1859] BOTANICAL CORRESPONDENCE. 333 



two species called Papaver duhium here, or at least two very well 

 marked plants. These names are somewhat difficult to determine. 

 I call them P. modestum and P. Lamottei. Newbould considers my 

 P. modestum as P. Lecoqii. Boreau's descriptions are not as satis- 

 factory as could be desired. He omits to state the character of 

 parts in one plant which he seems to consider as affording the 

 distinction of another. Thus, he does not tell us the colour of the 

 juice of modestum, although he found much upon it ; in Lecoqii and 

 Lamottei he does not state the relative length of the stamens and 

 pistils of Lecoqii. In short, I do not see any mode of being quite 

 sure of our plant belonging to one of his plants rather than the 

 other. Nor can I make it out by Jordan, or by Lloyd. The 

 petals of our plant are those of modestum, so is, apparently, the 

 stigma, and, I think, the capsule, "r6tr6cie seulement dans sa 

 moitie inferieure " and " subitement r6tr6cie k la base." The 

 stamens are those of Lecoqii, and perhaps also the juice. I will 

 now try to convey to you an idea of the shape of the capsules. 

 P. Lamottei has petals nearly of the shape of those of P. Rhoeas, 

 but, I fancy, always much paler. Its leaves are, in my specimens 

 from Chippenham (Cambs.), much less divided, scarcely pinnatifid, 

 whilst those of modestum are 5i-pinnatifid. Remember that the 

 petals have to be taken from a vigorous plant {Rhoeas, when starved, 

 has wedge-shaped ones). I think the spot is variable. I find it 

 slightly in Lamottei. Of this, all I know of the juice (for certain) is 

 that it does not turn yellow. My belief is that it has very little 

 colour. Armstrong lives in Green Street, just opposite the Union. 

 — Yours truly, Charles C. Babington. 



To the same. 



Cambridge, Sept. 8, 1859. 



Dear More, — I did not receive your letter in time to write about 

 the Channel Islands, but as you seem to have gone with non-botanical 

 people, it is perhaps of little consequence. I fear that you will have 

 found little time to do much in such company ; much botanically I 

 mean, for doubtless you have seen the beauties of the islands, and 

 had a pleasant trip. I could not however have helped you, for I 

 have not been there since my book was written, and therefore it 

 contains all the hints that I have to give. Also the time of year is 

 very late for the plants of the islands. I fear that next to nothing, 

 except Pmhi, remain in perfection, and you will not have had time 

 (if inclination was present) to attend to them with success. New- 

 bould hints concerning the Poppy-hunt, that you may not have 

 remembered that all the P. diibia cast their petals very early in the 

 day, and that therefore they may be more abundant than you 

 suppose. Their flowers fall very early indeed, very different from 

 P. Rhoeas, which retain their petals quite through one day, and 

 perhaps longer. I do not think that more than two of the French 



