected by Schleicher 

 which is in Herb. Oxon." Here, however, it is not named as a variety, 

 for Mr. Druce tells me the label runs " Carex disticha var. Carex 

 Jongibractcata Schleich." The name appears in Schleicher's Cat. PI. 

 Helvet. ed. 4, p. 11 (1815), where it is indicated as new. Neither 

 here nor elsewhere is any diagnosis of the plant published. The 

 name seems to indicate a form rather than a variety, and this 

 seems true of another plant mentioned by Mr. Druce in his paper 

 (p. 230) as '^ Pulicaria dysenterica var. lomjiradiata mihi." I had 

 imagined that this was the first publication of this name, but Mr. 

 Druce kindly refers me to a note which he published in the Midland 

 A'aturalist for 1887 (p. 78), where he describes the plant as differing 

 "considerably from the usual state in having the ray ligules narrow 

 strap-shaped, half an inch long : the flowers of the disc were normal 

 and fertile, nor did the plant in habit differ from the type." In 



* Einige neue Fiille von Blumen-Polymorphismus, Kosmos, 1884, iii. p. 206. 

 t Fertilization of Flowers, p. 245. 

 Journal of Botany. — Vol. 3d. [April, 1897.] l 



