A NOTE ON FRAGAEIA. 



127 



and quite unworthy of varietal, to say nothing of specific dis- 

 tinction. 



Mr. Druce's next species stands thus : — 



"Fragaria muricata, Linn. Sp. PI. 495 (1753). Mill. Gard. 

 Diet. ed. 8 (1768). The Hautboy Strawberry. 



'' F. moschata et dioica, Duchesne, Hist. Nat. Frais. 145 (1766). 

 F. magna, Thuill. Fl. Par. ed. 2, 254 [1799] . F, elatior, Ehrh. 

 Beitr. vii. 23 (1792)." 



There never has been any serious doubt as to what plant 

 Linnaeus had in view when he printed the name muricata. Indeed, 

 although I do not claim to have exhausted the literature, the only 

 expression of uncertainty I have come across is that in the Index 

 Kewensis, where the name stands ^^ muricata Linn. Sp. PI. 495 = 

 elatior, vesca." It is a plant with a history, of which an interesting 

 summary is given in the Gardeners Chronicle for 1887 (vol. ii. 164).''' 



The Plymouth Strawbekry. 



It was first found by Tradescant in a garden at Plymouth, whence 

 it became known as "the Plymouth Strawberry" (see Johnson in 

 Gerard's Herball, 998 (1633)). About this time it seems to have 

 been well known in England ; Parkinson (Paradisus, 527-8 (1629) ) 

 figures and describes it, and Merrett {Pinax, 39 (1666) ) records it 

 from " Hidepark and Hampsted woods." Zanoni [Istoria Botaiiica, 

 p. 95, t. 38 (1675) ) figures and describes it as "Fragaria Arborea 

 con fiore herbaceo " ; in the later edition of this work (1742) the 

 plate is reprinted (t. 78), and in the description (p. 115) the names 

 from Ger. emac. and Park. Parad. are cited as synonyms. 



It was on Zanoni's figure and description and on the description 

 in Morison's Historia (li. 186: " Fragaria major vesca fiore her- 

 baceo") that Linnaeus based his F. muricata; and as Morison cites 

 Zanoni, we are absolutely clear as to the plant intended by all 

 three. No one has ever for a momeut supposed that this was any- 

 thing but a monstrosity of F. vesca, and it is here that it is placed, 

 with the above and much more synonymy, by Duchesne in his 

 admirable Histoire des Fraisiers (1766). 



* The paper is accompanied by a cut, which the courtesy of the proprietors 

 enables me to reproduce. 



