291 



oco:isionetl by the still or running water, in wliich the plant grew, ntid that 

 this variation produced the many intermediate forms that were to be met with. 

 As an example of the power of the water ranunciili to accommodate themselves 

 to altered conditions of growth, he mentioned the case of a plant growing in 

 the Severn near Worcester : the level of the water being raised several feet 

 some years ago, the plant continued to live, but, being unable to I'each the 

 surface, ceased to flower. Last year, however, the level of the water being 

 lowered, the inflorescence appeared {a])plause). 



Mr. Flavell Edmunds could, from his own observation of the varied 

 forms of the water ranunculi, corroborate the opinion expressed by his friend 

 Mr. Lees. In many i)laces within five miles of Hereford, intermediate forms 

 between the supposed new species or sub-species were to be found. Soon 

 after first finding R. cccnosus in a roadside pool at Longworth, he was passing 

 a iJool in the Breinton lane when he thought he saw another specimen, but on 

 examination it turned out to possess submerged leaves in addition to the 

 floating leaves : the pool was deeper than that at Longworth, and the plant 

 accommodated itself to the conditions of its h.abitat. Tliis drew his attention 

 to the variations in form, and he foxiud so many others as to convince him 

 that all the variations between H. hedcraceus on the one hand and R. fluitana 

 on the other were produced by variety of position. In a shallow pool, in a 

 rich soil, the plant produced only floating leaves ; and the other forms were 

 explained by the greater depth of the water, the presence or the absence of a 

 stream, and its greater or lesser force, nntil the observer came to the 

 R. fluitans as found in the Wye at Eaton Bishop), five or six feet long, with a 

 thick hollow stem, long tassels of submerged leaves, and no floating leaves at 

 all. He exliibited a siJecimen of R. hechracen.s, from a shallow runnel on the 

 summit of the Longmynd hill near Church Stretton, and contrasted it with 

 the specimen figiued in one of Mr. Blashill's diawings, as an example of the 

 effect of unfavourable conditions on the development of the plant. 



The Peesident-elect expressed his concurrence in the view that the 

 variations referred to were due to soil and position. 



The Chairman presented the thanks of the meeting to Mr. Blashill for 

 his interesting paper. 



