1839, 40] BOTANICAL CORRESPONDENCE. 281 



To the same. 



MoEDiFOHD, Heeefokd, Auff. 14, 1839. 



My dear Sir, — When parting from you at Torquay you expressed 

 a wish that I should send you an account of my proceedings in South 

 Wales, I therefore now give myself the pleasure of writing a few 

 lines to you. On my arrival at Exeter I found the Sidmouth coach 

 full, and had therefore to go outside to that place, but fortunately 

 escaped a wetting through the goodness of my mackintosh. I found 

 the Schistostega at Sidmouth, both to the east and west of the town, 

 but could not find it in North Devon, nor South Wales, nor Here- 

 fordshire. Verhascum blattaria escaped my notice, even if it is now 

 to be found on Salcombe Hill. I looked about me at Barnstaple, 

 Ilfracombe, and Coombe Martin (also near Taunton), but found 

 nothing peculiar. The purple-stemmed Filix-femina* and scaly F.-viasf 

 are both frequent in North Devon, and also near Merthyr Tydfil. 

 The latter district is peculiarly rich in ferns and Hieracia. Indi- 

 viduals and varieties I mean, although the species are rather 

 numerous. From Ilfracombe I crossed over to Swansea, and 

 visited Penard Castle, where I saw the Draba aizdides in plenty, 

 and gathered, on the slopes of the sand hill between it and the sea, 

 a moderate quantity of Sinapis Cheiranthus. It was much beaten to 

 pieces by the late stormy weather, and therefore good specimens 

 were rare, but roots were moderately plentiful. The district in 

 which it occurs is a confined one, as I hunted for it widely, but 

 only found it upon the slopes of a single hilly range of sand, growing 

 amongst Arundo arenaria, and in single scattered individuals. Since 

 my arrival at this place, Lingwood's home, I have seen the true 

 Arctium Lappa, totally without the web, and with the involucral 

 scales ciliated with very short rigid setae, and also concolorous. I 

 never saw the plant before, and am now convinced that we have 

 two species of Arctium in England. In Arctium hardana the scales 

 of the involucrum, in addition to their web, become much tinged 

 with purple as they approach the flowers, and the tips of the 

 mucrones are scarcely hooked. They are never ciliated. The 

 inflorescence also of A. Lappa is more corymbose, and that of 

 hardana is a raceme. Lingwood desires to be remembered. I 

 trust that you will tell Mrs. Borrer that I endeavoured to take 

 all the care of you that I could. — Believe me, yours truly, Charles 

 C. Babington. 



Oxalis carniculata occurs in gardens as a weed near Sidmouth, 

 and at Sidford. 



To Sir W. J. Hooker. 



St. John's College, Cambridge, Jan. 18, 1840. 

 My dear Sir, — Upon my return home the day before yesterday 

 I received your letter of the 10th inst., with its enclosed specimen 

 of Polygonum Boberti (Lois.), for which permit me to express to you 



* See Manual — "Athyiium." f See Manual — "Lastrea." 



