266 



Ser. lY. Stricta, Christ. 

 E. strictum, E. exasperaturay E, stenosi'phon. 



The present article deals with the species assigned to Ser. 

 Simplicia, Subser. Angustifolia. Echium Auherianum was 

 described by Webb and Berthelot in their Phytographia 

 Canariensis, sect. iii. p- 42 t. 144 (1836-50), and was based on a 

 specimen collected by P, A. Auber on the Montana Blanca at the 

 foot of the upper cone of the Pico de Teyde, Tenerife. 



A second species, E. BourgaeanuTrij Webb, was collected by H. 

 de la Perraudiere above Guimar, Tenerife, at 2200 m., and in the 

 Canadas, in April and July, 1855, This was distributed in 

 Bourgeau's Plantae Canarienses, 1 895 and 2 1436, but was 

 never published by Webb, and was reduced to E. Auhertanum by 

 Christ in 1888-* In 1903 it was described and carefully dis- 

 tinguished from E, Auhertanum by De Coincy.f 



In the previous year, however, the same species was described 

 by Sir J. D. HookerJ under the name E. Wildpretii^ H. H. W. 

 Pearson, from a plant raised at Kew from seeds received from 

 the late Mr. H. Wildpret, This particular plant was poorly 

 4eveloped, and had a thin thyrse in which the lateral cymes were 

 exceeded by their subtending bracts. Plants subsequently raised 

 at Kew under different treatment produced a dense thyrse with 

 lateral cymes exceeding the bracts. According to information 

 since received from Dr. G. V. Perez, the seeds of E. Wildpretii 

 were gathered at El Sombrerito above Yilaflor, south of the Peak 

 of Tenerife, at an altitude of about 8,000 ft. 



A third species, E. Pereziiy Sprague, a native of Palma, was 

 described in Kew Bull, 1914, p. 210. This agrees in many 

 respects with E. Wildpretii^ from which it may be distinguished 

 by the broad lax inflorescence, longer style-arms and other 

 characters. E. Perezii is quite different in habit from E. 

 Wildpretii y as may be seen from the accompanying plates of the 

 two species growing in Dr. Perez's garden at Villa Orotava. 



Echium AuherianuTn appears to be a very rare plant, whereas 

 E, Wildpretii {E. Bourgaeamtm) is known from several localities. 

 E. AuherianuTn was first discovered in 17T8, by Masson, § and was 

 recognised as a new species by Solander, who made the following 

 notes : — " Echium caule herbaceo foliisque lanceolatis strigosissi- 

 mis aveniis staminibus corollae aequantibus. Habitat in Tenerife 

 insula canariensi locis arenosis inter juga montium. Fr. Masson 

 1778." Masson's specimen of E. Auherianiimn is perhaps the 

 finest extant; it is preserved in the British Museum herbarium. 

 Through the kindness of Prof. Schroter in lending the Echium 

 material preserved in the Botanical Museum of the Ziirich 

 Polytechnikum, a third specimen of the true E, AuherianuTn has 

 come to light. This was collected at La Fortaleza, 2160 m., 

 above Orotava, during the expedition to the Canary Islands 

 conducted by Professors Eikli and Schroter in 1908. The 



* Engl. Jahrb. vol. ix. p. 126. 



t Bull- Herb. Boiss. ser. 2, vol. iii. p. 2. 



+ Bot, Mag. t. 7847 (Aug. 1902). 



§ Vide Webb and Berth. Geogr. Bot. p. 81, 



