28 president's address. 



Convallaria Polygonatum; and my valued Botanical friend^ Mr. 

 John Thompson, claims Arundo Calamagrostis for Ridley Hall, 

 and its woody banks, thirty miles west of Newcastle, on the 

 Tyne." 



To these remarks Mr. Baker returned the following observa- 

 tions : — 



"With reference to the species mentioned, Watson, the great 

 authority upon this subject, does not admit your localities for 

 Brassica oleracea, Lepidium latifolium, Medicago maculata, ajid 

 Viscum album, as natural stations. Of the two former, my col- 

 lection contains specimens from the place to which you make 

 reference, given to me by my old school-fellow, G. S. Brady, of 

 Gateshead. For Carduus pratensis. Winch mistook formerly 

 C. heterophyllus. Chlora perfoliata, and Arundo Calamagrostis, 

 are doubtless quite correct, but I suppose not published. The 

 Botanists of Wallis's time frequently mistook for Co7ivallaria 

 Folygonatum, a form of the ordinary 'Solomon's Seal,' G. mul- 

 tiflora; but I observe, from the 'Terra Lindisfarnensis,' that the 

 truth of his report has been lately confirmed by the Berwick- 

 shire Naturalists' Club. John Thompson, I know well enough by 

 repute; and, indeed, have the pleasure of some slight personal 

 acquaintance with him, as I once came in contact with him in 

 Teesdale, and spent the evening in his company, at the High 

 Force Inn, talking matters over about Winch, Robertson, &c. 



"As regards British Botany, 1854 would seem to have been a 

 year of fair progress, as regards discoveries. In flowering plants, 

 perhaps the most interesting novelty is Epipogium G7uelini, a 

 curious orchidaceous parasite (at least a plant which always grows 

 upon decayed vegetable matter), previously known upon the 

 Continent, from Scandinavia southward; of which a specimen or 

 two were found in the summer at Tedston, Delamere, in Here- 

 fordshire. Then there is Ilierocldoe borealis, an Alpine grass, 

 reported by Don, a long time ago, has been re-discovered in the 

 vicinity of Thurso. The monthly periodical devoted principally 

 to British Botany, the ' Phytologist,' was discontinued early in 

 the year, owing to the decease of its editor, and has not yet been 

 resumed, so that I do not know that these have been published 



