384 NOTES ON SPKf'IF.S OF LOTUS ^ PKDTIOSIA. 



Lotus dumetorum (Webb MS.) Tlourgeau 803, 1321, 1322. 

 Perennial, erect or ascending, mucb branched, sparingly pilose 

 with adpressed hairs. Leaves shortly but distinctly stalked, clothed 

 with adpressed hairs, leaflets oblanceolate ; stipules similar to 

 the leaflets, much exceeding the petiole, subpetiolate ; peduncles 

 10-15 lines long; bract normally trifoliate; heads conspicuous, 3- to 

 5- or 6-flowered, yellow; calyx bilabiate, teeth subulate, exceeding 

 the tube ; pod linear, cylindric, torulose, often strangulate, 5- to 

 12- or 14-seeded. 



Tenerife (Anaga Hills, Bufadero, Taganana). These localities 

 are all close together. 



A very curious plant, known only, as I believe, from Bourgeau's 

 specimens, until I refound it a few years since on the Anaga Hills. 

 Cosson suggested that it might be a variety of L. arenarius Brot., 

 and this view was adopted by Ball, who identified it with a plant 

 collected in Marocco, and gave it the varietal name of Wehhii, 

 remarking "differt a specie habitu procumbente, herba hirsutissima 

 incana, foliis minoribus, sed characteres graviores satis constantes 

 non video." This, however, does not at all suit the Tenerife plant, 

 and I cannot help suspecting that some confusion has occurred. 

 At all events the varietal name " Wehhii'' must disappear, so far as 

 the Tenerife plant is concerned. Lowe [Flora of Madeira, 176) 

 thinks that " there seems less objection to ' Bourgeau's plants ' 

 being regarded as extremely luxuriant states or varieties of L. 

 glaucus Ait." ; but inclining rather to consider them as "constituting 

 a dibtinct and undescribed species." The perennial habit with 

 distinct woody rootstock seems by itself at once to remove L. 

 dumetorum from all connexion with L. arenarius, which is, I believe, 

 strictly annual. The stipules, also, are very different. Nor, after 

 studying the magnificent specimens which I collected in June, 1894, 

 on the Anaga Hills, can I consent to regard it as only a luxuriant 

 state of L. gJaucus. It is suffrutescent, not biennial, and other 

 difl'erences may be found, especially in the leaves, stipules, and 

 calyx, which compel me to treat it as a distinct species. 



Lotus emeroides, n. sp. — Perennial or subperennial, much 

 branched, sparingly villose-pubescent. Leaves distinctly stalked ; 

 leaflets roundish obovate, about 3 in. long; stipules resembling the 

 leaves, but smaller, subpetiolate, equalling or exceeding the petiole. 

 Peduncles 1-2 in. long ; bract trifoliate ; heads 3-4-flowered, 

 flowers yellow, rather large; calyx hairy only on the ribs, bilabiate, 

 teeth ciliate, 2 superior triangular-lanceolate, 3 inferior (shorter) 

 subulate-lanceolate, all longer than the tube ; style flattened, the 

 tooth very distinct. Pods short, about an inch long, slightly 

 winged, almost as in L. siUqxiosus, torulose, often strangulate, 8-10- 

 seeded. Seeds (immature) testaceous. 



Gomera (Degollada de S. Sebastiano, on rocks; near Hermigua, 

 in bushy ground). 



There is a specimen of this plant in herb. Webb (Florence), 

 collected near Hermigua "in arvis," to which the MS. name of 

 emeroides is appended. I have therefore adopted it as the specific 

 name. 



