42 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW, 
given by the older botanists, for we know that some of the forms 
lose their hairs at a comparatively early stage of growth, while 
others retain the hairs on the calyx until the seed has ripened. 
Let me now refer to A. hybrida. Botanists seem agreed that 
this is a cross between A. vulgaris and A. alpina. I was of 
opinion that A. conjuncta also might be a hybrid between these 
two plants. Both views may possibly be correct, and the form 
hybrida may take as much after vulgaris as conjuncta does after 
alpina, the difference being probably due to parentage. Descrip- 
tions seem to point to a plant resembling conjwncta but smaller 
in all its parts, the under side of its leaves alone being covered 
with a silky pubescence. 
A. hybrida seems also to have given rise to considerable con- 
fusion. Linnzus, as we saw, regarded it as a subspecies of 
alpina, and synonymous with A. alpina pubescens minor, Tournet. ; 
and it seems also to have been viewed as synonymous with A. 
splendens, Christ, and A. pubescens, Biberstein. Whatever this 
form may be, it is certainly not a common plant with us. It is 
very interesting to notice that Willdenow unites A. hydrida, L., 
with his own A. vulyaris, and the description he gives of it shows 
that he did not refer to the same plant as Linnzus. It seems to 
me quite probable that Willdenow regarded vulgaris, montana, 
and hybrida as distinct forms. 
T have stated that Linneus recognised a variety B under his 
A. vulgaris, which he described as a form with large yellowish- 
green glabrous leaves and more decumbent stems, while he 
remarks that it is rare and only found in sandy places. I feel 
confident that we have this plant, but in Britain it does not grow 
in the habitat stated. It occurs beside alpine rills, and on wet 
sheltered rocky ledges, and is better known as A. vulgaris var. 
glabra, Wimmer et Grabowski. 
To have rendered justice to the translation by A. Kerner, which 
forms the first part of Mr. Druce’s paper, I should have had to 
occupy very much more time than the plant may be considered 
worth, and will therefore attempt briefly to state the conclusions 
arrived at after reading that paper. 
There can be no doubt that we have four forms of A. vulgaris 
in Scotland, and these are as follows :—(1) A. vulgaris, L., which 
is certainly the plant described by Linneus, At an early stage 
