382 NOTES ON SPECIES OF LOTUS § PEDROSIA. 



Lotus glaucus Ait. This is quite the most common of the 

 species, occurring both in Madeira and the Canaries, though it does 

 not reach either the Azores or Cape Verd islands. The plant sent 

 from the last-named group under this name is, I believe, quite 

 distinct, and has been described under the name of L. Bollei by Dr. 

 H. Christ in Engler's Bot. Jahrhiicher ix. 123 (1887). 



Generally a well-marked species, easily recognisable, but several 

 slightly varying forms have been described as species. The typical 

 plant is quite prostrate, forming a dense mat of entangled branches, 

 with short peduncles rarely exceeding three-quarters of an inch in 

 length, and stipules similar to the leaflets in size and shape. 



This is the common plant of the Madeira coast, and I cannot 

 distinguish from it Pedrosia leptophylla, under which name Lowe 

 describes the grand Canarian form of the species. It is true that 

 of P. leptojihylla it is said " foliolis stipulisque subdifformibus," but 

 I can find no other difi'erence, and a careful examination of Madeira 

 specimens will show many instances in which the same character 

 may be observed. 



Pedrosia tenella Lowe (Tenerife) differs by " its peculiar bristly 

 or hispidulous pubescence spreading or refiexed on the branches 

 and fringing the leaflets," but this character is variable, and at 

 most it can only be considered as a slight variety or local form. 



P. neglecta Lowe (Madeira) differs considerably in habit, has 

 stipules unlike the leaflets, and longer peduncles (one to three 

 inches) ; but is probably only a very marked variety of L. (jlaucus, 



P. florida Lowe (Porto Santo) seems to be a mere local state of 

 L. (jlaucus, and appears from a paragraph in Flora of Madeira, 178, 

 to have been finally discarded as a species by its author. 



Lotus glaucus Ait. var. nov. angustifolius. Prostrate, much 

 branched, the branches not interlacing. Leaves all distinctly 

 stalked, the petioles mostly 1-2 lines long ; leaflets linear acute or 

 narrowly obovate-cuneate, three or four times longer than broad ; 

 stipules similar, but smaller, exceeding the petiole. 



A very striking plant when well marked, but a long series shows 

 many intermediate forms connecting it with ordinary L. r/laiicus. 

 Gran Cauaria : Caldera de Bandama, Ginamar, Las Palmas, 

 Gando. Here also, I think, may be best placed a curious plant 

 which I once found on coast rocks between S. Cruz and S. Andres, 

 Tenerife. 



In habit and general appearance this variety bears much the 

 same resemblance to the type that L. tenuis Kit. bears to L. corni- 

 culatus L. Lotiis glaucus seems never to be found far from the sea. 

 It occurs in Madeira and the adjoining islets, and in Tenerife, 

 Gran Canaria, and Fuerteventura. 



Lotus salvagensis, n. sp. or n. var. — Biennial, procumbent, 

 with numerous branched stems, clothed with short adpressed hairs, 

 becoming bald below. Leaves very shortly petioled, leaflets and 

 stipules dissimilar. Leaflets narrowly obovate, about three times 

 as long as broad (not six to eight times, as in Pedrosia Paiva Lowe), 

 subpetiolate, clothed with scattered adpressed hairs. Stipules ex- 

 ceeding the petiole, unequal sided, generally markedly so, rather 



