FILAGO 



277 



Sm. Fl. Brit. ii. 873, and of Lobel, 566. G. monfanum, Huds. Fl, 

 Angl. ii. 362 (1778). F. minor, Gerard, 517. 



Top. Bot. 253. Syme, E. B. v. 70, t. 739. Nyman, 385. Fl. Oxf. 166. 

 Native. Ericetal. Dry sandy fields, heaths, and commons, in sunny 



places. Locally abundant. A. June-Septembei*. 

 First record. F. minima, but without locality, by Mr. G. G. Mill in 



PJujt. i. 987, 1843, and in 3£r. Baxter's MSS. from Boar's Hill, 



probably of an earlier date. 



2. Ock. Boar's Hill. Tubney, Baxter, MSS. in Fl. Oxf. Marcham. 



Walker. Frilford. Cumnor Hurst. Near Besilsleigh. 



3. Pang. Cold Ash Common. Oare. Curridge. Bucklebury. 



4. Eennet. Greenham Common, Weaver. Burghfield. Alder- 



maston. Silchester. Snelsmore. Wickham. Mortimer. Crook- 

 ham. Padworth. Common on the heaths in this district. 



5. Loddon. Near Marlow, Mill. Wellington College, everywhere, 



Penny. Sandhurst. Bagshot, Ambarrow. Finchampstead. 

 Risel3^ Sunninghill. Sunningdale. Bracknell. Binfield. 

 Twyford and Sonning Railway-cutting. Bearwood. Near Cole- 

 man's Moor. Windsor Great Park, &c. Common on the sandy 

 ground in this district. 

 jP. minima does not appear to be recorded for E. Gloucestershire. 



F. GERMANicA X MINIMA ? Specimens of a plant which I gathered on 

 Boar's Hill were sent to Dr. Focke with the name queried as above. 

 He replied : ' I am not sure about your curious Filago. In the parts of 

 the flower I see no difference from germanica, but the disposition of the 

 flower heads and the whole habit is very anomalous. I did not 

 succeed in finding the pollen grain in the dry specimens, but this 

 kind of research may afford us a clear evidence when applied to the 

 living plant.' The plant occurred in scattered patches amid a dense 

 and luxuriant growth of the two supposed parents. Mr. Arthur 

 Bennett says, he ' could see no sign of the hybrid ; it is a small form 

 of germanica, of late growth, or on a very dry soil.' The Rev. W. R. 

 Linton also was unable to consider it a hybrid ; * as it produces good 

 fruit he would call it a form or possibly a variety.' The Rev. E. S. 

 Marshall ' thinks the suggested origin a very likely one indeed.' That 

 it is not a form caused by the ' lateness of the season ' or the ' dry- 

 ness of the soil,' is proved by the fact that it was accompanied by 

 a profuse and luxuriant growth of the ordinary plant. There were 

 about a dozen patches of this form scattered over the field as if the 

 seeds of a single plant had given rise to each of the patches. The 

 hybrid origin appears to me to be very probable. 



It was distributed through the Bot. Exch. Club in 1894, see Report, 



P- 451- 



