THE FLORA OF BEIIKSHIRE. 101) 



Druce places Persoon's plant as a variety of V. gemella. The 

 diagnosis of the new variety consists in the narrowness and 

 acuteness of the leaves, for the hiliim is "as in V. gemella'' (the 

 type), and so did not require mendon : here again we have a slight 

 and variable character adopted as the diagnosis of a variety. It is 

 undoubtedly true that V. ge)nella has at times been mistaken for 

 V. gracilis, though no one who had consulted Loiseleur's excellent 

 figure could make such a mistake : at least one of the localities 

 (Wolvercote) for V. gracilis given in the Flora of Ox-fonJshire belongs 

 to V. gemella and (as Mr. Druoe informs me) to his var. tenuissima, 

 and 1 suspect the plant needs confirmation as an Oxfordshire 

 species. As to the "var. tenuifoUum. Fries Fl. Suec. 23" — it 

 should be 109 — all that Fries says of it is " Var. tenuifolia, quas 

 potius forma primaria " ; so that Mr. Druce's citation can only be 

 based on inference. 



Many examples might be given of named varieties for which 

 even less is to be said than for this vetch ; e.g. '' Scilla festal is 

 Salisb. var. hracteata mihi ; in this form the bracts are often so 

 much developed as to considerably exceed the flowers." This form, 

 which is not uncommon, is referred to by Mr. Archer Briggs in his 

 admirable Flora of Plymouth ; — he, however, thought it siifiicient to 

 speak of it as "a plant with extremely long bracts, the longest 

 more than three times as long as the flower" — a reference more in 

 accordance both with modesty and common sense. 



This review is far too long, but it might be indefinitely 

 extended. Mr. Newbould used to say of Pfeifier's Nomenclator 

 that there was material for a paper in every entry : I do not 

 think I exaggerate when I say that there is matter for criticism on 

 every page of Mr. Druce's book. 



In conclusion, I am anxious to make it clear that, so far as the 

 county flora is concerned, Mr. Druce has done his work well and 

 thoroughly. I have already expressed my conviction that no 

 similar undertaking has involved more field work, and that the 

 author has spared neither time nor trouble in its compilation. It 

 is when he strays from the lines of a local flora into general 

 observations that he exposes himself to adverse criticism, and 

 diminishes the gratitude which our field-botanists feel towards 

 one who adds an important contribution to the knowledge of 

 British plants. It has always been my hope that Mr. Druce 

 may see his way to completing his botanical history of the West 

 Tliames subprovince by publishing a flora of Buckinghamshire, for 

 which it is understood he has already collected much material. 

 If in doing this he will confine himself strictly to the matter in 

 hand, the reviewer of his work will have a pleasanter task than has 

 fallen to my lot on the present occasion. 



James Britten. 



