eS 
FLOWERING PLANTS. 167 
Callitriche truncata, Guss. 
Native. First found: Ley, 1885. 
Very rare. Abundant in the running stream at Grande Mare, but 
barren. In 1892 Mr. James Groves and I found it in fine fruit in 
the pool by Fort Doyle; but not a trace of the plant could be 
detected there in the dry summer of 1899. The Rev. Augustin Ley 
discovered this species in the millpond at the King’s Mills in July 
1885. Five years later I searched the spot, but could see nothing of 
it. It should be observed, however, that the Grande Mare stream 
flows out of the King’s Mills millpond. It is a characteristic of this 
plant that it is always extirely submerged, and when the water is 
high in the stream its presence would never be suspected. 
URTICACEAE, 
Parietaria diffusa, Koch. Wall Pellitory, 
Native. First record: Gosselin, 1815. 
_ Frequent in all parts of the island on old walls and dry, stony 
banks. I have noticed occasionally, at the Vale and elsewhere, an 
erect, unbranched form, approaching var. evecta, M. and K., but 
graduating towards the type. 
This plant is called in the Guernsey patois Pavazetole, a slight 
variant of Pariédaire, the name by which it is known in Normandy. 
Urtica urens, L. Small Nettle. 
Native. First record: Gosselin, 1815. 
Rather common in the north of the island: less so in the 
lowlands generally, and decidedly rare in the south. 
The sting of this species is more venomous than that of the 
common nettle, hence its name, Ovtie briilante, in France, and 
Brennende Nesse/ in Germany. Nettle fibre was used in the manu- 
facture of Scotch cloth as late as the seventeenth century, when flax 
and hemp were introduced to replace it. According to Prior, the 
word xettle ‘would seem to have meant primarily that with which 
one sews,’ thus connecting it with the word xeed/e. 
Urtica dioica, L. Common Nettle. 
Native. First record: Gosselin, 1815. 
Very common everywhere. It is very curious that among nearly 
two hundred wild plants which I found in this island still flowering 
in the month of December, some years ago, not a single example of 
this species could be discovered, although U. wrens was flowering 
profusely. 
Nettles dressed like spinach are excellent eating, and an infusion 
of the plant is a common spring medicine in many rural districts. 
In Scotland it is occasionally used in place of rennet to curdle milk, 
and the young shoots make a favourite dish called ‘ nettle-brose.’ 
