EPILOBIUM. 



81 



212. E. PALUSTRE. See Bot. Gazette, i. p. 12; Hardy in Ibid, 

 p. 133, and in Ann. and Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. iii. p. 424.— Frequent 

 in bogs. Aug., Sept. — A small pubescent variety grows commonly 

 on the Lammermuirs about Godscroft *, — an old and interesting 

 hamlet on Monnienut-burn above Abbey St. Bathans. It is the 

 birth-place of David Hume, author of the " History of the House 

 and Race of Douglas and Angus." He was born there prior to 1560. 

 See the prefatory notice to his " de Familia Humise Wedderburnensi 

 Liber." Edin. 1839 : Stat. Ace. Berwicks. p. 108 : M'Crie's Life of 

 A. Melville, ii. p. 323-5 ; and p. 329. 



213. E. TETRAGONUM. Marshy places, not uncommon. • 



214. E. viRGATUM. Fries Sum. Veg. Scand. i. 177 : Bab. Man. 

 p. 114; Ann. and Mag. N. Hist. ix. 340. — B. Oozy bogs, or " jogly 

 beds," on the side of Monnienut-burn at Godscroft. July. 



215. E. ALSiNiFOLiuM. "Ad rivulos in lateribus mentis Che- 

 viotse in Northumbria Anglise observavi," Ray, Hist. Plant, i. 862. 

 It chokes the sykesf that lead to the CoUedge X and burns flowing 

 down the Henhole and Dunsdale ravines of the great Che-vdot. — Ray 

 referred this plant to E. alpinum. He was followed by Hudson (Fl. 

 Ang. edit. 1 . p. 142) ; and by Robson in his Br. Flor. p. 94. The 

 authors of the Botanist's Guide through Northumberland and Dur- 

 ham found reason to distinguish it, and they suggested the trivial 

 name csespitosum. " In winter it is not deciduous, but forms wide- 

 spreading matted tufts of srrall leaves, among which fibrovis roots 

 shoot out, as in proliferous plants. The flower-stems are partially 

 decumbent, cylindrical, at first simple, afterwards much branched, 

 and furnished with numerous elHptical, slightly toothed, soft leaves ; 

 the flowers are few, and the style undivided." Bot. Guide North, ii. 

 p. V. — Mr. Dawson Turner was of opinion that the plant was a 

 " starved variety of E. montanum, arising from the elevated situa- 

 tion." Turn, and Dillw, Guide, ii. p. 471. — Wahlenberg considers 

 it merely a variety of E. alpinum (FI. Lapp. p. 95), deriving, we 

 presume, its luxuriant character from its descent to lower grounds ; 



* Sometimes pronounced Gowkscroft. It may have been " the Gude- 

 man's croft " originally, viz. that portion of land set aside as the property 

 of the archfiend. See Sir W. Scott's Demonology, p. 89. 



t The synonym of sich or sitch, an English word now obsolete, and 

 which was a translation of the barbarous Latin words Sichetum or Sikettus. 

 See Notes and Queries, vi. 364. — I find that in our district a runlet or 

 small burn is also called by some a letch. My friend Mr. Home has given 

 me an illustration of its use. In an agreement about Grangebm-n Mill, 

 10 Nov. 1682, the lessees thereof "are to have their bounders from the 

 south end of the Quarrye above the said Milne where a greate gray ground 

 stone is lyeing there beside it on the north side of the Mill damm and from 

 thence all along by the brink of the bank till they come to the Milne-liouse 

 and from thence along by an old dyke on the north side of the said Milne 

 evenly doun Southward to the Letch below the said Milne." 



X Usually spelt College, but wrongly, says Mr Carr in Trans. T^nes. 

 Nat. Club. i. 347. 



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