BRITTEN ON EUOKINGHAMSHIRE RARITIES. 163 



beauty of the surrounding scenery. The banks were still gay with FAijm^ 

 torium cannaUnum, Hypericum quadrangulum, Ly thrum Salicaria, and IajsI^ 

 maclda vulgaris, which last is cultivated in London gardens under the 

 name of " Orange Bovena," and is there considered quite a new plant. A 

 ditch in the meadow, shortly before arriving at Danesfield, was full of 

 Sagittaria sagittafolia and Anacharis Alsinastrum^ both blossoming profusely : 

 I have noticed that the lower leaves of the former, when growing in run- 

 ning water, become nearly linear, and entirely lose the shape of an arrow, 

 which gives the plant its name. At Danesfield, a notice warns the wan- 

 derer that the footpath there becomes private property, so I was reluctantly 

 forced to turn back, but not before I had taken a peep into the forbidden 

 ground, and espied Conhim maculatum in some plenty. This plant appears 

 from the ' Cybele ' to be found throughout the kingdom, but J do not think 

 it is really a common species : the strong smell of mice which adheres to 

 it, well distinguishes it from any other member of the -Umbelliferse. Going 

 from Medmenham in the other direction, towards Harleyford, a peculiar 

 variety of Lysimacliia vulgaris was observed. The truss of flowers was very 

 much smaller, and the bottom of each blossom was of a deep orange 

 colour : four or five plants growing together exhibited this peculiarity. A 

 variety oi Solarium Dulcamara having pure white blossoms, was also noticed : 

 Sparganium natans occurs all along in the river between here and Marlow 

 Road. After this I returned home, well satisfied with my day's excursion. 

 In a walk from Wycombe to Totteridge, a variety of Centaurea Scahiosa 

 occurred, having pure white flowers. In a field of saintfoin, I was very 

 much pleased to find two fine plants of Adonis autumnalis, and I have no 

 doubt that there were others in the same locality, as I did not examine 

 the ground thoroughly : this is an interesting addition to the rarities of 

 this neighbourhood. On Totteridge Common, Hyoscyamus niger occurred 

 sparingly ; it has been here for at least four years. Between Wycombe 

 and Handy Cross, the fields supply the three Linarice before-mentioned, 

 with Iberis amara and Galeopsis Ladanum. In a hedge, G. Tctrahit was 

 noticed : this is the rarer species hereabouts, though it occurs with white 

 flowers in Bisham Wood. By the roadside, before arriving at Handy 

 Cross, Dipsacus pilosus grows sparingly ; the hedge has this year been cut, 

 and I only observed one root of the plant ; but in 1861 there were several, 

 though I have never seen it hereabouts but in this locality. At Booker, 

 Sedum Telephium occurs in a hedge ; and at Whittington Park, some dis- 

 tance further on, were Ejnpactis latifolia, Scahiosa Columbaria^ &c. ; Blechnum 



