410 CHARLES CARDALE BABINGTON. [1886—87 



obtusis ; caps, recta calycem paulo excedente ; seminibus granulato- 

 papillosis, papillis brevibus obtusis. — C. latifolimn, Hartm. ' Scand. F.' 

 ed. XI. 236, BIytt, 'Fl.' in. p. 1055. In Islandia, leg. Krabbe. 

 C. latifolinm (L.) : alpimtm Europae austr. incola praecipue seminum 

 testa laxa leviter reticulata differt." — "Fl. Dan." mm.d.cccc.L.xiii. 

 (Obs.). I certainly do think that your plant is the C. ardicum. It 

 is a most interesting discovery. The specimens I have, have often 

 given me much trouble, and similarly Syme apparently. We do 

 indeed want the ripe fruit. Did you think of sending a root to 

 London ? I wish we had one here. I am sorry that I cannot be 

 away from home now, so you must try and find a day, after next 

 week, and come to us. We should so much like a good talk about 

 Braemar. — Yours very truly, Charles C. Babington. 



To the Rev. W. H. Purchas. 



Cambkidoe, Bee. 18, 1886. 

 Dear Purchas, — I am sorry to say that the more carefully I 

 examine the plants with the help of the recently received specimens, 

 the more convinced I am, that my Newhouldii and your Furchasii are 

 one species. I find exceedingly little difference when carefully 

 drawn descriptions of them are made. In fact, the only point which 

 at once attracts the attention is the clasping fr. calyx of Purchasii, 

 usually refiexed of Newhouldii, but that I suspect is not constant. 

 The stem of Newboiddii has much more abundant setae and aciculi. 

 The lower part of the stem is nearly round, and bears very many 

 short conical nearly patent prickles. How is this with Purchasii 1 

 On the upper part the prickles are decidedly larger than the other 

 arms. Have your leaves any felt, and are there many aciculi and 

 setae on the petioles 1 They are abundant in Newhouldii. What are 

 the colours of the petals, stamens, and styles ? In Newhoxddii the 

 petals are pale pink, and the stamens exceed the (pink ?) styles, and 

 are themselves greenish-white. I think that you will see from the 

 above that there is no good foundation for the separation of the 

 plants. This places me in some difficulty, as I have unfortunately 

 printed the characters of my plant, and Bloxam never did so of his, 

 nor has anyone else as far as I know. I wish I had seen these 

 good specimens sooner, but that I fear is partly my own fault, or 

 rather misfortune, as I really had not time to attend to your parcel. 

 I have to take them in order, but even when it arrived, my descrip- 

 tion was finished, and may have been out of my hands. — Yours ever, 

 Charles C. Babington. 



To Arthur Bennett, Esq. 



5, Bkookside, Cambkidge, Jan. 12, 1887. 

 Dear Mr. Bennett, — I do not see why Car ex aquatilis Watsoni should 

 be kept up, and so I see no reason for nana. I do not see the good 

 of naming dwarf states of plants, when caused, as I believe this to 



