July, 1907.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 59 



xvii., igoo, p. 169, at once suggests L. gihhosa, and this is con- 

 firmed by comparison of the type specimens. Those of L. toppii 

 are simply the upper parts of the stems, from which most of the 

 leaves have fallen. " Leaves replaced by scales " applies only to 

 the upper part of the flowering axis, just as in L. gibbosa. These 

 specimens do not show a single constant feature which is not also 

 shown by undoubted specimens of L. gibbosa, so that the plants 

 cannot even be classed as a variety of that species. It is 

 sincerely to be regretted that Mr. Topp's services to the Field 

 Naturalists' Club were not signalized by attaching his name to a 

 valid species. 



Another species of Lobelia {Lobelia gustafsenii, F. v. M., 

 M.S., W.A., 1889) may possibly need suppression at a later 

 date, and three others at once. These are L. browniana, R, and 

 G. ; L. siniplicicaulis, R. Br. ; and L. microsperma, F. v. M. The 

 latter three species form the L gibbosa, Labill., and were revived 

 by Baron von Mueller, in opposition to the opinions of Bentham 

 and of Sir J. D. Hooker. They appear to form three fairly 

 strongly marked varieties of L. gibbosa, but with intervening 

 forms and without any strongly marked and constant distinctive 

 features. 



SoLANUM VESCUM, F. V. M. (Trans. Vict. Inst., 185?, p. 69) = 

 SoLANUM AvicuLARE, Forst., var. VESCUM, F. V. M. — Solan- 

 acese. 



The characters relied upon by Mueller to distinguish aS*. vescam 

 from S. avicidare are none of them constant (sessile decurrent 

 leaves, relatively longer filaments, less deeply lobed corollas, and 

 edible globular greenish berries). Specimens with edible globular 

 greenish berries may have stalked and non-decurrent leaves, and 

 the lobing of the corolla varies somewhat in different specimens. 

 Typical specimens of S. aviculare with ovoid yellow inedible 

 berries may show a more or less marked approach to the 

 decurrent condition. Nevertheless the four characters occur 

 together sufficiently frequently to justify the recognition of a 

 variety vescum of this highly variable species S. aviculare, although 

 many specimens might be placed either with the variety or the 

 type species. Solarium vescum, though suppressed by Bentham, 

 was retained by Mueller in the " Census," but can be no longer 

 upheld against the evidence aftbrded by numerous transitional 

 specimens since received. 



Stylidium maitlandianum, Pritzel (Frag. Phyt. Aust. Occid., 

 p. 593) = S, STRIATUM, Lindl. — Stylidiege. 



This species is based by Pritzel upon the fact that the flowers 

 are violet instead of rose colour, upon the shape of the leaves, 

 and upon the presence of an irregular thin scarious margin to the 



